PS5 Pro Operated for a Year Inside a Cardboard Box in User Experiment

A PS5 Pro has operated without its factory casing inside a cardboard box for a full year. An owner’s experiment demonstrated that exposed components do not necessarily suffer from dust accumulation.

A gamer purchased working PS5 Pro components for $100 after a previous owner removed the electronics from the chassis and returned the empty plastic to the store. Instead of buying an expensive replacement case, the buyer placed the board inside an ordinary cardboard box.

Despite initial concerns, the console survived a year of active use. The owner played demanding games daily, including PSVR2 titles. An external fan was used for cooling, because without proper airflow channels, the board would heat up to critical temperatures in approximately 30 minutes.

The experiment also revealed an unexpected effect regarding dust. According to the owner, the exposed components gathered less grime because dust did not accumulate inside ventilation vents and heatsinks. The airflow from the external fan constantly cleared away settled particles.

Image source: Reddit

The story also highlighted an issue regarding replacement parts for modern consoles: while side panels are easy to buy, finding a complete internal frame and housing is significantly more difficult.