Yes—according to a single Reddit owner’s account repeated by Wccftech, a PlayStation 5 Pro has operated for more than a year after its outer shell was removed and its electronics were placed in a cardboard box. The unusual setup depends on an external fan: without that added airflow, the owner says the console overheated and shut down after about 30 minutes during demanding games.
What the cardboard-box PS5 Pro setup is
Reddit user bayareapyro, who says he runs a pawn shop, reported that a customer removed the vital electronics from a PS5 Pro, returned the empty shell to Walmart for a full refund, and left the hardware behind. The owner says he bought the electronics for $100 and installed them in a cardboard box.
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This is a PS5 Pro, not the standard PlayStation 5. The account describes a bare internal assembly rather than a console operating with no cooling at all. The original shell, fan arrangement and designed airflow path are gone, so the owner added a separate external fan to move air across the exposed hardware.
How long has it lasted?
The owner says the modified system has remained operational for more than one year and is used daily with PlayStation VR2. He identifies PSVR2 as his most strenuous workload and also says the system remains usable during demanding games such as Crimson Desert.
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Those figures are the owner’s 2026 statements. No independent temperature logs, component inspections, dust measurements or comparison system were published with the report.
Why the external fan is essential
The owner says the system overheated and shut down after roughly 30 minutes before he added supplemental airflow. His explanation is that the intact PS5 Pro shell is designed to guide air through the console with its built-in fan; removing that structure leaves the cooling system without its intended enclosure and airflow path.
He therefore keeps the external fan running during demanding use. In this particular build, the fan is not an optional quiet-mode accessory—it is the measure the owner credits with preventing the earlier thermal shutdowns. The report does not identify the fan’s model, airflow rating, placement, temperature readings or electrical connection, so another fan or arrangement cannot be assumed to provide the same result.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsDoes an exposed PS5 Pro avoid dust problems?
The owner disputes comments that dust would inevitably destroy the exposed electronics. His view is that dust becomes especially harmful when it cakes inside a closed shell and restricts ventilation; with no shell, he argues, there is less enclosure for dust to accumulate against.
That is an individual opinion, not a demonstrated dust-resistance property. An uncovered console remains vulnerable to airborne dust, hair, liquids, static discharge, accidental contact and objects falling onto the circuit boards. Dust can still settle on heatsinks, fans and connectors, while a cardboard box offers little protection from spills or impact. The published account contains no cleaning schedule, dust analysis or long-term component examination.
What this proves—and what it does not
| Question | What the report establishes |
|---|---|
| Is it a PS5 Pro? | Yes. The owner identifies the hardware as a PlayStation 5 Pro. |
| Where are the electronics? | Inside a cardboard box after the original outer shell was removed. |
| How is it cooled? | An external fan supplies additional airflow. |
| How long has it worked? | The owner claims more than one year of operation. |
| What happened without the fan? | The owner reports overheating and shutdown after about 30 minutes under demanding use. |
| Is there independent reliability data? | No. The evidence is a single user account repeated in news coverage. |
Should you remove your PS5 Pro’s shell?
This story is not a general recommendation to run a console without its enclosure. A normal intact PS5 Pro provides physical protection, a designed airflow path and an integrated cooling arrangement. Removing the shell can also affect warranty or service eligibility and makes safe placement, cable management and cleaning more difficult.
Anyone evaluating an altered system would need to treat it as a custom electronics project rather than a routine console modification:
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- Keep the hardware on a stable, nonconductive surface with clear airflow around every intake and exhaust.
- Prevent contact with loose metal, liquids, pets and children; exposed boards and connectors are easy to damage.
- Use continuous supplemental airflow during high-load gaming, not only after temperatures rise.
- Monitor for thermal warnings, sudden shutdowns, fan changes, instability or graphical errors.
- Understand that this anecdote supplies no safe operating temperature, fan specification or expected service life.
What about a replacement PS5 Pro shell?
Full replacement shells for the PS5 Pro are described as rare, and compatibility must be checked carefully before buying. A cover intended for another PlayStation model may not fit the Pro’s dimensions, vents or internal mounting points. A replacement enclosure would restore physical protection and a more controlled airflow path, but the available report provides no measured comparison between a replacement shell, an intact console and the cardboard-box arrangement.
The practical verdict
A shell-less PS5 Pro can apparently keep working for more than a year in one owner’s setup, but only with deliberate external cooling and careful handling. The same report says the unassisted arrangement overheated in about half an hour. That makes the cardboard-box console an intriguing anecdote—not evidence that removing a PS5 Pro’s shell is safe, durable or advisable for general use.
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