The player bought working PS5 Pro components for $100 after the previous owner removed the electronics from the case and returned the empty plastic to the store. Instead of an expensive case, he placed the board in a regular cardboard box.
Despite concerns, the console survived a year of active use. The owner daily launched demanding games, including projects for PSVR2. For cooling, he used an external fan: without air channels, the board heated up to a critical temperature in about 30 minutes.
The experiment also showed an unexpected effect with dust. According to the owner, open components get less dirty because dust does not accumulate in the ventilation holes and radiators. The airflow from the external fan constantly removes settled particles.
The story also highlighted a problem with spare parts for modern consoles: side panels are easy to buy, but a full internal frame and case are much harder to find.