One of the many concerns that many gamers have when they buy themselves a shiny new gaming console is where to store it.
For those who wish to have a tidy gaming environment ask whether can you keep PS5 in a cabinet while turned on and playing.
The short and simple answer to the question is yes. You CAN keep your PS5 in a cabinet not just for stowing but also while playing it so long as you take care of proper ventilation inside the cabinet.
You should note that PS5 can get hot. It vents out hot air particularly when gaming. Therefore, if the cabinet is NOT ventilated or if the PS5 snuggly fits into the cabinet, then it may not be the best place.
In the following text, I will talk about ventilation for PS5 in general and whether it is safe to place your PS5 in a cabinet while playing.
How Hot Does PS5 Get?
Think of PS5 as a mid-range gaming computer. And if you are familiar with gaming computers in general, you will know that they are literally space heaters.
PS5, like any gaming computer, would suffer if it does not get proper airflow.
The CPU of the gaming console can range in temperature between 65 to 75 degrees Celcius (149° – 167° F).
However, when figuring out how hot your PS5 gets, you do not just look at the CPU. You have to look at the temperature of all the main components including the GPU and RAM.
In this way, you will note that some components, due to an inferior thermal design, suffer more as compared to others.
Case Study by Spawn Wave
One of the most remarkable demonstrations of how hot PS5 can get was done by Spawn Wave.
In his tests, he found out that there is a drastic temperature difference for CPU/GPU chip and RAM when PS5 is left in the open, inside a cabinet with gaps on the sides, and inside a cabinet when fully enclosed.
Here are the results:
The first test shows the CPU and RAM temperatures when the PS5 is left in the open air:
The second test simulates what the temperatures PS5 would reach inside a typical cabinet with gaps on the sides.
You can see there is a marginal rise in temperature but it is not too bad.
The following tests simulate the results of PS5 temperature if it were placed in a cabinet with NO ventilation at all.
You can clearly see the temperature spiking in this case.
You can clearly see that PS5 requires proper ventilation.
PS5’s CPU/GPU is designed to shut down automatically to save itself from permanent damage when it reached around ~100-105° C.
But the important point to note here is that not all components have the same thermal design. Some, such as the RAM, are more prone to heating which can cause permanent damage if not taken proper care.
So Can You Keep PS5 in a Cabinet?
With the above results and with general intuition in mind, it is clear that you CAN keep your PS5 in a cabinet so long as proper ventilation is provided.
But like all electronics and particularly gaming machines, PS5 tends to get hot.
In the idle state, the PS5 does not use a lot of power, however, once you start gaming, it can turn a poorly ventilated cabinet into a hot box.
And you do not want that to happen since many times permanent damage to PS5 is caused by overheating components.
Again, it is important to note that the temperatures can get out of hand especially when playing for a prolonged time. Hence, the more ventilation you provide the better it is for the longevity of the console.
Cabinet Placement: Do’s and Don’ts
Let me reiterate some important pointers regarding putting your PS5 in the cabinet here:
The Need for Ventilation
It is essential to ensure that the cabinet space has ample ventilation on all of its sides.
Consider the Air Inlet and Outlet
PS5 takes the cold from the front and top and exhausts hot air from the back.
As such, it is important that the back side of the PS5 is not completely against the wall as that would obstruct the hot air from escaping.
As mentioned earlier, a snugly fitting cabinet is the worst place for your PS5.
Avoid Cabinets with Doors
Many cabinet spaces come with glass doors to enclose the stuff that you put inside.
Obviously, you do not want that to be the case when putting your PS5 in one.
Does the Orientation of the Console Mater?
Whether you place the cabinet horizontally or vertically does not significantly affect the cooling performance of the console.
As such, you can choose any position that would make the PS5 fit inside the cabinet.
However, just make sure that you take note of where PS5 has air inlets and outlets so that you can give it ample space.
Get Tailor Made Cabinets or Go DIY
If you suspect that your console inside a cabinet or the space around is getting hot then you can do one of two things:
Get Tailor Made Ventilated Cabinets
Cabinets for electronic equipment that get very hot, like PS5, have ventilation in mind. They offer features such as built-in ventilation, fans, open-back design, and mesh frames all intended to promote airflow.
Cooling Fans
If instead, you wish to simply use the cabinet you have available at home, you can get creative by adding ventilation fans inside the cabinet to keep the space cool.
This would require some DIY skills on your part.
Final Words
So long story short, the answer to the question “Can you keep PS5 in a cabinet?” is a resounding yes so long as you take proper care of the ventilation.
