PS5 overheating in a Best Buy kiosk is a clear warning for console storage

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PSA: Don't keep your PS5 in a sealed plastic case

PS5
(Image credit: Sony)

A PS5 has overheated after being put on display in a Best Buy. Pictures circulated on Twitter show the console's error message, as well as the cosy conditions under which it was kept.

Twitter user Xzyliac shared an image from their local Best Buy in Houston, Texas depicting an error message which reads: "Your PS5 is too hot. Turn off your PS5, and wait until the temperature goes down." In response, other users shared images of what appeared to be Best Buy's PS5 display kiosk, both of which go some way to explaining why the machine might have overheated.

In both of the pictures circulating, the console is sealed in a plastic case, ensuring that none of the hot air leaving its fans can go anywhere. Adding to the effect are lights intended to illuminate the display, but in this case, will also be pumping extra heat into the PS5. While Xzyliac didn't take those pictures, they did confirm that a number of machines were enclosed, and the one in their picture was the only one displaying an error message. 

It's worth noting that this isn't so much a mark against the PS5 as a reminder to give your consoles plenty of ventilation. Sony VP of UX design, Matt MacLaurin, has already confirmed that the PS5's size is designed to allow the heat it generates to escape, so sealing it away is likely to be quite counter-productive on that front. Interestingly, Microsoft's next-gen offering may not struggle with the heat quite so much - the Xbox Series X appears to run cooler than its current-gen counterparts, but it's still probably worth giving it plenty of room to breathe.

With just days to go until the PS5 release date, now might be a good time to make sure you've got space for it on your TV stand.

Ali Jones
Ali Jones
Managing Editor, News

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for news, shaping the news strategy across the team. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.