Question about electronics lifespan

[Androxine Vortex]

I try to take good care of my gaming consoles and other devices so they can last as long as possible. Someone that I know says that even if you took a brand new TV that had never been used before it would still die around the same time as a used one would of the same kind. They said that even if the device would never have been used, the internal components would wear out. Is this true, in specific regard to gaming consoles?

Edit: I know all things wear out over time but I didn't think it would be that fast if the device hadn't been used

 

[Svrtnsse]

I don't think it's the wear and tear that the issue. More likely it's the passing of time, dust and erosion that cause modern consumer electronics to fail. Mishandling your products will cause them to break sooner - but I'm not sure that careful handling will make them last that much longer.

Mind you - I'm not an expert on the subject.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

I still have a working playstation 2 that's somewhere around twelve years old and its lifespan was expected to be 8 years. Never had any problems with it yet I never cleaned it or anything though I made sure to let it cool down and vent it

 

[ecdavis]

Well, batteries will lose their charging ability over time, so things like CMOS will fail. Magnetic items lose their magnetism eventually as well. Then you have the glue or silicon that will deteriorate.

 

[Penpilot]

It's very dependant on situation. Given two identically aged TVs, one used and one still in box, generally speaking, given exactly identical storage conditions, IMHO the new one will outlast the old one. But if the unboxed TV gets stored in an attic with sweltering heat in the summer and freezing cold in the winter, there's a possibility the used TV will outlast the unboxed one because sensitive electronics don't like extreme fluctuations in temperature.

I still have my first computer, a 386. It still runs 20+ years later, probably because I store it in my bedroom where the temperatures aren't too extreme.