Kids of the 90s, this is our year! Hey Arnold is coming back, you can now fulfill childhood dreams by going on The Crystal Maze… and now Sony is bringing back the original PlayStation.
Forget looking for a new game console upgrade this year, Sony is givinglifelong fans (not to mention millennials and Gen-Z-ers too young to remember those glory days) a chance to experience the classic console all over again.
The mini console is set to feature 20 ‘generation defining‘ games, including the legendary Final Fantasy VII (arguably the best installment in its series), along with Tekken 3 and Ridge Racer.
Dropping on 3 December, just in time to add to those letters to Santa Claus, the PlayStation Classic will set customers back £90 (or $100 in the US), but it’s a small price to pay for the ultimate nostalgic experience.
Two controllers are included in the box, along with an HDMI cable (always useful). There’s also an extra nice touch in that the ‘eject disc’ button actually changes the game – though AC adapters will be sold separately.
While phones currently seem to be getting bigger (hello iPhone X), Sony has followed the precedent set by Nintendo’s NES and SNES Classic editions and made the re-release notably smaller.
By Sony’s estimates, the PlayStation Classic is 45 percent smaller than the original PS1 – note, this is very different from the PS One, which was a smaller redesign of the original console from the turn of the century.
In a nostalgia-laced blog post announcing the PlayStation Classic, Sony said: “Almost 25 years ago, the original PlayStation was introduced to the world. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was the first home console in video game history to ship 100 million units worldwide, offering consumers a chance to play games with real-time 3D rendered graphics in their homes for the first time.
“Long-time fans will appreciate the nostalgia that comes with rediscovering the games they know and love, while gamers who might be new to the platform can enjoy the groundbreaking PlayStation console experience that started it all.”
And that might not be the end of the curent trend for reviving long-forgotten consoles – rumours have been floating around the Internet that Nintendo will take on Sony’s PlayStaion Classic release by releasing a miniature version of the N64.
Whether you were an avid lover of Nintendo or a Sony fan through and through, it looks like it’s time to grab your Walkman and cassettes, slap on a bucket hat and load up on Push-Pops, because 90s nostalgia is clearly alive and well in 2018.
