As video gamers get older and older, nostalgia for titles of the past grows stronger. “Retro” titles are readily available through online distribution platforms such as Steam, the Nintendo E-Shop, and the PlayStation Store. Gamers looking to play their old favorites no longer have to search through lost or damaged consoles and games to get a taste of the past. However, one must ask: do you really feel the same 90’s rush when you’re playing Sonic and Knuckles on an Xbox controller in 2018?
Nintendo revolutionized the portable miniature classic console market by releasing the NES Classic in 2016 and subsequently the SNES Classic in 2017. Previous emulator type consoles did exist (such as the Sega Genesis Classic) but were poorly received due to poor product quality and game file errors. The critical success of the NES and SNES Classics would become the catalyst for Nintendo aggressively filing copyright claims on popular emulator websites, such as EMUParadise.
Nintendo’s mini consoles were met with rabid, feverish success from their die-hard fans. Nintendo couldn’t keep up with the market demand, leading to entrepreneurial fans buying and flipping the $59.99 NES Classic and $79.99 Super NES Classic for considerable profit margins online. A quick search on eBay shows recent past sales of the SNES classic for $120 or more!
On September 18th of this year, Sony announced their entry into the classic mini console market. Dubbed the PlayStation Classic, this console is approximately 45% of the size of the original Sony Playstation and will come pre-loaded with 20 “genre defining” titles from the classic Sony PlayStation. Currently, only five titles have been confirmed for the PlayStation Classic: look forward to seeing Tekken 3, Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Wild Arms, and Ridge Racer Type 4 when the Classic comes out.
The console will also come bundled with two Dual Shock controllers (for the optimal split screen, couch play experience) and an HDMI cable. However, Sony has explicitly stated that there will be no AC adapter released with the console. Fans are speculating this was a move keep the production costs of the PlayStation Classic low. Upon further inspection, it appears that all that the PlayStation Classic needs to stay powered is a USB cable and at least 5v/1A of power. These requirements can easily be met by plugging the console directly to an HD TV’s USB port, or by using the same kinds of charging blocks used to charge a smartphone or tablet.
Releasing worldwide on December 3rd, the Sony PlayStation Classic is already available for pre-order at Best Buy, GameStop and Wal-Mart. For $99.99, you can expect to get the console and components as well as a solid 20 pre-installed titles that originally ran from 1994 – 2006, just in time for the holiday season!