Sony's $100 PlayStation Classic: Available December 2018 with 20 Games
by Anton Shilov on September 19, 2018 9:25 AM EST- Posted in
- Consoles
- Sony
- PlayStation
- PlayStation Classic
Sony’s PlayStation game console made a strong influence on the entertainment industry when it was launched in 1994. Having been sold in quantities of over 104 million units globally, the original PlayStation introduced video games to many people by offering them titles and even genres that have since become iconic. In an attempt to bring back good memories to owners of the first-gen PlayStation, Sony intends to release its PlayStation Classic console later this year that will be compatible with select PlayStation titles.
The Sony PlayStation Classic (SCPH-1000R) will look like the original PlayStation, but will come in a miniature package and will consume just around 5 W of power. The console will feature an HDMI port capable of 720p and 480p video output that will also be used to output linear PCM audio. Also, the device will have a USB Micro-B port for power delivery, similar to the other 'mini' consoles that have entered the market recently. The PlayStation Classic will be equipped with two controllers that look similar to Sony’s original controllers but have different plug in methods. The only things missing will be actually playing a CD, or putting in a memory card.
Sony intends to preload 20 games originally developed for its PlayStation in the 1990s, including Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash!, R4 Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms (Ian: Wild Arms? Sold!).
Sony notes that the title lineup other than the said five games will be different for various regions. Furthermore, the PlayStation Classic will not be able to add any more games via download or any other way, so the number of supported titles will always remain at 20 games. Meanwhile, although this is not the first time when Sony and its partners re-release titles for the original PlayStation, the collection of 20 games seems to be the most comprehensive one made available so far.
Sony does not disclose hardware that powers its PlayStation Classic device. Considering the fact that we are dealing with a very low-power device that will be compatible with select titles only, it is highly likely that Sony will use an SoC and an emulation layer to run the games, just like it did previously (and like Nintendo makes select PS1 and PS2 titles run on its Switch).
| Sony PlayStation Classic | ||
| SCPH-1000R | ||
| SoC | Unknown | |
| Video Output | 720p, 480p | |
| Audio Output | Lineup PCM | |
| Input/OOutput | HDMI USB port (Micro-B) 2 × Controller port |
|
| Power | 5W (DC 5 V / 1 A) | |
| External Dimensions | Width | 149 mm | 5.8 inch |
| Height | 33 mm | 1.3 inch | |
| Depth | 105 mm | 4.1 inch | |
| Mass | Console | 170 grams | 6 ounces |
| Controller | 140 grams | 4.9 ounces | |
| Product Bundle | PlayStation Classic 2 × Controller HDMI Cable USB Cable Printed Materials |
|
| MSRP | $99 | €99 | 9,980 yen | |
Sony’s PlayStation Classic will be available on December 3 across the world at an MSRP or $99 in the U.S., €99 in Europe, and 9,980 yen in Japan. One thing to note is that the PlayStation Classic will remain a limited-edition product.
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Source: Sony
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olde94 - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
With a power package of 5W it would be amazing to see a cheap PSP kind of thing that could play these original games. It's not that difficult to get a used PS1, but to have it in a portable format, i mean, WOW! With that said it's quite small so i might be able to fit this one in under the tv0ldman79 - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
My Inspiron 8000, PIII 700 with ATI Rage 3d 32MB could play PS1 games on an emulator with or without openGL support, stock visuals or massively upgraded.Most any dual core smart phone (like Galaxy S3 and up for sure) can run a PS1 emulator.
I've actually got a router using a MIPS32 24K CPU that is 18 times faster than the PS1 CPU, the whole unit's power draw is tiny.
At 5w they actually didn't try to get the power draw as light as possible. The board components are probably pushing the power draw more than the actual processor/processors.
kulareddy - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Waste of plastic and resources. They should have added backward compatibility like xbone.jjj - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Weird that it does not seem to support their cloud gaming efforts.WorldWithoutMadness - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Unable to put more game? That's what Nintendo said and....hacked.This one most probably will end up the same
Shlong - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Maybe they'll limit the storage capacity. Those Nintendo roms were in the KB and around 2-3 MB at most. The PS1 games will be in the 700MB range. If it has a small capacity then they can limit the usage of roms.WorldWithoutMadness - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Nothing is impossible with hardware hack. Someone probably will make usb support and you can sideload games from external drive.Serilthas - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Thanks but NO thanks. You can play and emulate much more with a Raspberry Pi and save your miney aswell.Flunk - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
I was wondering when someone would try to copy Nintendo on this. I didn't think anyone could manage it, but Sony does have a decent shot. I think a lot of people would want this, not me though. I think I'm happy with the two classic systems I have, I don't really need more.phoenix_rizzen - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Sega is also releasing an official Mega Drive Mini / Genesis Mini, that looks to have better hardware than the existing AtGames Genesis Flashback series of mini-consoles.https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/9/19/...