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Your Favorite Classic Console Just Got a Downgrade!

My prayers have been answered!

By Kyle S.Published 6 years ago 3 min read
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Sony has announced its own mini version of their classic original console, the PlayStation 1. The company today announced the PS1 Classic, a mini version of the iconic gray PlayStation. It comes with 20 "generation-defining" games, including Final Fantasy VII and Wild Arms, and it launches in December.

The PlayStation Classic arrives on December 3, and that's a notable date for anyone interested. It's the exact same day that the original PlayStation launched in 1994 (how nostalgic). The mini version is 45 percent smaller than the original PlayStation, and as you can see in the video, it captures the look of the system is based on, including its controllers.

Kicking It Old School

Spyro > Crash. Don't @ me

This itsy-bitsy console comes with an HDMI cable, a USB cable to power it, and two controllers, unfortunately, the AC adapter is sold separately. The system itself costs $100 USD, $130 CAD, and 9,980 yen, in my own unbiased opinion definitely worth it!

It's no surprise that Sony is getting into the "Classic" category of plug-and-play mini retro consoles, however. Nintendo is currently dominating this market, Sega has plans to release their own mini Genesis, and overall, sales of plug-and-play consoles are up 400 percent year to date in the US. With Nintendo leading the way with its NES and SNES Classic devices, Sony wants a piece of the category, and who can blame them (almost makes you feel bad for leaving Microsoft out of the loop).

You can’t pop PS1 memory cards into the PlayStation Classic—save files are stored on a virtual memory card. However, the replica buttons on the top of the system do have actual functions: Power does what you’d expect; the open button swaps virtual discs, and the reset button suspends games. There’s no word on whether the PlayStation Classic will include visual filters or display settings like the options available on Nintendo’s retro consoles.

The PlayStation Classic is available to pre-order at GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart.

Demand For Classics

Great Things Come In Small Packages

Now, if the names Retron 5 or Super Nt caught your eyes then you're no different than me, you either grew up with old school video games and have been looking for a way to relive playing those old titles again, or you were too young to play the classics (like me) and you're interested in discovering the hype behind them all. The Retron 5 and Super Nt are mini consoles that can play a plethora of old titles from Sega Genesis to Playstation 1, all on one console. It sounds too good to be true, right? Well in a sense it is, but also isn't, let me explain.

Systems like the Retron 5 have a few flaws to them; the controllers aren't necessarily the most comfortable to hold for long periods of time (however, you can replace it with another controller) and when playing a few games the system's playback tends to lag, now the common won't will barely even notice this, but people who play video games frequently just might.

Super Nt and Retron 5 are an amalgamation of emulators, which explains why you can play so many games on just one console, an emulator is a hardware or (more commonly) software that enables one computer system (called the host) to behave like another computer system (called the guest). In my own opinion, these are both great ways to play the oldies and I would recommend the Retron 5 over Super Nt, however, this is an article about the PS Mini, so why not buy that?

Is Retron 5 Better Than PS Mini?

Referring to the title of this section, heck no! The fact that Sony is creating one is a clear indication that they know about systems like the Retron 5, and understand that there's a demand there, a powerful demand for older games to make a return. I believe this is the next step of the competition, Retron 5 and Super Nt aren't affiliated with Nintendo, Sega, or Sony so it makes sense that these companies would attempt to create their own products, similar to these so that they could bring back their fans begging for more, and I think this is a genius move on their end.

Because I know for a fact many people (including myself) will be getting this Mini console when it is released. Let this article create a conversation, as well as gain exposure so that these larger industries know what their fans truly desire.

Thanks for reading.

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About the Creator

Kyle S.

A young soul with an old mind just happy to be here. Manga, Video Games, and Comics run my life

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