PlayStation Classic

Lore & Background

The PlayStation Classic is a minified version of the original PlayStation, approximately 80% smaller in volume and 45% smaller in width and length. It ships with two replica PlayStation controllers (the original model without analog sticks or vibration), an HDMI cable, and a USB Micro-A to standard USB-A cable; an AC adapter is sold separately. The console includes ports for both controllers, HDMI output, and power via USB. Internally, it uses a MediaTek MT8167a Quad A35 system on a chip with four central processing cores clocked at 1.5 GHz and a Power VR GE8300 graphics processing unit, along with 16 GB of eMMC flash storage and 1 GB of DDR3 memory. The Classic uses the ReARMed branch of the free and open source emulator PCSX to play its games instead of Sony's proprietary emulator.

The console comes preloaded with 20 games. Five games were revealed when the console was announced, and the full roster was revealed a month later. Eight games vary between regions. The device does not interface with the PlayStation Network, and games are not added post-launch. Each game can be suspended in a save state by pressing the console's reset button. Nine games use the PAL release regardless of the console's release platform, meaning they run at a slower frame rate of 50 Hz as opposed to the NTSC standard of 60 Hz, and may respond slower than players from NTSC regions would expect. The North American version received an M for Mature rating from the ESRB due to the inclusion of Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil: Director's Cut. The European version received an 18 rating from PEGI; the European package also displays German USK 16 and Australian MA 15+ ratings. Although the system box recommends the system for all ages, the console provides access to all 20 games with no parental controls or settings to restrict available games.

Reader's Guide

The PlayStation Classic received generally negative reviews from critics overall, with criticism directed at the game lineup, lack of popular titles, the use of PAL versions for certain titles, the use of the original controller (which lacked analog sticks and vibration), and the $100 price tag, although its design received praise. Most reviewers criticized the exclusion of many popular PlayStation titles such as Wipeout, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Tomb Raider, PaRappa the Rapper, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, Gran Turismo, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, The Legend of Dragoon, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, MediEvil, and Silent Hill. Critics also noted the lower frame rates during gameplay, poor emulation quality, and the user interface. In response to the console's perceived weak game selection, many users modified the console to play ROMs via external storage, essentially turning it into a dedicated emulator. The PlayStation Classic sold 120,000 units during its first week in Japan. Its sales were noticeably low in the U.S. within the first four weeks over Christmas, with many retailers and websites giving discounts. Just over two months after its release, the console was further discounted by Walmart. Another price drop followed in June 2019 as part of PlayStation's Days of Play sale events. In July 2019, Best Buy and Amazon began selling the console as low as $35.

Did You Know?

• The PlayStation Classic uses the open-source emulator PCSX ReARMed rather than Sony's proprietary emulator.
• Nine of the 20 preloaded games use PAL versions, running at 50 Hz instead of 60 Hz.
• The console is approximately 80% smaller in volume than the original PlayStation.
• The PlayStation Classic sold 120,000 units in its first week in Japan.