Sony Announces PlayStation Classic For December Release

Nearly 25 years after its original release, Sony is re-releasing its original PlayStation console, now in a much smaller size and rebranded as the PlayStation Classic. The new console will cost $99.99 and come pre-loaded with 20 classic PlayStation games, according to a blog post released by Sony.

In a move similar to Nintendo’s re-release of their Nintendo and Super Nintendo consoles, Sony understands the nostalgia of the older generation of gamers and made sure to include what they referred to as “genre-defining” title in the release, with Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms announced so far. The games will appear in their original format with no remastering, whetting the nostalgia of fans of the original console.

The PlayStation Classic will be unable to tap into the current online gaming standard but will have two controllers that are exact replicas of the original PlayStation in the bundle for fans of local multiplayer. The console will also be 45 percent smaller than the original PlayStation, allowing for easy transport, and an HDMI cable to prevent any issues with plugging the console into modern televisions. Those who remember the frustration of having to purchase memory cards to save any progress in their games won’t have to worry about that, as the console will allow players to save virtually.

It is yet to be made clear how many PlayStation Classics will be made available upon the original launch, as it is likely to face similar issues that came with the Nintendo Classic and Super Nintendo Classic upon their respective limited releases. When the Nintendo Classic was released for the holidays in 2016, followed by the Super Nintendo Classic at the same time in 2017, both sold out their entire stock almost instantly. When the Nintendo Classic received a wider release this year, it outsold many of its modern contemporaries, including the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch, according to reports from Venture Beat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl2h8LDq_oI

While the original PlayStation may seem to be ancient history compared to the standard of modern gaming, the device was revolutionary at the time. It was the first home console that was able to render 3D graphics in its games and achieved massive popularity, eventually shipping 100 million consoles worldwide.

The blog post revealed that the official release date for the PlayStation Classic will be on December 3, 2018. They also announced that the console will be available for pre-order from select retail outlets across the United States and Canada.