Update: Complete list of PlayStation Classic games revealed!
Sony has officially announced that the PlayStation Classic is going to be released. The console is a standalone device that includes 20 built-in classic games from the original PlayStation, much like Nintendo's NES Classic and SNES Classic Mini devices.
There have been rumblings about an original PlayStation retro console for some time. After the success that Nintendo saw with its own mini consoles, it certainly seemed like a logical step for other console creators to follow suit, with SEGA and Atari already releasing these retro devices via third parties with mixed results. Now, Sony has made the news official.
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Sony's announcement comes nearly 25 years after the original PlayStation launched, and to celebrate the company is releasing this miniature version of the console with a pair of controllers based on the original design. The console will sell for $99.99 USD or $129.99 CAN, and will be available on December 3, 2018. The device has mandatory improvements like HDMI compatibility, although Sony has taken from Nintendo in more ways than one, as those who buy the console will have to provide their own USB AC adaptor.
Those interested in getting the console will no doubt want to know what library is on the device. Sony is hitting players with less games than those Nintendo counterparts, with 20 games on the PlayStation Classic instead of the 30 games available on the NES Classic and 21 games on the SNES Classic. The lineup includes classics such as Final Fantasy VII, Tekken 3, Ridge Racer Type 4, Jumping Flash, and Wild Arms, although the full list of games has not yet been made available.
It comes at a poignant time for Sony, releasing in the same year that the company officially retired the record-breaking PlayStation 2. However, although the PlayStation Classic looks as though it'll be a sure-fire smash, it might have a familiar competitor when it launches in December. Rumors that Nintendo is going to release a Nintendo 64 Classic refuse to go away, which will take the gaming scene back to the nineties in a rather unconventional way.
It will be intriguing to see how the device fares when it releases. Sony is usually better than Nintendo when it comes to stock availability, so those frustrations found with the launch of the NES Classic in particular will hopefully be nowhere to be found. Even though some of those classic games are available on multiple devices these days, however, it's hard to imagine that the PlayStation Classic won't be one of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.