PlayStation Classic: a return to 90 | Showcase

It's been more than two decades since Sony launched its first Play Station. And now it has returned to stores, but in a mini version. its launching It was last December 3, the day on which it was celebrating its 24th anniversary, and it promises to be one of the star gifts this Christmas.

This new version in small size shares its design, the game mode, as well as the video games themselves. A collector's item, ideal for gamers and nostalgic, that we had the opportunity to try for two weeks. But is it worth it?

Analysis and valuation

When extracting the PlayStation Classic From the box, the feeling of returning to the past is immediate: it is exactly the same as the original, with the exception that it is half of its original size. It has the same design, the same buttons and even the disc reader although, in this case, the lid can not be lifted. The controls are also a faithful reproduction of the first version: size, materials, crosshead, gummy buttons ... Many will miss the sticks of the DualShock version although, in honor of the truth, it must be said that the original console did not include them either. What we would have liked is that your cables were a few inches longer, because they are too short if you are not sitting less than a meter from the screen. In addition, and given the lightness of the machine (weighs 170 grams and fits in the hand), it is not comfortable to move from its site so easily if you pull one of the controls a little more than recommended.

Dimensions: 33 x 149 x 105 mm, 170 g.

features: HDMI port, USB, 5 V AC input voltage, 4 core ARM Cortex A35 processor, 1.5 GHz, integrated PowerVR GE8300 graphics.

Storage: 16 GB, 1GB DDR3 RAM.

Games: Battle Arena Toshinden, Final Fantasy VII, Intelligent Qube, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken 3, Jumping Flash!, Mr. Driller, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, Resident Evil Director's Cut, Revelations: Person, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Wild Arms, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, Grand Theft Auto, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Rayman, Syphon Filter, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Twisted Metal.

Its installation is extremely simple: just connect the console to the TV through the HDMI cable and plug it into the power via USB. The adapter we have to put it ourselves, since it is not included in the box.

When turned on, we find a very simple menu, in line with the philosophy of the PS Classic. From the menu, you access the settings to change the screen saver, languages or energy, and you can consult the virtual memory card or the point of resumption of the games. It is also the place where we can choose between any of the 20 integrated titles; among others: Battle Arena Toshinden, Final Fantasy VII, Grand Theft Auto or Tekken 3 -We include the complete list in the technical sheet-. The variety of themes is interesting, although we can not help noticing great absences like tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot or Gran Turismo, for example. This is perhaps the aspect that could be improved and no new developments are planned as Sony has announced that there will be no update with new additions.

The competition

- Nintendo Classic Mini: NES (56.99 euros). Super Mario Bros.The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong or PAC-MAN are some of the 30 games that this console has.

- Nintendo Classic Mini: SuperNES (83 euros). Thanks to it, it is possible to enjoy games whose original release only occurred in America and Japan, and not in Europe, as EarthBound, Final Fantasy II or Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

- Sega Megadrive Classic (75.60 euros). It integrates up to 81 classic titles and is compatible with the traditional SEGA Mega Drive game cartridges.

The games have been integrated as they were launched in the 90s and, although it was expected, it is still shocking to the naked eye given the quality of image that we are used to today. As they have not been scaled and maintain the original 4: 3 format, there are large black bands on both sides of the image - sometimes, also up and down - and an important pixel is seen. In addition, the titles are not dubbed into Spanish, and we can only enjoy them in English. All those who played at the time, will notice the absence of voices and expressions as mythical as those of Alfonso Vallés in Metal Gear Solid.

One last point to comment: its price. It is not the first emulator that has been launched on the market of the classic consoles of the 90s, but it is one of the most expensive.

Once analyzed its pros and cons, we can say that nostalgics and collectors, and even children, are the ones who will most enjoy this console. It is not a recommended option for gamers, because they will miss too many aspects.