- Sony has announced limited edition versions of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) with designs inspired by the original console.
- 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the very first PlayStation, which was released in Japan back in December 1994.
- Pre-orders for this anniversary collection open on September 26th at 10 AM (AEST) here in Australia.
Can you put a price on nostalgia? According to Sony: yes, you can.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first PlayStation’s launch, the Japanese tech giant is releasing a series of limited-edition PS5 bundles based on the original console’s design.
This anniversary collection includes bundles for the digital edition of the PS5 Slim and the upcoming PS5 Pro, along with the PlayStation Portable.
Sony has done a pretty good job of remaining faithful to the original, with these consoles sporting the same grey as the PS1. Even the packaging is designed to resemble the classic PlayStation box it arrived in.
The first PlayStation was released in Japan on December 3rd, 1994, and went on to sell around 102 million units worldwide. Sony once controversially marketed the console as being “more powerful than God” which, considering just how far video game hardware has come in the past three decades, is a funny bit of hindsight.
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What’s included in the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection?
Here’s what you can expect in the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Collection:
- PS5 Pro console
- DualSense Edge wireless controller
- DualSense wireless controller
- DualSense charging station
- Disc drive cover (you’ll need to buy the disc drive separately)
- Vertical stand
- Original PlayStation controller-style cable connector housing
- 4 PlayStation shapes cable ties
- PlayStation sticker
- PlayStation poster (one of 30 possible designs)
- PlayStation paperclip
The PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Collection includes the following:
- PS5 Slim Digital Edition console
- DualSense wireless controller
- Disc drive cover (you’ll need to buy the disc drive separately)
- Limited edition vertical stand
- Original PlayStation controller-style cable connector housing
- 4 PlayStation shapes cable ties
- PlayStation sticker
- PlayStation poster (one of 30 possible designs)
- PlayStation paperclip
If you don’t want to commit to a brand new console, Sony is also releasing the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers separately.
If you want to commit to your mid-90s gaming nostalgia, the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription includes a few classic PS1 games, such as Ape Escape, Ridge Racer Type 4, and Tekken 2.
Considering how prolific the original PlayStation is, it’s a surprisingly small collection of games that’s missing a few big-name releases. Hopefully, we’ll see a few more added to coincide with this milestone.
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Where can you pre-order the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection in Australia?
Pre-orders for the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collections will open on September 26th at 10 AM (AEST). However, we don’t currently have any information regarding Australian pricing or a list of local retailers that’ll be offering the bundles.
These 30th-anniversary consoles are limited-edition, so expect a pretty high demand when they’re officially released. But if Sony can somehow get these consoles to also play the PS1’s startup sound, it’ll be worth every dollar.
You can check out the reveal trailer, and a closer look at the anniversary bundles below.
