Nintendo PlayStation Prototype Restored to Working Condition

Megalith

Megalith

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It took a year of tinkering, but Ben Heck has gotten the Nintendo PlayStation to run CD-ROM games. When the prototype was uncovered in 2015, the system could only run cartridge titles, but after studying the motherboard and figuring out the purpose of a mystery chip, he was able to run a customized disc game off the drive.
 
Think how different gaming would have been without the PlayStation.
 
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tunatime said:
Think how different gaming would have been without the PlayStation.
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A nintendo that's graphically competitive to the rest of the generation?

So a youtube video of it being found, discovered, repairing it, of it working, and now a video of a full restoration? It's almost a mini series of the unicorn.
 
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tunatime said:
Think how different gaming would have been without the PlayStation.
Click to expand...
Every time I see this system (and the expansion unit for the Super Famicom/Nintendo) I am reminded of how much Square was invested into developing for it. Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2) project had the rug pulled out from under them and we ended up with a 16mbit vestige of what could have been.

Many third party developers jumped ship, and new talent took interest, which is to me partly why PlayStation hit the ground running. Also, great hardware design by Ken Kutaragi who developed SFC/SNES sound DSP chipset. "The technology came from an original idea to create a synthesizer for graphics, something that takes a basic graphic and then adds various effects to it quickly and easily." Brilliant.
 
So has its value gone up since it works now? or actually gone down as its not in its original condition
 
I saw this the other day. I'm kinda surprised that more people haven't come forward as you have to think that a few more of these things exist. That or prototype software that was written for the system.

Still it is cool to see the system working. Maybe someone will send them burned copies of other test software to show running on it.
 
Saw it last year in a LI retro gaming convention.

Really pisses me off that we might never know what a proper game would've looked like in this device.
 
In its current state does anyone know what advantages this has over the snes? Like can it play FMV? More graphic fx? No need for SuperFX chip?
 
nysmo said:
In its current state does anyone know what advantages this has over the snes? Like can it play FMV? More graphic fx? No need for SuperFX chip?
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This was covered in earlier videos and the consensus was that very little. IIRC as it is now most of the extras space would have gone to CD audio only and little else, SegaCD is actually better device than this. But remember, this was a very early prototype, proof of concept with a lot jury rigging and such to make it work. Who knows what the final product could have been.

Which leads me to ask a question, how could this device be improved, with technology that was available in the 90's. What the final product could have been while still keep it relatively affordable in '90s dollars.
 
One of the coolest things ive seen in a while. I can only imagine how much abandon console tech we never got to see. I remember going to a mall, got to play around with a 3DO system and i was blown away by the graphics, and the $700 price tag. I wonder if we will ever see consoles with exotic custom hardware again? ...
 
cptnjarhead said:
One of the coolest things ive seen in a while. I can only imagine how much abandon console tech we never got to see. I remember going to a mall, got to play around with a 3DO system and i was blown away by the graphics, and the $700 price tag. I wonder if we will ever see consoles with exotic custom hardware again? ...
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I don't think so. In the past you didn't have as much being invested in the PC market so companies could compete. Back when like the 3do came out high end pc gaming ment having a good sound card and cd rom(that might have still plugged into the sound card). You didn't have much for graphics hardware. Now the amount spent in designing 3d hardware for pcs and even in processors means it is going to be the best bang for their buck. I think we will continue to see semi custom stuff based off normal hardware.

I think the closest thing you will see is something like a high end steam box style console.
 
swatbat said:
I don't think so. In the past you didn't have as much being invested in the PC market so companies could compete. Back when like the 3do came out high end pc gaming ment having a good sound card and cd rom(that might have still plugged into the sound card). You didn't have much for graphics hardware. Now the amount spent in designing 3d hardware for pcs and even in processors means it is going to be the best bang for their buck. I think we will continue to see semi custom stuff based off normal hardware.

I think the closest thing you will see is something like a high end steam box style console.
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Not to mention coding for custom hardware..... playstation 3 comes to mind. I would love to see Sony make a custom PSX again... but with exclusive titles, you dont need exclusive hardware. I know its a better business model.... but i miss those days.
 
cptnjarhead said:
One of the coolest things ive seen in a while. I can only imagine how much abandon console tech we never got to see. I remember going to a mall, got to play around with a 3DO system and i was blown away by the graphics, and the $700 price tag. I wonder if we will ever see consoles with exotic custom hardware again? ...
Click to expand...

Ever heard of the Nintendo Switch?
 
ZodaEX said:
Ever heard of the Nintendo Switch?
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You mean the thing with the same internals as the Nvidia Shield?

Hardly a good example of exotic custom hardware.

Those days are dead. Now why do something proprietary when you can just develop for x86 and 8 billion devices can run it. And if you do develop a proprietary hardware platform, the 8 billion developers that make things for x86 will just shun your platform.
 
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