PlayStation Genesis: Unseen Images Surface from Abandoned Sony-Nintendo Collaboration

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared insights into his experience with the unreleased Nintendo PlayStation prototype, including playing a nearly completed game developed for the cancelled console.

In a MinnMax interview, Yoshida recounted his career at Sony, starting with his early work alongside Ken Kutaragi, often called the "father of PlayStation." Yoshida joined Kutaragi's team in February 1993, during the development of the original PlayStation (the one that launched commercially). However, new team members also had the opportunity to explore the Nintendo PlayStation prototype.

Yoshida stated that the prototype was already functional and included an almost finished game upon his arrival. He played this game on his first day. He described the game as similar to a contemporary space shooter, possibly resembling Sega CD's Silpheed, which streamed assets from a CD. He couldn't recall the developer's identity or the game's origin (US or Japan). However, regarding the game's potential survival in Sony's archives, he expressed optimism, noting that the game data was stored on a CD.

The Nintendo PlayStation remains a highly sought-after collector's item due to its unreleased status, representing a fascinating "what-if" scenario in gaming history. Its prototype has commanded significant attention in auctions and among collectors.

The possibility of this Sony-developed space shooter seeing release is intriguing, and not entirely unprecedented. Nintendo famously released Star Fox 2 years after its cancellation. Perhaps this lost piece of gaming history could one day resurface.