A prototype of the controller for the legendary ‘Nintendo PlayStation’ console was recently sold for $35,000 at an auction hosted by Heritage Auctions.
Prior to the creation of the iconic PlayStation console, which brought us a plethora of polygonal graphics, the Nintendo PlayStation console had already been in development.
Despite being designed to support Nintendo SNES cartridges and CD-based games, the hybrid console never made it to production.
Just 200 examples of the Nintendo PlayStation were produced, making it a highly coveted item among enthusiasts of retro gaming.
It is not surprising that a prototype of the Nintendo PlayStation’s controller was sold for $35,000 at an auction.
The auction for the highly coveted Nintendo PlayStation controller, described as “exceptionally rare,”commenced on August 2 through the Heritage Auctions website.
It is not widely known where the controller was obtained from, but according to Heritage Auctions, it is believed to be one of the few remaining units from the original 200.
According to the auction site, the majority of the items were said to have been destroyed.
The bidding for the prototype controller ended on August 23, 2024, with one fortunate bidder winning the auction for $35,000. This was the first recorded sale of the controller prototype as a standalone item.
Making Retro Gaming History
In 2020, the console was previously auctioned off and was purchased for an astounding $360,000.
According to Kotaku, in 2020 the “most expensive item of video game memorabilia ever publicly sold”was the Nintendo Play Station, which sold for $360,000 at auction.
The Nintendo PlayStation console was also auctioned off by Heritage Auctions. According to Kotaku, the auction house revealed that the winning bidder wished to remain anonymous.
Despite being an avid retro gaming enthusiast and the founder of Oculus, Palmer Luckey was among the few bidders for the rare gaming collectible as he is currently working on his own handheld device.
I am currently the highest bidder on this. Who are the other nutters who keep bidding against me?https://t.co/MIPpVn90EW
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) February 14, 2020
Heritage Auctions has not disclosed the identity of the person who acquired the small piece of gaming history.
Despite this, the website explicitly stated that the winning bidder would not be able to return the item.
The controller, which is extremely rare, was not tested by Heritage Auctions due to the lack of a spare Nintendo PlayStation console available for testing purposes.
Despite selling the gamepad “as-is with no returns,”the site still faced the possibility of receiving a broken controller. This was a risk they were willing to take, as the gamepad was one of only 200 ever made (and potentially even less, according to reports). Its rarity and value as a gaming controller would likely remain unchanged, even if it arrived in a non-functioning state.
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