Former CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Ken Kutaragi has a rare Nintendo PlayStation prototype in his possession. Nicknamed the “Father of PlayStation,” Kutaragi met photographer Julian Domanski during the first week of October. Domanski later posted images of the prototype on social media platform X.
Nintendo PlayStation Prototype Discovered in Ken Kutaragi’s Collection
Domanski was excited about the discovery. He posted on X, “I never thought I’d see something so rare but today I got my hands on a Nintendo PlayStation! The last prototype was thought to be sold at $300,000, but it turns out there was another hidden in Ken Kutaragi’s collection. He even signed my original PlayStation!”
This find gives focus to the broken agreement between Sony and Nintendo which was one of the most important turning points in gaming history.
Collaboration Between Sony and Nintendo
In the late 1980s, Sony collaborated with Nintendo on a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super Famicom (SNES). Nintendo referred to it as the “SNES-CD”, and Sony intended to call it “PlayStation”. In May 1991, Sony unveiled the prototype at CES. A short while prior to the event, however, Nintendo got cold feet and pulled out. Instead, they partnered with Philips to create CD-based games. This betrayal forced Sony to build the PlayStation solo, resulting in one of the most successful consoles ever.
The Well Deserved Auction
In the past, the only operating prototype known of the Nintendo PlayStation was discovered by Terry and Dan Diebold in the trash of Advanta Corporation that it went bankrupt. It got auctioned off in 2020 from Heritage Auctions, and it sold for a whopping 360,000 dollars. At that moment, it was thought to be the last prototype stored.
A New Prototype Emerges
Domanski’s discovery disproves this theory. Kutaragi’s PlayStation prototype is in better condition than the one auctioned. Photographs reveal small design changes like the “PlayStation” logo and a tiny screen of a CD player.
This new discovery makes game historians and collectors more enthusiastic. It also brings forth a significant question: Are there more missing gaming treasures still undiscovered? This Nintendo-Sony PlayStation continues to stand as one of the greatest “what-ifs” in the history of gaming.
