We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.

Sony PlayStation Classic

 & Will Greenwald Principal Writer, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Console

The PlayStation Classic is a scaled-down gray block of a console measuring 1.3 by 5.6 by 4.0 inches (HWD), about half the size of the original PlayStation. Sony reproduced the contours of its first game system with the same attention to detail Nintendo gave the NES and Super NES Classic Editions, including the prominent round optical drive door (non-functioning) on the top, molded memory card slots (also non-functioning) above the controller ports, and even the vertical ridges along the sides.

Controller

The PlayStation Classic comes with two full-sized PlayStation controllers. These are old-school gamepads, from before Sony released the original DualShock controllers to replace them halfway through the console generation.

Ports

The controller ports on the front aren't scaled-down versions of the nine-pin ports on the original system, but instead recessed USB-A ports (that are completely obscured by the thoughtful plastic caps Sony put on the ends of the included controllers to look just like the gray plastic tabs of the originals).

Back

The back holds a micro USB port for power and an HDMI port (cables are included, but no wall adapter; the system requires at least 1A of current, so your TV's USB port might not be enough).

Games

20 games from the original PlayStation are included on the PlayStation Classic, and it's a very strange mix of big names and esoteric hits. The three most notable titles are Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil: Director's Cut.

Resident Evil: Director's Cut

The first Resident Evil is pretty rough, both visually and from a gameplay perspective.

Rayman

The PlayStation Classic's upconversion doesn't handles sprites with the crispness of the NES or SNES Classic Editions.

Jumping Flash

Jumping Flash is one of the PlayStation Classic's stranger game choices, and a particularly ugly one with its early 3D graphics and the system's jagged upconversion.

About Our Expert

Will Greenwald

Will Greenwald

Principal Writer, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I’m PCMag’s home theater and AR/VR expert, and your go-to source of information and recommendations for game consoles and accessories, smart displays, smart glasses, smart speakers, soundbars, TVs, and VR headsets. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and THX-certified home theater technician, I've served as a CES Innovation Awards judge, and while Bandai hasn’t officially certified me, I’m also proficient at building Gundam plastic models up to MG-class. I also enjoy genre fiction writing, and my urban fantasy novel, Alex Norton, Paranormal Technical Support, is currently available on Amazon.

The Technology I Use

Where to start? I have a standard IT-issued Lenovo Thinkpad for writing and editing, supplemented with an iPad Air and an 8Bitdo Retro Keyboard when I want to write on the go. I also have a Lenovo Legion Go as a platform for running Portrait Displays’ Calman software and controlling the Klein K-10A colorimeter, Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester I use for testing TVs. 

For gaming, I use a Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, and a GeForce 5080-equipped MSI gaming laptop. I like collecting retro games as well, and have an Analogue Pocket and a ton of classic consoles and portables. Photography is another interest, and I use a Sony A7 IV when I’m shooting products and events, and a Fujifilm X-Pro3 for my own attempts at visual creativity. And for reading and writing, I’ve become partial to the Kobo Sage for books and the ReMarkable 2 with Type Folio.

When it comes to phones and tablets, I’m pretty platform-agnostic. I use a Google Pixel 8 for my phone and an iPad Air for a tablet. Android, iOS, and iPadOS are all totally fine, but I need a Windows PC. MacOS just isn’t for me.

Read full bio