To build the PlayStation Classic, Sony turned to an open-source emulator
Take a moment to savor the irony.
The PlayStation Classic releases Dec. 3.
Sony's PlayStation Classic will offer gamers a library of twenty classic PS1 games when it comes out on Dec. 3, but you won't need to change discs to play them: just like with the NES and SNES Classic, this micro-console is actually a tiny computer running emulation software. Unlike Nintendo's throwback console, however, the PlayStation Classic's on-board emulator wasn't made in-house by Sony. It was made by fans.
The software that beats at the heart of the PlayStation Classic is actually an open-source emulator called PCSX ReArmed -- as noted in licensing info in the PlayStation Classic's menu, spotted by Kotaku. It's an ARM-based fork of the PCSX Reloaded project, and was originally designed to run on the Pandora handheld.
Believe it or not, the fact that the PlayStation Classic is using a fan-made emulator to run its games is actually pretty unique: Video game companies have butted heads with open-source emulators for a long time. Sony has even sued emulator makers in the past, going as far as buying companies to shut down emulation.
Sony isn't breaking any rules by using the open-source software -- it's well within its rights to -- but seeing the company use the work of emulation community to help build its new throwback console is a weird, ironic twist.
It's also a big win for the legitimacy of that community, as game historian Frank Cifaldi points out:
The PlayStation Classic uses an open source emulator, PCSX. Lesser educated people might see this as a cause of frustration, but here's the reality: it's an acknowledgement that an "amateur" emulator can be just as valid as an "official" one (and they're usually better!). pic.twitter.com/zJztoiYiwT
— Frank Cifaldi (@frankcifaldi) November 8, 2018
The PlayStation Classic will launch on December 3rd for $99.99. Interested? Check out our hands-on preview to see if it's worth your nostalgia.