Is The Playstation Classic Worth Buying? Read The First Impressions From Critics

Sony's PlayStation Classic, coming to stores on December 3, is pretty clearly a response to Nintendo's popular line of throwback bite-sized systems — but when the company announced it in September, the list of games was incomplete. Now we know what games come with the $100 system, and critics have had a chance to spend a little time with the tiny machine. Is it time to pre-order, or should you play the waiting game (for reviews… or discounts)? Here are some early impressions:

On Top Of Being Sturdy, It Might Be The Most Faithful-Looking Miniature Retro Console Yet

Much like with the NES Classic and SNES Classic, the first thing that stands out with PlayStation Classic is how small it looks. Being shorter than its controllers, it looks like a hobby model that you'd put on your desk, or one of those game-branded cartons filled with candy.

It's also extremely light and feels durable, seeming — like any good toy — like it would be fine if you threw it against the wall.

[Polygon]

Remember the original PlayStation's I/O port? Probably not. It was covered by a small, removable door on the left of the console's backside. The port isn't actually part of the PlayStation Classic (sorry, GameShark fans), but the little door is — and it looks so real, I instinctively tried to open it. (Don't do that by the way. It's not a real door.)

[CNET]

The Menus And Display Options Are Particularly Sparse Compared To Nintendo's Classic Consoles

When it comes to settings, the Classic is very barebones. The system runs at 720p with no options for alternate resolutions or aspect ratio adjustments. There are no borders or filters either–so forget about simulating the scanline look that other retro consoles offer. While scanlines are often a novelty feature for classic game bundles, many of these games haven't aged gracefully, and an option to place a filter could help make them look less harsh.

[Gamespot]

PlayStation Classic's menu is sparse. A ring of 20 games backed by a blue and gray background sits in front of you after turning the system on… and that's about it. There are no real borders or backgrounds to mess around with to personalize or theme it in any way. And while the NES Classic made fun use of Easter eggs and PDF guides to flip through, the PlayStation Classic relegates game instruction menus to a QR Code.

[IGN]

Instant Saving Is Limited To One Slot Per Game

I'm less impressed with the way the Classic handles its "save anywhere" feature. You only get one such slot for each game. When you press Reset, your game will be automatically saved in that slot. Start the game up, play some more, and press Reset again, and you won't be offered a second slot to save in. You'll just be asked if you want to overwrite the game saved in that one slot. Nintendo's systems have four save slots, which would have been nice to see here.

[Kotaku]

The No-Analog Stick¹ Controllers Are Nice, But There's No Menu Button (And No Using Them On Other Devices)

Rather than using a proprietary connector or miniaturizing the original PlayStation controller connector, these gamepads use standard USB ports to plug into the Classic console. Not only do the thin USB plugs slide perfectly into the miniature controller ports, but each USB plug is framed with a piece of plastic designed to look like the original PlayStation gamepad connector. This means that when the gamepads are plugged in, they look like the controllers are actually plugged into the console with a miniature version of the original gamepad connector.

[CNET]

They come with an appreciably large cable – a smidge over 57 inches, or nearly five feet — and it's a comfortable length to play with, though that may obviously depend on your home setup.

[IGN]

But Sony says the controllers can't be plugged into other USB devices, like a PC or PS4. And unfortunately, there's no button on the controllers themselves that kick you back to the menu, meaning you have to physically press the reset button on the PS Classic to leave one game and open another.

[The Verge]

The Games Seem To Run Well (On An Open-Source Emulator, Go Figure)…

It's never a guarantee that a plug-and-play system like this will get the emulation right, but from my time jumping around between the PlayStation Classic's games, it seems like this part is good enough. The games look and sound accurate, their mid-90s jagged pixels looking like you could grate a block of cheese with them. (A listing of licenses for open-source software accessible in the PlayStation Classic's menu said that it uses the open-source PlayStation emulator PCSX ReARMed.)

[Kotaku]

… But There Are Missing Greats, Some That Are There Haven't Aged Well — And 'MGS' Might Be Sorta Broken?

Relative to the NES Classic and SNES Classic lineups, Sony's list of 20 doesn't contain as comprehensive a snapshot of the biggest games to hit the platform, nor seemingly as consistent a methodology for why certain games were chosen. On the former end, it's missing big franchises like Castlevania, Crash Bandicoot, Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. On the latter end, it's a bit unusual to see Sony include sequels in some franchises to represent the best games in those series — R4, Tekken 3, Cool Boarders 2 — but then to include games like Twisted Metal rather than Twisted Metal 2, which most fans would describe as the opposite approach.

[Polygon]

Ever play a first-person shooter that mapped half of the aiming controls to the shoulder buttons and required you to hold down a modifier button to strafe left and right? Well, that's what Rainbow Six was like in the '90s. It was terrible, and it feels even worse by today's standards.

[CNET]

In fact, without rumble, it will be impossible to fully appreciate iconic moments like the Psycho Mantis fight in Metal Gear Solid. This will be especially apparent when the villain attempts to read your memory card to look for save files from other Konami games–MGS is only one in the collection.

[Gamespot]

TL;DR

Sony went for something simple. Less of something for a collector or core fan looking to immerse themselves in PlayStation history, and more of something for those with a passing interest to pick up as a $99.99 impulse buy.

[Polygon]​

Here's The Full List Of Games

• "Battle Arena Toshinden"
• "Cool Boarders 2"
• "Destruction Derby"
• "Final Fantasy VII"
• "Grand Theft Auto"
• "Intelligent Qube"
• "Jumping Flash!"
• "METAL GEAR SOLID"
• "Mr. Driller"
• "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee"
• "Rayman"
• "Resident Evil Director's Cut"
• "Revelations: Persona"
• "R4 RIDGE RACER TYPE 4"
• "Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo"
• "Syphon Filter"
• "Tekken 3"
• "TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX"
• "Twisted Metal"
• "Wild Arms"