PlayStation has made a one-of-a-kind PlayStation 1-style PlayStation 5, and unfortunately, you cannot buy it, but that won't stop us from dreaming of it.
The outgoing PlayStation CEO, Jim Ryan, got this incredible-looking PS5 as a goodbye gift at his leaving party. We got to see a small glimpse of it thanks to a Twitter post from a PlayStation employee. The gamepad looks incredible with the classic color scheme; the buttons and thumbstick also look fantastic as they mimic the original style. If you're a fan of collecting hardware or just miss the retro style of the PS1, then this would be a fantastic item to pick up; too bad you can't.
It's a great shame that players won't be able to admire this terrific console up close, especially as most of the comments are fans gushing over how amazing it looks. "This gamepad looks great; even the USB cable connector looks like the PS1 one," said one commenter.
Sad I won’t be around for #TheGameAwards but I couldn’t pass up the chance to go to Jim Ryan’s thank you party and be around some legends and this one of a kind “Jim Ryan” PS5 with PS1 style. pic.twitter.com/WP7qwtxDI0December 7, 2023
Ryan's departure was first announced in late September 2023. An official Sony Interactive Entertainment blog post revealed that Ryan would be stepping down in Spring 2024, with Hiroki Totoki assuming the interim CEO role while also keeping his current role of president and COO at Sony Group.
"After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024. I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America. I will leave having been privileged to work on products that have touched millions of lives across the world; PlayStation will always be part of my life, and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE," Ryan said in the blog post.
This also isn't the first time PlayStation revealed incredible PS5 gamepads that weren't available to the public. In January 2023, Sony sent PlayStation employees custom Dualsense controllers. The fantastic 'Play Has No Limits' controller was doused in the iconic button shapes with a faint geometric gray line behind it. Both of these controllers look fantastic; it's just a shame that players are left on the outside looking in once again.
For more PlayStation kit you can buy, check out the best monitors for PS5 as well as the best PS5 controllers.
