A rare prototype Nintendo PlayStation SNES controller recently sold for US$35,000 (~RM152,335) at an auction in Dallas, Texas. It was sold at Heritage Auctions as an artefact but it was originally a prototype from a short-lived Sony and Nintendo collaboration back in the late 80’s.
Some of you may know that there was a possibility that the PlayStation could have been made by Nintendo. At the time, Sony had made its own PlayStation SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) controllers, but Nintendo having collaborated on said controller is a different story. This prototype never advanced beyond the development stage and remains an obscure piece of gaming history.
Since the failed collaboration between Sony and Nintendo from the late 1980’s to early 1990’s, many other prototypes did not popularise the public eye. The partnership originally aimed to create a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES and a hybrid console that would support both SNES cartridges and CD-ROM games. It resulted in many of their products, including this controller, never launching and being individually auctioned off around the world.
Despite its high auction price, the functionality of the controller is uncertain, as it was sold as-is without testing. It is described as being in “very nice condition” with minimal wear and some minor dings. However, the controller seems to only serve as a vintage relic from what could have been an intriguing collaboration, even though Sony eventually went on to develop its own PlayStation consoles independently.
(Source: Hot Hardware, Tom’s Hardware, Heritage Auctions)
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