PlayStation Vet Shares Details of Unreleased Nintendo Prototype

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared insights into his experience with the unreleased Nintendo PlayStation prototype, including playing a nearly completed game developed for the defunct console.

Yoshida, in a MinnMax interview, recounted his career journey at Sony, starting with his work alongside Ken Kutaragi ("the father of PlayStation"). Joining Kutaragi's team in February 1993, during the original PlayStation's development, Yoshida and his colleagues were introduced to the Nintendo PlayStation prototype. He emphasized that this was a functional prototype, not just a concept.

"Everyone joining [Ken Kutaragi]'s team around then saw the Nintendo Sony PlayStation prototype first – it was already working," Yoshida stated. "They also had a nearly finished game. I played it on my first day."

While he couldn't recall the game's developer or region of origin, he likened its gameplay to a contemporary space shooter, possibly Sega CD's Silpheed, which streamed assets from a CD. Regarding the game's potential survival in Sony's archives, Yoshida expressed optimism:

"I wouldn't be surprised," he commented. "It was on a CD, so... yeah."

The Nintendo PlayStation remains a highly sought-after collector's item, largely due to its unreleased status and representation of a potential alternate history for both Nintendo and Sony. Its prototype has frequently appeared in auctions and among collectors.

The prospect of this Sony-developed space shooter seeing release is intriguing, especially given Nintendo's precedent with Star Fox 2, released years after its cancellation. Perhaps this lost piece of gaming history could yet emerge.