Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida recently shared insights into his early career, including his experience with the legendary Nintendo PlayStation prototype. In an interview with MinnMax, Yoshida recounted his time working alongside Ken Kutaragi, the "father of PlayStation," starting in February 1993 during the original PlayStation's development. While the team focused on the console that ultimately launched, Yoshida and his colleagues also had access to the Nintendo PlayStation.
This game, he described as similar to a contemporary space shooter, possibly Sega CD's Silpheed, which streamed assets from a CD. Details remain hazy; Yoshida couldn't recall the developer or region of origin. However, regarding the game's potential survival in Sony's archives, he offered a hopeful outlook: "I wouldn't be surprised. You know, it was like a CD, so… yeah."
The Nintendo PlayStation remains a highly sought-after collector's item, a testament to its unreleased status and the intriguing "what if" scenario it represents in gaming history. The prototype has frequently appeared in auctions and collector circles.
The prospect of this unreleased Sony space shooter seeing the light of day is certainly enticing. It wouldn't be unprecedented; Nintendo famously released Star Fox 2 years after its cancellation. Perhaps, one day, this lost piece of gaming history will finally emerge.
