Eurogamer editor plays the PlayStation Classic and calls the emulation “mediocre”

Eurogamer features editor Martin Robinson went to Sony’s offices to try the PlayStation Classic and did not enjoy the experience much. According to Robinson, there is a noticeable lag in both 30FPS and 60FPS games, and the delay is much more noticeable in the 60FPS ones. He also pointed out that the game lineup is weak and leaves out several timeless classics, and even games that helped popularize the PlayStation, such as Tomb Raider, Gran Turismo and Wipeout. The device also has no screen filters to help the image look more “modern” on current TVs; the output is 720p and the picture is quite clean, but it has small black borders on both sides of the image.

As for the looks of the device, there was plenty of praise. Robinson said: “So, next to the original PlayStation, the PlayStation Classic is smaller than you imagine. About 45% smaller, an impressive miniature.”

“The PlayStation Classic controller, however, is a 1:1 copy of the original (and that is the original original, remember – this is not the DualShock that was introduced in 1997 and, as such, it has no rumble and no two analog sticks). It is a little lighter in the hand, but that is because a thinner cable comes out of it – and at the end of that cable there is a USB A connector, shaped to perfectly mimic the original connector.”

“The console hardware itself also has some neat features. At the back it is powered by micro-USB, and there is a single HDMI output, while on top of the console the three buttons are put to use. The power button is self-explanatory. The reset button returns to the PlayStation Classic main menu, while the eject button is used to change discs in games spread across multiple CD-ROMs, such as Final Fantasy 7.”

Robinson ends his piece concluding that the PlayStation Classic, alongside similar products like the NES Classic and SNES Classic, feels “underwhelming” and does not capture the “aura” of the original PlayStation at its peak, only a functional take on it: “the original shine can still occasionally shine through,” Robinson concludes.

Source: Eurogamer