You can have a PlayStation arcade machine at home, but there’s a huge caveat

Nostalgia can play tricks on our memories. Consider exhibit A: the PlayStation arcade cabinet. This hobbyist build combines the thrill of entering a ’90s arcade with the branding and games of Sony’s first console. While some of these games did appear in arcades, a PlayStation cabinet was obviously never a thing back in the day.

But just because this Franken-console is novel doesn’t mean it’s worth spending money on. And the fact that this fan-built cabinet costs over $1,000 is only part of the problem.

Of course, this isn’t a Sony product, despite the arcade cabinet’s impressive appearance, heavy with PlayStation logos and icons. The hobbyist behind the build says it runs on a Raspberry Pi 4, a small computer that starts at $35 for 128GB of storage. (The seller offers a 512GB upgrade for an extra $100.) The machine runs RetroPie, open-source software that bundles emulators for Raspberry Pi and similar devices.

It also has a 19-inch LCD, Sanwa-clone joysticks and buttons, a pair of 4-inch speakers and LED lighting. At least in pictures, its “high-quality laminated vinyl artwork” is what brings the project to life. The PlayStation logos and button icons on top of the familiar gray base are enough to make you wonder why Sony never made this.

All of that can be yours for the low, low price of — cue spit take — $1,030, plus $120 shipping. While cabinet collectors are accustomed to paying a premium, this machine’s limits could make even the most well-heeled hobbyist think twice.

Controls are likely a problem. The original PlayStation controller had a D-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons, Select and Start. Later models added two analog sticks. But the custom arcade cabinet only has a single joystick and six action buttons per player. That discrepancy could make many, if not most, of the platform’s tentpole titles unplayable.

This novelty machine is best reserved for simple 2D platform series like Mega Man and fighting franchises like Tekken, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. It won’t likely be a good fit for the system’s classic 3D titles like Metal Gear Solid or Resident Evil.

The screen is another issue. PS1 games were made for boxy 4:3 TVs. This build’s widescreen LCD means games will have black bars on the sides, or, even worse, stretched images. Not to mention, you’ll be standing up for your 40-hour Final Fantasy adventure. Perhaps consider ordering a pair of comfortable shoes while you’re at it.

I won’t moralize about pirating decades-old games, especially in an era of particularly egregious business practices by gaming industry titans. Your relationship with the legal gray areas of ROMs and BIOS files is for you to decide.

But the cabinet seller, who advertises the machine as “ready to plug n’ play thousands of games” with “no setup / configuration required,” almost certainly isn’t in the clear legally. While buyers likely wouldn’t have anything to worry about, it’s still worth noting: if the seller gets their listing taken down from eBay, that could make it harder for you to get support.

Speaking of which, the seller does accept returns. However, the returning buyer has to pay for shipping, and all returns are subject to a 15 percent restocking fee. “This deal is getting worse all the time,” you might be thinking.

If you have money to burn and want a fancy-looking conversation piece for your playroom, hey, who am I to judge? But if that isn’t you, and your goal is to, you know, enjoy PlayStation games without compromise, there are better ways to do that.

If you go the emulation route, a Raspberry Pi or mini PC connected with a controller will do a better job of recreating the feel of a late ’90s living room. Ditto for devices you already own, paired with an emulator like DuckStation. Another option is Retro Remake’s $249 Superstation One, which recreates the original PlayStation’s hardware on an FPGA chip. Any of these options will be a fraction of the cost of this cabinet.

And if you want a legal arcade cabinet that plays games designed for that medium, Arcade1Up sells officially licensed machines for about half the price of this bootleg PlayStation cabinet. That even includes fighting games, like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, that are most likely to work well on the PlayStation arcade machine. For that matter, you could even build your own.

That said, the fact that we devoted a whole article to this machine illustrates the power of nostalgia and novelty. You probably don’t want to spend your money on it, but there’s no harm in imagining what could have been.