The Remarkable $35,000 Vintage Nintendo PlayStation Prototype Controller: A Stunning Discovery

In the enthusiastic world of video game collectibles, rarity and obscurity frequently equate to astonishingly high costs. This principle was recently illustrated when a prototype Nintendo PlayStation controller was sold for an impressive $35,000 at an auction, which, while substantial, is still a fraction of the $360,000 paid for the complete Nintendo PlayStation console and controller in 2020. The story unfolds in 1988 when Nintendo commissioned Sony to establish a CD-ROM for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), a cartridge-based console that had not yet been released. The collaboration resulted in a groundbreaking hybrid console capable of playing both SNES cartridges and CDs. Nevertheless, Nintendo later discarded the project, favoring instead a partnership with Philips for the Philips CD-i. Undeterred, Sony persisted in the development of its CD-based console, which was eventually launched in Japan in December 1994 as the original PlayStation. It is estimated that only 200 prototype Nintendo PlayStation units were ever manufactured, with most presumed to have been destroyed. The controller that was sold is believed to be the second one ever made, and it was purchased for an incredible $360,000 at an auction in March 2020.

The controllers have also gained significant attention from collectors. Heritage Auctions recently sold one for $35,000, marking the first time a single controller prototype has been auctioned and only the second time a Nintendo PlayStation controller prototype has been presented at a public auction. The controller was unearthed in the attic of Dan Diebold, whose father, Terry Diebold, served as a maintenance man for Advanta Corporation until 2009. The president of Advanta was Olaf Olafsson, the original co-founder and former president and chief executive officer of Sony Interactive Entertainment. When Advanta met its demise, Terry Diebold was assigned the task of clearing out the building, and amidst this, he came across the system inside a box in one of the rooms. The controller was sold 'as is' due to the scarcity of appropriate hardware for testing it. The auctioneer highlighted the awe-inspiring rarity of the controller and console, suggesting that the opportunity to offer anything related to the Nintendo PlayStation may never arise again.

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