Sony unveils the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection

It’s fair to say that 2024 may not have been a banner year for the PS5 in terms of first-party AAA games, but it happens to be a very important year for PlayStation as a platform and a business: it marks the 30th anniversary of the original PlayStation’s release in Japan (December 3rd 1994), a true milestone in the history of video games. Sony means to celebrate this anniversary in a variety of different ways and one of those was just unveiled: the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection of products, including specially designed editions of both the PlayStation5 and the recently announced PlayStation5 Pro, as well as several accessories.

As confirmed by the obligatory post over at the official PS blog, Sony will be releasing five different products bearing the signature grey color of the original PlayStation: a DualSense controller, a DualSense Edge controller, a PlayStation Portal remote player, a PS5 bundle and a PS5 Pro bundle. The PS5 bundle obviously includes a 30th Anniversary matching DualSense and a matching disc drive cover, as well as a vertical stand and various PlayStation memorabilia. The PS5 Pro bundle includes everything the regular PS5 bundle does, as well as a DualSense Edge 30th Anniversary Edition and a DualSense charging station.

It’s worth noting that there will only be 12.300 units of the PlayStation5 Pro 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle available for customers to purchase, with limited edition numbers etched onto each unit. The number represents the month and date of the first PlayStation console launch. There was no specific unit number mentioned regarding the availability of the PlayStation5 Digital Edition 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle, but one can’t imagine Sony making too many of those after a few months’ time, so they will probably end up being collector’s items too.

Here is the video that Sony just published on YouTube regarding the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection. One can easily tell by the attention to detail paid that the company meant for them to be truly special, even going so far as to etch on them a special logo that includes “3” along with the four PlayStation symbols (instead of just the symbols as per usual). The duotone grey works extremely well on every product and that colorful “PS” logo is sure to bring back memories to hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide.

This is how Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Platform Business Group, commented on the release of the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection. It really has been a journey, hasn’t it?

We’ve had five fantastic console generations since the launch of our very first PlayStation console. We’re proud of the innovations and experiences we’ve brought to the PlayStation community over the years as we kept up with the latest technology as it advanced. In the early days, the number of pixels was around 300-thousand, and now it is more than 8 million pixels for 4K on screen. Additionally, stereo sound evolved into surround sound – and now we are using 3D audio. The game controller has also evolved, starting with buttons, then came the analog stick and later vibration – and now we have haptics and even adaptive triggers. Everything we’ve done is to ensure PlayStation is the best place to play. We believe the beginning of our journey is an important part of our history at Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is why we are honoring this moment by bringing the original PlayStation design theme into the latest products for PS5 to commemorate the last 30 years. As we look ahead to the future, we will continue to innovate as technology evolves, so you can enjoy each memorable moment in your continued journey with PlayStation.

The PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection will be released on November 21st. In regions where Sony’s e-shop for PlayStation products is available, players with a PlayStation Network account can pre-order all five products starting September 26th. In regions where it isn’t, participating retailers will be receiving pre-orders for all products on the same date except for the regular PS5 bundle (pre-orders for that are starting on October 10th).

Sony’s blog post about the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection does not even hint at what any of these products will actually cost, which may or may not be indicative of what consumers can expect from these collector’s items. Well, the PlayStation 5 Pro 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle will go for much more than just $999 in Scalper Land, that’s for sure!