PlayStation emulator DuckStation is rightly regarded as one of the best ways to play PS1 games on modern hardware, primarily because it's incredibly accurate, has loads of features and offers an excellent level of performance.

However, creator stenzek has recently made some changes to how DuckStation is distributed that have caused some drama in the world of emulation.

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The story of the SNES PlayStation is so well known now that it has become part of video game folklore. Back in the early '90s, Sony and Nintendo inked a deal that would see the former produce a CD-ROM drive for the SNES, as well as the right to produce its own all-in-one system, dubbed "Play Station" (note the space).

When it became clear to Nintendo that Sony expected to gain cash from each game sold as part of the deal, it unceremoniously dumped the Japanese tech giant at the alter, signing an agreement with Philips instead. Sony created several SNES PlayStation prototypes, but the system was never put into production. One of the prototypes sold for $360,000 a few years back.

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"What happens when you combine the world's most popular computer entertainment system with the number one mobile video system?" asks the official page for the Advent ADV10PS2 in-car mobile entertainment module, released in 2010. "Everybody wins!"

We're sure many of you will be familiar with the concept of in-car entertainment products. During the DVD era, it was common to see these all-in-one devices strapped to the back of car seats, providing unruly children with something to gawk at during dull road trips.

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The PS2 is the world's biggest-selling home console, and was a huge commercial success for Sony's PlayStation brand. However, its launch was a little more fraught than it needed to be, according to former Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Chris Deering.

Speaking to Simon Parkin on the My Perfect Console podcast, Deering has revealed that the console was initially supposed to launch with a Sony-made sound chip, but plans changed at the very last minute in a rather embarrassing episode for the "Father of PlayStation" Ken Kutaragi.

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When you talk about the rarest PS2 games, Rule Of Rose always crops up in conversation.

Developed by Japanese studio Punchline, Rule of Rose triggered something of a moral outrage in Europe, causing its UK release to be cancelled (the North American and Japanese releases were unaffected).

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Jason Wilson (also known as Jay Gunn) – who worked as an artist and designer on the MediEvil franchise – has been digging into his archives recently, unearthing some concept artwork for an untitled FPS which would have struck the whole "UK is under attack by aliens" vibe a short time before Resistance: Fall of Man arrived on PS3 in 2006.

"Tidying up and rummaging through the game concept archives and found some 20-year-old drawings that I did for storyboard presentation concepts for an Untitled (not produced) Sony 1st person UK set alien invasion first-person shooter," says Wilson on social media, before noting that this was well before the thematically-similar Resistance: Fall of Man was released.

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Martin Alltimes isn't a name that many gamers will necessarily be familiar with, but he had a front-row seat to the inner workings of Sony's European gaming division during one of the most exciting periods in its history.

Joining Sony Electronic Publishing in 1994, he was among the first people in the UK to know about the Sony PlayStation and played an important role in attracting developers to create projects for Sony's new 3D-based system.

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PS2 emulator PCSX2 has just been updated to version 2.0, bringing with it a raft of improvements.

The update comes four years after the previous stable revision - during which time, the emulator has received over 6000 changes, passed 100 million downloads, and celebrated its 20th anniversary.

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While Hideo Kojima's PS1 masterpiece Metal Gear Solid has gone down in history as one of video gaming's greatest achievements, another PlayStation-based stealth action title, Syphon Filter, is somewhat less well-known – despite spawning several sequels and building its own devoted fanbase.

The design lead on the 1999 game, Richard Ham, has been speaking to Retro Gamer about the experience of going up against one of gaming's biggest reveals (thanks, Games Radar), and he explains that Metal Gear Solid's memorable E3 showcase in 1997 had a dramatic impact on the morale of the team at Eidetic, the studio behind Syphon Filter:

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As we all know, the PlayStation was originally supposed to be a SNES console with a CD-ROM drive built-in. Despite prototype systems being produced, the deal fell through when Nintendo dumped Sony and shacked up with Philips instead. Sony would then retreat to lick its wounds and eventually release the PlayStation as a stand-alone 32-bit rival.

It was believed that all of the prototype consoles had been destroyed until one turned up in 2015. This was then sold at auction in 2020 for $300,000 (£230,700). Now, the same auction house has a related item in its possession: a controller for the system.

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In the pantheon of PlayStation hardware, the Japan-only PSX surely stands apart as a unique slice of history.

While it was sold as a high-end digital video recorder when it launched in 2003, it contains an integrated PlayStation 2 console, making it a popular choice for hardcore Sony fans over the past two decades.

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Remember that $19 PS2 HDMI mod we mentioned the other day? Well, the company behind it, Electron Shepherd, has just revealed a similar product which, while slightly more expensive, doesn't require any internal modification.

The ElectronPulse is a "tiny, power-packed module takes in the native Component video and analog audio output from the Playstation 2 and Playstation 3 and outputs a crisp HDMI video stream," says the manufacturer.

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YouTube channel Noclip has created a half-hour documentary built around the iconic WipEout 2097 soundtrack.

The superb project speaks to Psygnosis composer Tim "CoLD SToRAGE" Wright, who would create some of the franchises' most iconic tracks – despite having to share soundtrack credit with legends such as The Chemical Brothers, Leftfield, Underworld, Orbital, The Prodigy and Future Sound of London.

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The PS2 remains one of the most popular consoles of all time and is home to some of gaming's greatest titles – so it's little wonder that many people still have their consoles set up and ready to play, even today.

The trouble is when used in its vertical orientation, the original PS2 can suffer from a sagging AV cable. Gravity causes the cable to droop, which in turn can lead to strain on both the cable and the AV connection on the console itself.

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If you're old enough to remember the pre-launch hype that accompanied the arrival of the PlayStation 2, then the words "Emotion Engine" will no doubt be burned into your memory.

With the PS1 firmly established as the market leader and the Sega Dreamcast gathering momentum, it was vital that Sony hit the ground running with its next machine – and part of that was good, old-fashioned marketing.

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Cross-play remains a hot topic even in 2024. While many of the most popular titles are available across multiple formats, it's not always a given that players from one platform will be able to compete with those on another – but what's truly amazing is that such barriers were being overcome as long ago as 2001.

As we noted yesterday, Capcom vs. SNK 2 launched on the Dreamcast and PS2 on the exact same day in Japan, and actually allowed players to compete with one another online, irrespective of which version they owned.

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Update : Ratalaika Games has revealed that it is partnering up with Masaya Games and Shinyuden to release Rider’s Spirits on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on June 7th worldwide (thanks, Gematsu).

Developed by Genki and published on September 30th, 1994 in Japan, the original Super Famicom version of Bike Daisuki! Hashiriya Kon - Rider's Spirits feartured the same DSP-1 chip used by Super Mario Kart, the game with which it was most closely compared to when it launched back in the day.

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Few design elements in the world of video gaming are as iconic as the symbols on the PlayStation controller.

Since the launch of the original PlayStation in 1994, these four icons have been instantly recognisable to pretty much any gamer on the planet, even if they don't consider themselves to be a Sony fan – but have you ever wondered what they actually mean?

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Indie developer Puppet Combo is bringing its PS2-style horror game The Glass Staircase to modern consoles, it has been announced.

Described as "a frightening homage to PS2 survival horror and Italian zombie movies," the game requires you to "uncover the horrible secrets of the manor as your friends disappear one by one."

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Optical Drive Emulators (ODEs) are becoming an essential part of enjoying disc-based retro consoles these days. Not only do they overcome the issue of failing drives on vintage systems, but they allow you to load up a wide selection of games which would normally, on the secondary market, require you to take out a second mortgage or sell valuable organs.

The PS1 was one of the first systems to get a viable ODE option, and it's also one of the cleanest when it comes to installation; PSIO simply plugs into the Parallel I/O port on the back of the Mk1 PS1 console – you don't need to remove the optical drive to use it, which is a massive bonus if you already have a pre-existing collection of games (although you'll still need to install an internal switch board, so it's not totally plug-and-play).

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It's now possible to play PS1 games on your iPhone thanks to a new app called Gamma.

Developed by ZodTTD (AKA Benjamin Stark) – an individual who has a long history in the world of emulation – Gamma is pretty feature-rich. It supports Bluetooth controllers, runs on both the iPhone and iPad, supports cloud saves for your game files and save states and automatically finds cover artwork for your collection. You don't need to worry about tracking down BIOS files to run games, either.

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The PSP may be getting on a bit now, but it still feels like a futuristic device to us; that sleek design, pocket-sized frame and wide selection of amazing games means that it's still a great daily driver, even in 2024 – but, as is so often the case with vintage hardware, there's certainly room for improvement.

Enter the brilliant Macho Nacho Productions, which has taken some of the more exciting PSP mods on the market and pulled them together to create the "ultimate" version of Sony's first handheld games machine.

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Earlier this year, Sony was forced to take LittleBigPlanet 3's servers offline due to technical issues.

Now, the company has confirmed that the servers will remain offline "indefinitely", which means players no longer have access to creations made by the community.

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Someone is selling the PlayStation Experience trailer used by Sony back in 2006 to promote its PSP handheld and PS2 home console (thanks, IGN).

The trailer was spotted on Facebook Marketplace by Reddit user ArguingMaster, and is festooned with related branding, including posters for ATV Offroad Fury 4, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2, and NBA 07.

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Only last week, we reported on a portable PS1 that was built into a Japan-only controller. This is an impressive achievement, but it's one that was built around emulation and not original hardware.

For all of the PS1 purists out there, we advise you to check out Mackie Kannard-Smith / @YveltalGriffin's latest accomplishment, the PS Hanami.

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