How Much Does a PlayStation 1 Cost Today?

Have you been feeling nostalgic and in the mood for some retro gaming lately? Perhaps, in the past you were one of those lucky kids that managed to get their hands on the first-ever PlayStation.

Well, if you’re looking to relive your fond childhood memories of playing countless hours of some of the best games ever created, know that you can do so by purchasing an original PS1 at this moment, even 16 years after its discontinuation.

But how much is a PlayStation worth today? Where can you buy it? Let’s find out!

A brief history of the PlayStation

Claiming that the first PlayStation took the world by storm is no exaggeration. Developed by Sony and released in Japan, North America, Europe and Australia between 1994-1995, this brand-new home console revolutionized the way people perceived the video game medium.

The PS1 had a rebellious and edgy attitude that contrasted the clean kid-friendly Nintendo, which at the time was the biggest player in the gaming industry. The PlayStation was for the cool kids, it offered unusually mature and daring content that was rarely represented within video games.

Apart from this, the technical capabilities of the CD-ROM the console made use of allowed for the implementation of impressive 3D graphics, more cinematic and lengthy cutscenes, more elaborate and rich soundtracks and, most importantly, longer games. This vast amount of content couldn’t fit on your average Nintendo SNES or N64 cartridge.

I’ll conclude this paragraph by mentioning some of the PS1’s absolute bangers that shaped the gaming industry forever, such as Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7, Gran Turismo, Crash Bandicoot, Resident Evil 2, Spyro the Dragon, Tomb Raider, Silent Hill, Castelvania: Symphony of the Night and Tekken 3. But the list goes on and on.

How much does an original PlayStation cost? And where can you find it?

Now, how much is a PS1 worth today?

Although the PS1 is very old hardware, you can still find it online. And at pretty affordable prices, as well. Of course, the price will vary a lot depending on the condition of the unit. A second-hand system will be worth less than a brand-new or refurbished one.

The first place you should look into is eBay. On the site there are even offers at around $25 for a used PS1, but the average price is generally at around $45-$75 (shipping not included).

Sealed, completely new PS1 units are much pricier. They’re generally at around $400, but some go up to $1.000+. Meanwhile, refurbished consoles are in the $50-$150 range.

If you’d rather purchase your PS1 from Amazon instead, know that the prices on there are not significantly different from eBay’s. The only problem is that it’s very hard to come across used or new PS1 units on there. The majority of the PS systems I’ve seen on Amazon are the PS One and PS Classic variants.