In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of PlayStation launch, Sony announced a PS5 limited edition. However, there’s also a new book titled The First 30 Years with several curiosities about the PlayStation videogame console history.
The PlayStation book includes more than 400 pages with photographs and articles revealing the story of PlayStation. From its origin to the newest PS5 model available. The book is a collaboration between Read-Only Memory (ROM) a British publisher specializing on books about videogames history, and Sony.
A book with the complete story of the PlayStation phenomenon
The book about PlayStation story includes all kinds of prototypes that were never seen in public. Concepts that never were from the first to the latest generation model. It’s a trip to know all about the videogame console that made 3D popular.
One of the most striking concepts shows Teiyu Goto vision about PlayStation. Goto was the chief designer at Sony and one of the key figures in the creation of PS original visual identity. He influenced the original and iconic logo as well as the joystick design. It is based on pure geometrical figures evidenced on the first stages of the project.
The First 30 Years documents various joystick designs that never got over the ergonomic validation stage. There was an exploration about buttons and forms that were discarded in favor of functionality and user comfort.
Even the iconic PS logo wasn’t easy to create. There were different discarded models that were interesting but finally got surpassed by the PS logo of today. The book also includes photos about the design laboratories at Sony. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the work environment during the creation of the most popular videogame console of its time.
The book is directed to users who grew up with PlayStation. It’s an interesting trip to learn about the past, present and future of the PlayStation brand. You can learn about what creating a videogame console means from scratch.
Price and availability
The First 30 Years PlayStation book is 375 x 275 and weights 5 kilograms. It has 400 pages and it will arrive on spring 2026. The estimated shipping date is April 2026 and you can start saving for the 115 Euros it will cost. It’s a hard cover book with mate paper in the standard edition.
There will also be a Deluxe limited edition with 1994 units (the year PlayStation was originally launched in Japan) including a stamped presentation box. You will also get a Teiyu Goto autographed photo by the photographer Benedict Redgrove. The Deluxe edition will cost 290 Euros.
If you are a true fan of the PlayStation brand, this book should be on your library. It’s an excellent opportunity to celebrate the videogame console, its history and curiosities about how it came to be. PS is still today one of the most powerful and innovative consoles in a very competitive industry. It’s the perfect book for gamers who want to learn more about their favorite devices.
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