Skip to main content

PlayStation Classic arrives this December with ‘Final Fantasy VII’ in tow

Introducing PlayStation Classic

We’ve already seen mini plug-and-play systems from the likes of Nintendo and SNK, packing tons of retro games into a tiny system you can almost fit in your pocket, and Sony is the latest company to get in on the fun. The PlayStation Classic includes 20 of the original PlayStation’s best games, and it’s out this December.

Launching on December 3 for $100, the PlayStation Classic is nearly half as small as the original PlayStation, and it includes two controllers so you can play through its library with a friend. The system does not include an AC adapter, so you’ll need to purchase one separately in order to power it, and the included controllers aren’t the later DualShock type with analog sticks. They’re wired controllers, but it isn’t clear how long the cables will be. This was an issue with the NES Classic, and to a less extent, the SNES Classic, as they were far too short for most players’ setups.

The full game library has not been revealed yet, but it includes Final Fantasy VII, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, Wild Arms, and Jumping Flash. More games will be announced before the system launches, but if it continues to have such variation in genres, there should be something for just about everyone.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Longtime fans will appreciate the nostalgia that comes with rediscovering the games they know and love, while gamers who might be new to the platform can enjoy the groundbreaking PlayStation console experience that started it all,” PlayStation worldwide marketing VP Eric Lempel said in the announcement.

The games announced thus far don’t go into very gruesome or violent territory, so it remains to be seen if the console will offer M-rated games as well. The original Metal Gear Solid launched on the platform back in 1998, and it’s often regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. These are the games we’d like to see make it on the PlayStation Classic, including Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and a Mega Man game or two, assuming Sony doesn’t want to focus most of the attention on its own titles.

The PlayStation Classic is now available for pre-order from select retailers in the United States and Canada, including GameStop.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Astro Bot will reference one of PlayStation’s oldest memes
Astro Bot and its PlayStation character cameos, which include Aloy and Nathan Drake on the right.

The Astro Bot series is known for showcasing PlayStation history, with some incredible deep cuts and cameos. For the upcoming Astro Bot, which was officially announced during Sony's latest State of Play this week, that apparently comes in the form of a nearly 20-year-old meme.

In an interview with EW, Team Asobi head Nicolas Doucet mentioned some of the characters that players will encounter spread throughout the game's 80 planets. This includes some obvious inclusions, like Nathan Drake from the Uncharted franchise and Aloy from the Horizon games, but snuck into one of the paragraphs is mention of an island in the shape of a giant crab.

Read more
Hey PlayStation, I’ll take more games like Astro Bot, please
A robot flies on a controller in Astro Bot.

Sony kicked off a marathon of gaming reveals this week with an exciting State of Play stream. The 30-minute broadcast shed some light on what's coming to the PlayStation 5 in the back half of 2024 and beyond. We saw an extended look at Concord, got a release date for Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake, and learned more about Supermassive's Until Dawn remake. But the most exciting announcement of the show wasn't a live-service shooter or a game pushing photorealistic visuals. It was a cute little robot who stole the show.

Astro Bot got the final slot during the State of Play stream -- and for good reason. Sony revealed a delightful trailer for its upcoming platformer that had social media buzzing. Even this morning, you'll find "GOTY" (game of the year) trending on X (formerly Twitter) and posts preemptively crowning Astro Bot as 2024's best game.

Read more
Everything announced at PlayStation’s May 2024 State of Play
Astro Bot climbs on a DualSense controller

Sony's second State of Play presentation of the year just took place. It gave us a clearer look at what we can expect from PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2's video game lineup throughout the back half of 2024. That includes first-party games like Until Dawn's remake, Concord, and Astro Bot. Some impressive third-party titles like Dynasty Warriors Origins, Ballard of Antara, and Monster Hunter Wilds also showed up but had 2025 release windows.

If you play a lot of games on your PS5, you definitely won't want to miss anything that PlayStation Studios or any of its third-party partners revealed over the course of this State of Play. For your convenience, I rounded up every announcement made during this State of Play right here.

Read more