A specific shade of grey

Sony’s 30th-anniversary celebration of the original PlayStation feels like a disappointment. Releasing PS1-themed controllers and a reskinned console that cannot play PS1 games feels tone-deaf. And yes, they offer the Classic Collection on PS Plus Premium for $23 per month, but that’s a post for another day.

I’ve got a collection of PlayStation games like Breath of Fire 4, Silent Hill, and others that don’t work on the PS5. What’s more, I’ve repurchased some of these games digitally on the PS3, thinking I’d have access to them for the foreseeable future. But no—those didn’t even make it to the PS4.

I get this might sound complainy, but I’m over billion-dollar gaming companies flip-flopping on backwards compatibility. They repeatedly charge players for the same games, only to drop support after a few years. It’s no wonder people turn to piracy. If Sony isn’t willing to respect longtime fans and preserve the games that got them to a 30th anniversary in the first place, why should players support Sony by rushing out to buy PS1-themed peripherals?

So, as cool as the idea of a $110 controller in a specific shade of grey with colourful face buttons sounds—I’ll pass; thanks.