LEGO PlayStation Review: An Intricate Homage to a Classic Console

The original PlayStation immediately takes me back to a more simplistic yet exciting time in the gaming industry. The grey plastic, the circular disc lid, those chunky controller ports. The first PlayStation was a console with a design so recognizable and iconic in many ways.

Now, LEGO has recreated the original PlayStation, and it’s easily one of the company’s more interesting sets this year. The LEGO PlayStation set costs $249.99 CAD and includes 1,911 pieces. It’s a near-life-size replica of Sony’s first console, complete with a controller, working mechanical buttons, and a few surprises tucked under the disc lid. The LEGO PlayStation set pays homage to both Ape Escape and Gran Turismo, two first-party games that helped define that console generation.

Rather than simply recreating the exterior, LEGO has designed a build that pays tribute to the games and small details that made the original PlayStation memorable. It’s also become one of my favourite sets to build, with intricate details I didn’t expect.

Out of the box

The first thing I appreciate about this set is how closely LEGO has recreated the original hardware’s proportions. Measuring about 26cm wide, the finished set resembles the hardware remarkably well and feels fairly weighty. It features rounded corners, a circular lid, and familiar front-facing controller ports. Even tiny details like the power-support port are included.

The most interesting part of the construction is how LEGO uses its arsenal of pieces to reproduce aspects that weren’t necessarily designed with bricks in mind. The original PlayStation has subtle curves and recessed surfaces, and translating those into a model requires some clever engineering. I’ve always been fascinated by how some of these sets come to life; it takes so much ingenuity. Especially when it comes to honouring a legacy console with this much importance.

It’s also the sort of project where the smaller details are arguably more rewarding than the larger sections. Recreating the front panel, fitting the controller connections and assembling the disc-lid mechanism offer a closer look at how the designers approached the original console. The finished model even includes working mechanical Power and Open buttons. They don’t turn on a real console, obviously, but they’re designed to reproduce those tiny interactions I remember having with the original PlayStation. That little bit of functionality gives the model more personality than a typical display piece. Over the course of 3 to 4 hours, I got to delightfully put this set together and see it take form.

As I reflect on building the LEGO PlayStation, some sections are genuinely intricate. This is largely because the set is so interactive. For instance, the Power button flips up a small green rod, mimicking the green power light on the actual console. You can also open the console lid by pressing the Open button. The console even features two controller ports where controllers actually plug in.

The controller deserves its own attention

The controller is another highlight. LEGO has recreated the original PlayStation gamepad, right down to its recognizable shape and face-button arrangement. It’s worth noting that this is the original controller design, not the later DualShock with its two analogue sticks. Of course, this was the first controller to launch with the PlayStation in 1994. However, it’s an odd decision, since Ape Escape, a game being honoured in the set, required the DualShock controller.

The controller can also plug into the console’s front. It’s a satisfying small detail, but an important one. A PlayStation without a connected controller would feel incomplete, and the detachable design helps sell the illusion that it’s actual gaming hardware. The controller also presents a different construction challenge than the console. Instead of working primarily with large, flat surfaces, the design needs to capture the curved grips and compact button layout.

It’s one of those details that makes the set feel more thoughtfully designed than a straightforward replica.

The best surprises are hiding inside

My favourite design decision is including two miniature dioramas inspired by Gran Turismo and Ape Escape. Lift the PlayStation’s disc lid, and you’ll find two scenes paying tribute to games closely associated with the original console. The Gran Turismo display features a miniature racing circuit with tiny cars, while Ape Escape includes an island setting and a monkey helmet with interchangeable red and blue lights.

I particularly like that you can remove the dioramas and display them separately. When removed, the PlayStation logo shows on the bottom of the set. It gives owners another way to arrange the set without sacrificing the console’s recognizable appearance. There’s something charming about LEGO hiding miniature game worlds inside a model of the hardware that originally played them.

It’s the sort of discovery that makes this more than another collectible destined to sit untouched on a shelf.

Final thoughts

The LEGO PlayStation clearly targets adult collectors, especially anyone who grew up with Sony’s original console. The price of admission to own this set goes a long way toward fueling nostalgia and the experience of assembling a detailed recreation of gaming history.

With working buttons, a detachable controller, and hidden dioramas, the model feels interactive and more interesting than a static display piece. I appreciate that LEGO hasn’t tried to cram several generations of PlayStation hardware into one set. The focus stays firmly on the original console, and the result is stronger. I’d love to see a similar approach for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 sets down the road. For longtime PlayStation fans, the LEGO PlayStation looks like a particularly satisfying way to revisit the console’s early years.

It won’t play Gran Turismo or Ape Escape, but it does something almost as appealing: it turns a familiar piece of gaming history into something you can build yourself.