Developed in a joint effort by Sony and Nintendo around 1992, it’s said to be the last remaining prototype of the alleged 200 created by the two companies. The others were either lost or destroyed, but the one remaining is up for grabs through Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. The prototype features a slot for Super Famicom and Super Nintendo games and a CD-ROM drive which was meant to play discs. While the drive was not working when it was found in 2009, it has been repaired and can play music discs.
Here’s more on the device straight from the auction listing: The prototype’s small screen on the top of the console shows the user which music track is currently being played from the CD, allowing the user to listen to their own music and play a cartridge-based game at the same time. It also has a headphone port and independent volume dial on the front of the console, to the left of the two controller ports. Turning the console over to look at the bottom, it has a label with what appears to be a handwritten “2.” The meaning of this number is unclear. Looking at the back of the console, it has standard AV Out, S-Video, and the Super Nintendo’s Multi-out ports. However, it also has a mysterious port simply labeled “NEXT,” and its purpose is considered to be unknown. One of the most interesting aspects of the prototype is the controller, whose casing sports the design of a Super Nintendo controller with Super Famicom colors. However, this is no ordinary Super Nintendo controller! Though the design itself is familiar to many, the branding is what sets it apart. Instead of Nintendo, “Sony PlayStation” is boldly emblazoned on the front of the controller, though “Nintendo” is raised in plastic on the back. Both the console and the controller show some signs of aging that were characteristic of the Super Nintendo. Presumably, these pieces are made from the same type of plastic that the Super Nintendo was made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS for short. This plastic is naturally flammable, so it was often treated with flame retardants, Bromine being the most common. As bromine is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, it oxidizes and causes the yellowing color. Since the shell of the console is made up of different pieces, it’s possible the ratio of ABS to flame retardant was mixed more accurately for some pieces of the shell than it was others. Also included with the lot is what is often referred to as either the “boot cart” or “debugging cart” which allows the system to activate the CD-ROM port as well as access the console’s Super Disc operating system. The casing is in the shape of a Super Famicom cartridge and does have the “Nintendo Super Famicom Cassette” text impressed into the back portion of the shell. A handwritten label adorns the front where a commercially produced label would typically go. It shows a date of either October 6th, 1992 or June 10th, 1992. The date is unconfirmed. The opening bid was set for $31,000 but the current bid is $48,000. We expect it to get much higher before the auction ends on February 27.
