Back in 2015, a man named Dan Diebold discovered what turned out to be a rare Nintendo PlayStation console in a box of things that belonged to his father, Terry. The discovery prompted Shuhei Yoshida to reveal that only 200 of those prototypes – labeled Nintendo Play Station (with the space) – were ever produced back in 1993.
What happened between Sony and Nintendo is a long story for another time but that rare prototype is now going up for auction, and it’s reportedly the only unit that still exists. Not only that, but it’s also functional.
“We don’t have any sample as to what this could possible sell for,” Heritage Auctions consignment director Valarie McLeckie told Polygon. “The market’s going to have to dictate the value on this one.” McLeckie added that estimates so far range from six figures to “the downright shocking.”
“If you look at the back, Nintendo is actually embossed in the plastic, and the connector has Sony on it,” added McLeckie. “As far as rarities go, it’s such a unique piece.”
Terry Diebold separately told Kotaku that he and his son have spent a lot of money out of their own pockets touring with the prototype but haven’t earned anything from the tours in return. The duo don’t want to spend any more money and are thus parting with the prototype. Interestingly, they turned down an offer of $1.2 million from someone in Norway.
The auction will take place between March 5-7, 2020. However, bidding will commence on February 14th. Valentine’s Day present, anyone?
