PlayStation’s history goes far beyond the consoles that eventually made it to store shelves. Before each generation reached millions of players, Sony went through different experiments, design changes, and projects that were never shown to the public. Part of that process can now be explored in PlayStation: The First 30 Years, a commemorative book featuring previously unseen material from the company’s archives.

Book Features Stories From People Who Helped Create PlayStation

Produced in direct collaboration with PlayStation and published by Read-Only Memory, the book celebrates the brand’s 30th anniversary with 400 pages dedicated to the evolution of its consoles, from the earliest concepts of the original PlayStation to the development of the PS5.

Highlights include photographs of console prototypes, experimental controllers, sketches, and models used during research and development. The material offers a look not only at how the hardware evolved over the decades, but also at some of the ideas that were ultimately scrapped before reaching consumers.

In addition to the images, the publication includes accounts from key figures in Sony’s gaming history, including Ken Kutaragi, widely regarded as the father of PlayStation, as well as designers Teiyu Goto and Yujin Morisawa. They share details about the creative and technical decisions that shaped the look of the consoles and helped establish the visual identity of the PlayStation brand.

The photography was handled by Benedict Redgrove, known for his work on the 2019 book NASA: Past and Present Dreams of the Future. Art direction was led by Michael C Place, who helped create the visual identity of WipEout and its sequels while working at The Designers Republic. The book’s graphic design also features contributions from Nicole Motby of Studio Build.

Last Word on the PlayStation Anniversary Book

PlayStation: The First 30 Years will be available in two editions. The standard edition costs £95 and features a special finish, metallic detailing, and four ribbon bookmarks.

The Deluxe edition, meanwhile, costs £245 and will be limited to just 1,994 copies, a reference to the year the original PlayStation launched in Japan. This version includes an exclusive presentation box, exposed binding, and a photograph signed by Teiyu Goto and Benedict Redgrove.

Regardless of the edition, the book stands out for its size: it measures 37.5 cm tall, 29.5 cm wide, and weighs approximately five kilograms. The publication is available to purchase through the official Read-Only Memory website, as a big chance to explore behind-the-scenes material from three decades of Sony console development.