Amidst the flurry of significant news stories and game releases today, there’s an exciting revelation that will surely resonate with long-time gamers.

Do you recall the origins of the PlayStation? In a pivotal moment, Nintendo sought a CD-ROM add-on for the Super NES, prompting Sony to step in with a proposal, hoping to penetrate the video game industry. Unfortunately, this partnership quickly soured when Nintendo opted for cartridges instead, which led to the birth of the first PlayStation console—a notion fueled by a sense of rivalry.

Rarely seen prototypes of the Nintendo-PlayStation collaboration have surfaced over the years, with one having been sold a few years back, leaving enthusiasts curious about the initial concepts from both companies before their partnership disintegrated. Recently, it has been revealed that an even earlier model of these prototypes is now part of the collection at the National Videogame Museum in the United States.

The museum announced the acquisition of the legendary Nintendo PlayStation, specifically the Sony MSF-1. This artifact is noted as the oldest known piece of Nintendo PlayStation hardware, originally designed as a development system for the Super Nintendo CD attachment. Remarkably, it’s the only unit of its kind that is known to exist.

The bulky Sony MSF-1 prototype presents a raw appearance, lacking a refined retail casing or functional buttons, and it markedly differs from the SNES PlayStation prototype that previously garnered attention. Nonetheless, it represents a significant chapter in gaming history, meriting recognition.

Located in Frisco, Texas, the National Videogame Museum (distinct from its UK equivalent) has promised that the Nintendo PlayStation will feature prominently in its collection, although the timeline for its exhibition following the announcement on March 4th remains uncertain.