"Nintendo Left Us Standing at the Altar": How a Failed SNES Partnership Gave Us the PlayStation 1

The PlayStation 1, a console that redefined the gaming landscape, might not have existed if it weren’t for a failed partnership with Nintendo.

Former Sony lead Shawn Layden recently shed light on this interesting piece of gaming history during an interview with Eurogamer, revealing that the PlayStation’s origins are tied to an abandoned plan for an optical drive peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

According to Layden, the collaboration began with a shared goal to expand the SNES’s capabilities with the cutting-edge compact disc (CD) technology pioneered by Sony’s Ken Kutaragi.

Layden explained: “Nintendo realized cartridges had already maxed out their memory footprints and so we—or rather, Ken Kutaragi—created the compact disc technology to support the SNES.”

By 1993, the project seemed like it was set for success. Sony and Nintendo were gearing up to announce their partnership at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). However, in a wild twist, Nintendo opted to partner with Philips instead, abruptly leaving Sony out of the picture.

Layden described the moment, saying: “We were just about ready. I think it was at CES 1993, we were going to announce the partnership. And Nintendo left us standing at the altar after they did a pivot at the last minute and went with Philips.”

The betrayal was unexpected and it could have sparked the end of Sony’s move into gaming, but Ken Kutaragi had other plans. Layden recalled:

“There was Ken, proverbially standing at the altar with his optical disc drive in his hands. And, indignant, he went back to the leadership at Sony at the time and said: ‘All I need is an OS and some more connecting tissue for this thing, and we can build our own game machine.’”

Thus, the PlayStation 1 was born, setting the stage for one of the most successful gaming console lines in history. By the time production ceased, Sony had sold more than 102.4 million PS1 units.

The story is a reminder of how innovation often arises from adversity. Had Nintendo not made the last-minute switch to Philips, the gaming world might look very different today.

Instead, Sony transformed a rejection into an opportunity, giving us the PlayStation, which is an enduring legacy that began with one spurned optical drive.

Thirty years later, the PS1 is still celebrated as a trailblazer in the gaming industry. So, the next time you pop in a classic PS1 disc, take a moment to appreciate this little twist of fate.