PSone System - Game Hardware

Make no mistake: the PS One has all of the same functionality as the original PlayStation workhorse, will work with all of the same peripherals and accessories, and will play the existing PlayStation game library, as well as audio CDs (also note that, like the original PlayStation, it's not compatible with the more advanced PlayStation 2). The difference here is that this new model is quite a bit smaller than its older brother, and quite a bit cuter, too.

The system is made up of a 32-bit, 34-MHz RISC processor with 16 Mbits of main memory, 8 Mbits of graphics memory, 24-channel stereo sound, double-speed CD-ROM drive, and one Dual Shock analog controller. That's not a lot of power, compared to a next-generation system like the Sega Dreamcast; but, when you factor in its very low price and the enormous library of games that are available (more than 1,000 that are spread across every genre imaginable), one can see easily why it's as good a deal as ever. If rumors of exciting future accessories for the PS One (a four-inch LCD screen attachment, to name one) are true, this little machine could become a great option for the on-the-go gamer. --Porter Hall