5 Reasons the Original PlayStation Is Better Than the PS5

5. ‘MTV Music Generator’

This 1998 classic — a music maker that had nothing to do with the cable network MTV — was the coldest idea game studio Jester Interactive ever came up with. Legends like TDE’s Sounwave cut their teeth on it, and budding producers everywhere got to try new ideas for a low cost.

4. No day-one patches

A needle dropping on a vinyl record. Sliding a tape into a VCR. And pulling a game disc out of the package knowing without a shadow of a doubt that it was a finished experience. No patches, no constantly refreshing calendar of downloadable content. Just… the game. Feels like ancient history, right?

3. Wired peripherals

Yeah, we said it. Not tripping over controller cables is great, as are the Pulse headphones that go with the PS5 — as long as you keep them charged. (Then again, if you’ve got enough free time that you can drain your Dualsense controllers in a single play session, you may want to rethink your decisions.)

2. Exclusives

With all the hoopla surrounding console exclusives these days, you’d think the companies had a blood feud. But in the ’90s Sony and Nintendo were extremely bout that action when it came to holding on to their shit. The fact that Crash Bandicoot is showing up on Xbox at all is a testament to how things have softened over time. If polarization is your bend, the Playstation 1 made Sony stans out of millions.

1. Size

The PS5 is a powerful machine, but it’s also huge. If you were lucky enough to snag a preorder, say adios to any hopes of domestic minimalism. The OG PS would never fuck up the feng shui like that! It was small, sure — maybe even a little dull — but at least you could take it to a homie’s house without your back giving out.