An ultra-rare prototype of the unreleased Nintendo PlayStation has been put up for auction, and it's already going for around $350,000. The project started development around 1988, before Sony got into the video game industry, and was intended to be a CD-ROM based add-on for the Super NES. Less than 200 prototype units were ever produced, and now one of the consoles is available to buy.
As Engadget pointed out, the prototype was initially purchased at a bankruptcy auction that included items from Sony's former CEO Olaf Olafsson. The sellers are planning to "let the market determine" the value of the console, and they've already rejected a $1.2 million offer for it. While the cost has since shot up considerably, the sellers first put it up for $15,000. The ill-fated SNES add-on was responsible for kickstarting the development of the original PlayStation.
Sony announced the project at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, but Nintendo announced a partnership with Philips the very next day. The move surprised Sony, and the two companies were never able to repair the bridges burned. Nintendo went on to release the infamously bad CD-i with Philips, which is known for having some of the worst video games of all-time, while Sony achieved great success with the launch of the PlayStation in the mid-90s.
If you are insanely rich and wish to bid on the prototype, you can do so here.
