This page is for the first PlayStation system, not the series of consoles. For this, see Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, Sony PlayStation 5, Sony PlayStation Portable, Sony PlayStation Vita, and Sony PlayStation Classic.

Whether these emulators support operating systems for these consoles is unknown; it must be looked into further. Consoles without meaningful OSes are not included.

https://www.zophar.net/consoles/psx.html https://www.psx-place.com/resources/categories/playstation-1-ps1.10/ (EOP programs too!)

NEC TurboGrafx-16 – fPCE

http://www.emulationzone.org/consoles/ps/emulator.htm

Nintendo Entertainment System – FCEmu, PNESx, It Might Be NES 1.3.5

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/it-might-be-nes.11117/

Nintendo Game Boy (Color) – aGBe, “Playstation Gameboy Emulator”

http://www.emulationzone.org/consoles/ps/emulator.htm (“Gameboy Emulator”)

Sega Master System – Mastergear 0.2

http://www.emulationzone.org/consoles/ps/files/mgps02.zip

This device runs an operating system which is known to emulate various devices with EOPs. See the MSX page.

Theoretical, but is an OS on the same architecture as the PS1. Other MIPS OSes are similarly possible, but with varying levels of accessibility and technical info.

https://github.com/BXYMartin/MIPS-OS

to create easy to install 'live' and 'install' cd images of the NetBSD Operating System

This never actually happened for the PS1, and others did the PS2 port. Just a funny oddity that’s one step past being completely theoretical because someone else tried.

https://web.archive.org/web/20041127060541/http://bsdstation.sourceforge.net/

Whether these emulators support operating systems for these computers is unknown; it must be looked into further. PCs without meaningful OSes are not included.

CHIP-8 – PSChip8 git

https://github.com/dhustkoder/pschip8

MSXs – fMSX v???

http://www.psxdev.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=320 (sources)

http://www.emulationzone.org/consoles/ps/files/fmsx05p.tgz

Sinclair ZX Spectrums - Spectrum

https://www.zophar.net/consoles/psx/sinclair/spectrum.html

Ongoing project to bring Linux back to the sony Playstation 1 [sic]

Based off of RUNIX, but independent enough that it deserves a listing. Reproducing the rootfs memory card is planned, alongside video driver updates.

https://github.com/CodeAsm/PS1Linux

It didn't output and video from memory, just serial.

Sadly, limited in it’s ability at the moment. Requires a missing tool to correctly build rootfs on mem card. Otherwise works fine, just can’t do graphics or anything cool.

https://web.archive.org/web/20180823111547/https://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/PS1

http://www.psxdev.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=152&start=40

https://code.google.com/archive/p/runix-archive/downloads

This is what came with the console. CD player and memory management. Different on PSone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXV_cxZ7GQw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLKlmRKTvk4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTJzUEM6RPM (revision)

from your PS1: browse the web, send/receive emails, and manage contacts

An adapter cable and suitable i-Mode phone was required for this. Had some cool software.

http://www.psxdev.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=408

https://threader.app/thread/1137132109837897728

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re2Y4zlWUic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkIlghQlbzY

It supports basic TCP and UDP (untested) communications as well as connecting via DNS

HTTP theorized, but not possible yet.

https://www.psxhax.com/threads/connect-playstation-ps1-to-the-internet-with-psxnet-library.216/

https://github.com/Lameguy64/psxnet

For general information, see the Game Console Revisions Overview.

There are three versions of this console, arranged chronologically.

RECOMMENDED OVERALL; LOWEST PRICE

The instantly recognizable “fat” gray console. Various revisions exist within this version, all of which change something about the consoles I/O. Up front is 2 controller ports and 2 memory card ports. On the top is the CD drive, and buttons for power/reset/opening the drive. To the back is the aforementioned I/O, which always has AC power, multi video out, and serial I/O. Older revisions will have direct RCA + RFU out and/or parallel I/O. Furthermore, some older revisions have technical and graphical issues or inferiority. Reliability is mixed across all revisions, with some faring worse than others. This version is the most commonly found for the PlayStation.

A slightly different variant of the standard PS1, intended for indie developers and hobbyists. Despite this status, almost nothing is changed in the console’s hardware, although it is black. The only meaningful changes are the lack of region lockout & the different boot ROM. Everything else of note relates to the extras the system shipped with. Of course, they’re much more expensive than normal PlayStations, due to being a lot rarer. The one potential upside is that they have direct RCA + RFU out, whilst also seemingly containing the superior SGRAM (possibly the better laser too, some disagree). For this reason alone, the Net Yaroze may be worth purchasing, as no other NTSC-U PS1 has this pairing of features.

A price-reduced and size-shrunken version of the PS1, colored in white with a rounded design. While they are certainly very common, the PS one invariably goes for a slightly higher price than the standard system. Furthermore, the I/O of this console is even more reduced than the last standards, as the PS one does not even have a serial port or a reset button. However, they appear to have good reliability, and their tiny size is useful for someone with little space. Because of this, they do not receive a Do Not Buy tag.

There are 5 revisions within the PlayStation (original), and no revisions within the Net Yaroze and PS one.

Important note about optical drive emulators and io55 recommendations:

There are two optical drive emulators available for the PlayStation 1, and they have quite the rivalry in the community. The more expensive is the PS1O; the cheaper is the xStation. In short, the PS1O, installed to the parallel port, allows using the original drive, and it can be unplugged in order to free up the parallel. However, it has a very poor DRM system for firmware updates (eliminates easy resale), and reports of both compatibility and company kindness are VERY mixed. It works on any model with a parallel port, and possibly every model w/ difficulty. In contrast, the xStation completely replaces the original drive of the console. However, it is further integrated with other mod peripherals, like the MemCard Pro, and appears to have both superior compatibility and company kindness. It works on earlier revisions with a separate CD-DSP. Due to the significant EOP-related benefits of both the PS1O (preserve drive & parallel) and the xStation (no closed DRM, functions better/company nicer), io55 takes no stance on which emulator is superior. This is a decision you must make on your own. Thus, the “recommended overall” tag will be split into two, recommended overall for xStation, and for PS1O.

The first PlayStation, possessing the most ports; direct RCA + RFU in addition to parallel/serial/etc. Alongside that, the DVD tray has the laser/”black” area up top, instead of to the right. Due to a poor CD drive laser, these consoles experience FMV and music skipping in games to the level of notoriety. Paradoxically, the DAC in these systems made them favorable for music CD playback, supposedly par with the best CD players of their era, not ours (202X). However, these systems use outdated VRAM, resulting in lower (5-bit) shading + worse transparency blending. This leads to both slowdowns (transparency) and color banding (shading). In essence, the only good reason to buy one of these, is for the acceptable music capabilities. That is assuming one doesn’t swap the CD drive or even bypass it entirely, which makes this revision a bit more practical.

RECOMMENDED OVERALL for xStation

Here, the direct RCA and RFU have been removed from the console (still possible to attain RCA with a multi out to RCA cable). The DAC may or may not have been downgraded. In contrast, the VRAM was upgraded to SGRAM, allowing the console to support 8-bit shading, in addition to swifter transparency calculations and full screen dithering. Lastly, the drive lasers have been upgraded somewhat. As with all PS1s, however, they still can have their issues, just not as badly as the 1001. Some claim these have the best and clearest video output. Note: SCPH-5001 does not appear to have been manufactured at any point.

Despite being a NTSC-J model, I have included this for it’s especially interesting featureset, similar to the Yaroze. Exclusive to southeast Asian markets, this version has reintroduced the direct RCA and RFU, while also adding Video CD support (which was originally planned worldwide). These also use the revised board which contains SGRAM over VRAM, and potentially the better laser. The quality of their DAC is unknown. While being an interesting console, their rarity, geographical exclusivity, and potential high price makes them only worth picking up if one happens to find it for cheap, and is willing to region mod it.

RECOMMENDED OVERALL for PS1O

These systems contain a more efficient and smaller motherboard with less chips, which impacts the user if they are interested in hardware modding. Since the CD DSP is now merged with another CD chip, installing the xStation drive emulator has been rendered impossible, except for certain early 7000s with a PU-18 motherboard. However, one can still install the PS1O. These systems also have a music visualizer and now support DualShock as standard. Some claim these have the best and clearest video output, in direct opposition to the 5501…

These systems have continued the trend of shrinking the motherboard and reducing the chips, with a more immediate detriment to user. Alongside not supporting the xStation, these consoles do not have a parallel port (or simply no cutout for it). Simultaneously, they don’t bring any upgrades to the table, for either the laser or the hardware. It is important to note that some earlier 9001s actually have the parallel port on the motherboard, but it is covered up by the console’s case. Later 9001s do not even have a hidden parallel port, however.

BEST RELIABILITY couldn’t be assigned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_Yaroze

https://www.retrorgb.com/playstation1.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_models

https://gametrog.com/playstation-1-one-information-specs-versions/

https://reddit.com/r/psx/comments/ie0xqr/question_for_scph5001_owners/

https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/b3wv8n/best_ps1_model_for_psio/

https://segaretro.org/Sega_Saturn/Hardware_comparison#Revised_PlayStation (SGRAM again)

https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/plglwm/after_2_months_and_6_days/hcdzs87/ (pro-xSta.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/lsjxnv/is_there_an_ideal_model_for_ps1digital_and/

https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/mtuj2w/is_there_a_full_updated_list_on_what_games/

https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/ptc8m2/xstation_install_what_psx_modell_is_the_best/

https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/plqdi1/psio_vs_xstation_system_game_boot_time_comparison/