If you think the PlayStation 5’s giant whale-like console cover is already a bit too animal, maybe you’ll enjoy a more obvious aquatic Sony console. “Playstacean” is more than just a pun, it’s a meme that has turned into an actual console, and it’s probably the cutest version of Sony’s long-standing PSONE in the 25 years since Sony’s initial launch.
Essentially, Playstacean is a fully placed console mod for the PSONE console, which looks like a crab. If you’ve heard the meme term “cancer”, this is the weirdest version of the console we’ve seen. Yes, it plays the game, you bet those crab controllers actually work. Just don’t imagine you can hold the end of each controller in your own hands like calcified pliers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDSBNS3TEINC
The design is based on the work of video game concept artist Anh Dang. While you might imagine having smooth curves and inwardly sloping mandibles designed on the original PlayStation console, it is actually formed by PSONE, a more compact version of Sony’s original console that first debuted in 2000 in 2000 (after the release of PlayStation 2). Dang told Gingerofoz that her concept originally came from an old meme she saved to the hard drive a few years ago. The “Playstacean” console is a meme of memes built in memes.
In a video interview with Gizmodo, Gingerofoz told us that he had been planning this design after seeing the printing of Dang’s artwork late last year. According to YouTuber,[Playstacean] It’s a very good pun. Plus Dang did nail her original artwork. You can tell immediately that it should be PSONE. “I think people like crabs…the console hit this very cool niche. “The actual design process began in December and involved quite a lot of trial and error to make the pun-hole shell print firmly and smoothly.
Different mods like some more dramatic mods, such as handheld DIY projects that require precise modifications to the motherboard, sit in a shallow base just by lowering the grounding (which usually protects the components from unexpected electrical spikes in a case of possible damage). While the board itself is relatively simple, he said one of the most complex aspects of building is phishing the front controller and memory card ports to map Dang’s original design. This involves “a stable week and a half” and involves trial and error.
Another struggle is with the controller itself. Gingerofoz used a modified third-party PlayStation controller he bought on eBay, which led to some trial and error, and then he realized that the controller would “scare” when you get off the thumbstick from the button. The two controllers talk to each other through switches soldered to the motherboard, leaving almost no delay on each end.
Gingerofoz acknowledges that the current iteration has flaws. When building the final version, Playstacean designers have to add knobs to install the disc drive to avoid any grinding on the lid. He also admits that wiring through the controller is not particularly good, but it is enough to avoid any tangled cable when moving the joints of the crab claws.
Gizmodo asked if he planned to publish the files so other modifiers could 3D print their own Playstacean, but he said he is not planning to share anything at the moment. He said the big hurdle is fixing current CAD files, and for the moment, he is more keen to start working on future projects. If you happen to be in town, he will bring Playstacean to the Midwest Game Classic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 4.
As for what’s next, he said he’s considering a folding Nintendo switch, although the Switch 2 is imminent, which may be on the submission. The agency also hinted that he is creating another aquatic animal-themed console mod for Nintendo Gamecube. Maybe we can find a box jellyfish version of the Nintendo console with a handle.
