.png)
Sony’s original PlayStation wasn’t just a game console but a full-blown cultural reset. While it would go on to spar with Microsoft’s Xbox in later generations, the PS1’s earliest battles were against Nintendo’s N64 and Sega’s Dreamcast. What’s wild is that we almost got a Sony-Nintendo hybrid with a disc drive, but that weird alternate timeline never came to pass. Instead, Sony went solo — and ended up making history.
The PlayStation became the first console to break the 100-million-unit sales barrier, instantly earning its place in the gaming hall of fame. With that came a library of games that would go on to become absolute collector bait — a catalog that would make your wallet scream years later.
So whether you’re a shelf-flexing collector or an emulator fan, these PS1 games are proof that nostalgia doesn’t come cheap.
Related
12 PlayStation exclusives we can’t wait to play
From Intergalactic to Ghost of Yotei, expect plenty of standout PlayStation exclusives from Sony's top studios.
6 NFL Blitz 2000 [Greatest Hits]
A recall that made the game rarer
Around 1997, Sony began their Greatest Hits program, and to qualify for it, a game had to have sold at least 150,000 units while being on the market for a minimum of one calendar year. Chrono Cross, Gran Turismo 2, and Final Fantasy VIII were some of the games that got their Greatest Hits editions as well. However, one game that was never supposed to get a Greatest Hits edition was NFL Blitz 2000, but it still did anyway.
Even though this edition was enhanced a bit with a couple of tweaks here and there, the NFL Blitz 2000 [Greatest Hits] edition was recalled, leaving only a few collectors and football fans with some copies. That is what makes this PlayStation 1 so valuable, and PriceCharting shows the price for a new edition at nearly $8000. The last sale this game made was in March 2025, at the time of writing this, which went for $3000.
NFL Blitz 2000
Released August 18, 1999
ESRB E for Everyone
Developer(s) Midway Games, Digital Eclipse
Publisher(s) Midway Games, Infogrames
Multiplayer Local Multiplayer
Related
11 best sports games to play on your Windows PC
From playing soccer with rocket-powered cars to winning gold medals for your country in the Olympics, here are the best sports games
5 King's Field
Before Dark Souls, there was this
FromSoftware’s first title came out in the same year as the PlayStation’s debut. This fantastic studio eventually went on to make medium-defining games like the Dark Souls trilogy, and the entire Soulsborne genre itself. King’s Field might not have the polish that later Souls games have, but you can definitely see the studio’s hallmarks in this game.
Of course, such a FromSoft title would warrant attention from collectors and game historians alike, and as such, PriceCharting shows that the game requires an arm and a leg if you want it today. A loose copy of the game is nothing serious — just a regular $62 — but a sealed copy went for $2000 last year. The latest copy, however, went for even more, with the sale completed at a whopping $3,600.
King's Field
Released December 16, 1994
ESRB Teen // Animated Violence
Developer(s) FromSoftware
Publisher(s) FromSoftware
Engine game engine
Related
4 best games I'm playing while waiting for Elden Ring Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign is just over a month away from release. Here are the games I'm playing to pass the time.
4 Doom [Long Box]
DOOMed to be rare
Before the OG PlayStation settled on standard CD jewel cases, it experimented with what collectors now lovingly call "long boxes". There were 102 of these tall boys in total, spread across three styles — fragile plastic cases (crack magnets), sleek flat cardboard (usually missing their foam inserts), and the more common rigid cardboard ones.
One of the most valuable long boxes you can get is for DOOM, with sealed packs considered nothing short of a Holy Grail, selling for $7,500 and even $8,000. However, a regular ol’ copy of the PS1 disc for DOOM is about $60. If that’s not up your alley, though, you could always play it on an emulator, or perhaps even a lawnmower.
Doom (1993)
Released December 10, 1993
ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Developer(s) id Software
Publisher(s) id Software
Engine Doom engine
Multiplayer Local Multiplayer
Franchise DOOM
Related
How Doom: The Dark Ages will take Doom to new heights
Doom: The Dark Ages is the next evolution of the Doom series, and it could end up being the best one yet.
3 Crash Bandicoot [Black Label]
$48,000 for a marsupial? Absolutely
In the world of collectors, a Black Label is perhaps the best copy you can get of a classic game. These Black Label games are original copies, well before some of these games sold 150,000 copies and proceeded to get Greatest Hits copies or Platinum copies. With Crash Bandicoot being a legacy PlayStation icon, a Black Label edition nets quite a price on the market.
The first production titles of the game, in sealed condition, sold for as much as $48,000 at auction, with a graded new copy that sold last year for $9,400. Most Black Label copies of Crash Bandicoot PS1 will go for upwards of $3,500, proving just how valuable these editions are in the eyes of collectors. So if you want to get some punishing platforming action on a PS1, or just want the bragging rights of owning such an edition, get ready to shell out some serious moolah.
Crash Bandicoot
Systems
Released September 9, 1996
ESRB e
Developer(s) Naughty Dog
Publisher(s) Sony Computer Entertainment
Engine Havok
Franchise Crash Bandicoot
Related
2 Tekken [Long Box]
Tekken your savings away
Tekken has been one of the most influential fighting games the medium has ever known, and its legacy continues strong even to this day. The latest entries might not have been for me, since I’m not a fan of getting my posterior handed to me every five minutes while I try to learn at least three different combos before being knocked out. Still, for PS1 collectors, the Long Box edition of the original Tekken is worth eye-watering prices.
By far the most expensive PS1 game on PriceCharting, Tekken’s Long Box edition’s sealed packages have sold for as high as $55,000 at auction. On eBay, a sale for another sealed edition was completed at close to $20,000, showing just how far collectors would go to complete their sets. However, only the sealed Long Box versions seem to command these prices, as regular, loose Long Box discs for Tekken on the PS1 have even been sold for as low as $10.
Tekken
Systems
Released December 9, 1994
ESRB t
Developer(s) Namco
Publisher(s) Namco
Engine Unreal Engine
Multiplayer Local Multiplayer
Franchise Tekken
Related
How to get a PlayStation 1 or PlayStation 2 BIOS without a console
If you want to emulate PS2 or PS1 games, you'll need a BIOS. Here's a quick and easy way to get one legally.
Related
Capcom did the unthinkable and updated this beloved fighting collection
Capcom has updated this fighting game collection, and it could be a sign of good things to come.
From demolition derby to display piece
Before it became one of the most legendary racing games we know today, Twisted Metal kicked off its mayhem on the PS1 in 1995 and did so inside a glorious, rigid Long Box. The game blended demolition derby thrills with dystopian characters and explosive arenas, laying the foundation for one of PlayStation’s most recognizable franchises. And for collectors? It’s gold-plated nitro fuel.
A sealed Long Box edition of Twisted Metal reportedly fetched a jaw-dropping $60,000 at auction in 2022. Even unsealed rigid copies can net close to $5,000 depending on the condition. It’s proof that even digital carnage on four wheels can turn into a pristine collector’s treasure — so long as you keep it in shrink wrap and far, far away from sunlight or siblings.
Twisted Metal
Released November 5, 1995
ESRB T For Teen due to Animated Violence
Developer(s) Sony Interactive Studios America, SingleTrac
Publisher(s) Sony Computer Entertainment
Engine unreal engine
Multiplayer Local Multiplayer
Franchise Twisted Metal
Related
5 Reasons Xbox was the true winner of the Console Wars
While Playstation is often seen as the better console, Xbox still managed to win the Console War
The gold rush of gray discs
The PS1 era was pure magic — a golden age where discs were king and manuals actually smelled like something. Emulating these classics is great, but nothing beats holding the real deal in your hands. Just a shame that collecting them now means choosing between retro gaming and rent. Next time I buy one, I’m getting two copies — one to play, and one to seal away for my great-grandkids to flip someday and buy whatever RTX 9090 NVIDIA’s pushing in 2060.
English (US) ·