The National Videogame Museum has acquired the mythical Nintendo Playstation

"It might sound like the stuff of daydreams now, but once upon a time it was briefly the very real intention of Sony and Nintendo to collaborate on a console. Nicknamed the Nintendo PlayStation, the idea was that a new CD-ROM format backed by Sony would be added to the cartridge-based Super NES, resulting in a hybrid console that could play both."

"The partnership didn't last long, though, with Nintendo backing out before it ever really got off the ground, announcing that it would instead be working with Philips. Sony decided to make the PlayStation on its own instead, in an act of revenge that you have to say paid off in the long run."

"Codenamed the MSF-1, the device now in the museum's possession is the oldest known prototype of the console that never was, and according to the Texas-based NVM, likely the only one that still exists."

Sony and Nintendo planned to create a hybrid console called the Nintendo PlayStation that would merge Sony's CD-ROM format with Nintendo's cartridge-based Super NES. The partnership dissolved before launch, with Nintendo choosing to work with Philips instead. Sony proceeded to develop the PlayStation independently, which became highly successful. The National Video Museum acquired the MSF-1, the oldest known prototype of this unrealized console and likely the only surviving unit. This development kit represents a significant what-if moment in gaming history, as the collaboration never resulted in a consumer product.

Read at Engadget