Cancelled PlayStation Puga prototype featured a built-in PS1 and 20-hour battery life

Former Sony developer Brian “Biscuit” Watson has revealed an unreleased PlayStation 1 prototype called the PlayStation Puga, which housed an entire console inside a standard controller. Speaking on a podcast, Watson showcased the battery-powered device, which was originally engineered to bypass strict import regulations in the Brazilian market.

Talking to the YouTube channel The Retro Collective (via GamesRadar), Watson explained that the plug-and-play controller was designed for local manufacturing in Brazil to provide a low-cost gaming option. The hardware features an ARM-based processor running at 650MHz that handles software emulation, alongside 4GB of storage capable of holding up to 10 games. It connected directly to televisions via an included cable and could run for roughly 20 hours on four AA batteries.

Despite the project functioning well during testing, internal licensing disputes ultimately killed it before launch. Watson stated that Sony's licensing efforts struggled to finalise royalty terms with third-party publishers like Rockstar, which requested high fees. Complications also arose from internal Sony departments demanding higher payouts for first-party titles. Because the hybrid system targeted a low retail price, the business model was expected to allocate just 10 cents in royalties per unit sold.

While the showcased prototype boots into a debug stub, it cannot run retail games because the required system software is missing. However, the engineering work wasn't entirely lost, as Watson noted that the underlying software emulation framework eventually migrated into the Sony Xperia Play mobile device.

KitGuru says: Do you think the Puga controller would be a sales success?

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