Commercial PSX emulator confirmed

[01.05.99] » Connectix unveils the "Virtual GameStation" for the G3 Macintosh, with a surprising number of games listed as compatible.

   Following up on our news story yesterday, Macintosh software developer Connectix has officially confirmed the release of the "Virtual GameStation," a software product that allows owners of G3 Apple Macintosh computers to emulate and play Sony PlayStation games on a computer.

   "Connectix Virtual Game Station is designed to enable users to run some of the world's most popular games right on their Macintosh and should significantly expand the gaming possibilities for the Macintosh platform," says Connectix's CEO and President Roy McDonald. "While the product is not a perfect substitute for Sony PlayStation consoles, we believe that our customers will be pleased with the experience of using games with Connectix Virtual Game Station on their Macs."

   The announcement is surprising since the Virtual GameStation is the first commercially-sold console video game emulator to be released, and does not seem to be endorsed by Sony Computer Entertainment America. We spoke with a Connectix representative who could not comment on the legal issues surrounding the product, except to say that there are "a lot of logistics involved." A representative for Sony was completely unaware of the emulator, and could offer no comment.

   The product itself should retail for $49.95 US, and supports a variety of input devices -- even an actual PlayStation (or ironically, N64) controller with the aid of a separate adaptor. With a full list expected to be posted and constantly updated at http://www.virtualgamestation.com soon, major titles such as Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Gran Turismo have already been deemed playable. The Virtual GameStation is promised to run on all G3-based Macintosh computers, although those with upgrade cards are not officially supported.