Sony PlayStation 1 - Gizmo
In June 1991, Sony announced a partnership with Nintendo to build a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo. The next day, Nintendo publicly abandoned the deal. Sony's president Norio Ohga was furious. He turned to engineer Ken Kutaragi and said: "Just do it." Three years later, on 3 December 1994, the PlayStation went on sale in Japan. Nothing in gaming would ever be the same.
Kutaragi had been watching his daughter play a Nintendo Famicom when he first saw the potential of video games. He'd secretly designed the sound chip for the Super Nintendo, nearly getting fired when Sony's executives discovered he'd been collaborating with their rival. But Kutaragi had a vision: a console built around CD-ROM technology, capable of 3D graphics that would make cartridge-based systems look primitive. When Nintendo's betrayal gave him the chance, he built it.
The grey box with its distinctive logo - an interlocking P and S - arrived as an outsider challenging two established giants. Within a decade, it had sold 102 million units, becoming the first console ever to break 100 million. Final Fantasy VII. Metal Gear Solid. Resident Evil. Tekken. Gran Turismo. The PlayStation didn't just win a console war; it transformed gaming from a children's toy into mainstream adult entertainment. TIME magazine named Kutaragi one of the 100 most influential people of 2004, calling him "the Gutenberg of video games."
From the Gizmo collection - a series of prints adapted from Simon Tyler's forthcoming book Gizmo: Retro-Tech We Loved and Lost, published by Laurence King in May 2026.
Produced as an open-edition print on 250gsm archival matte paper, with crisp detail and rich colour faithful to the original illustration.
Gizmo Series
Gizmo gathers illustrations adapted from and inspired by founder Simon Tyler's book Gizmo: The retro-tech we loved and lost, which will be published by Laurence King in May 2026.
Printing & Materials
Our Gizmo series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.
Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.
Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.
All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.