An electronics enthusiast has designed and prototyped what they say is the “first custom PlayStation 1 motherboard created in 30 years.” Moreover, it wasn’t created by a team of Sony engineers but an individual with access only to an original PS1 motherboard, a scanner, some sandpaper, old service manuals, and a passion for reverse engineering. With the project now at an advanced stage, creator Lorentio Brodesco has shown off a manufactured sample of the nsOne, and recently set up a Kickstarter page.
On social media, Brodesco explained that the creation of the nsOne has been a reverse engineering labor of love spanning many months. The PCB shown is said to be fully PS1 compatible. “This isn’t an emulator. It’s not an FPGA. It’s not a modern replica,” asserted the Italian engineer. Rather, it was emphasized that the project is a new drop-in motherboard, which is compatible with all the original chips Sony will have mounted to it (e.g. CPU, GPU, SPU, RAM, oscillators, regulators, etc.).
PlayStation console aficionados might also be interested to hear that the design of the nsOne offers some other unique appeal. It is fully compatible with the original console’s case, of course, but it also improves on the PU-23 series (from the SCPH-900X compact models) by reintroducing the parallel port. Thus, Brodesco explains, the nsOne is effectively a desirable “hybrid that never existed.”
With the advent of the Kickstarter campaign, Brodesco is promising various levels of rewards to backers, deliverable in January 2026. The lowest level of funding which promises a hardware reward is just €35 ($40.50). For this, a project backer can expect an exclusive nsOne 4-layer motherboard, which is compatible with the original PlayStation 1 case. Such buyers will have to bring along their own SMD components and ICs to create a fully functioning motherboard.
Another potentially attractive option for backers is at the €80 ($92.50) level. For this, backers are told that they will get the same motherboard, as above, but populated with all the required chips and ICs from original PS1 consoles. Moreover, all passive SMD components are brand new, “ensuring greater durability and reliability compared to the original parts,” says the campaign page.
In addition to the hardware, Brodesco hopes to share “comprehensive documentation, design files, and production-ready blueprints for manufacturing fully functional motherboards,” to the community.
Last but not least, the Italian electronics whiz admits there are risks and challenges to fulfilling this Kickstarter. Nevertheless, at the time of writing, the campaign has already zoomed past its initial goal of €5,000, so financial considerations shouldn’t hold Brodesco Industries back.
Remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product.
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