LEGO PlayStation Becomes a Real PS1: BrickStation from Switzerland

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents LEGO PlayStation Becomes a Real PS1: BrickStation from Switzerland.

83 additional LEGO pieces turn the brick-built PlayStation into an actually playable console. The BrickStation project comes from the Swiss company Substance Labs. Its emulation module occupies exactly the space of the small Ape Escape diorama included with the original LEGO PlayStation* set 72306.

That is the key trick: You are not simply replacing one decorative object with another. The visible LEGO console remains in place, but now takes on a task that clearly exceeds its original function: it boots real PS1 games.

The Key Lies in the Replaced Ape Escape Module

The LEGO PlayStation* contains 1,911 pieces and costs €159.99, according to Numerama. The set recreates Sony's first console in its original design. Two smaller dioramas inside recall Gran Turismo and Ape Escape.

BrickStation starts precisely at this Ape Escape section. A technical module is installed there, emulating the console software on a computer. In other words: The bricks do more than recreate the shell of a PlayStation. The system can actually run games from the first PlayStation generation.

The console connects to a TV via HDMI. The games themselves do not come from a built-in drive, but from a microSD* card. USB and Bluetooth controllers are supported. Original PlayStation memory cards also work, allowing existing game saves to be continued.

This allows the new console to be used with familiar hardware. You connect a controller, start a game from the microSD* card and see the output on the TV. The transition from a LEGO collector's item to a usable device is technically clearly defined.

A Working Power Switch and a Motor for the Startup Sound

The developers went into more detail than simply electrifying the model. The LEGO console's power switch actually turns the device on. A small speaker and a motor also generate sounds and vibrations from the CD drive during startup.

By contrast, the kit does not include a functioning CD drive slot. If you want to use your old PS1 games on physical discs, you therefore need an external CD reader. You can use it to copy the data from the original games into files, transfer them to the microSD* card and then launch them through the emulator.

The collaboration also had an unusual beginning. Substance Labs began development before the LEGO set was officially released, after leaks surfaced online. Thomas Bertani, the team's inventor and technical director, explained the process to Time Extension on Friday, October 30, 2026.

BrickStation Follows the Successful BrickBoy Concept

BrickStation is not Substance Labs' first intervention in a LEGO gaming system. The team had already developed BrickBoy, an unofficial kit that makes the LEGO Game Boy* playable. BrickBoy's Kickstarter campaign raised more than one million euros; its completion was listed for the end of 2025.

Now the PlayStation is next. The aim remains similar: The electronics should be integrated into the LEGO object without ruining its appearance. In BrickStation's case, that aim is particularly concrete. The original Ape Escape module can be put back in place, while BrickStation adds 83 LEGO pieces.

This means the converted console contains 1,994 pieces in total. That number is not a coincidental marketing figure: It corresponds to the year in which the first PlayStation was released in Japan.

No Price and No Release Date Yet

BrickStation is currently only a prototype. Substance Labs is preparing the Kickstarter campaign but has not announced either a price for the kit or a release date. You can register on the project page to be notified when the campaign begins.

You also need to purchase the LEGO PlayStation* set separately. The BrickStation kit alone does not turn the LEGO console into a playable machine. And there is one more practical point: The included 83-piece kit contains a display card for the memory; BrickStation still has no functioning CD drive mechanism.

The detailed report from Numerama shows how Substance Labs turns a LEGO collector's item into a PS1 with an emulator, HDMI output and a functioning power button—even though its market launch is still pending.