The BrickStation LEGO PlayStation mod is already in development, and it promises to turn Sony and LEGO’s upcoming 1,911-brick PlayStation set into a working games console, powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W tucked inside a custom-moulded ABS base.
Sony and LEGO announced the PlayStation set recently, priced at £139.99/$179.99 and releasing on LEGO‘s 4th October release date. The set has landed well with retro gaming enthusiasts, featuring two pull-out secret easter eggs on the inside: dioramas for Ape Escape and Gran Turismo. It is that Ape Escape compartment, in particular, that matters here, because that is precisely where the BrickStation’s electronics module is designed to slide.
Substance Labs Returns With the BrickStation LEGO PlayStation Mod
Behind the project is Thomas Bertani, founder of BrickStation and, according to the Crowdfunding Demystified Podcast, the person behind Substance Labs, the Swiss team that created the BrickBoy. The BrickBoy transformed the GAME BOY shell into a self-built, working console, and everything that project taught the team is now feeding directly into this more ambitious follow-up.
The BrickStation’s core component is a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, which handles PS1 emulation, HDMI output, wireless controller support, and wired controller support via USB. Thomas Bertani has said he wants the experience to be as close to plug-and-play as possible. Critically, the Power On button on the LEGO PlayStation itself will function, giving the whole thing a satisfying authenticity that anyone who loves the original hardware will appreciate.
Gaming performance is described as full-resolution, full-frame-rate, which is a reasonable expectation from the Zero 2W running PS1-era software. Anyone who has run RetroPie on similar hardware knows the platform handles that generation comfortably.
Designed to Fit Without Removing a Single Brick
The electronics will sit inside a mould-injected ABS base, designed to occupy exactly the space the Ape Escape diorama normally fills. The goal, as Bertani has described it, is to slide the module in without removing any bricks or pieces from the set at all. That is a genuinely difficult engineering constraint given how snugly LEGO compartments are built, and it speaks to how seriously Substance Labs is approaching tolerances and form factor.
Bertani has also confirmed the BrickStation LEGO PlayStation mod will carry full compliance with regulations and certifications. That is not something most fan-made mod kits bother with, and it marks a clear distinction between this product and the kind of hobbyist builds you find on GitHub. Their BrickBoy maintained that same standard, and the team appear committed to keeping it.
A number of additional features and goodies have been teased but not yet disclosed, and will be announced as the project develops.
Kickstarter Expected Around the LEGO Set’s Launch
The team has not yet acquired the physical LEGO set, so the BrickStation is firmly in early development. No pricing or release date has been confirmed. A Kickstarter campaign is expected to launch at the end of the month or around the 4th October release of the set itself, and further details will emerge then.
You can follow progress at BrickStation.xyz, where updates will be posted ahead of the crowdfunding launch.
