crab-shaped playstation 1 console by gingerofoz
Youtube content creator GingerOfOz modifies Playstation 1 into a crab-shaped console with the movable arms as the controller. Named Playstacean, and rightly so, the custom-built device follows the design of the crab artwork by artist Anh Dang. Upon seeing it, GingerOfOz buys a used Playstation 1 from eBay. He modifies it to match the shape and style of Anh Dang’s original illustration. He has to adjust some artistic elements, like the pincers, for structural integrity. To accommodate a joystick, he produces thicker sections around the crab-shaped Playstation 1 console.
The content creator trims the motherboard to fit the new form, and he redesigns the upper half of the shell with a crab-like face, even modeling around the eye sockets and antennae. The lower half of the design is simpler. It incorporates mounts for the motherboard and disc drive, openings for ports, and space for the crab’s limbs. GingerOfOz places the controller and memory card ports at an angle. After that, he solders them onto the crab-shaped Playstation 1 console alongside the short wiring connections, securing them all with screws instead of glue.
all images courtesy of GingerOfOz
The device consists of 56 3D printed parts in total
The pincers of the crab-shaped Playstation 1 console function as a PS1 controller, though not an ergonomic one. Each arm consists of three segments, with joints allowing movement. The final joint is a ball-and-socket design for full rotation. The content creator GingerOfOz, who draws the design of his console from Anh Dang’s artwork, assembles the internal wire guides thoroughly so the cables can move freely within the structure. Some additional components he includes are the triggers for the crab’s arms, console legs, and internal supports for stability.
For functionality, the crab-shaped Playstation 1 console comes with a modchip to enable universal disc compatibility. The creator combines two worn-out Playstation 1 controllers for the main controls. Because consoles cannot handle two controllers in a single slot, he adds a multiplexer for multiple data lines to be toggled with a switch. The controller mode activates because a custom circuit board with a switch is installed on the back of the console. Overall, the functional crab-shaped Playstation 1 console consists of 56 3D printed parts, a PS 1 motherboard, wiring in seven colors, and a Playstacean that’s bigger than the original model.
Youtube content creator GingerOfOz modifies Playstation 1 into a crab-shaped console with the movable arms
view of the custom device with movable arms
view of the pincers with the controls
the content creator redesigns the upper half of the shell with a crab-like face
the lower half of the design incorporates mounts for the motherboard and disc drive
named Playstacean, the custom-built device follows the design of the crab artwork by artist Anh Dang
