Rare PlayStation Games Selling for Thousands
Game collecting has experienced a resurgence during the pandemic, with exceptionally rare games fetching thousands of dollars. However, the title of rarest games goes to three PlayStation titles that have copies in the single digits.
The PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita is PlayStation's last handheld console.
Uncovering Rare Games
All three games are from the developer Nicalis and are so rare that people didn't even know they existed. The first signs of the Nicalis games emerged around 2016 when a store page for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth for the PlayStation Vita appeared on storefronts. However, no release date was given, and the page seemed to be a placeholder for the future.
Rare Copies Surface
In 2019, copies of two more Nicalis games, VVVVVV and 1001 Spikes, were discovered in a second-hand game store in Japan. These copies had punch holes through the barcodes, indicating that they were promo copies provided to Sony employees. With only a few copies of each game in existence, they were soon listed on eBay and sold for hundreds of dollars each.
Twitter Warning and Uncertainty
Nicalis took to Twitter to warn people not to buy these copies, stating that they were illegally sold in advance of their official release dates. However, official copies were never released or sold, and Nicalis stopped responding to questions about the rare copies. The copies that have appeared on eBay are extremely limited, with just a handful available, and they now sell for thousands of dollars.
The Rarest Game
The final game, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, was discovered in 2021 when the first copy appeared on eBay. Only two copies are known to exist, making it the rarest game in the Nicalis trio.
A Hidden Goldmine
Owners of these three rare games may not realize they are sitting on a goldmine, as prices continue to rise year after year.
If you're interested in gaming, check out the free games you can play on Nintendo Switch.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
