Taki Udon is one of the most popular tech YouTubers, and for good reason. He offers clear, concise, and unbiased thoughts on the most popular legacy and up-to-date consoles and emulators. However, what he’s been working on behind the scenes may be the most impressive project of all. FPGA consoles have been around for a while, but their price points have been out of reach for most fans. Taki Udon is hoping to change that with the SSOne.
So, What in The World is an FPGA Console, And Why Should I be Excited About taki udon and his efforts?
So, in the easiest terms possible, FPGA is a hardware-based product that can be used in tandem with the BIOS and original software to help games run better than emulation. Even though emulation has advanced to great lengths, it’s not always perfect.
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FPGA is basically the “original hardware”, but a newer version. Recently, FunnyPlaying released the FPGBC project which allowed players to swap out their dated and likely dying GBC board with a new and advanced FPGA board that did the same thing. That includes being able to play your actual cartridges.
Taki Udon is looking to do the same thing for PlayStation One with the SSOne. It features a bevy of additional QoL upgrades to make playing games on it much easier, including the following:
- 2 PS Controller Ports
- 2 PS Memory Card Ports
- 1 YC for Light Gun Connection
- Micro SD
- 3 USB Type A
- 1 USB Type C
- MDI
- DIN10
- VGA
- Component
- Composite
- Ethernet
- 3.5mm Analog Audio
- TOSLINK Digital Audio
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- NFC
in conclusion
So, basically, if you don’t want to gamble on purchasing an old PS1 from someone on Facebook Marketplace, and don’t want to rip apart your childhood console? Consider getting your hands on one of these. It has a removable drive that you can slot your original PS1 games into, alongside plenty of additional features to make it more “Modern”.
Honestly? Since I set up my Retro Corner, this instantly shot up my list of “the most interesting things I need in 2025”. If I have a chance to play some of my favorite classics on a more… reliable console, there’s no reason for me not to be interested in this. And since it starts at $150 for early backers, it’s not too much more than what someone’s uncle is asking for a smoke-stained original on Marketplace.
