Sony is determined to ensure its gaming legacy isn’t forgotten. PlayStation has created a dedicated team to digitally preserve decades-old content, including PS5 builds, source codes, concept art, and even photos of its developers. So far, they’ve rescued over 650 terabytes of gaming history.

For decades now, video games have been recognized as an essential part of modern culture, which makes preserving their history crucial for the entire industry. Sony, a powerhouse in gaming since the original PlayStation launched in 1995, has amassed an extensive catalogue filled with beloved franchises. However, as time passes, numerous games and intellectual properties risk fading away. To prevent this loss, Sony embarked on an ambitious preservation mission.

According to a recent report by Game File, Sony initiated this large-scale project in 2022, aiming to save and document as many details of its gaming heritage as possible. Led by Garrett Fredley, this preservation team has already accumulated over 650 terabytes of data, including full PS5 builds, original source code, concept artwork, internal documents, and development team photographs.

How Sony Is Saving PlayStation’s Legacy

The PlayStation Studios archive not only preserves technical data but also cultural elements vital for understanding the creation process behind some of Sony’s most iconic games. Gathering information is just part of the challenge—the real difficulty lies in organizing and ensuring future accessibility. An intriguing aspect of their preservation effort is the use of a specialized robot named Vaultron, capable of scanning thousands of hard drives to recover potentially lost files.

One significant hurdle Sony faces is the lack of standardized archival methods historically used by developers. Previously, most studios didn’t store development data with long-term preservation in mind. Currently, the data collected is housed on servers in Liverpool and Las Vegas, and soon the archive will reach an impressive milestone of one petabyte. The ongoing challenge for Sony will be to maintain and protect this vast collection for future generations.

Source: 3djuegos