LEGO PlayStation: The Designer Interview

LEGO PlayStation is a new buildable set based on Sony's original game console from the 1990s. It's a near 1:1 scale recreation of the original PS1 hardware. I can say that definitively, because I dug up my old console when I built LEGO PlayStation earlier this month and compared the LEGO version to the real thing . It really is an impressively designed set.

I wanted to talk about how the set was made and how its hidden Easter eggs were conceived. So I connected with Isaac Snyder, senior model designer who worked on creating the LEGO PlayStation set. Our conversation is below.

IGN: How did you get started designing sets with the LEGO Group?

Isaac Snyder : I have always loved building my own LEGO models and would create new designs when playing with my brothers. To become a set designer was a dream of mine; one that seemed unlikely to ever happen.

I kept building, got involved with the Adult Fan of LEGO community, pursued a design degree, and applied when I saw an opening on the LEGO careers page.

IGN: What other sets have you worked on besides the LEGO PlayStation?

Snyder : Lots! I joined the LEGO Minecraft team when I was hired and have continued there ever since. I designed more than 25 products for that theme. I’ve also had the opportunity to work on some other themes: LEGO Horizon Forbidden West - Tallneck ; LEGO Architecture - Paris City of Love; LEGO One Piece – The Baratie Floating Restaurant ; LEGO City - Lava Land; LEGO Ideas - Viking Village; and several LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog sets .

Each product has its own challenges, yet it is always satisfying to find just the right combination of parts for a specific detail or function.

IGN: Did you play a PlayStation One console in the ’90s?

Snyder : No, we didn’t have any consoles in my family when I was growing up so I missed out on playing the PlayStation One. However, several LEGO designers who grew up playing the original PlayStation game brought their firsthand passion and memories to the project which helped shape the set through thoughtful details and authentic feedback.

IGN: How did you decide which games to feature in the hidden dioramas? Did you have to clear them with Sony first? Were there any other games you would have liked to feature?

Snyder : Of course, we collaborated closely with Sony Interactive Entertainment when selecting which games to feature.

IGN: Was it difficult to design the functionality for the Open and Power buttons?

Snyder : Yes, there were plenty of challenges including those functions. The open button especially, since there were so many variables to solve to get the lid opening as it should. Using technic shock absorber elements was the idea from the start but required a lot of experimentation to find the right connections into the rest of the primarily system based model. IGN: What’s your favorite part about the LEGO PlayStation set?

Snyder : I’m very pleased with how the controller turned out. That was another section that saw a lot of iterations trying to find a simple, satisfying build, that still felt and looked like the original PlayStation One controller.

IGN: Are there any other video game-based LEGO sets you'd like to work on in the future?

Snyder : There are many! Video games offer such a variety of rich, exciting worlds and characters that I think there will always be more to explore.

Chris Reed is a senior commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's LEGO coverage and maintains the upcoming release dates articles for video games , LEGO sets , and 4K Blu-rays . You can follow him on Bluesky .