On this years Gamescom 2024 we managed to put 5 of the rarest consoles in video game history on display. Enthusiasts can see live versions of following holy grails.

1. Sony PlayStation 2 Need For Speed Most Wanted Console

PlayStation 2 Need for Speed most wanted console was made by the “Spiritplayers” specially for Electronic Arts games to promote their game at the Games Convention in Leipzig 2006.

Bundled with 2 controllers, Need for Speed Most Wanted, a remote control, and 2 keys for the car. The keys are used to actually turn on the console.

When this console was posted online it was shared thousands of times and got several million views. This console was also the most seen item on our entire website consolevariations.com

The model of the car is a BMW M3 GTR GT

2. Nintendo World Championship Setup

The 1990 Nintendo World Championships was one of the biggest tournaments held by Nintendo.  

Participants had to compete with a custom game cartridge featuring three games: Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris. Players had to battle for the highest score within a time limit by completing challenges in each game.  

In this cabinet is an 100% original hardware setup which Nintendo used in the Nintendo World Championships 1990. There is only 1 console known in the world, around 4 controllers known to exist and of course 1 copy of the original Nintendo World Championship game that was used in the tournament itself. 

3. The Queens Golden Wii

The "Queens Golden Wii" is a unique, gold-plated Nintendo Wii console which gained fame for its royal design and unusual backstory. 

In 2009 the gaming company THQ made this console as a promotional gift for Queen Elizabeth II as part of a marketing campaign for the game Big Family Games. The Wii itself is 24-karat gold-plated. This is a one-of-a-kind item and showcased here this year

Although the Queen never publicly acknowledged the gift, the "Golden Wii" became one of the most famous Nintendo consoles of all time!

4. Xbox Series S Sonic 2 Console

The "Xbox Series S Sonic 2 Console" is a special edition Xbox Series S that was created in 2022 to celebrate the release of the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2. 

What makes this console particularly unique are its fuzzy controllers, designed to mimic the texture of Sonic and Knuckles fur. These controllers, although not particularly comfortable made a huge impact on social media, making it one of the most famous Xbox Sweepstakes up to date with millions of views

The console was part of a promotional sweepstakes rather than being available for retail, making it a rare collector's item.

Fun fact: The console included 5 physical games. However, the Xbox Series S could not play them, due to the missing CD slot

5. Spaceworld GameCube#

The Spaceworld 2000 was a major gaming event held by Nintendo in 2000, where the company first unveiled the Nintendo GameCube.

The gamecube looks different from the original. One of the biggest differences is the clear top and the front with the text “Digi Card A”  instead of “Memory Card” 

The Controller is much longer than the controllers which were released in stores. The D-pad did not exist back then (there is a Start button), and the Z button is also missing.

In 20 years none these prototype gamecube consoles were ever seen, until now!