This week, gamers — me included — rushed to the PlayStation Store to grab a real rarity: a Lego Astro Bot gift with purchase (GWP) which, for once, was sold separately. Now it’s sold out; the only other way to get it, for free, is to buy the Lego PlayStation (72036) before the end of Wednesday.

It’s a much better deal, because the Lego PlayStation is superb. The Lego Game Boy (72046) set a ridiculously high bar for brick-based gaming merch, and I counted it as the best themed set out there . The Lego PlayStation is a shoo-in for greatness, too. It once again proves how the Lego Group can effortlessly recreate something so familiar without making the building experience needlessly complicated or boring.

The original PlayStation is a big, gray, ugly box. It could’ve been horribly repetitive, but its designers have paced it perfectly, combining real tech elements with dioramas, functions, and a final finish that isn’t perfect, but it’s the best you could hope for.

Lego PlayStation (72306) key specifications

Pieces: 1,911 RRP: $179.99 (£139.99; €159.99) Dimensions: Over 2.5in (6cm) high, 10.5in (26cm) wide, 7.5in (19cm) deep

The Lego PlayStation comes in 14 bags, with 15 stickers, a 16x16 plate, and a black plastic tube. You’re straight in on the base from minute one, which thankfully uses orange and green bricks as corner markers, so you always know which way you’re working. It’s a clever solution, but not as good as the PlayStation logo hidden inside the structure. It took me far too long to notice what it was building up to, but the finish is gorgeous.

In a surprising move, bag two introduces the first of two game dioramas. The ode to Gran Turismo is tiny-piece hell, but it’s an excellent little model, and at least you get a good chunk of the set’s stickers out of the way early. You end up with 22 spare minor pieces from this bag alone, which must be some sort of record.

The next few bags jump between the rear of the console, hinges, spring-loaded components, front panels, and internal mechanisms. Breaking everything up like this makes a huge difference; the controller ports are particularly inspired, and comfortably on par with some of the Game Boy’s cleverest parts. One thing I must admit as a player, rather than an electrical engineer, is that I have absolutely no idea whether the internal gubbins resemble those inside a real PlayStation, but they look like they’re going for authenticity.

As you approach the halfway point of the build — when the console is already surprisingly weighty and solid — you make the front corners, which introduce the Power and Open buttons, both of which use impressively simple mechanisms.

It’s amazing that it takes until bag nine to finally encounter the inevitable big ol’ bag of gray. Even then, you build out the rounded front and kettle-lead input before moving on to something more interesting: the disc lid. It’s by far the most satisfying part of the Lego PlayStation set, with an incredibly strong spring mechanism, and I genuinely didn’t think it would work as well as it does. Pressing Open never gets old, uncovering the sliding dioramas underneath.

There’s a slightly unsightly gap around the lid when it’s closed, but you’ll live with it. Lego bricks will always be limited, and it’s difficult to imagine how the designers could’ve got closer to reality.

Gran Turismo vs. Ape Escape

Of the two game dioramas, Gran Turismo is easily the better one for me. The miniature circuit, based on Autumn Ring Mini, works brilliantly. Ape Escape , however, is a little less convincing, largely because of the enormous monkey head in the middle.

The game choices make sense: both are first-party titles, and Gran Turismo essentially defined modern console sim racing. Ape Escape , on the other hand, is an odd one: it was built as the perfect introduction to (and training exercise for) Sony’s DualShock controller and its analog sticks, but the wider build comes with the original PlayStation controller. No surprises here — the OG pad is iconic, and I genuinely don’t think Lego could replicate the thumbsticks, even if they were static.

There needs to be some real credit given to the controller designer. This final feature takes up the final three bags: first comes the base, then the face and buttons, followed by the shoulder buttons, grips, and cable.

The grips are a little too angled compared with the real thing — a straightforward 45 degrees — but there’s only so much you can do with Lego geometry, short of fundamentally redesigning System in Play. The plastic tube used for the cable is fiddly, but the payoff is worth it. The plug slots into the console like a dream. More importantly, the controller hasn’t been overengineered in pursuit of absolute accuracy. It feels great in your hands; you even get duplicates of the X, circle, triangle and square buttons, too, if you want to do something else with them.

Is the Lego PlayStation worth it?

At $179.99 (£139.99) for 1,911 pieces, it’s hard to complain about the price, especially for a licensed set. In the U.S., it’s under 10 cents per piece, and you’re getting much more than a big gray box for your money.

There are a few compromises. The gray exterior collects fingerprints surprisingly easily; the gap around the disc lid is noticeable; and I think the Ape Escape diorama pales in comparison to its Gran Turismo compadre. I’m surprised Lego didn’t go with Crash Bandicoot or Metal Gear Solid instead.

This is just me trying to find faults, because this is one of the best Lego gaming sets I’ve built. Nostalgia plays a part, given I’m a 40-year-old bloke and it was the second console I owned, but it’s inspired. The finish is stunning, the disc lid works far better than I expected, and you can plug the controller into the second port, should you feel the need to defeat Psycho Mantis.

Best of all, there’s barely any repetition — real care and attention have been paid to the construction. The Lego Game Boy is still the benchmark, but the PlayStation comes incredibly close. It isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t need to be.

Lego has resisted overengineering, made decent compromises when it needed to, and produced a model that’s as enjoyable to build as it is convincing when it finally lands on your shelf — or, in my case, a table in my living room while I look at shelf options for my frankly disgusting collection of unhomed plastic.