A Look at Resident Evil-Themed Game Hardware
From Dreamcast to Xbox 360, a look at consoles that received special RE designs
In the distant past, Capcom and major game console manufacturers rang in the release of a new Resident Evil game for that system with a special console design, most often bundled with the game itself. A symbol of the IP’s historical importance to the first parties, these special designs were usually offered in limited quantities, and became hard to find once they sold out. In this issue, I look back at the various RE-themed hardware designs released over the past 25 years.
Sega Dreamcast - Claire Version
When Resident Evil CODE: Veronica launched for Dreamcast in Japan on February 3, 2000, Sega released two special Dreamcast designs. The first, the Claire Redfield Edition, was limited to just 1800 units, and contained a Dreamcast console and controller in a transparent red design, modeled after Claire Redfield’s signature color.
I actually owned one of these at one point–I even had Shinji Mikami and CV Director Hiroki Kato sign them for me when I met them back in 2007. Now, that Dreamcast currently lives in California, inside a display case in Jeremy Pryer’s Resident Evil museum.
Sega Dreamcast - S.T.A.R.S. Version
The other special Dreamcast design to launch with CV in Japan was the S.T.A.R.S. Version, a dark blue console that symbolizes the color of the Raccoon City Police Department’s Special Tactics and Rescue Service.
This is even rarer than the Claire edition; only 200 were ever made. Some do go on sale every now and then; as of this writing, one can be had on Ebay for a lovely sum of US$18,000. It’s been listed on auction for a few years now, and I imagine it won’t sell for a long time, if ever.
Nintendo GameCube - Resident Evil 4 Edition
In Europe, a special Nintendo GameCube console was released alongside Resident Evil 4. The system came in a two-tone silver and black design with a special faceplate featuring the RE4 logo, as well as a silver-black two tone GameCube controller with the RE4 logo on it. Surprisingly, Japan never got any GameCube RE designs, even though Nintendo had released some for other major third party titles like Tales of Symphonia. There is no official word on how many of these were manufactured.
I thought the design was pretty cool, if slightly arbitrary (I get the where the silver comes from, but the black isn’t as clear.) It’s too bad Japan and/or North America never got this design, as I don’t have much use for a PAL GameCube. As with the Claire Dreamcast, I had Shinji Mikami sign the removable faceplate back in 2007.
I owned one of these rare GameCube systems at one point, before passing it onto Jeremy Pryer so it could be displayed properly in his museum.
PlayStation 3 - Resident Evil 5 Edition
In March 2009, Resident Evil 5 was released globally for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In Japan, a special PS3 design was released alongside (and bundled with) the game. It’s a standard black PS3 console with the Tricell logo imprinted on the top of the console.
I really liked this console design, personally. It didn’t adopt any unconventional colors and was understated in a good way. It’s just too bad this iteration of the PS3 doesn’t support PlayStation 2 games.
I owned one of these consoles, and as you might expect at this point, the one I bought now lives in Jeremy’s RE museum.
Xbox 360 - Resident Evil 5 Special Edition
In North America, Europe and Asian territories outside Japan, Microsoft released a red Xbox 360 console bundled with RE5. Aside from the color, nothing else was different from a standard white Xbox 360.
Interestingly, Japan also received an Xbox 360 bundle with RE5, but rather than offer the red system sold elsewhere, the bundle was just a standard white Xbox 360.
Looking back, RE5 in Japan was a pretty big deal, given the two console bundles it received.
Fun personal story: there was a game shop in Singapore I frequented every time I visited the country on holiday. During a visit In December 2010, the shop had an empty box for the Asian version of the Special Edition console on display. Having been an avid collector of RE merchandise at the time, I offered to buy the box from the shop’s owner, but he politely refused.
My next visit to Singapore came in October 2013. I went back to the same game shop, and lo and behold, there it was: the same box, still on display after more than four years since RE5’s release. The box had become discolored over the years. I once again asked the owner if he would part ways with it for some cash, and this time, he agreed! (I guess he didn’t see a need for it with the Xbox One launching not long after.)
I forgot how much I paid for it, but I don’t think it was for more than SG$30 or so. Mission accomplished!
Xbox 360 - Resident Evil 6 Promotional Edition
Despite Resident Evil 6 having released over 11 years ago as of this writing, I only found out about this today. Capcom and Microsoft collaborated on an RE6-designed Xbox 360 S model, which was a black console with the purple RE6 logo imprinted on it. Only 20 were made, and to get one required winning an IGN-sponsored contest. I don’t know anyone who has this design, but it must be one of, if not the rarest design in RE history.
PlayStation 4 - Resident Evil 20th Anniversary and Umbrella Corps. Edition
The final time (so far) a special Resident Evil-designed console was released was in 2016, when the PlayStation 4 received two special bundles to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series that year. There were Ceramic White and Jet Black variants, each coming with special faceplates for the Biohazard 20th Anniversary and Biohazard Umbrella Corps.
I procured a white one back in June 2016, but eventually passed it onto my friend, Biohaze webmaster Yama. Sony ended up releasing two PlayStation 4 revisions later in 2016: the slim model and the PlayStation 4 Pro, rendering these special designs outdated just a few months after launch.
Bonus: PlayStation 4 Pro - Biohazard RE:3 Developer Faceplate
So this isn’t actually a console design or a product that was sold; rather, this is a unique PlayStation 4 Pro faceplate with Resident Evil 3’s Japanese logo on it, alongside the iconic PlayStation buttons. As far as I know, this was made exclusively for staff who worked on RE3, and is not available commercially. I got one as a gift, and this has become a treasured collectible of mine.
