PlayStation × ANICORN Play Symbol Dark Mode Review

A playful interpretation of time that puts the iconic PlayStation symbols at the centre of the experience.

Some watches are designed around traditional watchmaking, others around complications or mechanical movements. The PlayStation × ANICORN Play Symbol Dark Mode takes a very different approach.

Here, the watch is first and foremost about visual identity, movement and the connection between horology and gaming culture. Created as part of the PlayStation and ANICORN collaboration celebrating 30 years of gaming, the Play Symbol collection brings the instantly recognisable △ ○ × □ symbols to the wrist through an unusual oil-injection display.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with the Play Symbol Dark Mode, which was provided by ANICORN for content and review purposes. At $250 USD, it sits firmly in the accessible side of the collaboration, but its appeal is less about conventional watchmaking and more about what it represents: a wearable PlayStation object designed primarily for collectors and fans of the brand.

Unboxing Video

For a closer look at the PlayStation × ANICORN Play Symbol Dark Mode, I have included the full unboxing video below. It offers a better view of the watch’s design, proportions, and finishing, while showcasing the oil-injection display in action. You can also see how the floating PlayStation symbols move across the dial, an effect that is difficult to fully appreciate in photographs alone, as well as how the watch looks in hand and on the wrist.

A Design That Immediately Says PlayStation

There is very little ambiguity when you first look at the Play Symbol Dark Mode. The black case, black dial and colourful PlayStation symbols immediately establish its identity, while the PlayStation logo at 12 o’clock reinforces the connection without requiring excessive branding. The result is a watch that looks unmistakably like PlayStation, but without turning the entire case into a piece of merchandise.

The Dark Mode version is particularly effective in this respect. The predominantly black design gives the watch a more restrained appearance, allowing the coloured symbols to become the main visual element. The contrast between the dark background and the blue, pink, green and red shapes makes the display immediately recognisable, while the minimalist hands and outer chapter markings keep the rest of the dial relatively clean.

The PlayStation inspiration also extends to the smaller details across the dial. At 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, small arrow-shaped markers evoke the directional controls of the iconic PlayStation controller, adding a subtle reference that fans will immediately recognise. At 6 o’clock, the design also incorporates a dotted directional pad motif, further reinforcing the connection to the original gaming experience. These details are easy to overlook at first glance, but they help make the Play Symbol feel like a considered design inspired by PlayStation rather than simply a watch featuring its famous symbols.

The concept is clearly playful, but I don’t think the watch looks childish. That is important for a collaboration like this, because it would have been very easy to make something that felt more like gaming merchandise than an actual watch. ANICORN instead keeps the case relatively simple and lets the display itself provide most of the personality.

39 mm That Works Well on the Wrist

The Play Symbol has a 39 mm stainless steel case with a thickness of 10 mm. On my 16.5 cm wrist, I found the proportions very well balanced. The watch has enough presence to make the unusual dial noticeable, but it doesn’t feel oversized or unnecessarily bulky.

The 39 mm diameter is particularly appropriate here because the dial needs enough space for the floating symbols while still maintaining reasonable proportions. On the wrist, the watch feels contemporary rather than oversized, and the 10 mm thickness is exactly what I would expect from this type of quartz watch.

The black case also helps visually reduce its presence. Rather than competing with the display, it works almost like a frame around it, keeping the attention where ANICORN clearly intended it to be.

The Oil-Injection Display Is the Real Story

The most interesting aspect of the Play Symbol is undoubtedly its oil-injection display. Instead of simply printing the PlayStation symbols onto the dial, ANICORN places them inside the oil-filled display, allowing them to move as the watch changes position on the wrist.

What I particularly appreciated was the speed of that movement. The symbols don’t move excessively quickly, which could easily have made the effect feel gimmicky or inexpensive. Instead, their movement is relatively slow and controlled, giving the display a more deliberate character. The symbols gradually shift position as you move your wrist, creating a constantly changing dial without making it feel chaotic.

This is one of those features that is difficult to fully appreciate from a photograph. In a static image, you see four colourful PlayStation symbols. On the wrist, however, the display becomes much more dynamic because its appearance changes with movement. It gives the otherwise simple quartz watch something that a conventional printed dial could not provide.

There is also something quite fitting about this approach for a PlayStation collaboration. The display introduces an element of interaction to something as simple as checking the time. You move your wrist, the symbols move with it, and the dial changes.

But Legibility Comes With a Compromise

The same feature that makes the watch visually interesting is also responsible for one of its biggest weaknesses: legibility.

The hands themselves are straightforward and relatively easy to understand, but the floating symbols can sometimes move directly over them. When that happens, they partially obscure the hands and make reading the time less immediate. It isn’t a problem with the movement or the hands themselves; it is simply a consequence of having several large shapes moving freely across the display.

Direct light can also create reflections on the display, which can make reading the time slightly more difficult depending on the angle of the wrist.

I didn’t encounter any bubbles or obvious distortion in the oil-filled display, which is important because imperfections in a system like this could quickly become distracting. The display remained clean and visually consistent throughout my time with the watch.

Ultimately, however, I don’t think the Play Symbol should be approached as a watch where maximum legibility is the primary objective. Its purpose is different. It feels much more like a collectible design object that also happens to tell the time, rather than a conventional everyday watch where reading the time as quickly as possible comes first.

A Better Strap Than Expected

Another detail that pleasantly surprised me was the leather strap. The Play Symbol comes fitted with a black genuine leather strap with an 18 mm lug width and a stainless steel buckle, and while there is nothing particularly exotic about the specification, the strap feels better than I initially expected.

It is comfortable on the wrist and works particularly well with the black case. The strap also carries subtle PlayStation-inspired details, including the embossed symbols, which add another connection to the overall theme without making the watch feel overloaded with branding.

For a watch that is so heavily dependent on its design, this matters. A poor-quality or uncomfortable strap would have undermined the experience, whereas this one feels like a suitable part of the overall package.

A Simple Quartz Movement

Inside the Play Symbol Dark Mode is a Miyota 2035 quartz movement. It is a straightforward choice, and in this particular watch I think that is exactly what is needed.

Setting the time is simple, and there was nothing unusual to report from a practical perspective. This isn’t a watch where the movement is intended to be the main attraction, and the use of a reliable quartz movement keeps the focus on the design and display.

The watch also has a 5 ATM water-resistance rating, while the absence of lume reinforces the fact that this isn’t intended to function as a traditional tool watch. Its priorities are visual rather than technical.

More Collector’s Piece Than Everyday Watch

After spending time with the Play Symbol Dark Mode, I would personally see it primarily as a collector’s piece.

That doesn’t mean it can’t be worn regularly. The size is comfortable, the strap is pleasant and the quartz movement is perfectly practical. However, the reason I would choose to wear this particular watch over a more conventional timepiece is the PlayStation connection and the unusual display.

The watch doesn’t attempt to hide its inspiration, and I think that is one of its strengths. The four symbols are among the most recognisable elements of the PlayStation identity, and seeing them move across the dial gives the watch a personality that would be difficult to achieve with a more traditional design.

For a PlayStation fan or collector, that is probably where the real appeal lies. It is not simply a black quartz watch with a PlayStation logo added to the dial. The entire concept is built around the symbols themselves.

Is the Play Symbol Worth $250?

At $250 USD, the Play Symbol Dark Mode occupies an interesting position. This is not a watch that should be judged against traditional mechanical watches purely on movement complexity or conventional finishing. Its value comes from the design concept, the licensed PlayStation identity and, above all, the oil-injection display.

For someone looking specifically for a technically sophisticated watch or a highly legible everyday timepiece, the Play Symbol is unlikely to be the obvious choice. The moving symbols can interfere with reading the time, and there is no lume to assist in low-light conditions.

But that isn’t really what this watch is trying to achieve. Its purpose is to combine a recognisable piece of gaming culture with an unusual approach to displaying time. At that, the Play Symbol has a clear identity of its own.

Final Thoughts

The PlayStation × ANICORN Play Symbol Dark Mode is a watch that makes more sense when you stop trying to judge it as a conventional timepiece.

Its greatest strength is its ability to turn a very simple quartz watch into something visually interactive. The oil-injection display gives the PlayStation symbols a sense of movement, and the relatively slow motion makes the effect feel controlled rather than gimmicky. The 39 mm case also works particularly well on my 16.5 cm wrist, while the comfortable leather strap was another positive surprise.

There are compromises, particularly when it comes to legibility. The symbols can sometimes cover the hands, and reflections under direct light don’t help. But these limitations are closely connected to the concept that makes the watch interesting in the first place.

For me, the Play Symbol Dark Mode works best as a collectible piece for PlayStation fans and enthusiasts of unusual watch design. It is not trying to compete with a traditional mechanical watch, nor does it need to. Its appeal comes from the fact that it looks unmistakably like PlayStation and offers a visual experience that changes every time you move your wrist.

At $250 USD, it is ultimately a watch aimed at a very specific audience. If the PlayStation connection and the unusual display are what attract you to it, the concept is easy to appreciate. If conventional legibility and traditional horological features are the priority, there are other types of watches that will make more sense.

For the Play Symbol, however, the time is only part of the experience. The play is in the display.

Technical Specifications

A special thank you to ANICORN for giving me the opportunity to experience the PlayStation × ANICORN Play Symbol Dark Mode and share my thoughts on this unique collaboration.

For more information, please visit the official ANICORN Watches website.

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