The original PlayStation startup sound was created for Sony's first PlayStation console, launched in Japan in 1994, and became one of gaming's most recognised boot sequences. The cursed version is an internet remix that distorts that chime with pitch shifts and reverb to make it sound corrupted or haunted. It spread through meme edits, creepypasta videos and retro horror content on YouTube and TikTok, where creators use the familiar sound against its original purpose. Its lasting appeal comes from turning a comforting childhood memory into a brief moment of dread.
About this sound
A distorted, eerie version of the PlayStation 1 startup sound, slowed and glitched for a haunted retro gaming effect in memes and horror edits.
The cursed PSX startup sound takes the familiar PlayStation 1 boot chime and twists it into something unsettling for a fraction of a second. The tone is warped, pitch-bent and slightly off-key, with a dark, hollow resonance that feels like a console turning on in an empty room. It is very short, but the distortion is instant and recognisable to anyone who grew up with the original. Viewers expect nostalgia and get unease instead, which makes the clip work as a quick jump in mood from playful retro to quietly creepy.
