The PS1 was released during a transitional era for home video. Before DVDs became the standard, the Video CD format was incredibly popular, especially in Asian markets. A VCD uses MPEG-1 compression to store roughly 74 minutes of video and audio on a standard CD-R. However, unlike its successor, the PlayStation 2, the original PlayStation hardware did not have a built-in MPEG decoder. To bridge this gap, third-party manufacturers released "VCD Movie Cards" that plugged into the Parallel I/O port on the back of early PS1 models. These peripherals allowed the console to function as a budget-friendly movie player, making it a central hub for home entertainment.

In the late 90s, before DVD became the global standard, the was the king of multimedia in markets like Hong Kong, Thailand, and China. While Sony’s PlayStation was designed strictly for gaming, a clever combination of hardware add-ons and "VCD Games" turned the console into the ultimate budget-friendly media center. 1. The Hardware Magic: The VCD Movie Card

If you are looking to watch VCDs on original hardware, you must find these vintage peripherals, which are now collector's items. Gamars Movie Card

Downloading PS1 games you do not own the original disc for is copyright infringement in virtually all countries. Even if you own the disc, downloading a copy may still violate laws (though some argue fair use for backups). “VCD” naming does not change this.