The Philips CD-i 205 was the first commercially available CD-i player and later became the entry-level model. Like other CD-i devices, it used an operating system based on a version of OS-9. These devices could be equipped with a digital video cartridge, although this depended on the model, to enable the playback of full-motion video using MPEG-1 compression.

One of the main features of the CD-i was its interactive capabilities, which allowed users to learn and play interactively. However, despite these innovative features, the CD-i failed to attract a broad audience, mainly due to high costs, a limited selection of quality games, and strong competition from other gaming consoles such as the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

The CD-i 205, like other models, had a remote control that also functioned as a game controller. This was one of the unique aspects of the device, but it was often criticized for its lack of ergonomics and precision compared to traditional game controllers.