The NBN has been caught photoshopping one of its ads to appeal to gamers, but it has instead backfired.

Scott Rhodie, a former digital employee at NBN, found the blunder plastered on a TV screen while shopping at JB Hifi in Pitt Street Mall.

"As a gamer since I was 4, something was weird about the image and then I realised the controller had a mini USB and new controllers have micro USB," said Mr Rhodie.

But it gets worse. While Rhodie assumed the controller was from the 11-year-old PS3 era owing to its old USB connector, the original stock image — which one Twitter user found — features a cable instead of a connector. This means that at the very newest the image dates back to the PS2 era, beginning in 2000. 18 years ago.

Given the colour of the controller, it is more likely from the original PlayStation days. The PS1 was released in 1995, with a controller featuring analog sticks — very much like the one in this image — following in 1997. So the controller is likely around 21 years old, and in any event is older now than the gamers featured in the ad.

Apparently, someone at the NBN had attempted to update a photo featuring a very outdated controller, but ended up making what looks like a moderately outdated controller. Not exactly the cutting edge gaming look they were going for.

The original stock image showing the cable. 

"The cable has been photoshopped out and a micro USB photoshopped in," said Mr Rhodie.

To add more to the embarrassment, the young girl's torso has also been photoshopped out in the process and instead been left with the sofa in the background.

The NBN was asked to comment but declined.

With Tim Biggs