Though the Sony PlayStation was not the first video gaming machine available to the public, it brought a whole new level to video gaming, and gamers around the world embraced it with open arms.
The first version was released to the market in 1994 and was created and manufactured by Sony. Since that time several more versions have been created, each one being released to eagerly awaiting customers, who revelled in the new features.
The original PlayStation console was first released onto the Japanese market in December 1994, and it was not long before news of it reached the United States. As was hoped gamers waited eagerly for the chance to get their hands on this new platform, with the PlayStation 1 being pre-ordered prior to its September 1995 U.S. release date. Within a few weeks, it was also made available to the European and Australian markets. The PlayStation 1 was so popular Sony shipped over 100 million units within nine years of its original release date. A slimmer, redesigned version was released in July 2000.
The PlayStation 2 release announcement in 1999 was met with great enthusiasm from previous buyers of the PlayStation 1 and PS One. Released in 2000, by the end of 2012 it was the highest selling home console in the world, having sold over 155 million units. At the time it was competing against the Dreamcast, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube, all successful but not reaching the viral success of the PlayStation 2.
In 2004 Sony released a newer version of the PlayStation 2 and it differed greatly from the gravy console of the original PlayStation 2, in that it was slimmer and included an Ethernet port. With the addition of the Ethernet port, Sony took video gaming to a whole new level yet again. Further versions of the PS2 featured advancements that reduced weight and included the power supply within the unit. The PlayStation 2 reached 100 million sold units quicker than the PlayStation 1, taking a little under six years to reach that goal. By the end of 2015, it was ranked as the best home video gaming console of all time. Despite many upgraded versions the PlayStation 2 is still played by many today.
PlayStation 3 was released at the end of 2006 and came up against some stiff competition in the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360, both of which were trying extremely hard to corner the market that Sony had previously dominated. It was Sony’s first attempt at incorporating motion-sensing technology and had also moved from standard DVD to Blu-Ray. The original PS3’s were available in 20 GB and 60 GB, but demand soon caused Sony to increase to 500 GB incrementally.
The PlayStation 3 also underwent some changes with a newer version being released in a slimmer format. With this unit, Sony made significant improvements to weight, size and power consumption. This version was also quieter and came with a much-improved cooling system — over a million units sold in the first three weeks of release.
The PlayStation 4 (released late 2013) is the most recent console by Sony and came equipped with some great new features that had been sadly lacking in later versions of the PlayStation 3. One significant feature that was introduced was the PlayStation app, which allowed users to turn their smartphone or tablet into a second screen. Improvements to the hardware were also made. The streaming play was also made available with this unit, allowing users to play online with their friends, sharing the same view.
As with previous models, the PlayStation 4 was released in a slimmer version in 2016 and featured a 40% reduction in case size. It came equipped with 500 GB and was priced similarly to the original PlayStation 4. Around the same time, the Pro version was released, which included the ability to play the PlayStation games in 4K. It also made the quality of PlayStation VR much better.
Released in the same year as the original PlayStation 2, the PlayStation Portable was quickly referred to as the PSP. With the huge success of Nintendo’s handheld gaming console, the DS, it was imperative that Sony produces a console to compete in this popular market. At the time of its release, it was the most powerful handheld console available, with more advanced graphics than its competitors. During its lifetime the PSP sold 80 million units.
