By now we all have heard and seen what Sony’s Playstation 5, the latest installment in Playstation consoles series, looks like. Sony launched its PlayStation brand back in 1994, and since then, the company has released four major consoles, all of which have received refreshed designs. The PlayStation division now represents 78% of Sony’s total profits, and with the company releasing its latest flagship later this year, we thought we’d take a stroll down memory lane to look back at all of the PlayStation consoles that preceded the PS5.
Playstation/PSX
The original PlayStation launched in Japan on December 3, 1994. It went on to become the first video game console to ship more than 100 million units. It is a part of the fifth generation of game consoles and competed against the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64 in the mid-’90s. This console featured real-time 3D graphics and the fastest processor in gaming, at that time.
Sony later released a smaller version of Playstation, called PSone.
The Iconic Playstation logo.
The graphics at that time were the best in the business.
Playstation 2/Playstation 2 slim
First released in Japan on March 4, 2000, the PlayStation 2 has gone on to become the best-selling console to date, selling more than 155 million units over 12 years. The PS2 is a part of the sixth generation of consoles and took on the Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo’s GameCube, and Microsoft’s Xbox, easily coming out on top.
Sony changed the logo for the PS2, giving it a more futuristic look.
Because Playstation was so successful, the PS2 totaled over 10,000 games, in an attempt to give fans as many games as possible.
Playstation 3
First released on November 11, 2006 in Japan, the PlayStation 3 sold more than 80 million units worldwide and competed against Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Playstation 3, although a much better and powerful machine than Microsoft’s Xbox 360, lost it’s foothold as the market leader. Xbox 360 was cheaper, had better online services, and was easier to develop for when compared to the PS3. But that changed by the end of that generation when the PS3 came with a surprise comeback and took the lead at the very end.
The logo for Playstation 3 was written in the same font as Sony’s Spider-man 3 movie. It was later changed to PS3.
Also along with the release of the PS3, came the launch of PlayStation Network. This allowed gamers to connect to the internet, download games, watch Netflix, and much more.
Playstation 4
Sony released the PlayStation 4 in North America on November 15, 2013, and it sold one million units within its first day, making it the fastest-selling console in a 24-hour period to date. PlayStation 4 has been a big hit, becoming the No. 2 best-selling console of all time with 110.4 million units sold. It is behind the PlayStation 2, which sold around 155 million units.
The PS4 also introduced the ability to upload and share gameplay clips. A Share button was added to the DualShock 4 controller, which also received an ergonomic overhaul and added headset and mic ports.
The PS4 came swinging by offering the best first-party titles to date, even going as far as to rival the extensive library of Nintendo.
Playstation 5
Sony finally revealed the first-look for Playstation 5. The PlayStation 5 has a sleek, vertical design dominated by white panels on either side sandwiching a curved black interior. The PS5 is placed within a vertical stand, something Sony has always had for its consoles starting with the PS2. This has turned out to be the most striking and divisive design overhaul a Sony console has ever seen.
The logo is pretty similar to the PS4 logo.
Sony also showcased a ton of new games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7 and many more. All of which showed a glimpse of what the next generation will be capable of.
