The first PlayStation was introduced on December 3rd 1994 in Japan - and the latest version, the PlayStation 5, was released on 12 November 2020. PlayStation also launched a few portable consoles, a smartphone - and much more. We'll tell you everything about PlayStation's consoles.
PlayStation
The original PlayStation, released on December 3rd of 1994, was the first ever PlayStation console. It was the first console to sell more than 100 million units. Back then, PlayStation was competing with the fifth generation of gaming consoles including the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn. The original PlayStation received several upgrades throughout the years, like the PSone, a smaller version of the initial console, the Net Yaroze, a special black PlayStation which enabled you to program games and apps, and the PocketStation, which also functioned as a memory card.
PlayStation 2
In 2000 PlayStation introduced PlayStation 2, which was part of the sixth generation of gaming consoles. It was released 15 months after the Dreamcast, but a year before the Xbox and the Nintendo Gamecube. With the release of the PS2, Sony reached another record by selling over 155 million PS2 consoles. The PlayStation 2 also had a smaller version and received other upgrades later on like PSX DVR, the Sony BRAVIA KDL22PX300 HDTV (a TV with a built-in PS2) and the Slimline model (the thinner and smaller version of PS2).
PlayStation 3
In 2006 Sony released the PlayStation 3, a seventh generation gaming console and rival of the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. Despite receiving tons of upgrades like wireless controllers, a Blu-ray disc player, a hard drive with up to 500 GB storage, and high definition resolution, this console did not break any sales records, selling about 80 million units by November 2013. The PS3 also got updated with a Slim model and even a Super Slim model, which was 20% smaller than the regular Slim model.
PlayStation 4
The PS4 was presented by Sony in 2013, being part of the eight generation of gaming consoles. Focusing on social gaming, Sony introduced a share button on the controller, which enabled users to capture and save videos and screenshots of their games, and then upload them on various online services. And with the PlayStation App, also new back then, PS4 users could use their smartphones as second screens. Sony even launched PlayStation Now, PlayStation's first cloud gaming service offering access to a library filled with PS games.
The PlayStation 4 was eventually updated with newer models such as the Slim model, also known as the PlayStation 4 Slim. In 2016 finally, you could buy PlayStation 4 Pro, which had better hardware for 4K rendering.
PlayStation 5
In November 2020, Sony launched the latest PlayStation iteration, the PlayStation 5. The PS5 was completely sold out on day one of the release. The PS5 uses an SSD, which enables the console to load games faster than its predecessors. Other upgrades included 825 GB of storage and 4K gaming up to 60 fps thanks to a brand new AMD Zen 2 processor and an AMD RDNA 2 graphics solution. Lastly, the PS5 came with an updated DualSense controller.
