In the world today, PlayStation plays a significant role in the Technology industry.
The company that produces these PlayStations is Sony Computer Entertainment. Sony’s first attempt at a PlayStation console appeared in 1991. It originally started life as a joint project between Nintendo and Sony, that came about in order to create a CD-ROM for the Super NES.
The first PlayStation (PS One) was released in 1994 in Japan, and in 1995 in North America and Europe. A company such as Sony Computer Entertainment was the first to have produced and released a gaming console (video game console) to the world.
PlayStation ONE (PS1)
The PlayStation One (PS One) introduced gamers to the 3D world of games and the CD-ROM revolution in the world of gaming. What actually distinguished it from other gaming consoles was the fact that, until its release, console games were primarily cartridge-based and those cartridges were quite expensive to make, with long manufacturing cycles.
The PS One introduced the use of CD-ROMS for video gaming. CD-ROMs hold more storage than floppy disks or cartridges, plus they could interlace audio, data, and files simultaneously, which gives the opportunity to meet the needs necessary for a 3D-rendered game or full-motion video. This is unlike a video game that relies on cartridges to process the audio, data, and files differently.
PlayStation was able to set ‘Sega’ on the sidewalks of the road as the company was battling Nintendo at a point in time when PS One was released. Nintendo Entertainment System only focused on cartridge-based consoles and that alone limited them, as publishers and developers knew the benefits that lie within the use of CD-ROMS. It eventually led to their downfall for the same reason that those developers were drawn to PlayStation.
The PS One paved the way for the following games to be released for the PlayStation: Wipeout series, Final Fantasy 7, Tekken Franchise, Gran Turismo 1 and 2, Metal Gear Solid, Ape Escape, Spyro the Dragon series, and Crash Bandicoot Franchise. It’s still sold for $119.96 on Amazon
PlayStation TWO (PS2)
It’s sold for $169.99 on Amazon. It is another video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment and it looks to be much better in terms of upgrades than the PS One, in the year 2000.
The best continuation date for this console was from the year 2000 to 2013, and its best-selling game was Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, with a total of 17.33 million copies sold (as of February 2009). About 2,000 games were released for the PS Two, and it sold 100,000 consoles on its very first day of launch.
By the end of 2012, it had sold over 155 million consoles worldwide. It was also the first console to embrace multiple colour options for its exterior.
PlayStation THREE (PS3)
It’s sold for $130.24 on Amazon. The initial controller of the PS Three was in the shape of a boomerang. This was a prototype as Sony Computer Entertainment decided to ditch it and stick to the usual shape of the controller it’s been producing.
Sony settled for changing the size of the console instead. It was ‘fat’ compared to the other models, but subsequently produced a slimmer model too.
PS3 console was released in Japan, North America, and Europe on the 11th of November 2006, 17th of November 2006 and 23rd of March 2007 respectively. This model of PlayStation is the first to use Blu-ray Discs for its media. Older models of the PlayStation we’re backwards compatible with PlayStation One and Two games.
The PS Three was a hit right from the start, with an estimated 81,639 units selling in the first 24 hours of the console being released in Japan. Subsequently, it sold 600,000 units in just two days of going on sale in the rest of the world.
PlayStation FOUR (PS4)
This console was released in November 2013 in time for the Christmas holiday. But was however launched in 2014 in Japan.
PS4 was seen as part of the eighth generation of games consoles and a competitor of Microsoft’s Xbox One, and Nintendo’s Wii U.
The PS Four was highly thought of (still is) and gamers loved its feature of an ability to do things like play games off-console on the PlayStation Vita. It is no surprise that it managed to sell 100 million units since its launch.
Games such as GTA 5, Bloodborne, PES 4, God of War, etc. play excellently well on the consoles. Its controller came along with a dual-shock feature (Dual Shock 4).
PlayStation FIVE (PS5)
It was released in 2020, and has sold over 38.4 million units (as of April, 2023). This console came in two variants; the standard model and PS5 Digital Edition, which does not have a disk drive.
The PS5 boasts of SSD storage and expandable NVMe space, which ultimately means faster load speeds cutting down load times and making games start in the blink of an eye.
Its controller is by far different from the PS Four’s Dual Shock controller. The PS Five’s Dual Sense controller looks like something from the future. It boasts of a haptic feedback system that adds crazy immersion to games. They also have built-in microphones, meaning no more requirements for headsets for the social gamer.
Overall, Sony made lots of masterpieces.
