The History of the PlayStation: from PS1 to PS5

For more than two decades the PlayStation has become synonymous with entertainment for millions of people worldwide. With more than half a billion units sold and countless games released, the device is one of Sony’s most prominent products to date and perhaps the most visible.

Since its emergence in 1995 with PSOne, until the arrival of the ninth generation of consoles, with PS5 in 2020, the brand has hit a lot and also made mistakes, sometimes, during its evolution since the time of the CD until reaching a powerful SSD.

How about going back in time and getting to know all the versions, accessories and some remarkable games in PlayStation history? Come on!

It all started back in 1995 with the launch of the first PlayStation, or PSOne. The console was elegantly designed and its games played via CDs, which allowed 3D processing and improved sound. PSOne has sold more than 100 million units worldwide in a decade.

The 1994 PlayStation Controller gained four buttons on the shoulders (instead of just two) and gave players more gameplay possibilities. The accessory was succeeded by the Dual Analog Controller in 1997, and later by the original DualShock, also in 97.

Most players have always liked multiplayer, but it was much more complicated to play online at the time of PSOne. As the Internet was not yet so popular, Sony’s solution was to create the PlayStation Link Cable in 1995. The cable allowed players to connect two consoles, through two TVs, to play multiplayer in some games that supported it.

In 1998 PocketStation arrived, an external memory card with built-in LCD screen, in addition to basic controls for mini games. PSOne was one of the first consoles to use an external memory card.

Games:

Ridge Racer , by Namco, was launched in 1994 and became a hit for combining 3D graphics and good mechanics for the time. 1996 marked the debut of one of the PlayStation icons: Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot . Crash became an instant hit on the console, with a colourful look, fun characters and 3D ambience.

The PlayStation 2 arrives in the year 2000 and has taken a leap forward from the PSOne. With better-defined 3D visuals, the PS2 brought the possibility of playing online and an integrated DVD driver, that is, in addition to the games it was now also possible to enjoy movies on the same device.

and along with a new console, a new controller has also arrived. The DualShock 2 brought two novelty analogue buttons that in addition to increasing the degree of movement, could also detect the level of pressure made on them.

Taking advantage of the PS2’s USB ports, Sony launched EyeToy in 2003. The accessory was a digital camera that projected the player’s image on the TV and also tracked movements.

In 2004, SingStar mics arrived, with two custom microphones for the PS2, making it possible to play music titles. The following year, it was Buzz! buzzers appear. The accessory came to bring more realism to the game Buzz! The Music Quiz of Questions and Answers.

Games:

Grand Theft Auto III or GTA 3 , marked the debut of Rockstar Games on PlayStation. The series, which was already popular, arrived on the PS2 in 2001 bringing its 3D open-world sandbox gameplay.

Leaving the DVD and entering the era of Blu-ray with the PlayStation 3, released in 2006, in Japan and the United States, and in 2007, in Europe. The DualShock 3 controller also debuted with the platform, which was able to give a vibratory return of the actions in the games and delivered an initial form of movement control.

The PlayStation Eye hit the market in 2007 as an evolution of the EyeToy (on the PS2), with four times the resolution and twice the frame rates.

The camera became an indispensable accessory, in case you wanted to invest in a PlayStation Move Motion Controller, or PS Move, which would arrive in 2010. With functions similar to the Nintendo Wii controller , PS Move was used in very specific games, especially more causal and of sports.

Games:

The first game in the Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet series arrived in 2008, and introduced players to the world of Sackboy. The game adds up to today more than 10 million levels created.

The Last of Us , by Naughty Dog, was launched in 2013 and showed the consequences of a post-apocalyptic world well centered on human relations. The game, winner of several awards, presented for the first time the captivating duo Joel and Ellie.

The eighth generation of consoles jolted the hardware itself and brought to the PlayStation 4 (in 2013 in the United States and Europe, and in 2014 in Japan) a much more powerful system with HDR support, bringing more vibrant colours, in addition to of streaming integrated features for social media with the ability to share the gameplay and more.

The Dualshock 4 controller gained a new design and, in addition to being more comfortable to use, it also added a light bar, built-in mini speaker, Share button, and a touch pad. 

PlayStation Camera was launched in 2013 as a successor to PlayStation Eye and, in addition to helping with streaming from the console, it is also capable of facial recognition and voice commands.

The equipment has two cameras and is essential to use in conjunction with the PlayStation VR, launched in 2016. The virtual reality glasses are compatible with some games and have not yet been fully graced by the public. Perhaps because of the price.

Games:

Highlighting just a few of the games that marked the PS4, you can’t miss talking about titles like Bloodborne (released in 2015 by FromSoftware), Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (which arrived in 2016 by Naughty Dog), Horizon Zero Dawn (from Guerrilla in 2017), God of War (from Santa Monica studio in 2018), Death Stranding (Kojima Productions, which arrived in 2019) and many others.

And finally we come to the ninth generation of video games with PlayStation 5. The console launched in 2020 brings a ray tracking system, for sharper lights and shadows, support 4K, HDR and up to 120 frames per second – if the game is supported, it is clear.

The PS5 also comes with an 8K output, for those who can afford to play at 4320p resolution, and an SSD for storage – which promises much faster uploads.

Taking advantage of the PlayStation 5 announcement itself, Sony also introduced accessories compatible with the console, such as:

A charging cradle for up to two Dual Sense wireless controllers;
The Pulse 3D wireless headset (with USB type C charging and two noise-canceling microphones);
Media control for movies, streaming services and etc;
And HD camera, evolution of PlayStation Camera, with capture in Full HD.

Games:

Some games are already confirmed on the PS5 debut and those who buy the console will be able to play the titles: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales , Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered , the remake of Demon’s Souls , Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition , Sackboy: The Great Adventure and others.