A video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Its use of compact discs (CDs) heralded the industry’s move away from cartridges. It was the first system to sell 100 million units, and it spawned popular games like Crash Bandicoot, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, and Final Fantasy VII. It is often abbreviated as PS, though some gamers use the term to refer only to the original PlayStation (aka the PS1). A successor, the PlayStation 2 (PS2), was released in 2000; a smaller and more advanced version, the PS3 (PS3), followed in 2006, and the most recent, the PS5 (PS5), came out in 2020.
PlayStation was a pioneering piece of technology, taking gaming out of the ’80s arcade style and bringing photorealistic 3D graphics to home systems for the first time. It also made gaming more social, as it enabled players to connect over the Internet to play with friends. Its success led to a line of successors, the latest being the PS5.
Gamers had high expectations when the PS5 came out. They were not disappointed. With lightning-fast load times, innovative changes to the DualShock controller, and a library of games that look better than ever with ray tracing, the PS5 makes its predecessors seem archaic. While storage space is a concern and the company’s view of future industry shifts may be questionable, this is a true next-generation console that lives up to its “PlayStation” name.