The PlayStation (also referred to as the PS, PSX, or PS-series) is a series of proprietary game consoles developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released in December 1994, the PlayStation used CDs to play games and competed against consoles such as the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. The PlayStation was a major success and shipped 100 million units by March 2006; a milestone that was reached faster than any of its predecessors or contemporaries.
A significant contributor to the PlayStation’s early success was its line-up of exclusive first-party games. Unlike competing consoles of the time, which largely rehashed and improved upon games from other manufacturers, the PlayStation’s library of first-party titles were developed in-house by Sony Studios. This allowed for a consistent quality and experience over the console’s lifetime, as well as an effective marketing campaign that emphasized the importance of the PlayStation’s graphical capabilities.
Another factor in the PlayStation’s success was the launch of PlayStation Network, which is a digital storefront for games and related content. Like Xbox Live, this service allows players to play games online or offline and provides access to the PlayStation Store.
The PlayStation also features the DualShock controller, a vibration-feedback control pad with a D-pad, four main select buttons (‘Green Triangle’, ‘Red Circle/Red O’, ‘Blue Cross/Blue X’ and ‘Pink Square’) and two analog sticks that feature a potentiometer-based input. The system is connected to a television via an HDMI port and includes an Ethernet port and power and USB ports in the back.