A playstation is a console that plays games primarily. The console is a machine that plugs in to your TV and can be used with a controller or the included remote to play games. The console can also be used to watch movies, use streaming services and more.
The playstation was first released in 1994 and ushered in a new generation of gaming. It was the first CD-ROM based console to be widely adopted and was supported by popular franchises such as Gran Turismo, Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil. This, paired with aggressive youth marketing and lower retail prices, made the PlayStation a massive success.
Its popularity spawned many sequels and competitors. The Sega Saturn was a major rival but failed to gain the market share needed to compete with Sony.
In 2000, the PlayStation 2 arrived and was a technical marvel that stood toe-to-toe with PCs of its time. It had a much larger game library and offered backwards compatibility with the original PlayStation games.
The PlayStation 3 and PS4 followed, with the latter offering a more conventional architecture that was easier to develop for. The PS4 also had a very strong library of exclusives that wow’d old and new audiences, with new titles like Horizon Zero Dawn and Ghost of Tsushima along with favourites such as Uncharted 4 and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
In 2020, Sony once again squared off with Microsoft’s Xbox Series S and X models, this time in the ninth-generation console wars. The PS5 adopted a sleeker design and forewent backwards compatibility but did so with a console that is capable of running some of the most beautiful looking games to date, including God of War: Ragnarok and The Last of Us Part 2.