The PlayStation is a series of home video game consoles developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The consoles are the primary product of the PlayStation brand, which also encompasses a wide range of related hardware and online services.
The first PlayStation signalled a shift in the video gaming world from child-friendly sprites to grown-up 3-D polygon graphics. It used CDs instead of cartridges, which allowed the system to display more complex images in higher resolution and at a faster frame rate than its rivals. The system was hugely popular and ushered in a new era of console dominance for Sony.
Sony’s PlayStation 2 was a massive hit when it launched in 2000, racking up 155 million sales worldwide and utterly eclipsing its rivals. Its success was down to a huge library of games and the rise of DVDs. The PS2 was available at a price that either matched or undercut most standalone DVD players, making it a great value choice for gamers and their families.
The PlayStation 3 is a worthy successor to its predecessor and was a hugely successful console in its own right. Its unique design meant it took a while for developers to fully take advantage of its features, but the end result was a great system that spawned some major franchises such as Uncharted and The Last of Us. The PlayStation 4 is a solid and powerful console that boasts an impressive catalogue of titles that make the most of its hardware. Its more conventional architecture makes it easier to develop for, and the recent release of the PS4 Pro shows that this system is still on top of its game.