Accompany for 25 years, this is the history of the PlayStation from PS1 to PS5
It's been 25 years since PlayStation has accompanied gamers around the world. During that time there have also been many PlayStation products released by Sony. Starting from consoles, handhelds, accessories, to thousands of games. But for 25 years maybe not many people know how and what PlayStation products were released from the past until now? Answering this, the author has summarized it through the following list of PlayStation history.
1. PlayStation - 1994
Sony first entered the console market on December 3, 1994, with the release of the PlayStation. This console is the first generation console owned by Sony. Previously, this console was introduced through the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) under the name Play Station or Super Disc.
The name was chosen because this console has used discs (CDs) and no longer uses cartridges. At that time Sony also hooked Nintendo in the development of its console, but this collaboration did not go smoothly.
Sony then released its console. PlayStation launched in Japan after Sega released the Sega Saturn. As a result, sales of the PlayStation console were successful with long lines in stores. Where Sony sold 100,000 units on the first day, and then two million units after six months on the market. Until the end of 1996, it was recorded that more than 400 game titles had been developed for the PlayStation console.
2. PlayStation One - 2000
Six years later, Sony released the next generation of PlayStation called PlayStation One (PS One). PS One has the same specifications as the previous generation. What distinguishes the PS One from the PlayStation is the size and color. If previously the PlayStation had a gray color, then on the PS One Sony replaced it with white. This is also a differentiator with the PlayStation 2 which was released in the same year.
The last PS One went on sale at the end of 2006, where the first-generation console sold 102 million units. Along with the end of the production of the PlayStation and PS One, Sony also announced the presence of the PlayStation 3.
3. PlayStation 2 - 2000
After Sega released the Sega Dreamcast console, Sony also announced the second generation of PlayStation, namely the PlayStation 2 at the 1999 Tokyo Game Show. Until finally the PS2 was released in March 2000 for the Japanese region first, followed by the United States and Europe in 2001. The PS2 comes with a black and blue color combination, taking the concept of earth and space. There have been more than 3,800 game titles released for the PS2 console, with more than 1.5 billion units sold worldwide.
Before Sony officially closed its technical support and maintenance in 2018, PS2 was still getting a new game namely FIFA Soccer 2014/14 which was also the last game for the console. PlayStation 2 is also Sony's best-selling product which is still played by many people. Sales of the PlayStation 2 exploded to reach 155 million units.
4. PlayStation 2 Slim - 2004
In September 2004, Sony launched a new version for the PlayStation 2, the PS2 Slim. As of late October 2004, It's a slimmer, thinner, and quieter version of the PS2 Fat version. Because it's thinner, the PS2 Slim doesn't support an internal hard disk drive. This generation of consoles also doesn't have an internal power supply, which makes them quieter than the PS2 Fat.
PS2 Slim has no difference in specifications compared to PS2 Fat. However, the PS2 Slim is equipped with an Ethernet port and supports multitap features. Due to its slimmer size, the PS2 Slim only weighs 600 grams, making it very easy to carry everywhere.
5. PlayStation Portable - 2004
The development of mobile devices at that time was very rapid. Seeing Nintendo's success with the Nintendo DS handheld, Sony has finally released its handheld called the PlayStation Portable (PSP). Although the PSP is not able to score as many sales as consoles, its appearance has proven that Sony can also make a quality handheld device. In addition, PSP sales are also not too bad, it was noted that the PSP managed to sell more than 70 million units.
6. PlayStation 3 Fat - 2006
In 2006 Sony finally released the PlayStation 3 (PS3) in Japan. This third-generation console brings several significant updates. In addition to displaying better graphics because it is supported by the specifications it has. The DualShock 3 controller on the PS3 is also wireless. The PS3 had strong competitors at the time of its release. In fact, until now, PlayStation competitors are still fiercely competing with Sony. PS3 competitors at that time such as the Xbox 360 from Microsoft, and the Wii from Nintendo. Users no longer find the memory card feature because the PS 3 is already equipped with a hard disk in it with a capacity of up to 250 GB.
Although it brings more sophisticated specifications and features, PS3 sales are not as good as PS2. Where the PS3 only managed to sell more than 70 million units. This makes the PS3 is in the fourth position, just below the Nintendo Wii which has sold more than 99 million units.
7. PlayStation 3 Slim - 2009
Because PS3 Fat comes in a larger form, many gamers are asking Sony to bring a Slim version. This request was finally realized with the release of the PS3 Slim in 2009. This version of the PS3 Slim is slimmer and has a hard drive configuration of 120 GB, 160 GB, 250 GB, or 320 GB. Plus, the PS3 Slim is 32% smaller, 36% lighter, and consumes 34% less power than the previous model.
But in this PS3 Slim version, Sony has stopped the PS2 backward compatibility feature because it is considered to make PS3 sales not successful. This PS3 Slim version is a favorite because of its design which is considered better than the Fat or Super Slim models. Even in terms of durability, the PS3 Slim is said to experience less YLOD than the Fat model.
8. PSP Go - 2009
When the era of smartphones began to spread, finally Sony also released the PSP Go handheld. Unlike the previous PSP, this handheld which was released in 2009 has a slimmer shape and has a slide concept to provide a more comfortable playing experience.
Unfortunately, this console was not successful in the market. To play the game, players have to buy it online at full price. Even though the game is still similar to the previous PSP so many of them choose to stay loyal to the PSP. PSP Go stopped circulating in 2011. In the same year, Sony also released a PS3 Slim version.