The original console in the series was the first video game console to ship 100 million units, 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch.
[2] Its successor, the
PlayStation 2, was released in 2000. The PlayStation 2 is the
best-selling home console to date, having reached over 155 million units sold as of December 28, 2012.
[3] Sony's next console, the
PlayStation 3, was released in 2006 and has sold over 80 million consoles worldwide as of November 2013.
[4] Sony's latest console, the
PlayStation 4, was released in 2013, selling 1 million consoles in its first 24 hours on sale, becoming the fastest selling console in history.
[5]
The first
handheld game console in the PlayStation series (called the
PlayStation Portable or PSP), sold a total of 80 million units worldwide by November 2013.
[6] Its successor, the
PlayStation Vita, which launched in Japan on December 17, 2011 and in most other major territories in February 2012, had sold over 4 million units by January 2013.
[7] PlayStation TV is a microconsole and a non-portable variant of the PlayStation Vita handheld game console.
[8] Other hardware released as part of the PlayStation series includes the
PSX, a
digital video recorder which was integrated with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, though it was short lived due to its high price and was never released outside Japan, as well as a
Sony Bravia television set which has an integrated PlayStation 2. The main series of controllers utilized by the PlayStation series is the
DualShock, which is a line of
vibration-feedback gamepad having sold 28 million controllers as of June 28, 2008.
[9]
The
PlayStation Network is an online service with over 110 million users worldwide (as of July 2013).
[10] It comprises an online virtual market, the
PlayStation Store, which allows the purchase and download of games and various forms of multimedia, a subscription-based online service known as
PlayStation Plus and a
social gaming networking service called
PlayStation Home, which had over 41 million users worldwide at the time of its closure in March 2015.
[11] PlayStation Mobile (formerly PlayStation Suite) is a software framework that provides PlayStation content on
mobile devices. Version 1.xx supports both PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV and certain devices that run the
Android operating system, whereas version 2.00 released in 2014 would only target PlayStation Vita and (optionally) PlayStation TV.
[12] Content set to be released under the framework consist of only original PlayStation games currently.
[13]
7th generation PlayStation products also use the
XrossMediaBar, which is an award-winning
graphical user interface.
[14] A new touch screen-based user interface called
LiveArea was launched for the PlayStation Vita, which integrates social networking elements into the interface. Additionally,
PlayStation 2 and
original PlayStation 3 consoles also featured support for
Linux-based operating systems, though this has since been discontinued. The series has also been known for its numerous marketing campaigns, the latest of which being the "Greatness Awaits" commercials in the United States.
The console's origins date back to 1988 where it was originally a joint project between
Nintendo and
Sony to create a
CD-ROM for the
Super Famicom.
[17] Although Nintendo denied the existence of the Sony deal as late as March 1991,
[18] Sony revealed a Super Famicom with a built-in CD-ROM drive, that incorporated
Green Book technology or CD-i, called "Play Station" (also known as
SNES-CD) at the
Consumer Electronics Show in June 1991. However, a day after the announcement at CES, Nintendo announced that it would be breaking its partnership with Sony, opting to go with
Philips instead but using the same technology.
[19] The deal was broken by Nintendo after they were unable to come to an agreement on how revenue would be split between the two companies.
[19] The breaking of the partnership infuriated Sony President
Norio Ohga, who responded by appointing Kutaragi with the responsibility of developing the PlayStation project to rival Nintendo.
[19]
At that time, negotiations were still on-going between Nintendo and Sony, with Nintendo offering Sony a "non-gaming role" regarding their new partnership with Philips. This proposal was swiftly rejected by Kutaragi who was facing increasing criticism over his work with regard to entering the video game industry from within Sony. Negotiations officially ended in May 1992 and in order to decide the fate of the PlayStation project, a meeting was held in June 1992, consisting of Sony President Ohga, PlayStation Head Kutaragi and several senior members of Sony's board. At the meeting, Kutaragi unveiled a proprietary CD-ROM-based system he had been working on which involved playing video games with 3D graphics to the board. Eventually, Sony President Ohga decided to retain the project after being reminded by Kutaragi of the humiliation he suffered from
Nintendo. Nevertheless, due to strong opposition from a majority present at the meeting as well as widespread internal opposition to the project by the older generation of Sony executives, Kutaragi and his team had to be shifted from Sony's headquarters to
Sony Music, a completely separate financial entity owned by Sony, so as to retain the project and maintain relationships with Philips for the MMCD development project (which helped lead to the creation of the
DVD).
[19]
According to SCE's producer Ryoji Akagawa and chairman
Shigeo Maruyama, there was uncertainty over whether the console should primarily focus on
2D sprite graphics or
3D polygon graphics. It was only after witnessing the success of
Sega's
Virtua Fighter in Japanese arcades that "the direction of the PlayStation became instantly clear" and 3D polygon graphics became the console's primary focus.
[20]
Formation of Sony Computer Entertainment[edit]
At
Sony Music Entertainment, Kutaragi worked closely with
Shigeo Maruyama, the CEO of Sony Music, and with Akira Sato to form Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) on November 16, 1993.
[21] A building block of SCEI was its initial partnership with Sony Music which helped SCEI attract creative talent to the company as well as assist SCEI in manufacturing, marketing and producing discs, something that Sony Music had been doing with Music Discs. The final two key members of SCEI were Terry Tokunaka, the President of SCEI from Sony's headquarters, and
Olaf Olafsson. Olafsson was CEO and president of New York-based Sony Interactive Entertainment
[22] which was the mother company for the 1994-founded Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA).
The PlayStation project, SCEI's first official project, was finally given the green light by Sony executives in 1993 after a few years of development. Also in 1993,
Phil Harrison, who would later become President of
Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, was recruited into SCEI to attract developers and publishers to produce games for their new PlayStation platform.
[19]
After a demonstration of Sony's distribution plan as well as tech demos of its new console to game publishers and developers in a hotel in
Tokyo in 1994, numerous developers began to approach PlayStation. Two of whom later became major partners were
Electronic Arts in the West and
Namco in Japan. One of the factors which attracted developers to the platform was the use of a 3D-capable, CD-ROM-based console which was much cheaper and easier to manufacture for in comparison to Nintendo's rival console, which used cartridge systems. The project eventually hit Japanese stores in December 1994 and gained massive sales due to its lower price point than its competitor, the
Sega Saturn. Popularity of the console spread after its release worldwide in North America and Europe.The original PlayStation, released on December 3,
1994, was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation series of console and hand-held game devices. It has included successor consoles and upgrades including the
Net Yaroze (a special black PlayStation with tools and instructions to program PlayStation games and applications), "
PSone" (a smaller version of the original) and the
PocketStation (a handheld which enhances PlayStation games and also acts as a memory card). It was part of the
fifth generation of video game consoles competing against the
Sega Saturn and the
Nintendo 64. By December 2003, the PlayStation and PSone had shipped a combined total of 102.49 million units,
[23] eventually becoming the first video game console to sell 120 million units.
[2]
Released on July 7,
2000,
[24] concurrently with its successor the
PlayStation 2, the PSone was a considerably smaller, redesigned version of the original PlayStation video game console.
[25] The PSone went on to outsell all-other consoles, including its successor, throughout the remainder of the year.
[25] It featured two main changes from its predecessor, the first being a cosmetic change to the console and the second being the home menu's
Graphical User Interface; a variation of the GUI previously used only on PAL consoles up to that point.
PlayStation 2[edit]
Original PlayStation 2 console (left) and slimline PlayStation 2 console with 8 MB Memory Card and
DualShock 2 controller (right)
Released in
2000, 15 months after the
Dreamcast and a year before its other competitors, the
Xbox and the
Nintendo GameCube, the PlayStation 2 is part of the
sixth generation of video game consoles, and is
backwards-compatible with most original PlayStation games. Like its predecessor, it has received a slimmer redesign, and was also released built into the
PSX DVR and the Sony BRAVIA KDL22PX300 HDTV. It is the
most successful home console in the world,
[26] having sold over 155 million units as of December 28, 2012.
[3] On November 29, 2005, the PS2 became the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch. This achievement occurred faster than its predecessor, the PlayStation, which took "9 years and 6 months since launch" to reach the same figure.
[2] PlayStation 2 shipments in Japan ended on December 28, 2012.
[27] The Guardian reported on January 4, 2013 that PS2 production had ended worldwide, but studies showed that many people all around the world still own one even if it is no longer in use. PlayStation 2 has been ranked as the best selling console of all time as of 2015.
[28]
Slimline model[edit]
Released in
2004, four years after the launch of the original PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 2 Slimline was the first major redesign of the PlayStation 2. Compared to its predecessor, the Slimline was smaller, thinner, quieter and also included a built-in
Ethernet port (in some markets it also has an integrated
modem). In
2007, Sony began shipping a revision of the Slimline which was lighter than the original Slimline together with a lighter
AC adapter.
[29] In
2008, Sony released yet another revision of the Slimline which had an overhauled internal design incorporating the power supply into the console itself like the original PlayStation 2 resulting in a further reduced total weight of the console.
[30]
PlayStation 3[edit]
Original (left) and slim (right) PlayStation 3 consoles with the
DualShock 3 controller
Released on November 17, 2006 in North America, the PlayStation 3 is a
seventh generation game console from Sony. It competes with the
Microsoft Xbox 360 and the
Nintendo Wii. The PS3 is the first console in the series to introduce the use of
motion-sensing technology through its
Sixaxis wireless controller. The console also incorporates a
Blu-ray Disc player and features
high-definition resolution. The PS3 was originally offered with either a 20 GB or 60 GB hard drive, but over the years its capacity increased in increments available up to 500 GB. The PlayStation 3 has sold over 80 million consoles worldwide as of November 2013.
[4]
Slim model[edit]
Like its predecessors, the PlayStation 3 was re-released in
2009 as a "slim" model. The redesigned model is 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and consumes 34% to 45% less power than previous models.
[31][32] In addition, it features a redesigned cooling system and a smaller
Cell processor which was moved to a
45nm manufacturing process.
[33] It sold in excess of a million units within its first 3 weeks on sale.
[34] The redesign also features support for
CEC (more commonly referred to by its manufacturer brandings of BraviaSync, VIERA Link, EasyLink and others) which allows control of the console over HDMI by using the remote control as the controller. The PS3 slim also runs quieter and is cooler than previous models due to its 45 nm Cell. The PS3 Slim no longer has the "main power" switch (similar to
PlayStation 2 slim), like the previous PS3 models, which was located at the back of the console.
[31] It was officially released on September 1, 2009 in North America and Europe and on September 3, 2009 in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
[31][35][36]
Super Slim model[edit]
In 2012, Sony revealed a new "Super Slim" PlayStation 3. The new console, with a completely redesigned case which has a sliding door covering the disc drive (which has been moved to the top of the console), is 4.3 pounds, almost three pounds lighter than the previous "slim" model. The console comes with either 12GB flash memory or a 250GB, 500GB hard drive. Several bundles which include a Super Slim PS3 and a selection of games are available.
PlayStation 4[edit]
The
PlayStation 4 (PS4) is the latest video game console from
Sony Computer Entertainment announced at a press conference on February 20, 2013. In the meeting, Sony revealed some hardware specifications of the new console.
[37][38] The
eighth-generation system, launched in the fourth quarter of 2013, introduced the
x86 architecture to the PlayStation series. According to lead system architect, Mark Cerny, development on the PlayStation 4 began as early as 2008.
[39] PlayStation Europe CEO Jim Ryan emphasized in 2011 that Sony wanted to avoid launching the next-generation console behind the competition.
[40]
Among the new applications and services, Sony introduced the PlayStation App, allowing PS4 owners to turn smartphones and tablets into a
second screen to enhance gameplay.
[41] The company also plans to debut
PlayStation Now game streaming service, powered by technology from
Gaikai.
[42][43] By incorporating a share button on the new controller and making it possible to view in-game content being streamed live from friends, Sony plans to place more focus on social gameplay as well.
[41] The PlayStation 4 was first released in North America on November 15, 2013.
Slim model[edit]
PlayStation 4 Slim (officially marketed simply as
PlayStation 4 or
PS4) was unveiled on September 7, 2016. It is a revision of the original PS4 hardware with a streamlined form factor. The new casing is 40% smaller, and carries a rounded body with a matte finish on the top of the console rather than a two-tone finish. The two USB ports on the front have a larger gap between them, and the optical audio port was also removed.
[168] It ships with a minor update to the DualShock 4 controller, with the light bar visible through the top of the touchpad. The PS4 Slim was released on September 15, 2016, with a 500 GB model at the same price point as the original PS4 model.
[169] Its model number is CUH-2000.
[170]
Pro model[edit]
PlayStation 4 Pro or
PS4 Pro for short (originally announced under the codename
Neo)
[35] was unveiled on September 7, 2016. Its model number is CUH-7000.
[170] It is an updated version of the PlayStation 4 with improved hardware, including an upgraded GPU with 4.2 teraflops of processing power, and higher CPU clock. It is designed primarily to enable selected games to be playable at
4K resolution, and improved quality for
PlayStation VR. All games are backwards and forward compatible between PS4 and PS4 Pro, but games with optimizations will have improved graphics performance on PS4 Pro. Although capable of streaming 4K video from online sources, PS4 Pro does not support
Ultra HD Blu-ray.
[171] [172] [173] Additionally the PS4 Pro is the only PS4 model which can remote play at 1080p. The other models are limited to 720p.
[174]
Comparison[edit]
| PlayStation | PlayStation 2 | PlayStation 3 | PlayStation 4 |
|---|
| Console | 
| |
|  |
|---|
| Launch price | ¥39,800[1]
US$299[44]
£299[45] | ¥39,800[1]
US$299[44]
£299[45] | ¥49,980 (20 GB)[1]
US$499 (20 GB), US$599 (60 GB)[44]
£425 (60 GB)[46]
€599 (60 GB)[45] | ¥38,980
US$399
€399
£349 |
|---|
| Release date |
PSone Model
|
Slimline Model
|
More...
Slim Model
Super Slim Model
|
|
|---|
| Units sold | 102.49 million shipped, including 28.15 million PSone units (as of March 31, 2007)[23] | >155 million (as of December 28, 2012)[3] | >84 million (as of November 2014)[4] | >50 million (As of 6 December 2016)[53] |
|---|
| Best-selling game | Gran Turismo; 10.85 million shipped (as of April 30, 2008)[54][55] | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; 17.33 million shipped (as of March 26, 2008)[54] | Grand Theft Auto V; over 15 million shipped (as of December 7, 2013) | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End; 8.7 millions shipped (as of Dec 21, 2016)[56] |
|---|
| Media | CD-ROM | DVD-ROM/CD-ROM | BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, SACD (1st and 2nd Gen Only)[57] | Blu-ray, DVD
Blu-ray 6x CAV, DVD 8x CAV |
|---|
| Included accessories and extras |
|
|
- Internal hard drive (20, 40, 60, 80, 120, 160, 250, 320 or 500 GB, depending on model)
- Wireless DualShock 3 / Sixaxis Controller
- Composite AV cable
- Ethernet cable
- USB cable
|
- Internal hard drive (500GB/1TB)[58][59]
- Wireless DualShock 4 Controller
- Mono Headset
- Power Cable
- HDMI Cable
- USB Cable
|
|---|
| Accessories (retail) |
|
|
|
|
|---|
| CPU | R3000A 32bit RISC chip @ 33.7 MHz - Manufactured by LSI Corporation | 300 MHz MIPS "Emotion Engine" | Cell Broadband Engine (3.2 GHz Power Architecture-based PPE with eight 3.2 GHz SPE) | 8-Core 1.6 GHz AMD "Jaguar" |
|---|
| GPU | 16.47 million colors
Resolution: 256x224 - 640x480 Sprite/BG drawing Adjustable frame buffer No line restriction Unlimited CLUTs (Color Look-Up Tables) 4,000 8x8 pixel sprites with individual scaling and rotation Simultaneous backgrounds (Parallax scrolling) 620,000 polygons/sec
| 147 MHz "Graphics Synthesizer"; fill rate 2.352 gigapixel/sec; 1.1 gigapixel w. 1 texture(diffuse); 588 megapixel/sec w. 2 textures (2 diffuse maps or 1 diffuse map and 1 other(0 around 74 mill, 1 around 40 mill, 2 around 20 mill); 2 textures per pass
Capable of multi-pass rendering;
Connected to VU1 on CPU (a vector only for visual style coding things with 3.2Gflops) to deliver enhanced shader graphics and other enhanced graphics
| 550 MHz RSX "Reality Synthesizer" (based on Nvidia G70 architecture) | Custom AMD Radeon
18 Compute Units (1152 shaders) @ 800 MHz[60] |
|---|
| Online service | N/A | Non-unified service | PlayStation Network
PlayStation Store
Internet browser
A/V chat via PlayStation Eye or PS2 EyeToy, voice chat via headset | PlayStation Network |
|---|
| Backward compatibility | N/A | PlayStation | 20GB & 60GB: All PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles
Original 80GB: All PS1 titles, most PS2 titles.[61]
All other models (model code CECHGxx and later): Support for PS1 titles only.
| No native backwards compatibility. Cloud based backwards compatibility via PlayStation Now.[62] Emulated PlayStation 2 titles available from the PlayStation Store. |
|---|
| System software | proprietary OS | proprietary OS, Linux
DVD Playback Kit | XrossMediaBar (XMB) | Orbis OS[63] |
|---|
System software
features | Audio CD playback
| Audio CD playback
DVD Playback
| Operating Systems can be installed and run via a hypervisor (feature unavailable with Slim Model[64])
Audio CD playback
Audio file playback (ATRAC3, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA)
Video file playback (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264-AVC, DivX )
Blu-ray playback
DVD playback
Image editing and slideshows (JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, BMP) Mouse and keyboard support Folding@Home client with visualizations from the RSX | Blu-ray playback
|
|---|
| Consumer programmability | Requires the Net Yaroze kit | Yabasic software, Linux for PlayStation 2 | Development on console via free Linux platform or PC. | TBA |
|---|
Handheld systems[edit]
PocketStation[edit]
The PocketStation was a miniature game console created by SCE as a
peripheral for the original
PlayStation.
[65] Released exclusively in Japan on December 23, 1999,
[66] it featured a monochrome
LCD, a speaker, a
real-time clock and infrared communication capability. It could also be used as a standard PlayStation memory card by connecting it to a PlayStation memory card slot.
[65] It was extremely popular in Japan and Sony originally had plans to release it in the United States but the plan was ultimately scrapped due to various manufacturing and supply-and-demand problems.
[67][68]
PlayStation Portable[edit]
The original PlayStation Portable (PSP-1000)
The
PlayStation Portable (PSP) was Sony's first handheld console to compete with Nintendo's DS console. The original model (PSP-1000) was released in December
2004 and March
2005,
[69] The console is the first to utilize a new
proprietary optical storage medium known as
Universal Media Disc (UMD), which can store both games and movies.
[70][71] It contains 32
MB of internal
flash memory storage, expandable via
Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.
[72] It has a similar control layout to the PS3 with its PlayStation logo button and its
('Triangle'),
('Circle/O'),
('Cross/X') and
('Square') buttons in their white-colored forms.
PSP-2000 and PSP-3000 models[edit]
A PSP Slim & Lite (PSP-2000) console
The PSP-2000 (also known as the Slim & Lite in PAL territories) was the first major hardware revision of the PlayStation Portable, released in September
2007. The 2000 series was 33% lighter and 19% slimmer than the original PlayStation Portable.
[73][74] The capacity of the battery was also reduced by ⅓ but the run time remained the same as the previous model due to lower power consumption. Older model batteries will still work and they extend the amount of playing time.
[75] The PSP Slim & Lite has a new gloss finish. Its serial port was also modified in order to accommodate a new video-out feature (while rendering older PSP remote controls incompatible). On a PSP-2000, PSP games will only output to external monitors or TVs in progressive scan mode, so that televisions incapable of supporting progressive scan will not display PSP games; non-game video will output in either progressive or interlaced mode.
USB charging was also made possible.
[76] Buttons are also reportedly more responsive on the PSP-2000.
[77] In
2008, Sony released a second hardware revision called the PSP-3000 which included several features that were not present in the PSP-2000, such as a built-in microphone and upgraded screen, as well as the ability to output PSP games in interlaced mode.
PSP Go model[edit]
Piano Black PSP Go (open position)
Released in October
2009, the PSP Go is the biggest redesign of the PlayStation Portable to date. Unlike previous PSP models, the PSP Go does not feature a UMD drive but instead has 16
GB of internal
flash memory to store games, videos and other media.
[78] This can be extended by up to 32GB with the use of a
Memory Stick Micro (M2) flash card. Also unlike previous PSP models, the PSP Go's rechargeable battery is not removable or replaceable by the user. The unit is 43% lighter and 56% smaller than the original PSP-1000,
[79]and 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000.
[80] It has a 3.8" 480 × 272
LCD[81] (compared to the larger 4.3" 480 × 272 pixel LCD on previous PSP models).
[82] The screen slides up to reveal the main controls. The overall shape and sliding mechanism are similar to that of Sony's
mylo COM-2 internet device.
[83] The PSP Go is being produced and sold concurrently with its predecessor the PSP-3000 although it will not replace it.
[79] All games on the PSP Go must be purchased and downloaded from the
PlayStation Store as the handheld is not compatible with the original PSP's physical media, the Universal Media Disc. The handheld also features connectivity with the
PlayStation 3's controllers the
Sixaxis and
DualShock 3 via
Bluetooth connection.
[80]
PSP-E1000 model[edit]
The PSP-E1000 is a budget-focused PSP model which, unlike previous PSP models, does not feature
Wi-Fi or stereo speakers (replaced by a single mono speaker)
[84] and has a matte "charcoal black" finish similar to the slim PlayStation 3.
[85] The E1000 was announced at
Gamescom 2011 and available across the
PAL region for an RRP of
€99.99.
[85]
PlayStation Vita[edit]
Released in Japan on December 17, 2011 and North America on February 22, 2012,
[86] the PlayStation Vita
[87] was previously codenamed
Next Generation Portable (
NGP). It was officially unveiled by Sony on January 27, 2011 at the PlayStation Meeting 2011.
[88] The original model of the handheld, the PCH-1000 series features a 5-inch OLED touchscreen,
[89] two analog sticks, a rear touchpad, Sixaxis motion sensing and a 4 core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor.
The new PCH-2000 series system is a lighter redesign of the device that was announced at the SCEJA Press Conference in September 2013 prior to the Tokyo Game Show. This model is 20% thinner and 15% lighter compared to the original model, has an additional hour of battery life, an LCD instead of OLED, includes a micro USB Type B port, 1GB of internal storage memory. It was released in Japan on October 10, 2013 in six colors: white, black, pink, yellow, blue, and olive green, and in North America on May 6, 2014.
[90]
Other hardware[edit]
PSX (2003)[edit]
Released solely in Japan in
2003, the
Sony PSX was a fully integrated
DVR and PlayStation 2
video game console. It was the first Sony product to utilize the
XrossMediaBar (XMB)
[91] and can be linked with a
PlayStation Portable to transfer videos and music via
USB.
[92] It also features software for
video,
photo and
audio editing.
[91] PSX supports online game compatibility using an internal broadband adapter. Games that utilize the
PS2 HDD (for example,
Final Fantasy XI) are supported as well.
[93] It was the first product released by Sony under the PlayStation brand that did not include a controller with the device itself.
[94]
Television sets[edit]
Released in 2010, the
Sony BRAVIA KDL22PX300 is a 22 inch 720p television which incorporates a PlayStation 2 console, along with 4 HDMI ports.
[95]
A 24 inch 1080p PlayStation branded 3D television, officially called the
PlayStation 3D Display, was released in late 2011. A feature of this 3D television is
SimulView. During multiplayer games, each player will only see their respective screen (in full HD) appear on the television through their respective 3D glasses, instead of seeing a
split screen (e.g. player 1 will only see player 1's screen displayed through their 3D glasses).
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play[edit]
The Xperia Play is an Android-powered smartphone with a slide-up gamepad resembling the PSP Go developed by
Sony Ericsson aimed at gamers, and is the first to be
PlayStation Certified. Also can download PlayStation Suite App.
Sony Tablets[edit]
Sony Tablets are
PlayStation Certified Android tablets, released in 2011, 2012, and 2013. They offer connectivity with PlayStation 3 controllers, and integrate with the PlayStation network using a proprietary application. The following models were released between 2011 and 2013: S, Sony Tablet S, Sony Tablet P, Xperia Tablet S and Xperia Tablet Z.
PlayStation TV[edit]
PlayStation TV, known in
Asia as PlayStation Vita TV, is a
microconsole and a non-portable variant of the PlayStation Vita handheld. It was announced on September 9, 2013 at a Sony Computer Entertainment Japan presentation. Instead of featuring a display screen, the console connects to a television via HDMI. Users can play using a DualShock 3 controller, although due to the difference in features between the controller and the handheld, certain games are not compatible with PS TV, such as those that are dependent on the system's touch-screen, rear touchpad, microphone or camera. The device is said to be compatible with over 100 Vita games, as well as various digital PlayStation Portable, PlayStation and PC Engine titles. The system supports Remote Play compatibility with the PlayStation 4, allowing players to stream games from the PS4 to a separate TV connected to PS TV, and also allows users to stream content from video services such as Hulu and Niconico, as well as access the PlayStation Store. The system was released in
Japan on November 14, 2013, in
North America on October 14, 2014, and in
Europe and
Australasia on November 14, 2014.
[96]
PlayStation VR[edit]
PlayStation VR is a virtual reality device that is produced by
Sony Computer Entertainment. It features a 5.7 inch 1920x1080 resolution OLED display, and operates at 120fps which can eliminate blur and produce a smooth image; the device also has a low latency of less than 18ms.
[97] Additionally, it produces two sets of images, one being visible on a TV and one for the headset, and includes 3D audio technology so the player can hear from all angles. The PlayStation VR was released in October 2016.
[98]
Each console has a variety of games. Most games released on the original PlayStation are backwards compatible and can be played directly on its successors, the
PlayStation 2,
PSX and
PlayStation 3. Some of these games can also be played on the PlayStation Portable but they must be purchased and downloaded from a list of
PSone Classics from the
PlayStation Store. Games released on the PlayStation 2 can currently only be played on the original console as well as the PSX and the early models of the PlayStation 3 which are backwards compatible. The PlayStation 3 has two types of games, those released on Blu-ray Discs and downloadable games from the PlayStation Store. The PlayStation Portable consists of numerous games available on both its physical media, the Universal Media Disc and the
Digital Download from the PlayStation Store. However, some games are only available on the UMD while others are only available on the PlayStation Store. The PlayStation Vita consists of games available on both its physical media, the
PlayStation Vita card and digital download from the PlayStation Store.
First party games[edit]
Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios is a group of video game developers owned by
Sony Computer Entertainment. It is dedicated to developing video games exclusively for the PlayStation series of consoles. The series has produced several best-selling franchises such as the
Gran Turismo series of racing video games as well as critically acclaimed titles such as the
Uncharted series. Other notable franchises include
God of War,
Twisted Metal and more recently,
LittleBigPlanet (series),
InFAMOUS, and
MotorStorm.
Re-releases[edit]
Greatest Hits (North America), Platinum Range (PAL territories) and The Best (Japan and Asia) are
video games for the Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable consoles that have been officially re-released at a lower price by Sony. Each region has its own qualifications to enter the re-release program. Initially, during the PlayStation era, a game had to sell at least 150,000 copies (later 250,000)
[99] and be on the market for at least a year
[100] to enter the Greatest Hits range. During the
PlayStation 2 era, the requirements increased with the minimum number of copies sold increasing to 400,000 and the game had to be on the market for at least 9 months.
[99] For the
PlayStation Portable, games had to be on the market for at least 9 months with 250,000 copies or more sold.
[101] Currently, a PlayStation 3 game must be on the market for 10 months and sell at least 500,000 copies to meet the Greatest Hits criteria.
[102] PSone Classics were games that were released originally on the PlayStation and have been re-released on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Classics HD are compilations of PlayStation 2 games that have been remastered for the PlayStation 3 on a single disc with additional features such as upscaled graphics,
PlayStation Move support,
3D support and
PlayStation Network trophies.
PlayStation Mobile (formerly PlayStation Suite) is a cross-platform, cross-device software framework aimed at providing PlayStation content, currently original PlayStation games, across several devices including
PlayStation Certified Android devices as well as the
PlayStation Vita.
Online services[edit]
PlayStation 2 online service[edit]
Online gaming on PlayStation consoles first started in July 2001 with the release of PlayStation 2's unnamed online service in Japan. Later in August 2002 saw its release in North America, followed by the European release in June 2003. This service was shutdown on March 31, 2016.
PlayStation Network[edit]
PlayStation Store[edit]
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of the PlayStation 3 and
PlayStation Portable game consoles via the
PlayStation Network. The store uses both physical currency and
PlayStation Network Cards. The PlayStation Store's gaming content is updated every Tuesday and offers a range of
downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games, add-on content,
playable demos,
themes and game and movie
trailers. The service is accessible through an icon on the
XMB on the PS3 and PSP. The PS3 store can also be accessed on the PSP via a
Remote Play connection to the PS3. The PSP store is also available via the PC application,
Media Go. As of September 24, 2009, there have been over 600 million downloads from the PlayStation Store worldwide.
[105]
Video content such as films and television shows are also available from the PlayStation Store on the PlayStation 3 and PSP and will be made available on some new Sony BRAVIA televisions, VAIO laptop computers and Sony Blu-ray Disc players from February 2010.
[106]
Life with PlayStation[edit]
Life with PlayStation was a
Folding@home application available for PlayStation 3 which connected to
Stanford University’s Folding@home
distributed computer network and allowed the user to donate their console's spare processing cycles to the project.
[107] Folding@home is supported by Stanford University and volunteers make a contribution to society by
donating computing power to this project. Research made by the project may eventually contribute to the creation of vital cures. The Folding@home client was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment in collaboration with Stanford University.
[108] Life with PlayStation also consisted of a 3D virtual view of the Earth and contained current weather and news information of various cities and countries from around the world, as well as a
World Heritage channel which offered information about historical sites, and the United Village channel which is a project designed to share information about communities and cultures worldwide.
[109][110] As of PlayStation 3 system software update version 4.30 on October 24, 2012, the Life With PlayStation project has ended.
PlayStation Plus[edit]
PlayStation Plus, a subscription-based service on the
PlayStation Network, compliments the standard PSN services.
[111] It enables an auto-download feature which allows the console to automatically download game patches and system software updates. Subscribers also gain early or exclusive access to some
betas, game demos, premium downloadable content (such as full game trials of retail games like
Infamous and
LittleBigPlanet) and other
PlayStation Store items, as well as a free subscription to
Qore. Other downloadable items include PlayStation Store discounts and free PlayStation Network games, PSone Classics, PlayStation Minis, themes and avatars.
[112]
PlayStation Blog[edit]
PlayStation Blog is an online PlayStation focused gaming
blog which is part of the
PlayStation Network. It was launched on June 11, 2007
[113] and since its launch, has featured in numerous interviews with third-party companies such as
Square Enix.
[114] It also has posts from high-ranking
Sony Computer Entertainment executives such as
Jack Tretton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment.
[115] A sub-site of the blog called PlayStation Blog Share was launched on March 17, 2010 and allowed readers of the blog as well as users of the PlayStation Blog to submit ideas to the PlayStation team about anything PlayStation-related and vote on the ideas of other submissions.
[116][117]
PlayStation App[edit]
The PlayStation App is an application that was released on January 11, 2011 in several European countries for
iOS (version 4 and above) and for
Android (version 1.6 and above),
[118] and has been installed more than 3.6 million times as of March 2, 2014.
[119] It allows users to view their trophies, see which of their PSN friends are online and read up to date information about PlayStation.
[118] It does not feature any gaming functionality.
[118]
PlayStation Mobile[edit]
The PlayStation Mobile (formerly
PlayStation Suite) is a software framework that will be used to provide downloadable
PlayStation content to devices running
Android 2.3 and above as well as the
PlayStation Vita. The framework will be cross-platform and cross-device, which is what Sony calls "hardware-neutral". It is currently set to release before the end of calendar year 2011. In addition, Android devices that have been certified to be able to play back PlayStation Suite content smoothly will be certified with the
PlayStation Certified certification.
[13]
PlayStation Now[edit]
PlayStation Now (PS Now) is a Gaikai-based video game streaming service used to provide PlayStation gaming content to
PlayStation 3 (PS3),
PlayStation 4 (PS4),
PlayStation Vita,
PlayStation TV and
BRAVIA televisions.
[120] The service currently allows users to pay for access to a selection of original PlayStation 3 titles on either a per-game basis or via a subscription. PlayStation Now was announced on January 7, 2014 at the 2014
Consumer Electronic Show. At CES, Sony presented demos of The Last of Us, God of War: Ascension, Puppeteer and Beyond: Two Souls, playable through PS Now on Bravia TVs and PlayStation Vitas. PlayStation Now was launched in Open Beta in the
United States and
Canada on PS4 on July 31, 2014, on PS3 on September 18, 2014, on PS Vita and PS TV on October 14, 2014, with support for select 2014 Bravia TVs coming later in the year.
[121]
Online social networking services[edit]
PlayStation Home[edit]
PlayStation Home is a community-based social gaming networking service for the PlayStation 3 on the
PlayStation Network (PSN). It is available directly from the PlayStation 3
XrossMediaBar. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN account. Home has been in development since early 2005 and started an open public
beta test on December 11, 2008.
[122] Home allows users to create a custom
avatar, which can be made to suit the user's preference.
[123] Users can decorate their avatar's personal apartment ("HomeSpace") with default, bought, or won items. They can travel throughout the Home world (except cross region), which is constantly updated by Sony and partners. Each part of the world is known as a space. Public spaces can just be for display, fun, or for meeting people. Home features many mini-games which can be single player or multiplayer. Users can shop for new items to express themselves more through their avatars or HomeSpace.
[124] Home features video screens in many places for advertising, but the main video content is shown at the theatre for entertainment. Home plays host to a variety of special events which range from prize-giving events to entertaining events. Users can also use Home to connect with friends and customize content.
[122] Xi, a once notable feature of Home, is the world's first console based
Alternate Reality Game that took place in secret areas in Home and was created by
nDreams.
[125][126]
Room for PlayStation Portable[edit]
"Room" (officially spelled as
R∞M with capital letters and the
infinity symbol in place of the "oo") was being beta tested in Japan from October 2009 to April 2010. Development of Room has been halted on April 15, 2010 due to negative feedback from the community.
[127] Announced at
TGS 2009, it was supposed to be a similar service to the PlayStation Home and was being developed for the PSP.
[128] Launching directly from the PlayStation Network section of the XMB was also to be enabled. Just like in Home, PSP owners would have been able to invite other PSP owners into their rooms to "enjoy real time communication."
[129] A closed beta test had begun in Q4 2009 in Japan.
[130]
Software[edit]
XrossMediaBar[edit]
The XrossMediaBar, originally used on the
PSX, is a
graphical user interface currently used for the PlayStation 3 and
PlayStation Portable, as well as a variety of other Sony devices. The interface features
icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation moves the icons instead of a
cursor. These icons are used as categories to organize the options available to the user. When an icon is selected on the horizontal bar, several more appear vertically, above and below it (selectable by the up and down directions on a directional pad).
[131] The XMB can also be accessed in-game albeit with restrictions, it allows players to access certain areas of the XMB menu from within the game and is only available for the PlayStation 3.
[132] Although the capacity to play users' own music in-game was added with this update, the feature is dependent on game developers who must either enable the feature in their games or update existing games.
[133]
LiveArea[edit]
LiveArea, designed to be used on the
PlayStation Vita, is a graphical user interface set to incorporate various social networking features via the
PlayStation Network. It has been designed specifically as a touchscreen user interface for users.
[134]
Linux operating systems[edit]
Linux for PlayStation 2[edit]
In 2002, Sony released the first useful and fully functioning
operating system for a video game console, after the
Net Yaroze experiment for the original PlayStation. The kit, which included an internal hard disk drive and the necessary software tools, turned the
PlayStation 2 into a full-fledged
computer system running
Linux. Users can utilize a network adapter to connect the PlayStation 2 to the internet, a monitor cable adaptor to connect the PlayStation 2 to computer monitors as well as a USB Keyboard and Mouse which can be used to control Linux on the PlayStation 2.
[135][136]
Linux for PlayStation 3[edit]
The PlayStation 3 (excluding PlayStation 3 Slim) also supports running Linux OS on firmwares prior to 3.21 without the need for buying additional hardware purchase.
Yellow Dog Linux provides an official distribution that can be downloaded, and other distributions such as
Fedora,
Gentoo and
Ubuntu have been successfully installed and operated on the console.
[33] The use of Linux on the PlayStation 3 allowed users to access 6 of the 7
Synergistic Processing Elements; Sony implemented a
hypervisor restricting access to the
RSX. The feature to install a second operating system on a PlayStation 3 was removed in a firmware update released in 2010.
[137]
Controllers[edit]
Early PlayStation controllers[edit]
A PlayStation Controller.
Released in 1994, the PlayStation control pad was the first controller made for the original
PlayStation. It featured a basic design of a
D-pad, 4 main select buttons (
('Green Triangle'),
('Red Circle/Red O')),
('Blue Cross/Blue X') and
('Pink Square'),
[138] and start and select buttons on the face. 'Shoulder buttons' are also featured on the top [L1, L2, R1, R2] (named by the side [L=Left, R=Right] and 1 and 2 [top and bottom]). In 1996, Sony released the PlayStation Analog Joystick for use with flight simulation games.
[139] The original digital controller was then replaced by the Dual Analog in 1997, which added two analog sticks based on the same potentiometer technology as the Analog Joystick.
[140] This controller was then also succeeded by the DualShock controller.
DualShock series and Sixaxis[edit]
Released in 1998, the DualShock controller for the PlayStation succeeded its predecessor, the Dual Analog, and would go on to become the longest running series of controllers for the PlayStation brand. In addition to the inputs of the original, digital, controller (
,
,
,
, L1, L2, R1, R2, Start, Select and a
D-pad), the DualShock featured two
analog sticks in a similar fashion to the previous
Dual Analog controller, which can also be depressed to activate the L3 and R3 buttons.
[141]
The DualShock series consists of four controllers: the DualShock which was the fourth controller released for the PlayStation; the DualShock 2, the only standard controller released for the PlayStation 2, and the DualShock 3, the second and current controller released for the PlayStation 3, and the DualShock 4, which went through a massive redesign and is the default input of the PlayStation 4, and upon release was compatible with the PS3 originally only via USB and eventually with a firmware update, Bluetooth connectivity was enabled. The Sixaxis was the first official controller for the PlayStation 3, and is based on the same design as the DualShock series (but lacking the vibration motors of the DualShock series of controllers).
Like the Dual Analog, the DualShock and DualShock 2 feature an "Analog" button between the analog sticks that toggles the analog sticks on and off (for use with games which support only the digital input of the original controller). On the PlayStation 3
Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers, the analog sticks are always enabled. Beginning with the Sixaxis, a 'PlayStation button' (which featured the incorporated PS logo and is similar in function to the
Xbox 360 "Guide" button) was included on controllers. The PlayStation button replaces the "Analog" button of the DualShock and DualShock 2 controllers. Pressing the PS button on the PS3 brings up the
XMB, while holding it down brings up system options (such as quit the game, change controller settings, turn off the system, and turn off the controller).
[142]
PlayStation Move[edit]
A PlayStation Move controller
PlayStation Move is a motion-sensing
game controller platform for the PlayStation 3 video game console by
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). Based on the handheld motion controller wand, PlayStation Move uses the
PlayStation Eye webcam to track the wand's position and the inertial sensors in the wand to detect its motion. First revealed on June 2, 2009, PlayStation Move was launched in Q3/Q4 2010. Hardware available at launch included the main PlayStation Move motion controller and an optional PlayStation Move sub-controller.
[143] Although PlayStation Move is implemented on the existing PlayStation 3 console, Sony states that it is treating Move's debut as its own major "platform launch", planning an aggressive marketing campaign to support it. In addition to selling the controllers individually,
[144] Sony also plans to provide several different bundle options for PlayStation Move hardware; including a starter kit with a PS Eye, a Move motion controller, and a demo/sampler disc, priced under
US$100;
[145] a full console pack with a PS3 console,
DualShock 3 gamepad, PS Eye, and Move motion controller; and bundles of a Move motion controller with select games.
[144]
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