Introduction
PlayStation is one of the most recognizable brands in gaming history. From the first console with defining games like Final Fantasy VII to the PlayStation 5 with hits like God of War Ragnarok, PlayStation remains one of the key pillars of the gaming industry today. Over the past 29 years, many consoles have been released, including revisions, handheld consoles, and new generations. We’ve rounded up every PlayStation console ever released below. Take a walk down memory lane and immerse yourself in PlayStation history!
How many PlayStation consoles were produced?
A total of fourteen PlayStation consoles have been released, starting with the first PlayStation released in 1995 in North America. This list includes the slim revisions of the consoles and the two handheld consoles that Sony released under the PlayStation brand.
Each PlayStation console is in release order
PlayStation – September 9, 1995
The Sony PlayStation is the console that started it all. Unlike industry leader Nintendo, which used cartridges, PlayStation used CD-ROMs. These discs had a lot more space, which allowed big developers like Square Enix to create games for the console. PlayStation is forever remembered for games like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil 2, Vagrant Story, Crash Bandicoot and many other great games for PS1.
PS One – September 19, 2000
The PS One is a redesigned model of the PlayStation that offers the same features in a smaller form factor. The only significant change in this model was the removal of the reset button. In 2002, Sony released a detachable screen for the PS One called the Combo. This was made possible by tidying up a few different ports on the back of the console. It’s also worth noting that the PS One outsold the PlayStation 2 in 2000, which is wild in retrospect.
PlayStation 2 – October 26, 2000
The PlayStation 2 hit the scene in October 2000, offering a significant increase in visual fidelity over its predecessor. Long gone are the days of polygonal figurines, the days of detailed character models and 3D action have come. To this day, the PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling console of all time. Although with each update, the Nintendo Switch is slowly getting closer and closer to it.
PlayStation 2 Slim – November 2004
The PlayStation 2 Slim has seen monumental improvements in all areas: performance, efficiency and design. First of all, the disc drive was changed to a top-loading disc, which solved some of the problems players experienced with dual-layer discs on standard PlayStation 2 consoles. Additionally, Sony reduced the PS2 Slim’s power consumption by redesigning the internal components for greater efficiency. The PS2 Slim was much smaller than the original PS2, hence the name “Slim”. This was Sony’s first Slim modification and has been used in every generation of PlayStation since then.
PlayStation Portable – March 24, 2005
The PlayStation Portable was the first portable console that Sony released under the PlayStation name. Also known as the PSP (not to be confused with the new PlayStation Portal), this console allowed you to play games, watch movies and listen to music. It used UMD as a method of physically storing games and movies. The device could even connect to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, and some games allowed the PSP to be used in-game. The best PSP games of the time were also really solid pieces of various franchises.
PlayStation 3 – November 17, 2006
The PlayStation 3 was a huge step up from the PS2, with tons of new features. The major shake-up came with new online features, including the PlayStation Network. PSN brought multiplayer games, digital downloads and more. This console was also backwards compatible, so you could put in PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games instead of just PS3 games. Finally, the PS3 introduced support for Blu-ray discs, allowing players to insert movies and watch them through the console. This addition is one of the reasons why consoles are among the best Blu-ray players on the market in 2024.
PlayStation 3 Slim – September 1, 2009
The PlayStation 3 Slim arrived three years after the release of the original PS3, reducing weight, volume and power consumption by 33% compared to the first model. The cooling system has been completely redesigned to save space, which also provides a better temperature regime for the system. Undoubtedly, the biggest drawback of this version was the lack of backward compatibility. Sony ended support for PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games on this model, and the feature never returned.