View source for Engineering:PlayStation (console)

{{Short description|Home video game console by Sony}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| logo = [[File:Playstation logo colour.svg|frameless|upright=0.45]]<br />frameless|upright=0.5<br />[[File:PSone logo.svg|frameless|upright=0.5]]
| image = <div style="white-space: nowrap; background: #ffffff; border: #dadada solid 1px;">[[File:PlayStation-SCPH-1000-with-Controller.jpg|frameless|250px]]<br />[[File:PSone-Console-Set-NoLCD.jpg|frameless|230px]]</div>
| caption = '''Top: '''The original model (1994) with the [[Engineering:PlayStation controller|PlayStation Controller]] and Memory Card<br />'''Bottom: '''The smaller, redesigned PS One (2000) with its [[Engineering:DualShock|DualShock]] Controller and Memory Card 
| aka = {{Hlist|PS|PS1|PSone|PS One (redesign)|PSX (codename)}}
| developer = [[Company:Sony Interactive Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]
| manufacturer = [[Company:Sony#Electronics products & solutions|Sony Electronics]]
| family = [[Engineering:PlayStation|PlayStation]]
| type = [[Engineering:Home video game console|Home video game console]]
| generation = Fifth
| releasedate = '''PlayStation'''{{vgrelease|JP|{{start date|df=yes| 3 December 1994}}<ref name="developmentJP">{{cite web |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatajpn_e.html |title=Business Development/Japan |access-date=19 December 2007 |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040422074823/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatajpn_e.html|archive-date=22 April 2004}}</ref>|NA|{{start date|df=yes|9 September 1995}}<ref name="developmentNA">{{cite web |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatausa_e.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227100114/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatausa_e.html |archive-date=27 February 2012 |title= Business Development/North America |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|access-date=16 November 2015}}</ref>|EU|{{start date|df=yes|29 September 1995}}<ref name="developmentEU">{{cite web |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataeu_e.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040422074254/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataeu_e.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 April 2004 |title=Business Development/Europe |access-date=19 December 2007 |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]}}</ref>|AU|{{start date|df=yes|15 November 1995}}<ref name="aus">{{cite web |last1=Healey |first1=Nic |title=Evolution of the PlayStation console |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/evolution-of-the-playstation-console/ |website=CNET |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=26 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226222806/https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/evolution-of-the-playstation-console/ |archive-date=26 February 2022 |location=Indian Land |language=en |date=27 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>|ZA|{{start date|df=yes|November 1996}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playstation-europe.com/playstation/pr/launch.htm |title=Playstation Launch Dates |website=www.playstation-europe.com |access-date=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980703064424/http://www.playstation-europe.com/playstation/pr/launch.htm |archive-date=3 July 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref>|[[Place:Hong Kong|HK]]/[[Place:Singapore|SG]]/TH/MY|{{start date|df=yes|December 1996}}<ref name="Asian launch dates">{{cite web |url=https://sonyinteractive.com/en/our-company/expanded-company-timeline/ |title=Expanded Company Timeline |website=[[Company:Sony Interactive Entertainment|Sony Interactive Entertainment]] |access-date=3 July 2023 }}</ref>|TW|{{start date|df=yes|December 1997}}<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.sony.com/ja/pressroom/pict_data/ps/ |title=Playstation 2 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment |date=2007 |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref>}}'''PS One'''{{vgrelease|JP|{{start date|df=yes|7 July 2000}}|NA|{{start date|df=yes|19 September 2000}}|EU|{{start date|df=yes|29 September 2000}}|[[Place:Hong Kong|HK]]/[[Place:Singapore|SG]]/TH/MY/TW|{{start date|df=yes|November 2000}}<ref name="Asian launch dates" />|IND|{{start date|df=yes|24 January 2002}}<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/sony-playstation-touches-base-in-india-102012401049_1.html | title=Sony Playstation Touches Base in India | newspaper=Business Standard India | date=24 January 2002 | access-date=18 September 2022 | archive-date=20 September 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920173718/https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/sony-playstation-touches-base-in-india-102012401049_1.html | url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| lifespan = 1994–2006 (12 years)
| discontinued = [[Philosophy:World|WW]]: 23 March 2006<ref name="shipments"/><ref name="stops"/>
| unitssold = 102.49&nbsp;million<ref name="shipments">{{cite web |url=http://scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722094946/http://scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html |archive-date=22 July 2011 |title= PlayStation Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware |access-date=12 December 2012 |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]}}</ref>
| price = [[Finance:Japanese yen|¥]]39,800, {{US$|299}},{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=12}} [[Finance:Pound sterling|£]]299,{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}} [[Finance:French franc|F]]1,490, [[Finance:Deutsche Mark|DM]]599<ref name=developmentEU/>
| media = [[CD-ROM]]
| cpu = [[Engineering:R3000|R3000]]
| CPUspeed = 33.8688&nbsp;MHz
| memory = 2&nbsp;MB RAM, 1&nbsp;MB [[VRAM]]
| storage = [[Memory card#Video game consoles|Memory card]]
| sound = 16-bit, 24 channel ADPCM
| controllers = [[Engineering:PlayStation controller|PlayStation controller]], [[Engineering:PlayStation Analog Joystick|PlayStation Analog Joystick]], [[Engineering:Dual Analog Controller|Dual Analog Controller]], [[Engineering:DualShock|DualShock]]
| connectivity = PlayStation Link Cable
| service = {{ubl|i-mode Mobile Phone Connection Cable {{small|(Japan only)}}|Lightspan Online Connection CD {{small|(third-party)}}}}
| topgame = ''[[Software:Gran Turismo (1997 video game)|Gran Turismo]]'', 10.85&nbsp;million shipped<ref name=granturismo>{{cite press release |url=http://asia.playstation.com/eng_hk/index.php?q=node%2F1517 |title=Gran Turismo Series Shipment Exceeds 50 Million Units Worldwide |date=9 May 2008 |access-date=3 June 2008 |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526121143/http://asia.playstation.com/eng_hk/index.php?q=node/1517 |archive-date=26 May 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.polyphony.co.jp/english/list.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206025009/http://www.polyphony.co.jp/english/list.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 February 2007 |title='Gran Turismo' Series Software Title List |date=March 2010 |access-date=24 October 2010 |publisher=[[Company:Polyphony Digital|Polyphony Digital]]  }}</ref>
| successor = [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]]
| title = PlayStation
}}

The {{Nihongo foot|'''PlayStation'''|プレイステーション|''Pureisutēshon''|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}}<!-- See WP:JFN --> (abbreviated as '''PS''', commonly known as the '''PS1/PS one''' or its codename '''PSX''') is a [[Engineering:Home video game console|home video game console]] developed and marketed by [[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]. It was released in Japan on 3 December 1994, in North America on 9 September 1995, in Europe on 29 September 1995, and in Australia on 15 November 1995. As a fifth-generation console, the PlayStation primarily competed with the [[Engineering:Nintendo 64|Nintendo 64]] and the [[Engineering:Sega Saturn|Sega Saturn]].

Sony began developing the PlayStation after a failed venture with [[Company:Nintendo|Nintendo]] to create [[Engineering:Super NES CD-ROM|a CD-ROM peripheral]] for the [[Engineering:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] in the early 1990s. The console was primarily designed by Ken Kutaragi and Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan, while additional development was outsourced in the United Kingdom. An emphasis on [[3D computer graphics|3D polygon graphics]] was placed at the forefront of the console's design. PlayStation game production was designed to be streamlined and inclusive, enticing the support of many third-party developers.

The console proved popular for its extensive game library, popular franchises, low retail price, and aggressive youth marketing which advertised it as the preferable console for adolescents and adults. Premier PlayStation franchises included ''Gran Turismo'', ''Wipeout'', ''[[Software:Crash Bandicoot|Crash Bandicoot]]'', ''Spyro,'' ''Tomb Raider, [[Software:Resident Evil|Resident Evil]], [[Software:Metal Gear|Metal Gear]],'' ''[[Software:Tekken|Tekken]]'', and ''[[Software:Final Fantasy|Final Fantasy]]'', all of which spawned numerous sequels. PlayStation games continued to sell until Sony ceased production of the PlayStation and its games on 23 March 2006—over eleven years after it had been released, and less than a year before the debut of the [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]].<ref name="stops">{{cite web |title=Sony stops making original PS |website=GameSpot|publisher=Red Ventures|location=Indian Land |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-stops-making-original-ps/1100-6146549/ |date=23 March 2006 |access-date=2 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327183803/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-stops-making-original-ps/1100-6146549/ |archive-date=27 March 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> A total of 3,061 PlayStation games were released, with cumulative sales of 967&nbsp;million units.

The PlayStation signalled Sony's rise to power in the video game industry. It received acclaim and sold strongly; in less than a decade, it became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100&nbsp;million units.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/051130e.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060103211119/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/051130e.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 January 2006|title=PlayStation 2 Breaks Record as the Fastest Computer Entertainment Platform to Reach Cumulative Shipment of 100 Million Units |date=30 November 2005 |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]] |access-date=8 June 2008}}</ref> Its use of [[Engineering:Compact disc|compact disc]]s heralded the game industry's transition from [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]]. The PlayStation's success led to a [[Engineering:PlayStation|line of successors]], beginning with the [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]] in 2000. In the same year, Sony released a smaller and cheaper model, the '''PS one'''.

==History==
===Background===
[[File:Sony-playstation prototype.jpg|thumb|right|A photo of the only known [[Engineering:Super NES CD-ROM|SNES-based PlayStation prototype]]<ref name="only">{{cite web |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=Rare Nintendo Play Station sold at auction for more than $300,000 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/6/21168106/rare-nintendo-playstation-auction-sold-heritage |website=Polygon |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010025645/https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/6/21168106/rare-nintendo-playstation-auction-sold-heritage |archive-date=10 October 2021|date=6 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>|alt=A photo of the only-known SNES-based PlayStation prototype with a controller and disk drive in the foreground.]]
The PlayStation was conceived by Ken Kutaragi, a [[Company:Sony|Sony]] executive who managed a hardware engineering division and was later dubbed "the Father of the PlayStation".<ref name=father2>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5475462/whats-the-father-of-the-playstation-doing-these-days| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/http://kotaku.com/5475462/whats-the-father-of-the-playstation-doing-these-days| archive-date=1 October 2021 |title=What's The Father of the PlayStation Doing These Days? |first=Brian|last=Ashcraft |date=19 February 2010 |website=Kotaku|publisher=Future plc|location=Bath|access-date=11 August 2010|url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6239672.html |title='Father of the PlayStation' adopts new start up |first=Tom |last=Magrino |date=11 November 2009 |website=GameSpot|publisher=Red Ventures|location={{wipe|San Francisco}}|url-status=live|access-date=11 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303103306/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6239672.html |archive-date=3 March 2010 }}</ref> Kutaragi's interest in working with video games stemmed from seeing his daughter play games on [[Company:Nintendo|Nintendo]]'s [[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]].<ref name=father>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/farewell-father-article |title=Farewell, Father |last1=Fahey|first1=Rob |date=27 April 2007 |website=Eurogamer|access-date=8 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817080000/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/farewell-father-article |archive-date=17 August 2012 |url-status=live|publisher=Future plc|location=Bath }}</ref> Kutaragi convinced Nintendo to use his SPC-700 sound processor in the [[Engineering:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES) through a demonstration of the processor's capabilities.{{sfn|Leigh|2018|p=188}} His willingness to work with Nintendo derived from both his admiration of the Famicom and conviction in video game consoles becoming the main home-use entertainment systems.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=28}} Although Kutaragi was nearly fired because he worked with Nintendo without Sony's knowledge,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Miller|first1=Paul|title=Sony's Ken Kutaragi leaving|url=https://www.engadget.com/2007/04/26/sonys-ken-kutaragi-leaving-sce-chairman-and-ceo-spots-in-june/|date=26 April 2007|website=[[Software:Engadget|Engadget]]|publisher=Verizon Media|location={{wipe|New York City}}|access-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820055743/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/26/sonys-ken-kutaragi-leaving-sce-chairman-and-ceo-spots-in-june/|archive-date=20 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> president Norio Ohga recognised the potential in Kutaragi's chip and decided to keep him as a protégé.<ref name=father/>

The inception of the PlayStation dates back to a 1988 joint venture between Nintendo and Sony.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}} Nintendo had produced [[Floppy disk|floppy disk]] technology to complement cartridges in the form of the Family Computer Disk System, and wanted to continue this complementary storage strategy for the SNES.<ref name=father /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/15-years-cd-i?pager.offset=1 |title=CDi: The Ugly Duckling |last1=Cowan|first1=Danny |date=25 April 2006 |website=1UP.com |access-date=8 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104035709/http://www.1up.com/features/15-years-cd-i?pager.offset=1 |archive-date=4 November 2012 }}</ref> Since Sony was already contracted to produce the SPC-700 sound processor for the SNES,{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}} Nintendo contracted Sony to develop a [[CD-ROM]] add-on, tentatively titled the "Play Station" or "[[Engineering:Super NES CD-ROM|SNES-CD]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nutt |first1=Christian |title=Birthday Memories: Sony PlayStation Turns 15 |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/birthday-memories-sony-playstation-turns-15 |website=Game Developer |publisher=[[Company:Informa|Informa]] |access-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306101017/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/birthday-memories-sony-playstation-turns-15 |archive-date=6 March 2022 |location=[[Place:London|London]] |language=en |date=9 September 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="polygonhistory">{{cite web |last1=Hester |first1=Blake |title=The history of PlayStation was almost very different |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/12/6/20999590/the-history-of-playstation-was-almost-very-different |website=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |access-date=17 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420110919/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/12/6/20999590/the-history-of-playstation-was-almost-very-different |archive-date=20 April 2020 |location=Washington D.C. |language=en |date=6 December 2019}}</ref> The PlayStation name had already been trademarked by Yamaha, but Nobuyuki Idei liked it so much that he agreed to acquire it for an undisclosed sum rather than search for an alternative.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kenkel |first=Paul |title=Digital Dreams: The Work of the Sony Design Center |publisher=Universe Publishing |year=1999 |isbn=978-0789302625 |pages=127}}</ref>

Sony was keen to obtain a foothold in the rapidly expanding video game market. Having been the primary manufacturer of the ill-fated [[Engineering:MSX|MSX]] home computer format, Sony had wanted to use their experience in consumer electronics to produce their own video game hardware.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|pp=8–9}}<ref name=ignhistory/> Although the initial agreement between Nintendo and Sony was about producing a CD-ROM drive add-on, Sony had also planned to develop a SNES-compatible Sony-branded console. This iteration was intended to be more of a home entertainment system, playing both SNES cartridges and a new CD format named the "Super Disc", which Sony would design.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}}{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=32}} Under the agreement, Sony would retain sole international rights to every Super Disc game, giving them a large degree of control despite Nintendo's leading position in the video game market.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}}<ref name="edgehistory">{{cite magazine |title=The Making Of: PlayStation |author=Edge staff |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-playstation |magazine=Edge |publisher=Future plc|location=Bath|date=24 April 2009 |access-date=7 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516003333/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-playstation|archive-date=16 May 2012}}</ref><ref name=ignhistory/> Furthermore, Sony would also be the sole benefactor of licensing related to music and film software that it had been aggressively pursuing as a secondary application.<ref name="pschronicles">{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/psones-betrayal-and-revenge-story/ | title = PSOne's Betrayal And Revenge Story |first1= Andy|last1= Robinson|date=5 February 2020|access-date=6 February 2020|work=Video Games Chronicle|publisher=Gamer Network|location=Brighton|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309015909/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/psones-betrayal-and-revenge-story/|archivedate=9 March 2021}}</ref>

The Play Station was to be announced at the 1991 [[Engineering:Consumer Electronics Show|Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES) in Las Vegas.<ref name="ces">{{cite web|last1=Ashcraft|first1=Brian|date=16 January 2012|title=The Nintendo PlayStation You Never Got To See|url=http://kotaku.com/5876374/the-playstation-you-never-got-to-play/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821050918/http://kotaku.com/5876374/the-playstation-you-never-got-to-play/|archive-date=21 August 2014|access-date=20 August 2014|website=Kotaku|publisher=Univision Communications|location={{wipe|Los Angeles}}}}</ref> However, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi was wary of Sony's increasing leverage at this point and deemed the original 1988 contract unacceptable upon realising it essentially handed Sony control over all games written on the SNES CD-ROM format. Although Nintendo was dominant in the video game market, Sony possessed a superior [[Research and development|research and development]] department.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|pp=25–26}} Wanting to protect Nintendo's existing licensing structure, Yamauchi cancelled all plans for the joint Nintendo–Sony SNES CD attachment without telling Sony.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|pp=9–10}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/10/hiroshi-yamauchi-henk-rogers/|title=Remembering My Friend, Hiroshi Yamauchi|last=Rogers|first=Henk|date=1 October 2013|magazine=Wired|access-date=2 October 2019|issn=1059-1028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209215614/https://www.wired.com/2013/10/hiroshi-yamauchi-henk-rogers/|archive-date=9 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ces" /> He sent Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa (his son-in-law) and chairman Howard Lincoln to [[Place:Amsterdam|Amsterdam]] to form a more favourable contract with Dutch conglomerate [[Company:Philips|Philips]], Sony's rival. This contract would give Nintendo total control over their licences on all Philips-produced machines.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=10}}<ref name="ignhistory">{{cite web|author=IGN staff|date=28 August 1998|title=History of the PlayStation|url=https://ign.com/articles/1998/08/28/history-of-the-playstation|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125054331/http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/08/28/history-of-the-playstation|archive-date=25 January 2013|access-date=18 August 2014|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}}}}</ref>

Kutaragi and Nobuyuki Idei, Sony's director of public relations at the time, learned of Nintendo's actions two days before the CES was due to begin. Kutaragi telephoned numerous contacts, including Philips, to no avail.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=25}} On the first day of the CES, Sony announced their partnership with Nintendo and their new console, the Play Station. At 9&nbsp;am on the next day, in what has been called "the greatest ever betrayal" in the industry,{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=10}} Howard Lincoln stepped onto the stage and revealed that Nintendo was now allied with Philips and would abandon their work with Sony.<ref name=father/><ref name="venture">{{cite web |last1=Donovan |first1=Tristan |title=The story behind Nintendo's betrayal of Sony – and how it created its fiercest rival |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/23/the-story-behind-nintendos-betrayal-of-sony-and-how-it-created-its-fiercest-rival/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=11 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830165935/https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/23/the-story-behind-nintendos-betrayal-of-sony-and-how-it-created-its-fiercest-rival/ |archive-date=30 August 2020 |date=23 June 2018}}</ref>{{sfn|Shapiro|1991|p=86}}

===Inception===
[[File:Ken Kutaragi - Game Developers Choice Awards 2014 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Ken Kutaragi, the "Father of the PlayStation", pictured at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014|alt=Ken Kutaragi pictured in 2014 at the Game Deveolopers Choice Awards ceremony. Kutaragi is standing on stage, holding an award in his right hand.]]
Incensed by Nintendo's renouncement, Ohga and Kutaragi decided that Sony would develop their own console.<ref>{{cite web |last=Swearingen |first=Jake |title=Great Intrapreneurs in Business History |publisher=CBS |date=10 April 2008 |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-51196888/great-intrapreneurs-in-business-history/ |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012020533/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-51196888/great-intrapreneurs-in-business-history/ |archive-date=12 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Nintendo's contract-breaking was met with consternation in the Japanese business community,<ref name=father/> as they had broken an "unwritten law" of native companies not turning against each other in favour of foreign ones.<ref name=ignhistory/> Sony's American branch considered allying with [[Company:Sega|Sega]] to produce a CD-ROM-based machine called the Sega Multimedia Entertainment System, but their board of directors in Tokyo vetoed the idea when American CEO Tom Kalinske presented them the proposal. Kalinske recalled them saying: "That's a stupid idea, Sony doesn't know how to make hardware. They don't know how to make software either. Why would we want to do this?"<ref name="sega ally">{{cite web|last1=Williams|first1=Mike|title=Sega and Sony Almost Teamed Up on a Console|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/sega-and-sony-almost-teamed-up-on-a-console|website=US Gamer|date=11 July 2013|access-date=28 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820050547/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/sega-and-sony-almost-teamed-up-on-a-console|archive-date=20 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Sony halted their research, but decided to develop what it had developed with Nintendo and Sega into a console based on the SNES.<ref name="sega ally" />

Despite the tumultuous events at the 1991 CES, negotiations between Nintendo and Sony were still ongoing. A deal was proposed: the Play Station would still have a port for SNES games, on the condition that it would still use Kutaragi's audio chip and that Nintendo would own the rights and receive the bulk of the profits. Roughly two hundred prototype machines were created, and some software entered development.<ref name=ignhistory/><ref>{{cite web|author=JC Fletcher|title=Original Nintendo/Sony PlayStation prototype found|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/original-nintendo-sony-playstation-prototype-found/|website=Joystiq|publisher=AOL|location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=7 June 2007|access-date=18 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128050800/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/07/original-nintendo-sony-playstation-prototype-found/|archive-date=28 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many within Sony were still opposed to their involvement in the video game industry, with some resenting Kutaragi for jeopardising the company.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=34}} Kutaragi remained adamant that Sony not retreat from the growing industry and that a deal with Nintendo would never work.<ref name=father/>{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=10}} Knowing that it had to take decisive action, Sony severed all ties with Nintendo on 4 May 1992.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=35}}

To determine the fate of the PlayStation project, Ohga chaired a meeting in June 1992, consisting of Kutaragi and several senior Sony board members. Kutaragi unveiled a proprietary CD-ROM-based system he had been secretly working on which played games with immersive 3D graphics. Kutaragi was confident that his LSI chip could accommodate one million logic gates, which exceeded the capabilities of Sony's semiconductor division at the time.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=37}} Despite gaining Ohga's enthusiasm, there remained opposition from a majority present at the meeting. Older Sony executives also opposed it, who saw Nintendo and Sega as "toy" manufacturers.<ref name=history>{{cite magazine|author=''Edge'' staff |title=The Making Of: PlayStation |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/making-playstation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516003333/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-playstation|archive-date=16 May 2012 |magazine=Edge |publisher=Future plc|location=Bath|page=5 |date=24 April 2009 |access-date=27 September 2009}}</ref> The opposers felt the game industry was too culturally offbeat and asserted that Sony should remain a central player in the audiovisual industry, where companies were familiar with one another and could conduct "civili[s]ed" business negotiations.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=41}} After Kutaragi reminded him of the humiliation he suffered from Nintendo, Ohga retained the project and became one of Kutaragi's most staunch supporters.<ref name=polygonhistory/>{{sfn|Asakura|2000|pp=37, 64}}

Ohga shifted Kutaragi and nine of his team from Sony's main headquarters to Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ),{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=42}} a subsidiary of the main Sony group, so as to retain the project and maintain relationships with Philips for the MMCD development project.<ref name=history/> The involvement of SMEJ proved crucial to the PlayStation's early development as the process of manufacturing games on CD-ROM format was similar to that used for audio CDs, with which Sony's music division had considerable experience. While at SMEJ, Kutaragi worked with Epic/Sony Records founder Shigeo Maruyama and Akira Sato; both later became vice presidents of the division that ran the PlayStation business.<ref name=edgehistory/> [[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]] (SCE) was jointly established by Sony and SMEJ to handle the company's ventures into the video game industry.{{sfn|Senrad|1993|p=68}}{{sfn|Baggatta|1997|p=10}} On 27 October 1993, Sony publicly announced that it was entering the game console market with the PlayStation.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=10}}{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=65}} According to Maruyama, there was uncertainty over whether the console should primarily focus on [[2D computer graphics|2D]], [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]-based graphics or [[3D computer graphics|3D polygon graphics]]. After Sony witnessed the success of Sega's ''[[Software:Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter]]'' (1993) in Japanese [[Software:Amusement arcade|arcades]], the direction of the PlayStation became "instantly clear" and 3D polygon graphics became the console's primary focus.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Felit|first1=Daniel|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/09/how-virtua-fighter-saved-playstations-bacon/ |title=How Virtua Fighter Saved PlayStation's Bacon |date=5 September 2012 |magazine=Wired |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014093913/http://www.wired.com/2012/09/how-virtua-fighter-saved-playstations-bacon/ |archive-date=14 October 2014 |url-status=live|publisher=Condé Nast|location={{wipe|New York City}}}}</ref> SCE president Teruhisa Tokunaka expressed gratitude for Sega's timely release of ''Virtua Fighter'' as it proved "just at the right time" that making games with 3D imagery was possible.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=62}} Maruyama claimed that Sony further wanted to emphasize the new console's ability to utilize [[Company:Compact Disc Digital Audio|redbook audio]] from the CD-ROM format in its games alongside high quality visuals and gameplay.<ref name="famitsu280">{{cite magazine | author=''Famitsu'' staff | date=29 April 1994 | magazine=Weekly Famicom Tsūshin | publisher=[[Company:ASCII Corporation|ASCII Corporation]] | number=280 | page=12 | language=ja | title=ファミ通エクスプレス FACE ソニー·コンピュータエンタテインメント副社長 | trans-title=Famitsu Express Face: Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Shigeo Maruyama| oclc=85244248}}</ref>

Wishing to distance the project from the failed enterprise with Nintendo, Sony initially branded the PlayStation the "PlayStation X" (PSX).{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=10}} Sony formed their European division and North American division, known as Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), in January and May&nbsp;1995.<ref>{{cite web |title=Codemasters appoints new non-executive Chairman Chris Deering, former President of Sony Europe, Consumer Electronics Division, and Chairman and CEO Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/codemasters-appoints-new-non-executive-chairman-chris-deering-former-president-of-sony-europe-consumer-electronics-division-and-chairman-and-ceo-sony-computer-entertainment-europe |website=GamesIndustry.biz |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129212541/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/codemasters-appoints-new-non-executive-chairman-chris-deering-former-president-of-sony-europe-consumer-electronics-division-and-chairman-and-ceo-sony-computer-entertainment-europe |archive-date=29 January 2022 |location=Brighton |language=en |date=3 February 2006|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Bryan |title=After the Quilted Giraffe, There's Sony and Cyberspace |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/24/garden/after-the-quilted-giraffe-there-s-sony-and-cyberspace.html |website={{wipe|The New York Times}} |access-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416215539/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/24/garden/after-the-quilted-giraffe-there-s-sony-and-cyberspace.html |archive-date=16 April 2021 |location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=24 May 1995}}</ref> The divisions planned to market the new console under the alternative branding "PSX" following the negative feedback regarding "PlayStation" in focus group studies. Early advertising prior to the console's launch in North America referenced PSX, but the term was scrapped before launch.{{sfn|Charla|1996|p=39}} The console was not marketed with Sony's name in contrast to Nintendo's consoles. According to Phil Harrison, much of Sony's upper management feared that the Sony brand would be tarnished if associated with the console, which they considered a "toy".<ref name=edgehistory/><ref name="pschronicles"/>

===Development===
Since Sony had no experience in game development, it had to rely on the support of third-party game developers. This was in contrast to Sega and Nintendo, which had versatile and well-equipped in-house software divisions for their arcade games and could easily [[Porting|port]] successful games to their home consoles.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=57}} Recent consoles like the [[Engineering:Atari Jaguar|Atari Jaguar]] and [[Engineering:3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]] suffered low sales due to a lack of developer support, prompting Sony to redouble their efforts in gaining the endorsement of arcade-savvy developers.<ref name=ignhistory/> A team from Epic Sony visited more than a hundred companies throughout Japan in May&nbsp;1993 in hopes of attracting game creators with the PlayStation's technological appeal.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=58}} Sony found that many disliked Nintendo's practices, such as favoring its own games over others.{{r|maher20231208}} Through a series of negotiations, Sony acquired initial support from [[Company:Namco|Namco]], [[Company:Konami|Konami]], and Williams Entertainment, as well as 250 other development teams in Japan alone. Namco in particular was interested in developing for PlayStation since Namco rivalled Sega in the arcade market.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|pp=72–73}} Attaining these companies secured influential games such as ''[[Software:Ridge Racer (video game)|Ridge Racer]]'' (1993) and ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat 3|Mortal Kombat 3]]'' (1995),<ref name=ignhistory/>{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=12}} ''Ridge Racer'' being one of the most popular arcade games at the time,{{sfn|Desmond|1995|pp=170–71}} and it was already confirmed behind closed doors that it would be the PlayStation's first game by December 1993,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Japan News Network|journal=Gamefan|issue=2|date=January 1994|page=158}}</ref> despite Namco being a longstanding Nintendo developer.{{r|maher20231208}} Namco's research managing director Shegeichi Nakamura met with Kutaragi in 1993 to discuss the preliminary PlayStation specifications, with Namco subsequently basing the [[Engineering:Namco System 11|Namco System 11]] arcade board on PlayStation hardware and developing ''[[Software:Tekken (video game)|Tekken]]'' to compete with ''Virtua Fighter''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=System 11: Namco's PlayStation coin-op|magazine=Edge|issue=21|volume=3|date=June 1995|page=68|url=https://archive.org/details/EDGE.N021.1995.06/page/n67}}</ref> The System 11 launched in arcades several months before the PlayStation's release, with the arcade release of ''Tekken'' in September 1994.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tekken (Registration Number PA0000704272) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |publisher=United States Copyright Office |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=31 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531152425/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Ian_Hetherington_1990.png|thumb|right|Ian Hetherington pictured in 1990. Hetherington and Psygnosis played important roles in the PlayStation project.|alt=A photo of Ian Hetherington, founder of game developer Psygnosis, seated at a desk.]]

Despite securing the support of various Japanese studios, Sony had no developers of their own by the time the PlayStation was in development. This changed in 1993 when Sony acquired the Liverpudlian company [[Company:Psygnosis|Psygnosis]] (later renamed SCE Liverpool) for {{USD|48}} million, securing their first in-house development team. The acquisition meant that Sony could have more launch games ready for the PlayStation's release in Europe and North America.<ref name=ignhistory/>{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=12}} Ian Hetherington, Psygnosis' co-founder, was disappointed after receiving early builds of the PlayStation and recalled that the console "was not fit for purpose" until his team got involved with it.<ref name="eusuccess">{{cite magazine|author=MCV staff|title=How PlayStation conquered Europe |url=https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/how-playstation-conquered-europe/ |magazine=MCV |publisher=Future plc |access-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020222543/https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/how-playstation-conquered-europe/|url-status=live|archive-date=20 October 2020 |location=Bath |date=2 October 2015}}</ref> Hetherington frequently clashed with Sony executives over broader ideas; at one point it was suggested that a television with a built-in PlayStation be produced.<ref name="hetherington">{{cite web |last1=Stafford |first1=Patrick |title=From Lemmings to Wipeout: how Ian Hetherington incubated gaming success |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/7/12/15924520/from-lemmings-to-wipeout-how-ian-hetherington-incubated-gaming-success |website=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |access-date=11 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316102427/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/7/12/15924520/from-lemmings-to-wipeout-how-ian-hetherington-incubated-gaming-success |archive-date=16 March 2019 |location=Washington D.C. |language=en |date=12 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In the months leading up to the PlayStation's launch, Psygnosis had around 500 full-time staff working on games and assisting with software development.<ref name=eusuccess/>{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=47}}

The purchase of Psygnosis marked another turning point for the PlayStation as it played a vital role in creating the console's development kits. While Sony had provided MIPS R4000-based [[Engineering:Sony NEWS|Sony NEWS]] workstations for PlayStation development, Psygnosis employees disliked the thought of developing on these expensive workstations and asked Bristol-based [[Company:SN Systems|SN Systems]] to create an alternative PC-based development system.<ref name=edgehistory/> Andy Beveridge and Martin Day, owners of SN Systems, had previously supplied development hardware for other consoles such as the [[Software:Mega Drive|Mega Drive]], [[Engineering:Atari ST|Atari ST]], and the SNES.{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=49}} When Psygnosis arranged an audience for SN Systems with Sony's Japanese executives at the January&nbsp;1994 CES in Las Vegas, Beveridge and Day presented their prototype of the condensed development kit, which could run on an ordinary personal computer with two extension boards. Impressed, Sony decided to abandon their plans for a workstation-based development system in favour of SN Systems's, thus securing a cheaper and more efficient method for designing software.<ref name=ignhistory/> An order of over 600 systems followed, and SN Systems supplied Sony with additional software such as an [[Assembler (computing)|assembler]], linker, and a [[Debugger|debugger]].{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=50}} SN Systems produced development kits for future PlayStation systems, including the [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]] and was bought out by Sony in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony Computer Entertainment to start providing PRODG tools for PlayStation 3 game content development|url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/050927be.pdf|publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|date=27 September 2005|access-date=27 September 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105114732/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/050927be.pdf|archive-date=5 November 2005}}</ref>

Sony strived to make game production as streamlined and inclusive as possible, in contrast to the relatively isolated approach of Sega and Nintendo. Phil Harrison, representative director of SCEE, believed that Sony's emphasis on developer assistance reduced most time-consuming aspects of development. As well as providing programming libraries, SCE headquarters in London, California, and Tokyo housed technical support teams that could work closely with third-party developers if needed.{{sfn|Baggatta|1997|p=10}}{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=46}} Sony did not favor its own over non-Sony products, unlike Nintendo;{{r|maher20231208}} Peter Molyneux of [[Company:Bullfrog Productions|Bullfrog Productions]] admired Sony's open-handed approach to software developers and lauded their decision to use PCs as a development platform, remarking that "[it was] like being released from jail in terms of the freedom you have".{{sfn|Perry|1995|pp=46–47}} Another strategy that helped attract software developers was the PlayStation's use of the CD-ROM format instead of traditional [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]]. In contrast to other disc-reading consoles such as the 3DO, the PlayStation could quickly generate and synthesise data from the CD since it was an image-generation system, rather than a data-replay system.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|pp=78–79}} Nintendo cartridges were expensive to manufacture, and the company controlled all production, prioritizing its own games, while inexpensive compact disc manufacturing occurred at dozens of locations around the world.{{r|maher20231208}}

The PlayStation's architecture and interconnectability with PCs was beneficial to many software developers. The use of the programming language [[C (programming language)|C]] proved useful during the early stages of development as it safeguarded future compatibility of the machine should developers decide to make further hardware revisions. Sony used the [[Free software|free software]] GNU C compiler, also known as GCC, to guarantee short debugging times as it was already familiar to many programmers.{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=47}} Despite the inherent flexibility, some developers found themselves restricted due to the console's lack of RAM. While working on beta builds of the PlayStation, Molyneux observed that its MIPS processor was not "quite as bullish" compared to that of a fast PC and said that it took his team two weeks to port their PC code to the PlayStation development kits and another fortnight to achieve a four-fold speed increase.{{sfn|Perry|1995|pp=47–48}} An engineer from [[Company:Ocean Software|Ocean Software]], one of Europe's largest game developers at the time, thought that allocating RAM was a challenging aspect given the 3.5 megabyte restriction.{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=48}} Kutaragi said that while it would have been easy to double the amount of RAM for the PlayStation, the development team refrained from doing so to keep the retail cost down.{{sfn|Baggatta|1997|p=11}} Kutaragi saw the biggest challenge in developing the system to be balancing the conflicting goals of high performance, low cost, and being easy to program for, and felt he and his team were successful in this regard.{{sfn|Baggatta|1997|p=11}}

Its technical specifications were finalised in 1993 and its design during 1994.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Update|journal=PlayStation Official Magazine – UK|issue=1|date=November 1995|page=12}}</ref> The PlayStation name and its final design were confirmed during a press conference on May 10, 1994, although the price and release dates had not been disclosed yet.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Sony 32-bit PS-X System: companies and titles|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=60|date=June 1994|page=16}}</ref>

===Launch===
Sony released the PlayStation in Japan on 3 December 1994, a week after the release of the [[Engineering:Sega Saturn|Sega Saturn]], at a price of {{¥|39,800|link=yes}}.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=12}}{{sfn|Leigh|2018|p=190}} Sales in Japan began with a "stunning"<ref name=father/> success with long queues in shops.<ref name=ignhistory/> Ohga later recalled that he realized how important PlayStation had become for Sony when friends and relatives begged for consoles for their children.<ref name="maher20231208">{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=Jimmy |date=2023-12-08 |title=Putting the "J" in the RPG, Part 2: PlayStation for the Win The Digital Antiquarian |url=https://www.filfre.net/2023/12/putting-the-j-in-the-rpg-part-2-playstation-for-the-win/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=The Digital Antiquarian |language=en-US}}</ref> PlayStation sold 100,000 units on the first day{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=25}} and two million units within six months,{{sfn|Skaggs|1995|p=138}} although the Saturn outsold the PlayStation in the first few weeks due to the success of ''Virtua Fighter''.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=12}}{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=502}} By the end of 1994, 300,000 PlayStation units were sold in Japan compared to 500,000 Saturn units.{{sfn|Edge staff|1995a|pp=10–11}} A [[Social:Grey market|grey market]] emerged for PlayStations shipped from Japan to North America and Europe, with buyers of such consoles paying up to £700.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=25}}

{{Quote box
|quote = "When September 1995 arrived and Sony's Playstation roared out of the gate, things immediately felt different than {{sic}} they did with the Saturn launch earlier that year. Sega dropped the Saturn $100 to match the Playstation's $299 debut price, but sales weren't even close—Playstations flew out the door as fast as we could get them in stock.|source = —Lee Hutchinson of ''[[Ars Technica]]'', a Babbage's employee in 1995, recalling how PlayStation preorders greatly outnumbered Saturn sales at his shop.<ref name=hutchinson>{{cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Lee |date=13 January 2013 |title=How I launched 3 consoles (and found true love) at Babbage's store no. 9 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/how-i-launched-3-consoles-and-found-true-love-at-babbages-store-no-9/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/how-i-launched-3-consoles-and-found-true-love-at-babbages-store-no-9/| archive-date=2021-10-01 |access-date=20 June 2020 |website=[[Ars Technica]]|publisher=Condé Nast|location={{wipe|New York City}}|language=en-us|url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>|width = 30em}}

Before the release in North America, Sega and Sony presented their consoles at the first Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles on 11 May 1995. At their keynote presentation, Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske revealed that its Saturn console would be released immediately to select retailers at a price of $399. Next came Sony's turn: Olaf Olafsson, the head of SCEA, summoned Steve Race, the head of development, to the conference stage, who said "$299" and left the audience with a round of applause.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=28}}{{sfn|Harris|2014|p=545}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.syfygames.com/news/article/this-week-in-gaming-history-how-e3-1995-changed-gaming-forever|title=This Week in Gaming History: How E3 1995 changed gaming forever|author=Patterson, Patrick|website=Syfy Games |date=12 May 2015 |access-date=25 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225204734/http://www.syfygames.com/news/article/this-week-in-gaming-history-how-e3-1995-changed-gaming-forever|archive-date=25 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/14/sega-saturn-how-one-decision-destroyed-playstations-greatest-rival|title=Sega Saturn: how one decision destroyed PlayStation's greatest rival|first=Keith|last=Stuart|website={{wipe|The Guardian}}|location=[[Place:London|London]]|date=14 May 2015|language=en |access-date=25 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330025923/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/14/sega-saturn-how-one-decision-destroyed-playstations-greatest-rival|archive-date=30 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The attention to the Sony conference was further bolstered by the surprise appearance of Michael Jackson and the showcase of highly anticipated games, including ''[[Software:Wipeout (video game)|Wipeout]]'' (1995), ''Ridge Racer'' and ''Tekken'' (1994).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Jeffrey L. |title=E3: 8 Jaw-Dropping Moments From Years Past |url=https://uk.pcmag.com/features/32971/e3-8-jaw-dropping-moments-from-years-past |website=PCMag UK |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502221425/https://uk.pcmag.com/features/32971/e3-8-jaw-dropping-moments-from-years-past |archive-date=2 May 2020 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en-gb |date=7 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Colin |title=The story of the first E3 |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch |website=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727070309/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/6/7/18653968/e3-history-1995-sega-saturn-nintendo-64-playstation-launch |archive-date=27 July 2020 |location=Washington D.C. |language=en |date=7 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Totilo |first1=Stephen |title=Industry Figures Share Michael Jackson Memories, From E3 To Neverland |url=https://kotaku.com/industry-figures-share-michael-jackson-memories-from-e-5302983 |website=Kotaku |publisher=Univision Communications|url-status=live|access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916090315/https://kotaku.com/industry-figures-share-michael-jackson-memories-from-e-5302983 |archive-date=16 September 2019 |location={{wipe|Los Angeles}} |language=en-us |date=26 June 2009}}</ref> In addition, Sony announced that no games would be bundled with the console.<ref name=ignhistory/>{{sfn|Mewatt|1995|p=16}}

Although the Saturn had released early in the United States to gain an advantage over the PlayStation,{{sfn|Harris|2014|p=536}} the surprise launch upset many retailers who were not informed in time, harming sales.{{sfn|Campbell|1996|p=7}} Some retailers such as KB Toys responded by dropping the Saturn entirely.{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=516}} The PlayStation went on sale in North America on 9 September 1995. It sold more units within two days than the Saturn had in five months, with almost all of the initial shipment of 100,000 units sold in advance and shops across the country running out of consoles and accessories.<ref name=ignhistory/> The well-received ''Ridge Racer'' contributed to the PlayStation's early success,{{sfn|Kent|2001|p=502}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Parkin |first=Simon |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/a-history-of-videogame-hardware-sony-playstation/ |title=A History of Videogame Hardware: Sony PlayStation |magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|location=Bath |date=19 June 2014 |access-date=5 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129042841/http://www.edge-online.com/features/a-history-of-videogame-hardware-sony-playstation/ |archive-date=29 November 2014 }}</ref>{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=69}} with some critics considering it superior to Sega's arcade counterpart ''[[Software:Daytona USA|Daytona USA]]'' (1994).{{sfn|Leigh|2018|p=191}}{{sfn|Edge staff|1995b|p=73}} There were over 100,000 pre-orders placed and 17 games available on the market by the time of the PlayStation's American launch,<ref name=ignhistory/> in comparison to the Saturn's six launch games.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Kato|first=Matthew|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/10/30/which-game-console-had-the-best-launch-lineup.aspx?PostPageIndex=3|title=Which Game Console Had The Best Launch Lineup?|magazine=Game Informer|publisher=[[Company:GameStop|GameStop]]|location=Grapevine|date=30 October 2013|access-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630042313/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/10/30/which-game-console-had-the-best-launch-lineup.aspx?PostPageIndex=3|archive-date=30 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The PlayStation released in Europe on 29 September 1995<ref name="developmentEU" /> and in Australia on 15 November 1995.<ref name="aus" /> By November it had already outsold the Saturn by three to one in the United Kingdom, where Sony had allocated a £20&nbsp;million marketing budget during the Christmas season compared to Sega's £4&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|last=Horsman|first=Mathew|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/sega-profits-plunge-as-rivals-turn-up-the-heat-1581404.html|title=Sega profits plunge as rivals turn up the heat|work=The Independent|location=[[Place:London|London]]|date=11 November 1995|access-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120053343/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/sega-profits-plunge-as-rivals-turn-up-the-heat-1581404.html|archive-date=20 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataeu_e.html |title=Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Business Development/Europe |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|accessdate=20 September 2020|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728173744/http://scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataeu_e.html |archive-date=28 July 2014 }}</ref> Sony found early success in the United Kingdom by securing listings with independent shop owners as well as prominent High Street chains such as Comet and Argos.<ref name=eusuccess/> Within its first year, the PlayStation secured over 20% of the entire American video game market.{{sfn|Mäyrä|2002|p=47}} From September to the end of 1995, sales in the United States amounted to 800,000 units, giving the PlayStation a commanding lead over the other fifth-generation consoles,{{efn|Technically, there is one exception to this. The [[Engineering:3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO Interactive Multiplayer]], though consistently outsold by the PlayStation during this period, had more ''cumulative'' sales at the end of 1995, chiefly due to its having been on the market for nearly two years longer than the PlayStation.{{sfn|Stockdale|1995|p=54}}}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title= Can PlayStation Compete with Ultra 64? |magazine=Next Generation|issue=15 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=March 1996|pages=6–10}}</ref> though the SNES and Mega Drive from the [[Engineering:Fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth generation]] still outsold it.<ref>{{cite magazine|title= 16-Bit Surge |magazine=GamePro|issue=91 |publisher=International Data Group |date=April 1996 |page=16}}</ref> Sony reported that the [[Finance:Attach rate|attach rate]] of sold games and consoles was four to one.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Issue_079_February_1996#page/n17/mode/2up |title=Trailing Sony, Sega Restructures |magazine=GamePro |issue=89 |publisher=IDG |date=February 1996 |page=16 |access-date=20 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707033430/https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Issue_079_February_1996#page/n17/mode/2up |archive-date=7 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> To meet increasing demand, Sony chartered jumbo jets and ramped up production in Europe and North America.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|pp=210–211}} By early 1996, the PlayStation had grossed $2&nbsp;billion (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|2|1996|r=3}}&nbsp;billion {{Inflation/year|US}}) from worldwide hardware and software sales.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sony Reaches $2 Billion in Sales |url=http://www.next-generation.com/news/031596a.html |access-date=17 October 2021 |work=Next Generation |date=15 March 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970419214133/http://www.next-generation.com/news/031596a.html |archive-date=19 April 1997}}</ref> By late 1996, sales in Europe totalled {{nowrap|2.2 million}} units, including 700,000 in the UK.{{sfn|Anderson|1997|p=54}} Approximately 400 PlayStation games were in development, compared to around 200 games being developed for the Saturn and 60 for the [[Engineering:Nintendo 64|Nintendo 64]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sony PlayStation Expo '96 |magazine=GamePro |issue=101 |publisher=IDG |date=February 1997|pages=44–45}}</ref>

In India, the PlayStation was launched in test market during 1999–2000 across Sony showrooms, selling 100 units.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.rediff.com/money/2000/jun/12sony.htm |title=Sony to launch Playstation in India next year |work=Rediff |date=12 June 2000 |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> Sony finally launched the console (PS One model) countrywide on 24 January 2002 with the price of Rs 7,990 and 26 games available from start.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/sony-playstation-touches-base-in-india-102012401049_1.html |title=Sony Playstation Touches Base In India |work=Business Standard |date=28 January 2013 |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref>

===Marketing success and later years===
The PlayStation was backed by a successful marketing campaign, allowing Sony to gain an early foothold in Europe and North America.{{sfn|DeMaria|Wilson|2004|page=283}} Initially, PlayStation demographics were skewed towards adults, but the audience broadened after the first price drop.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=9}} While the Saturn was positioned towards 18- to 34-year-olds,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sega: Who Do they Think you Are?|magazine=Next Generation|issue=14 |publisher=Imagine Media |location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=February 1996|page=71}}</ref> the PlayStation was initially marketed exclusively towards teenagers. Executives from both Sony and Sega reasoned that because younger players typically looked up to older, more experienced players, advertising targeted at teens and adults would draw them in too. Additionally, Sony found that adults reacted best to advertising aimed at teenagers; Lee Clow surmised that people who started to grow into adulthood regressed and became "17 again" when they played video games.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sony: Who Do they Think you Are?|magazine=Next Generation|issue=14 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=February 1996|page=70}}</ref> The console was marketed with advertising slogans stylised as "LIVE IN Y[[File:PlayStationCircle.svg|15x12px|O]]UR W15x12px|ORLD. PL15x12px|AY IN [[File:PlayStationSquare.svg|15x12px|O]]URS" and "U R NOT {{font color|red|E}}" (red E).{{sfn|Crotty|1995|p=17}}<ref name=ignhistory/> Clow thought that by invoking such provocative statements, gamers would respond to the contrary and say {{"'}}Bullshit. Let me show you how ready I am.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sony TV: Turn On, Tune In, Buy Hardware|magazine=Next Generation|issue=14 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=February 1996|pages=72–73}}</ref> As the console's appeal enlarged, Sony's marketing efforts broadened from their earlier focus on mature players to specifically target younger children as well.<ref name=NGen36>{{cite magazine |title=Where to Play? The Dust Settles |magazine=Next Generation|issue=36 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=December 1997|page=50}}</ref>

Shortly after the PlayStation's release in Europe, Sony tasked marketing manager Geoff Glendenning with assessing the desires of a new target audience. Sceptical over Nintendo and Sega's reliance on television campaigns, Glendenning theorised that young adults transitioning from fourth-generation consoles would feel neglected by marketing directed at children and teenagers.<ref name="nightclub">{{cite web |last1=Boxer |first1=Keith|last2=Boxer|first2=Steve|title=Level up: how PlayStation infiltrated youth culture |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/03/how-playstation-infiltrated-youth-culture |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} |access-date=11 November 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221145404/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/03/how-playstation-infiltrated-youth-culture |archive-date=21 February 2020 |location=[[Place:London|London]] |language=en |date=3 December 2014}}</ref> Recognising the influence early 1990s underground clubbing and rave culture had on young people, especially in the United Kingdom, Glendenning felt that the culture had become mainstream enough to help cultivate PlayStation's emerging identity. Sony partnered with prominent nightclub owners such as Ministry of Sound and festival promoters to organise dedicated PlayStation areas where demonstrations of select games could be tested.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=24}} Sheffield-based graphic design studio The Designers Republic was contracted by Sony to produce promotional materials aimed at a fashionable, club-going audience.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Designers Republic (Company) |url=https://www.giantbomb.com/the-designers-republic/3010-6360/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://www.giantbomb.com/the-designers-republic/3010-6360/| archive-date=1 October 2021 |website=Giant Bomb |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=14 November 2020 |location={{wipe|San Francisco}} |language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Psygnosis' ''Wipeout'' in particular became associated with nightclub culture as it was widely featured in venues.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=24}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hartley |first1=Adam |title=Are these the 20 best British games? |url=https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/gaming/are-these-the-20-best-british-games-1167179/4 |website=[[TechRadar]] |publisher=Future plc |access-date=14 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114200418/https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/gaming/are-these-the-20-best-british-games-1167179/4 |archive-date=14 November 2020 |location=Bath |language=en |date=19 July 2013}}</ref> By 1997, there were 52 nightclubs in the United Kingdom with dedicated PlayStation rooms. Glendenning recalled that he had discreetly used at least £100,000 a year in [[Finance:Slush fund|slush fund]] money to invest in impromptu marketing.<ref name=nightclub/>

In 1996, Sony expanded their CD production facilities in the United States due to the high demand for PlayStation games, increasing their monthly output from 4&nbsp;million discs to 6.5&nbsp;million discs.{{sfn|Strodder|1996|p=17}} This was necessary because PlayStation sales were running at twice the rate of Saturn sales, and its lead dramatically increased when both consoles dropped in price to $199 that year.{{sfn|Neves|1996|p=20}} The PlayStation also outsold the Saturn at a similar ratio in Europe during 1996,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Svenson |first=Christian |title=Stat Happy Sony |magazine=Next Generation|issue=24 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=December 1996 |page=28}}</ref> with 2.2&nbsp;million consoles sold in the region by the end of the year.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Data Stream |magazine=Next Generation|issue=29 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=May 1997 |page=27}}</ref> Sales figures for PlayStation hardware and software only increased following the launch of the Nintendo 64.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Who Won the Videogame Wars of 1996? |magazine=Next Generation|issue=28 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=April 1997|pages=16–19}}</ref>{{sfn|Charla|1997b|p=74}} Tokunaka speculated that the Nintendo 64 launch had actually helped PlayStation sales by raising public awareness of the gaming market through Nintendo's added marketing efforts.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=8}} Despite this, the PlayStation took longer to achieve dominance in Japan. Tokunaka said that, even after the PlayStation and Saturn had been on the market for nearly two years, the competition between them was still "very close", and neither console had led in sales for any meaningful length of time.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=9}}

By 1998, Sega, encouraged by their declining market share and significant financial losses,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sega.jp/IR/en/ar/ar1998/ar98.pdf |title=Sega Enterprises Annual Report 1998 |publisher=Sega Enterprises, Ltd. |pages=1, 7–8 |access-date=7 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040504003308/http://sega.jp/IR/en/ar/ar1998/ar98.pdf |archive-date=4 May 2004}}</ref> launched the [[Engineering:Dreamcast|Dreamcast]] as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=State of the Game: August 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/10/state-of-the-game-august-1999 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=17 January 2022 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en |date=10 August 1999 |archive-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117223146/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/10/state-of-the-game-august-1999 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although its launch was successful, the technically superior 128-bit console was unable to subdue Sony's dominance in the industry.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=13}}{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=588—589}} Sony still held 60% of the overall video game market share in North America at the end of 1999.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dreamcast beats PlayStation record |work=BBC News|location=[[Place:London|London]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/534957.stm |access-date=29 October 2014 |date=24 November 1999 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016054015/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/534957.stm |archive-date=16 October 2013}}</ref> Sega's initial confidence in their new console was undermined when Japanese sales were lower than expected,{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=563-564}} with disgruntled Japanese consumers reportedly returning their Dreamcasts in exchange for PlayStation software.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-55625096/who-s-got-game-beleaguered-sega-hopes-to-get-back |title=Who's Got Game? Beleaguered Sega Hopes to Get Back on Top in the Video Game Wars with Dreamcast, the First of a New Generation of Superfast, Supercool Fun Machines |work=Newsweek |date=6 September 1999 |access-date=30 October 2014 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031033938/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-55625096/who-s-got-game-beleaguered-sega-hopes-to-get-back |archive-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> On 2 March 1999, Sony officially revealed details of the [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]], which Kutaragi announced would feature a graphics processor designed to push more raw polygons than any console in history, effectively rivalling most supercomputers.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pages=560–561}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Casamassina |first=Matt |url=https://ign.com/articles/2000/11/04/gamecube-versus-playstation-2 |title=Gamecube Versus PlayStation 2 |website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}}|date=3 November 2000 |access-date=14 November 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104021340/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/04/gamecube-versus-playstation-2 |archive-date=4 November 2014}}</ref> The PlayStation continued to sell strongly at the turn of the new millennium: in June 2000, Sony released the PSOne, a smaller, redesigned variant which went on to outsell all other consoles in that year, including the PlayStation 2.<ref>{{cite web|last=Becker |first=David |url=http://news.cnet.com/Old-PlayStation-tops-holiday-game-console-sales/2100-1040_3-249457.html |title=Old PlayStation Tops Holiday Game Console Sales |publisher=CNET News |date=5 December 2000 |access-date=30 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031031819/http://news.cnet.com/Old-PlayStation-tops-holiday-game-console-sales/2100-1040_3-249457.html |archive-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> The combined successes of both PlayStation consoles led to Sega retiring the Dreamcast in 2001, and abandoning the console business entirely.{{sfn|Kent|2001|pp=588—589}} The PlayStation was eventually discontinued on 23 March 2006—over eleven years after its release, and less than a year before the debut of the [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]].<ref name=stops/>

==Hardware==
===Technical specifications===
{{main|Engineering:PlayStation technical specifications}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1.4em;"
|-
| [[File:CXD8561CQ 02.JPG|none|100px|GPU]]
| [[File:CXD2938Q 02.JPG|none|100px|PlayStation sound processor]]
| [[File:CXD8606BQ 02.JPG|none|100px|R3000 CPU]]
|-
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>The GPU (SCPH-9000 version)</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>PlayStation Custom Sound Processor</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>[[Engineering:R3000|R3000 CPU]]</small>}}
|-
| [[File:Sony CXD2510Q.png|none|100px|digital signal processor]]
| [[File:Sony-PlayStation-SCPH-1000-Motherboard-Top.jpg|none|100px|SCPH-100 motherboard]]
| [[File:PSone-Motherboard.jpg|none|100px|PS One motherboard]]
|-
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>Digital Signal Processor </small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>An early SCPH-1000 [[Engineering:Motherboard|motherboard]]</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>A PS One motherboard</small>}}
|}

The main [[Engineering:Microprocessor|microprocessor]] is a [[32-bit|32-bit]] LSI [[Engineering:R3000|R3000]] CPU with a [[Clock rate|clock rate]] of 33.86 [[Hertz|MHz]] and 30 MIPS.{{sfn|McDonnell|1995}}{{sfn|Harris|1994|p=70}} Its CPU relies heavily on the "cop2" 3D and matrix math coprocessor on the same die to provide the necessary speed to [[Rendering (computer graphics)|render]] complex 3D graphics.<ref name=ignhistory/> The role of the separate GPU chip is to draw 2D polygons and apply shading and textures to them: the rasterisation stage of the graphics pipeline. Sony's custom 16-[[Audio bit depth|bit]] [[Engineering:Sound chip|sound chip]] supports ADPCM sources with up to 24 sound channels and offers a [[Sampling rate|sampling rate]] of up to 44.1&nbsp;[[Kilohertz|kHz]] and [[MIDI]] sequencing. It features 2 [[Mebibyte|MB]] of main RAM, with an additional 1 MB being allocated to video memory.{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=51}}{{sfn|Leigh|2018|p=189}} The PlayStation has a maximum [[List of color palettes|colour depth]] of 16.7&nbsp;million [[24-bit color|true colours]]<ref name="Ziff Davis">{{cite magazine |title= PlayStation Vs. Saturn: Battle of the Polygon Monsters |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=67 |publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}}|date=February 1995 |pages=94–95}}</ref> with 32 levels of transparency and unlimited colour look-up tables. Its video output, initially provided by a [[Parallel IO|parallel I/O]] cable (and later a serial I/O used for the PlayStation Link Cable) displays [[Engineering:Display resolution|resolutions]] from 256×224 to 640×480 [[Pixel|pixel]]s.{{sfn|Harris|1994|p=70}} Different games can use different resolutions.

The PlayStation uses a [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] video compression unit, MDEC, which is integrated into the CPU and allows for the presentation of [[Software:Full motion video|full motion video]] at a higher quality than other consoles of its generation.{{sfn|Anderson|1997|p=56}} Unusual for the time, the PlayStation lacks a dedicated 2D graphics processor; 2D elements are instead calculated as polygons by the Geometry Transfer Engine (GTE) so that they can be processed and displayed on screen by the GPU.{{sfn|Boyer|1998|p=48}} Whilst running, the GPU can also generate a total of 4,000 [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and 180,000 [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygons]] per second, in addition to 360,000 per second flat-shaded.{{sfn|Harris|1994|p=70}}{{sfn|Stockdale|1995|p=42}}

===Models===
{{main|Engineering:PlayStation models}}
[[File:Sony-PSone-Console-wScreen-Open-FL.jpg|thumb|right|The PS One "combo pack" with 5-inch LCD screen attachment|alt=A photo of a PS One console against a pure white background with a 5-inch LCD screen attachment placed on top.]]

The PlayStation went through a number of variants during its production run. Externally, the most notable change was the gradual reduction in the number of external connectors from the rear of the unit. This started with the original Japanese launch units; the SCPH-1000, released on 3 December 1994, was the only model that had an [[S-Video]] port, as it was removed from the next model.{{sfn|Skaggs|1995|p=28}} Subsequent models saw a reduction in number of parallel ports, with the final version only retaining one serial port.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Saturn/PS-X Sequels |magazine=Next Generation|issue=27|publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=March 1997|page=24}}</ref>

Sony marketed a development kit for amateur developers known as the [[Engineering:Net Yaroze|Net Yaroze]] (meaning "Let's do it together" in Japanese<ref name="devthing">{{cite web |last1=Calem |first1=Robert |title=Console Lets You Build a Better Mortal Kombat |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/082997yarouze.html |website={{wipe|The New York Times}} |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226221549/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/082997yarouze.html |archive-date=26 December 2020 |url-status=live|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=29 August 1997}}</ref>). It was launched in June 1996 in Japan,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Tidbits |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=88 |publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}}|date=November 1996 |page=22}}</ref> and following public interest, was released the next year in other countries.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Letters |magazine=Next Generation|issue=35|publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=November 1997 |page=218 |quote=Sony's Net Yaroze was in fact released earlier this year, amid much apparent public interest but little official fanfare from Sony.}}</ref> The Net Yaroze allowed hobbyists to create their own games and upload them via an online forum run by Sony.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=If You Can Build a Better Game...|magazine=Next Generation|issue=25 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=January 1997|pages=40–49}}</ref> The console was only available to buy through an ordering service and with the necessary documentation and software to program PlayStation games and applications through [[C (programming language)|C]] programming compilers.<ref name="Net Yaroze">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/games/net-yaroze/ps-896838 |title=Net Yaroze |website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}} |access-date=28 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317232809/http://www.ign.com/games/net-yaroze/ps-896838 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Owen |first1=David |title=The story of Net Yaroze, Sony's first indie push |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-16-the-story-of-yaroze-sonys-first-indie-push |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030159/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-16-the-story-of-yaroze-sonys-first-indie-push |archive-date=12 November 2020 |location=Bath |language=en |date=17 July 2013}}</ref>

====PS one====
On 7 July 2000, Sony released the PS One (stylised as PS one),<ref name="SCEE 2000—Key Facts and Figures">{{cite web |url=http://www.scee.presscentre.com/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=98&NewsAreaID=22 |title= SCEE 2000—Key Facts and Figures |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|access-date=25 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070919215408/http://www.scee.presscentre.com/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=98&NewsAreaID=22 |archive-date=19 September 2007}}</ref> a smaller, redesigned version of the original PlayStation.<ref name="SCEE 2000—Key Facts and Figures"/><ref name="PSOne" /> It was the highest-selling console through the end of the year, outselling all other consoles—including the PlayStation 2.<ref name="PSOne">{{cite web |title= Sony PS One sales rocket as PS Two famine continues |publisher=Situation Publishing|last= Smith |first= Tony |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/12/06/sony_ps_one_sales_rocket/ |date= 6 June 2000 |access-date= 22 August 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090522232118/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/12/06/sony_ps_one_sales_rocket/ |archive-date= 22 May 2009 |url-status= live|website=The Register|location=[[Place:London|London]]}}</ref> In 2002, Sony released a {{Convert|5|in|adj=on}} LCD screen add-on for the PS One, referred to as the "Combo pack". It also included a [[Engineering:Automobile auxiliary power outlet|car cigarette lighter]] adaptor adding an extra layer of portability.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bramwell |first1=Tom |title=PSone LCD sighted |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_45748 |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226140344/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_45748 |archive-date=26 December 2020 |location=Bath |language=en |date=5 April 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Becker |first1=David |title=Sony offers LCD for PSOne |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-offers-lcd-for-psone/ |website=CNET |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226141227/https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-offers-lcd-for-psone/ |archive-date=26 December 2020 |language=en |date=2 January 2002}}</ref> Production of the LCD "Combo Pack" ceased in 2004, when the popularity of the PlayStation began to wane in markets outside Japan.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fahey |first1=Rob |title=Sony to stop PSone LCD manufacture |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-to-stop-psone-lcd-manufacture |website=GamesIndustry.biz |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226141731/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-to-stop-psone-lcd-manufacture |archive-date=26 December 2020 |location=Brighton |language=en |date=7 July 2004}}</ref> A total of 28.15&nbsp;million PS One units had been sold by the time it was discontinued in March 2006.<ref name="shipments"/><ref name="stops"/>

===Controllers===
{{main|Engineering:PlayStation controller|Engineering:DualShock}}
{{multiple image
| align             = left
| perrow            = 2
| width             = 160
| image_style       = border:0
| background color  = #FFFFFF
| footer            = Clockwise from top left: an original [[Engineering:PlayStation controller|PlayStation controller]], [[Engineering:PlayStation Analog Joystick|PlayStation Analog Joystick]], [[Engineering:Dual Analog Controller|Dual Analog]], and the [[Engineering:DualShock#DualShock|DualShock]]
| image1            = PSX-Original-Controller.jpg
| alt1              = Original PlayStation controller
| caption1          = 
| image2            = PlayStation-Analog-Joystick.jpg
| alt2              = PlayStation Analog Joystick
| caption2          = 
| image3            = PSX-DualShock-Controller.jpg
| alt3              = DualShock controller
| caption3          = 
| image4            = PlayStation Dual Analog.png
| alt4              = Dual Analog Controller
| caption4          = 
}}

Three iterations of the PlayStation's [[Engineering:Game controller|controller]] were released over the console's lifespan. The first controller, the [[Engineering:PlayStation controller|PlayStation controller]], was released alongside the PlayStation in December 1994. It features four individual directional buttons (as opposed to a conventional [[Engineering:D-pad|D-pad]]), a pair of shoulder buttons on both sides, Start and Select buttons in the centre, and four face buttons consisting of simple geometric shapes: a green triangle, red circle, blue cross, and a pink square ([[File:PlayStationTriangle.svg|Triangle]], Circle, Cross, [[File:PlayStationSquare.svg|Square]]).<ref name="controllersquare">{{cite web |last1=Tailby |first1=Stephen |title=Feature: The Evolution of the PlayStation Controller |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/04/feature_the_evolution_of_the_playstation_controller| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/04/feature_the_evolution_of_the_playstation_controller| archive-date=1 October 2021 |website=Push Square |publisher=Gamer Network|location=Brighton |access-date=11 September 2020 |date=8 April 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Rather than depicting traditionally used letters or numbers onto its buttons, the PlayStation controller established a trademark which would be incorporated heavily into the PlayStation brand. Teiyu Goto, the designer of the original PlayStation controller, said that the circle and cross represent "yes" and "no", respectively (though this layout is reversed in Western versions); the triangle symbolises a point of view and the square is equated to a sheet of paper to be used to access menus.<ref name=1upcontroller>{{cite web|title=All About the PlayStation 1's Design|date=2 May 2010|website=1Up.com|publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}}|url=http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-1-design|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705174449/http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-1-design|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 July 2011}}</ref>{{sfn|McDonnell|1995}} The European and North American models of the original PlayStation controllers are roughly 10% larger than its Japanese variant, to account for the fact the average person in those regions has larger hands than the average Japanese person.{{sfn|Smith|1996|p=16}}

Sony's first analogue gamepad, the [[Engineering:PlayStation Analog Joystick|PlayStation Analog Joystick]] (often erroneously referred to as the "Sony Flightstick"), was first released in Japan in April&nbsp;1996. Featuring two parallel joysticks, it uses potentiometer technology previously used on consoles such as the [[Engineering:Vectrex|Vectrex]]; instead of relying on binary eight-way switches, the controller detects minute angular changes through the entire range of motion. The stick also features a thumb-operated digital hat switch on the right joystick, corresponding to the traditional D-pad, and used for instances when simple digital movements were necessary.{{sfn|Mao|1996|p=24}} The Analog Joystick sold poorly in Japan due to its high cost and cumbersome size.{{sfn|Williams|1997|p=20}}

The increasing popularity of 3D games prompted Sony to add analogue sticks to its controller design to give users more freedom over their movements in virtual 3D environments.<ref name="gaydarcontrollers">{{cite web |last1=West |first1=Josh |title=From Digital to DualSense – The history and evolution of the PlayStation controller ahead of PS5 |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/from-digital-to-dualsense-the-history-and-evolution-of-the-playstation-controller-ahead-of-ps5/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://www.gamesradar.com/from-digital-to-dualsense-the-history-and-evolution-of-the-playstation-controller-ahead-of-ps5/| archive-date=1 October 2021 |website=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc |access-date=11 September 2020 |location=Bath |language=en |date=8 April 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The first official analogue controller, the [[Engineering:Dual Analog Controller|Dual Analog Controller]], was revealed to the public in a small glass booth at the 1996 PlayStation Expo in Japan,{{sfn|Williams|1997|p=20}} and released in April 1997 to coincide with the Japanese releases of analogue-capable games ''[[Software:Tobal 2|Tobal 2]]'' and ''[[Software:Bushido Blade (video game)|Bushido Blade]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=IGN staff |title=Analog Joypad to go on Sale in Japan |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/04/04/analog-joypad-to-go-on-sale-in-japan |website=IGN |date=4 April 1997 |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=11 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226053314/https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/04/04/analog-joypad-to-go-on-sale-in-japan |archive-date=26 February 2020 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en}}</ref> In addition to the two analogue sticks (which also introduced two new buttons mapped to clicking in the analogue sticks), the Dual Analog controller features an "Analog" button and [[Engineering:LED|LED]] beneath the "Start" and "Select" buttons which toggles analogue functionality on or off.<ref name=gaydarcontrollers/> The controller also features [[Engineering:Haptic technology|rumble support]], though Sony decided that haptic feedback would be removed from all overseas iterations before the United States release.<ref name="firsts">{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Joe |title=Feature: Unforgettable PlayStation Firsts |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2012/02/feature_unforgettable_playstation_firsts |website=Push Square |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227004617/http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2012/02/feature_unforgettable_playstation_firsts |archive-date=27 February 2020 |url-status=live|location=Brighton |date=4 February 2012}}</ref> A Sony spokesman stated that the feature was removed for "manufacturing reasons", although rumours circulated that Nintendo had attempted to legally block the release of the controller outside Japan due to similarities with the [[Engineering:Nintendo 64 controller|Nintendo 64 controller]]'s Rumble Pak. However, a Nintendo spokesman denied that Nintendo took legal action. ''Next Generation''{{'s}} Chris Charla theorized that Sony dropped vibration feedback to keep the price of the controller down.{{sfn|Charla|1997a|p=26}}

In November 1997, Sony introduced the [[Engineering:DualShock|DualShock]] controller. Its name derives from its use of two (dual) vibration motors (shock).<ref name="IGNcontrollers">{{cite web |last1=Bankhurst |first1=Adam |title=The Evolution of the PlayStation Controller |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-evolution-of-the-playstation-controller |website=IGN |date=8 April 2020 |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=11 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411171354/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-evolution-of-the-playstation-controller |archive-date=11 April 2020 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en}}</ref> Unlike its predecessor, its analogue sticks feature textured rubber grips, longer handles, slightly different shoulder buttons and has rumble feedback included as standard on all versions.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=26}} The DualShock later replaced its predecessors as the default controller.<ref name=controllersquare/>

===Peripherals===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1.4em;"
|-
| [[File:PSX-Memory-Card.jpg|none|100px|PlayStation Memory Card]]
| [[File:Sony-PocketStation.jpg|none|85px|PocketStation]]
| [[File:PlayStation-Multitap-Adaptor.jpg|none|100px|Multiplayer Adaptor]]
|-
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>PlayStation Memory Card</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>PocketStation</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>PlayStation Multitap</small>}}
|-
| [[File:PlayStation Mouse.jpg|none|100px|PlayStation Mouse]]
| [[File:Sony-PlayStation-Link-Cables.jpg|none|100px|Link Cables]]
| [[File:Namco-GunCon-PS1.jpg|none|100px|GunCon]]
|-
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>[[Engineering:PlayStation Mouse|PlayStation Mouse]]</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>PlayStation Link Cable</small>}}
| style="width:100px;"| {{center|<small>GunCon</small>}}
|}

Sony released a series of peripherals to add extra layers of functionality to the PlayStation. Such peripherals include memory cards,<ref name="GPro87">{{cite magazine|title= Sony's Stocking Stuffers |magazine=GamePro|issue=87 |publisher=IDG |date=December 1995 |page=185}}</ref> the [[Engineering:PlayStation Mouse|PlayStation Mouse]],<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Review Crew: Horned Owl |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=84 |publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}}|date=July 1996 |page=28}}</ref>{{sfn|Stockdale|1995|p=40}} the PlayStation Link Cable,<ref name="GPro87"/> the Multiplayer Adapter (a four-player [[Engineering:Multitap|multitap]]),<ref name="GPro87"/> the Memory Drive (a disk drive for 3.5-inch floppy disks),<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Datel Launches PlayStation Disk Drive |magazine=Next Generation|issue=20 |publisher=Imagine Media|location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=August 1996 |page=25}}</ref> the GunCon (a [[Engineering:Light gun|light gun]]), and the [[Engineering:Glasstron|Glasstron]] (a monoscopic [[Head-mounted display|head-mounted display]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Reality Check |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=85 |publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}} |date=August 1996 |pages=14–16}}</ref>

Released exclusively in Japan, the PocketStation is a memory card peripheral which acts as a miniature [[Social:Personal digital assistant|personal digital assistant]]. The device features a monochrome liquid crystal display (LCD), [[Physics:Infrared|infrared]] communication capability, a real-time clock, built-in flash memory, and sound capability.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Virtual Pet in My PDA!|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=106 |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=May 1998|page=26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/981209.pdf |title=超小型PDA「PocketStation」1月23日に発売延期 |access-date=30 October 2007 |date=9 December 1998 |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]] |pages=3 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913192656/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/981209.pdf |archive-date=13 September 2006}}</ref> Sharing similarities with the Dreamcast's VMU peripheral, the PocketStation was typically distributed with certain PlayStation games, enhancing them with added features.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=12}} The PocketStation proved popular in Japan, selling over five million units.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brunskill |first1=Kerry |title=What the Heck Is a PocketStation? |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/07/feature_what_the_heck_is_a_pocketstation |website=Push Square |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130183351/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/07/feature_what_the_heck_is_a_pocketstation |archive-date=30 January 2021 |location=Brighton |date=3 July 2014}}</ref> Sony planned to release the peripheral outside Japan but the release was cancelled, despite receiving promotion in Europe and North America.{{sfn|Wolf|2008|p=148}}

===Functionality===
In addition to playing games, most PlayStation models are equipped to play audio CDs; the Asian model SCPH-5903 can also play [[Engineering:Video CD|Video CD]]s.{{sfn|West|1997|p=24}} Like most CD players, the PlayStation can play songs in a programmed order, shuffle the playback order of the disc and repeat one song or the entire disc. Later PlayStation models use a music visualisation function called SoundScope. This function, as well as a memory card manager, is accessed by starting the console without either inserting a game or closing the CD tray, thereby accessing a [[Graphical user interface|graphical user interface]] (GUI) for the PlayStation BIOS.<ref name=edgehistory/> The GUI for the PS One and PlayStation differ depending on the firmware version: the original PlayStation GUI had a dark blue background with rainbow graffiti used as buttons, while the early PAL PlayStation and PS One GUI had a grey blocked background with two icons in the middle.{{sfn|Perry|1995|p=53}}

PlayStation emulation is versatile and can be run on numerous modern devices.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Swann |first1=Graham |title=Investigating the PSP's PSone emulator |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/investigating-the-psps-psone-emulator-article |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419115807/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/investigating-the-psps-psone-emulator-article |archive-date=19 April 2021 |location=Bath |language=en |date=2 February 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rivera |first1=Joshua |title=Here's the Xbox Series S Running PS1 games in 4K |url=https://www.polygon.com/22629340/xbox-series-s-running-playstation-1-games-in-4k |website=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130051945/https://www.polygon.com/22629340/xbox-series-s-running-playstation-1-games-in-4k |archive-date=30 November 2021 |location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=17 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Software:Bleem!|Bleem!]] was a commercial emulator which was released for IBM-compatible PCs and the Dreamcast in 1999. It was notable for being aggressively marketed during the PlayStation's lifetime, and was the centre of multiple controversial lawsuits filed by Sony. Bleem! was programmed in [[Assembly language|assembly language]], which allowed it to emulate PlayStation games with improved visual fidelity, enhanced resolutions, and filtered textures that was not possible on original hardware.<ref name="bleem">{{cite web |last1=Hosie |first1=Ewen |title=The history of bleem! |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-12-11-the-history-of-bleem |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103221642/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-12-11-the-history-of-bleem |archive-date=3 November 2021 |location=Bath|url-status=live |language=en |date=11 December 2017}}</ref> Sony sued Bleem! two days after its release, citing [[Copyright infringement|copyright infringement]] and accusing the company of engaging in [[Social:Unfair competition|unfair competition]] and [[Social:Patent infringement|patent infringement]] by allowing use of PlayStation BIOSs on a Sega console.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony Computer Entertainment America v. Bleem|date=14 February 2000|url=https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=11837224078052556056&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr|volume=214|pages=1022|publisher=United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit|via=[[Google Scholar]]|access-date=3 November 2021|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103221638/https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar_case?case=11837224078052556056&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr|url-status=live}}</ref> Bleem! were subsequently forced to shut down in November 2001.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bramwell |first1=Tom |title=Game Over for bleem |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_31440 |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=29 December 2021 |location=Bath |language=en |date=19 November 2001|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229191653/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_31440|archivedate=29 December 2021}}</ref>

=== Copy protection system ===
Sony was aware that using CDs for game distribution could have left games vulnerable to [[Video game piracy|piracy]], due to the growing popularity of [[Engineering:CD-R|CD-R]] and [[Engineering:Optical disc drive|optical disc drive]]s with burning capability. To preclude illegal copying, a proprietary process for PlayStation disc manufacturing was developed that, in conjunction with an augmented optical drive in Tiger H/E assembly, prevented burned copies of games from booting on an unmodified console. Specifically, all genuine PlayStation discs were printed with a small section of deliberate irregular data, which the PlayStation's optical pick-up was capable of detecting and [[Physics:Frequency modulation|decoding]]. Consoles would not boot game discs without a specific wobble frequency contained in the data of the disc [[Engineering:Pregap|pregap]] sector (the same system was also used to encode discs' [[Social:Regional lockout|regional lock-outs]]).{{sfn|Green|2015|p=255}} This signal was within Red Book CD tolerances, so PlayStation discs' actual content could still be read by a conventional disc drive; however, the disc drive could not detect the wobble frequency (therefore duplicating the discs omitting it), since the laser pickup system of any optical disc drive would interpret this wobble as an oscillation of the disc surface and compensate for it in the reading process.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=26 March 2018|title=Sony's Clever but Flawed PlayStation Copy Protection—And How They Might Have Fixed It|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUwSOfQ1D3c|access-date=14 November 2020|via=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]|archive-date=20 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120021006/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUwSOfQ1D3c|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="patent">{{cite web|date=16 August 1999|title=Digital compact disc player security system reproducing method and apparatus|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US6304971| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://patents.google.com/patent/US6304971| archive-date=1 October 2021|url-status=live|access-date=22 September 2020|via=Google Patents|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

As the disc authenticity was only verified during [[Booting|booting]], this copy protection system could be circumvented by swapping any genuine disc with the copied disc, while [[Engineering:Modchip|modchip]]s could remove the protection system altogether by tricking the console into thinking the wobble is there on the pirated disc.<ref name=":0" /> Sony untruthfully suggested in advertisements that discs' unique black undersides played a role in copy protection. In reality, the black plastic used was transparent to any infrared laser and did not itself pose an obstacle to duplicators or computer CD drives, although it may have helped customers distinguish between unofficial and genuine copies.<ref name=":0" />{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=May 2022}}

===Hardware problems===
Early PlayStations, particularly early 1000 models, experience skipping full-motion video or physical "ticking" noises from the unit. The problems stem from poorly placed vents leading to overheating in some environments, causing the plastic mouldings inside the console to warp slightly and create knock-on effects with the laser assembly. The solution is to sit the console on a surface which dissipates heat efficiently in a well vented area or raise the unit up slightly from its resting surface.<ref name="problems">{{cite web|title=Sony PlayStation 1st-gen specs difficulties |url=https://www.engadget.com/products/sony/playstation/1st-gen/specs/|website=[[Software:Engadget|Engadget]]|publisher=Verizon Media|location={{wipe|New York City}}|access-date=18 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084637/http://www.engadget.com/products/sony/playstation/1st-gen/specs/|archive-date=19 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sony representatives also recommended unplugging the PlayStation when it is not in use, as the system draws in a small amount of power (and therefore heat) even when turned off.{{sfn|McDonnell|1997|p=20}}

The first batch of PlayStations use a KSM-440AAM laser unit, whose case and movable parts are all built out of plastic. Over time, the plastic lens sled rail wears out—usually unevenly—due to friction. The placement of the laser unit close to the power supply accelerates wear, due to the additional heat, which makes the plastic more vulnerable to friction. Eventually, one side of the lens sled will become so worn that the laser can tilt, no longer pointing directly at the CD; after this, games will no longer load due to data read errors. Sony fixed the problem by making the sled out of die-cast metal and placing the laser unit further away from the power supply on later PlayStation models.<ref name="problems" />

Due to an engineering oversight, the PlayStation does not produce a proper signal on several older models of televisions, causing the display to flicker or bounce around the screen. Sony decided not to change the console design, since only a small percentage of PlayStation owners used such televisions, and instead gave consumers the option of sending their PlayStation unit to a Sony service centre to have an official [[Engineering:Modchip|modchip]] installed, allowing play on older televisions.{{sfn|Harris|1996|p=20}}

==Game library==
A total of 7,918 PlayStation games have been released worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cumulative Software Titles |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]] |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatatitle_e.html |access-date=19 September 2014|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921062349/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatatitle_e.html |archive-date=21 September 2008 }}</ref> The PlayStation's bestselling game is ''[[Software:Gran Turismo (1997 video game)|Gran Turismo]]'' (1997), which sold 10.85&nbsp;million units.<ref name=granturismo/> After the PlayStation's discontinuation in 2006, the cumulative software shipment was 962&nbsp;million units.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cumulative Production Shipments of Software Titles |publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatapssoft_e.html |date=31 March 2007 |access-date=19 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923062826/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdatapssoft_e.html |archive-date=23 September 2008 }}</ref>

The PlayStation featured a diverse game library which grew to appeal to all types of players. The first two games available at launch were ''[[Software:Jumping Flash!|Jumping Flash!]]'' (1995) and ''Ridge Racer'',{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=7}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leadbetter |first1=Richard |title=20 years of PlayStation: the Ridge Racer revolution |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-20-years-of-playstation-the-ridge-racer-revolution| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-20-years-of-playstation-the-ridge-racer-revolution| archive-date=1 October 2021 |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=6 January 2021 |location=Brighton |language=en |date=3 December 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> with ''Jumping Flash!'' heralded as an ancestor for [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] in console gaming.<ref name="jf">{{cite web|last1=Fahey|first1=Rob|title=Jumping Flash review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016051200/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/jumping-flash-review|archive-date=16 October 2015|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/jumping-flash-review|work=Eurogamer|publisher=Gamer Network|location=Brighton|access-date=25 November 2014|date=9 June 2007}}</ref> Critically acclaimed PlayStation games included ''[[Software:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]'' (1997), ''[[Software:Crash Bandicoot (video game)|Crash Bandicoot]]'' (1996), ''[[Software:Spyro the Dragon|Spyro the Dragon]]'' (1998), ''[[Software:Metal Gear Solid (1998 video game)|Metal Gear Solid]]'' (1998), all of which became established franchises. ''Final Fantasy VII'' is credited with allowing role-playing games to gain mass-market appeal outside Japan,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-08-29-dirge-of-cerberus_x.htm |title='Dirge of Cerberus' defies expectations, for better and worse |first1=Alex |last1=Kraus |newspaper=[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]] |date=30 August 2006 |access-date=6 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629090116/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-08-29-dirge-of-cerberus_x.htm |archive-date=29 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and is considered one of the most influential and greatest video games ever made.<ref>{{cite web |title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time |website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}} |year=2018 |url=http://uk.ign.com/lists/top-100-games/100 |access-date=11 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018191534/https://uk.ign.com/lists/top-100-games/100 |archive-date=18 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the time of the PlayStation's first Christmas season, Psygnosis had produced around 70% of its launch catalogue;<ref name=hetherington/> its breakthrough racing game ''Wipeout'' was acclaimed for its techno soundtrack and helped raise awareness of Britain's underground music community.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Yin-Pool|first1=Wesley|title=WipEout: The rise and fall of Sony Studio Liverpool|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-22-wipeout-the-rise-and-fall-of-sony-studio-liverpool|archive-date=15 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215080531/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-22-wipeout-the-rise-and-fall-of-sony-studio-liverpool|website=Eurogamer|publisher=Future plc|date=21 July 2015|location=Bath|access-date=1 September 2014}}</ref> [[Company:Eidos Interactive|Eidos Interactive]]'s action-adventure game ''[[Software:Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'' contributed substantially to the success of the console in 1996,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/index.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090306100124/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/index.html| archive-date = 6 March 2009| title = GameSpot's History of Tomb Raider|website= GameSpot|publisher=Red Ventures|location=Indian Land|author1=Blache, Fabian |author2=Fielder, Lauren | date = 31 October 2000|access-date= 1 June 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> with its main protagonist Lara Croft becoming an early gaming icon and garnering unprecedented media promotion.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZBOebBJ5s|author=GameTrailers|date=17 February 2013|title=Tomb Raider Retrospective Part One|medium=Video|publisher=GameTrailers|via=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]|access-date=7 January 2021|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118022000/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZBOebBJ5s|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Funk |first=Joe |title=Insert Coin (Editorial) |newspaper=Electronic Gaming Monthly |page=6 |date=14 September 1997 |url=http://www.cubeit.com/ctimes/news0057a.htm |access-date=31 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050228034236/http://www.cubeit.com/ctimes/news0057a.htm |archive-date=28 February 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Licensed [[Finance:Tie-in|tie-in]] video games of popular films were also prevalent; [[Company:Argonaut Games|Argonaut Games]]' 2001 adaptation of ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' went on to sell over eight million copies late in the console's lifespan.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/02/12/replay-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerer-39-s-stone.aspx?PageIndex=2 |title=Replay: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone |last=Hilliard |first=Kyle |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=[[Company:GameStop|GameStop]]|location=Grapevine |date=12 February 2016 |access-date=2 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925105437/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/02/12/replay-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerer-39-s-stone.aspx?PageIndex=2|archive-date=25 September 2020}}</ref> Third-party developers committed largely to the console's wide-ranging game catalogue even after the launch of the PlayStation 2.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=25}}{{sfn|Leigh|2018|p=189}}

Initially, in the United States, PlayStation games were packaged in long cardboard boxes, similar to non-Japanese 3DO and Saturn games. Sony later switched to the jewel case format typically used for audio CDs and Japanese video games, as this format took up less retailer shelf space (which was at a premium due to the large number of PlayStation games being released), and focus testing showed that most consumers preferred this format.{{sfn|Parus|1997|pp=110–111}}

==Reception==
The PlayStation was mostly well received upon release. Critics in the west generally welcomed the new console; the staff of ''Next Generation'' reviewed the PlayStation a few weeks after its North American launch, where they commented that, while the CPU is "fairly average", the supplementary custom hardware, such as the GPU and sound processor, is stunningly powerful. They praised the PlayStation's focus on 3D, and complemented the comfort of its controller and the convenience of its memory cards. Giving the system 4{{1/2}} out of 5 stars, they concluded, "To succeed in this extremely cut-throat market, you need a combination of great hardware, great games, and great marketing. Whether by skill, luck, or just deep pockets, Sony has scored three out of three in the first salvo of this war".{{sfn|Stockdale|1995|p=41}} Albert Kim from ''Entertainment Weekly'' praised the PlayStation as a technological marvel, rivalling that of Sega and Nintendo.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kim |first1=Albert |title=Sony releases the Playstation |url=https://ew.com/article/1995/09/22/sony-releases-playstation/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://ew.com/article/1995/09/22/sony-releases-playstation/| archive-date=1 October 2021 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Dotdash Meredith|location={{wipe|New York City}}|access-date=27 December 2020 |date=22 September 1995}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''Famicom Tsūshin'' scored the console a 19 out of 40, lower than the Saturn's 24 out of 40, in May 1995.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine Cross Review: セガサターン |magazine=Weekly Famicom Tsūshin|issue=335|page=166|date=12–19 May 1995|language=ja}}</ref>

In a 1997 year-end review, a team of five ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' editors gave the PlayStation scores of 9.5, 8.5, 9.0, 9.0, and 9.5—for all five editors, the highest score they gave to any of the five consoles reviewed in the issue. They lauded the breadth and quality of the games library, saying it had vastly improved over previous years due to developers mastering the system's capabilities in addition to Sony revising its stance on 2D and role playing games. They also complimented the low price point of the games compared to the Nintendo 64's, and noted that it was the only console on the market that could be relied upon to deliver a solid stream of games for the coming year, primarily due to third party developers almost unanimously favouring it over its competitors.{{sfn|Boyer|1998|p=46}}

==Legacy==
SCE was an upstart in the video game industry in late 1994, as the video game market in the early 1990s was dominated by Nintendo and Sega. Nintendo had been the clear leader in the industry since the introduction of the [[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Entertainment System]] in 1985 and the Nintendo 64 was initially expected to maintain this position. The PlayStation's target audience included the generation which was the first to grow up with mainstream video games, along with 18- to 29-year-olds who were not the primary focus of Nintendo.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goodfellow|first=Kris|title=Sony Comes on Strong in Video-Game War|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/25/business/sony-comes-on-strong-in-video-game-war.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm|newspaper={{wipe|The New York Times}}|location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=25 May 1998|access-date=18 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308104046/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/25/business/sony-comes-on-strong-in-video-game-war.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm|archive-date=8 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> By the late 1990s, Sony became a highly regarded console brand due to the PlayStation, with a significant lead over second-place Nintendo, while Sega was relegated to a distant third.<ref name="vs">{{cite web|last1=Langshaw|first1=Mark|title=Sony PlayStation vs Nintendo 64: Gaming's Greatest Rivalries|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a443707/sony-playstation-vs-nintendo-64-gamings-greatest-rivalries.html|date=9 December 2012|website=Digital Spy|publisher=Hearst Communications|location={{wipe|New York City}}|access-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820110224/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a443707/sony-playstation-vs-nintendo-64-gamings-greatest-rivalries.html|archive-date=20 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The PlayStation became the first "computer entertainment platform" to ship over 100&nbsp;million units worldwide,{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}}<ref name="Sony Computer Entertainment">{{cite web|url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html|title=PlayStation Cumulative Production Shipments of Hardware|access-date=31 October 2013|publisher=[[Software:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]]|location=[[Place:Tokyo|Tokyo]]|url-status=dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110524023857/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/data/bizdataps_e.html|archive-date = 24 May 2011}}</ref> with many critics attributing the console's success to third-party developers.<ref name=hutchinson/> It remains the [[Engineering:List of best-selling game consoles|fifth best-selling console of all time]] as of {{currentisoyear}}, with a total of 102.49&nbsp;million units sold.<ref name="Sony Computer Entertainment"/> Around 7,900 individual games were published for the console during its 11-year life span, the second-most games ever produced for a console.{{sfn|McFerran|2015|p=9}} Its success resulted in a significant financial boon for Sony as profits from its video game division contributed to 23%.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=10}}

Sony's next-generation [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]], which is [[Backward compatibility|backward compatible]] with the PlayStation's [[Engineering:DualShock|DualShock]] controller and games, was announced in 1999 and launched in 2000. The PlayStation's lead in installed base and developer support paved the way for the success of its successor,<ref name="vs" /> which overcame the earlier launch of the Sega's Dreamcast and then fended off competition from [[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]]'s newcomer [[Engineering:Xbox (console)|Xbox]] and Nintendo's [[Engineering:GameCube|GameCube]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/7.html |title=PlayStation is number 7 |website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|location={{wipe|Chicago}} |access-date=27 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113091647/http://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/7.html |archive-date=13 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="pcworld1">{{cite magazine |author=McKinley Noble|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/171127/5_biggest_game_console_battles.html |title=5 Biggest Game Console Battles |magazine=PCWorld |date=31 August 2009 |access-date=27 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528214653/http://www.pcworld.com/article/171127/5_biggest_game_console_battles.html |archive-date=28 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Edwards |first1=Cliff |title=Sega Vs. Sony: Pow! Biff! Whack! |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2000-12-17/sega-vs-dot-sony-pow-biff-whack |website={{wipe|Bloomberg News}} |access-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123061235/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2000-12-17/sega-vs-dot-sony-pow-biff-whack |archive-date=23 January 2022 |location={{wipe|New York City}} |date=18 December 2000 |url-status=live}}</ref> The PlayStation 2's immense success and failure of the Dreamcast were among the main factors which led to Sega abandoning the console market.<ref>{{cite web|last=Whitehead |first=Dan |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dreamcast-a-forensic-retrospective-article |title=Dreamcast: A Forensic Retrospective |website=Eurogamer|publisher=Future plc|location=Bath |date=9 September 2019 |access-date=30 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015103108/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dreamcast-a-forensic-retrospective-article |archive-date=15 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/ten-greatest-years-gaming/ |title=The ten greatest years in gaming |work=Edge |date=27 June 2006 |access-date=5 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022221114/http://www.edge-online.com/features/ten-greatest-years-gaming/ |archive-date=22 October 2014}}</ref> To date, five PlayStation home consoles have been released, which have continued the same numbering scheme, as well as two portable systems. Hundreds of PlayStation games were re-released as PS One Classics for purchase and download on the [[Engineering:PlayStation Portable|PlayStation Portable]], [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]], and [[Engineering:PlayStation Vita|PlayStation Vita]].<ref name="initial lineup">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2006/12/06/joystiq-guide-psone-downloads-hit-the-psp-by-way-of-the-ps3/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205003829/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/06/joystiq-guide-psone-downloads-hit-the-psp-by-way-of-the-ps3/| archive-date=5 February 2016|title=Joystiq Guide: PSone downloads hit the PSP (by way of the PS3)|first=Christopher|last=Grant|publisher=AOL|work=[[Software:Engadget|Engadget]]|location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=6 December 2006|access-date=20 September 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 also maintained backward compatibility with original PlayStation discs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thorsen |first1=Tor |title=PlayStation 3 not 100 percent backward compatible? |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-3-not-100-percent-backward-compatible/1100-6136677/ |website=GameSpot |publisher=Red Ventures|location=Indian Land|access-date=31 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421191509/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-3-not-100-percent-backward-compatible/1100-6136677/|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2021 |date=27 October 2005}}</ref>

The PlayStation has often ranked among the best video game consoles. In 2018, ''Retro Gamer'' named it the third best console, crediting its sophisticated 3D capabilities as one of its key factors in gaining mass success, and lauding it as a "game-changer in every sense possible".<ref name="retrolegacy">{{cite web |last1=25 December 2018 |title=The 30 best video game consoles and systems of all time |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-video-game-console-system-of-all-time/4/ |website=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc|access-date=6 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101013728/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-video-game-console-system-of-all-time/4/ |archive-date=1 November 2020 |location=Bath|url-status=usurped|language=en}}</ref> In 2009, IGN ranked the PlayStation the seventh best console in their list, noting its appeal towards older audiences to be a crucial factor in propelling the video game industry, as well as its assistance in transitioning game industry to use the CD-ROM format.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 25 Video Game Consoles - IGN.com |url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-25-consoles/7 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=6 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707172446/https://www.ign.com/lists/top-25-consoles/7 |archive-date=7 July 2018 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en |date=21 July 2009}}</ref> Keith Stuart from ''{{wipe|The Guardian}}'' likewise named it as the seventh best console in 2020, declaring that its success was so profound it "ruled the 1990s".<ref name="guardiangood">{{cite web |last1=Stuart |first1=Keith |title=The 25 greatest video game consoles – ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jul/16/the-25-greatest-video-game-consoles-ranked |website={{wipe|The Guardian}} |access-date=6 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105082500/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jul/16/the-25-greatest-video-game-consoles-ranked |archive-date=5 January 2021 |location=[[Place:London|London]] |date=16 July 2020}}</ref>

===CD format===
The success of the PlayStation contributed to the demise of cartridge-based home consoles. While not the first system to use an optical disc format, it was the first highly successful one, and ended up going head-to-head with the proprietary cartridge-relying Nintendo 64,{{efn|The [[Engineering:Nintendo 64|Nintendo 64]] was the last major home console to use [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]] as its primary storage format until the [[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web | last=Frank | first=Allegra | title=Nintendo Switch Will Use Cartridges | website=Polygon | publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] | location=Washington DC | date=20 October 2016 | access-date=25 October 2017 | url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/10/20/13344618/nintendo-switch-nx-games-cartridges | archive-date=20 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020142412/http://www.polygon.com/2016/10/20/13344618/nintendo-switch-nx-games-cartridges | url-status=live }}</ref>}}<ref name="pcworld1" /> which the industry had expected to use CDs like PlayStation.{{r|maher20231208}} After the demise of the Sega Saturn, Nintendo was left as Sony's main competitor in Western markets. Nintendo chose not to use CDs for the Nintendo 64; it was likely concerned with the proprietary cartridge format's ability to help enforce copy protection, given its substantial reliance on licensing and exclusive games for its revenue.<ref name="versus">{{cite web |title=The Game: PlayStation vs N64 |url=https://www.forbes.com/1997/09/19/feat.html |website={{wipe|Forbes}}|date=19 September 1997 |access-date=18 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084533/http://www.forbes.com/1997/09/19/feat.html |archive-date=19 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Besides their larger capacity, CD-ROMs could be produced in bulk quantities at a much faster rate than ROM cartridges, a week compared to two to three months.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Hardware gimmick or cultural innovation? Technological, cultural, and social foundations of the Japanese video game industry | first1 = Yuko | last1 = Aoyama | first2= Hiro  |last2= Izushi | journal = Research Policy | volume = 32 | issue =3 | date = 2003 | pages = 423–444 |  doi = 10.1016/S0048-7333(02)00016-1 }}</ref>{{sfn|Asakura|2000|p=103}} Further, the cost of production per unit was far cheaper, allowing Sony to offer games about 40% lower cost to the user compared to ROM cartridges while still making the same amount of net revenue. In Japan, Sony published fewer copies of a wide variety of games for the PlayStation as a risk-limiting step, a model that had been used by Sony Music for CD audio discs. The production flexibility of CD-ROMs meant that Sony could produce larger volumes of popular games to get onto the market quickly, something that could not be done with cartridges due to their manufacturing lead time.{{sfn|Asakura|2000|pp=103, 105}}<ref>{{cite conference | last1 = Tomaselli | first1 = Fernando Claro | first2= Luiz Carlos | last2= Di Serio | first3 = Luciel Henrique | last3= de Oliveira | title = Value chain management and competitive strategy in the home video game industry | conference= 19th Annual Conference POMS | date= 2008 }}</ref>{{r|maher20231208}} The lower production costs of CD-ROMs also allowed publishers an additional source of profit: budget-priced reissues of games which had already recouped their development costs.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=9}}

Tokunaka remarked in 1996: {{blockquote|Choosing CD-ROM is one of the most important decisions that we made. As I'm sure you understand, PlayStation could just as easily have worked with masked ROM [cartridges]. The 3D engine and everything—the whole PlayStation format—is independent of the media. But for various reasons (including the economies for the consumer, the ease of the manufacturing, inventory control for the trade, and also the software publishers) we deduced that CD-ROM would be the best media for PlayStation.{{sfn|Lundrigan|1996|p=9}} }}

The increasing complexity of developing games pushed cartridges to their storage limits and gradually discouraged some third-party developers. Part of the CD format's appeal to publishers was that they could be produced at a significantly lower cost and offered more production flexibility to meet demand.<ref name="pcworld1" /> As a result, some third-party developers switched to the PlayStation, including [[Company:Square (video game company)|Square]], whose ''Final Fantasy VII'', and [[Company:Enix|Enix]] (later merged with Square to form [[Company:Square Enix|Square Enix]]), whose ''[[Software:Dragon Quest VII|Dragon Quest VII]]'' (2000) were planned for the Nintendo 64.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dragon Quest VII To Appear On PlayStation |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/01/15/dragon-quest-vii-to-appear-on-playstation |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=7 March 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307200025/https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/01/15/dragon-quest-vii-to-appear-on-playstation |archive-date=7 March 2022 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en |date=15 January 1997 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McFerran |first1=Damien |title=Nintendo Apparently Told Square "Never Come Back" After Losing Final Fantasy VII To Sony |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/01/nintendo_apparently_told_square_never_come_back_after_losing_final_fantasy_vii_to_sony |website=Nintendo Life |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224162141/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/01/nintendo_apparently_told_square_never_come_back_after_losing_final_fantasy_vii_to_sony |archive-date=24 February 2022 |location=Brighton |date=11 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Other developers released fewer games for the Nintendo 64 ([[Company:Konami|Konami]], releasing only thirteen N64 games but over fifty on the PlayStation). Nintendo 64 game releases were less frequent than the PlayStation's, with many being developed by either Nintendo itself or second-parties such as [[Company:Rare|Rare]].<ref name="versus" />

===PlayStation Classic===
{{main|Engineering:PlayStation Classic}}
[[File:PlayStation Classic Konsole + Controller (transparenter Hintergrund).png|thumb|right|[[Engineering:PlayStation Classic|PlayStation Classic]] console and controller|alt=A PlayStation Classic console and controller against a pure white background.]]
The PlayStation Classic is a [[Engineering:Dedicated console|dedicated video game console]] made by [[Company:Sony Interactive Entertainment|Sony Interactive Entertainment]] that emulates PlayStation games. It was announced in September&nbsp;2018 at the Tokyo Game Show, and released on 3 December 2018, the 24th anniversary of the release of the original console.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stewart|first1=Keith|title=Sony announces PlayStation Classic mini console|url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/sep/19/sony-announces-playstation-classic-mini-console|work={{wipe|The Guardian}}|location=[[Place:London|London]]|date=19 September 2018|access-date=19 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919100921/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/sep/19/sony-announces-playstation-classic-mini-console|archive-date=19 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Machkovech">{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/09/sony-joins-the-classic-console-fray-with-99-playstation-classic-on-dec-3/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211001/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/09/sony-joins-the-classic-console-fray-with-99-playstation-classic-on-dec-3/| archive-date=1 October 2021|title=Sony joins the classic-console fray with $99 PlayStation Classic on Dec. 3|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|website=[[Ars Technica]]|publisher=Condé Nast|location={{wipe|New York City}}|date=19 September 2018|access-date=19 September 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

As a dedicated console, the PlayStation Classic features 20 pre-installed games; the games run off the open source emulator PCSX.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris |title=PlayStation Classic Plays Fine, But It's A Bare-Bones Experience |url=https://kotaku.com/playstation-classic-plays-fine-but-it-s-a-bare-bones-e-1830294616 |website=Kotaku |date=8 November 2018 |publisher=Univision Communications |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111012108/https://kotaku.com/playstation-classic-plays-fine-but-it-s-a-bare-bones-e-1830294616 |archive-date=11 January 2020 |location={{wipe|Los Angeles}} |language=en-us}}</ref> The console is bundled with two replica wired PlayStation controllers (those without analogue sticks), an [[Engineering:HDMI|HDMI]] cable, and a [[Engineering:USB|USB]]-Type A cable.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dornbush |first1=Jonathan |title=PlayStation Classic Will Support Smartphone AC USB Adaptors, Will Not Support Other PS Peripherals – IGN |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/09/22/playstation-classic-will-support-smartphone-ac-usb-adaptors-will-not-support-other-ps-peripherals |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227155324/https://ca.ign.com/articles/2018/09/22/playstation-classic-will-support-smartphone-ac-usb-adaptors-will-not-support-other-ps-peripherals |archive-date=27 February 2020 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en |date=22 September 2018}}</ref> Internally, the console uses a [[Company:MediaTek|MediaTek]] MT8167a Quad A35 [[System on a chip|system on a chip]] with four central processing cores clocked at @ 1.5&nbsp;GHz and a [[PowerVR#Series8XE (Rogue)|Power VR GE8300]] graphics processing unit. It includes 16&nbsp;GB of eMMC flash storage and 1&nbsp;Gigabyte of DDR3 SDRAM.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leadbetter |first1=Richard |title=PlayStation Classic teardown: what's inside Sony's new micro-console? |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-playstation-mini-teardown |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806201924/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-playstation-mini-teardown |archive-date=6 August 2020 |location=Bath |language=en |date=28 November 2018}}</ref> The PlayStation Classic is 45% smaller than the original console.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Jess |title=Sony unveils PlayStation Classic console with 20 games |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a866526/sony-playstation-classic-announced-games-price-release-date/ |website=Digital Spy|publisher=Hearst Communications|location={{wipe|New York City}} |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809152744/https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a866526/sony-playstation-classic-announced-games-price-release-date/ |archive-date=9 August 2020 |date=19 September 2018}}</ref>

The PlayStation Classic received negative reviews from critics and was compared unfavorably to Nintendo's rival [[Engineering:NES Classic Edition|Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition]] and [[Engineering:Super NES Classic Edition|Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition]].<ref name=ignclassic>{{cite web |last1=Ogilvie |first1=Tristan |title=PlayStation Classic Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/11/27/playstation-classic-review |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820095409/https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/11/27/playstation-classic-review |archive-date=20 August 2021 |location={{wipe|Chicago}} |language=en |date=27 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Criticism was directed at its meager game library, [[User interface|user interface]], emulation quality, use of PAL versions for certain games, use of the original controller, and high retail price, though the console's design received praise.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bouman |first1=Amber |title=Why is the PlayStation Classic so unpopular? |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019-06-21-playstation-classic-user-review-roundup.html |website=[[Software:Engadget|Engadget]] |publisher=Verizon Media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907002534/https://www.engadget.com/2019-06-21-playstation-classic-user-review-roundup.html |archive-date=7 September 2020 |location={{wipe|New York City}} |language=en |date=21 June 2019}}</ref> The console sold poorly.<ref name=ignclassic/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schreier |first1=Jason |title=PlayStation Classic Gets Huge Price Cut, Which Says A Lot |url=https://kotaku.com/playstation-classic-gets-huge-price-cut-which-says-a-l-1831338278 |website=Kotaku |publisher=Univision Communications |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422002005/https://kotaku.com/playstation-classic-gets-huge-price-cut-which-says-a-l-1831338278 |archive-date=22 April 2021 |location={{wipe|Los Angeles}} |language=en-us |date=27 December 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''PlayStation: The Official Magazine'' (''PSM'')
* [[Portable Sound Format]] (PSF)
* [[Engineering:System 573|System 573]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
{{refbegin}}
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{{refend}}
{{div col end}}

{{Sony Corp}}
{{Fifth generation game consoles}}
{{Home video game consoles}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Playstation}}
[[Category:Home video game consoles]]

{{Sourceattribution|PlayStation (console)}}