PAL SHAB HIGHLIGHTS

The Evolution of PlayStation Consoles
A Look back at all the PlayStation Consoles
Sony launched its PlayStation brand back in 1994, and since then, the company has released four major consoles, all of which have received refreshed designs. The PlayStation division now represents 78 percent of Sony’s profits, and with the company releasing its Pro system in November, we thought we’d take a stroll down memory lane to look back at all of the PlayStation consoles.

PlayStation
PlayStation
The original PlayStation launched in Japan on December 3, 1994. It went on to become the first video game console to ship more than 100 million units. It’s considered to be a part of the fifth generation of game consoles and competed against the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64 in the mid-’90s.

The catalyst for the console actually spawned from a failed partnership with Nintendo, when Sony was in talks with building an add-on for the Super Nintendo. The PlayStation would go on to feature a dual-speed CD-ROM drive, a one-core CPU that had 2MB of RAM along with 1MB of video RAM with graphics that could deliver up to 360,000 polygons per second.

The original PlayStation played a pivotal role in transitioning the industry away from 2D graphics to real-time 3D rendering. Its use of the compact disc format also allowed it to push high-fidelity full-motion video, something the competing N64 struggled to do with its space-limited cartridges.

Speaking of storage, the PlayStation didn’t feature an internal hard drive. Instead, game saves required the use of memory cards, which were a measly 128KB in size.

It’s also worth mentioning that the PlayStation originally didn’t ship with a DualShock controller. Instead, its basic PlayStation controller lacked thumbsticks and force-feedback technology. Sony would later release its first DualShock controller in 1997, which would add these features.

Competed against: Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64

Notable games: Resident Evil series, Tekken series, Dead or Alive, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy VII/VIII/IX, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, Gran Turismo, Chrono Cross, Spyro the Dragon, PaRappa the Rapper