History of PlayStation in Timeline
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Its primary product is a line of home video game consoles. The brand also encompasses handheld devices, online services, magazines, and various other media formats.
June 1991: Sony Reveals "Play Station" at CES
At the Consumer Electronics Show in June 1991, Sony revealed a Super Famicom with a built-in CD-ROM drive called "Play Station" (also known as SNES-CD).
June 1992: Meeting to decide fate of PlayStation project
In June 1992, a meeting was held, consisting of Sony President Ohga, PlayStation Head Kutaragi and several senior members of Sony's board, to decide the fate of the PlayStation project. Sony President Ohga ultimately decided to retain the project.
November 16, 1993: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) formed
On November 16, 1993, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) was formed by Kutaragi, Shigeo Maruyama, and Akira Sato.
1993: PlayStation Project Greenlit
In 1993, the PlayStation project was finally given the green light by Sony executives after several years of development. Phil Harrison was also recruited to attract developers and publishers to the PlayStation platform.
December 3, 1994: Original PlayStation Released in Japan
On December 3, 1994, the original PlayStation was released in Japan, marking the beginning of the PlayStation console series.
December 1994: PlayStation Hits Japanese Stores
In December 1994, the PlayStation was released in Japanese stores and gained massive sales due to its lower price point than its competitor, the Sega Saturn.
1994: Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) Founded
In 1994, Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) was founded, with New York-based Sony Interactive Entertainment as its parent company.
1994: PlayStation Control Pad Release
In 1994, the PlayStation control pad was released as the first controller for the original PlayStation, featuring a basic design with a D-pad and four main select buttons.
1994: First PlayStation home console released in Japan
In 1994, the first PlayStation home console was released in Japan, marking the beginning of the PlayStation brand.
1996: PlayStation Analog Joystick Release
In 1996, Sony released the PlayStation Analog Joystick for use with flight simulation games.
1997: Dual Analog Controller Release
In 1997, the original digital PlayStation controller was replaced by the Dual Analog, which added two analog sticks.
1997: PlayStation Underground Magazine Launch
In Spring 1997, Sony Computer Entertainment America began publishing PlayStation Underground, a quarterly magazine subscription including PlayStation CDs with demos, interviews, and game content.
1998: DualShock Controller Release
In 1998, the DualShock controller for the PlayStation was released. It succeeded the Dual Analog and became the longest-running series of controllers for the PlayStation brand.
January 23, 1999: PocketStation Release
On January 23, 1999, the PocketStation, a Memory Card peripheral for the original PlayStation, was released exclusively in Japan.
July 7, 2000: PS One Released Concurrently with PlayStation 2
On July 7, 2000, the PS One was released concurrently with its successor, the PlayStation 2. The PS one went on to outsell all other consoles, including its successor, throughout the remainder of the year.
2000: Optional LCD Screen Release for PSone
In 2000, an optional 5-inch LCD screen (SCPH-131) was released for the PSone (a redesigned version of the original PlayStation).
2000: PlayStation 2 Released
Released in 2000, the PlayStation 2 is part of the sixth generation of video game consoles and is backwards-compatible with most original PlayStation games.
2001: PlayStation Underground Magazine Phased Out
By 2001, Sony decided to phase out the PlayStation Underground magazine to focus on JamPacks with the release of the PlayStation 2.
2002: Linux Kit for PlayStation 2
In 2002, Sony released the Linux Kit for the PlayStation 2, which turned the console into a computer system running Linux, complete with a hard drive and software tools.
2002: LCD Screen Included in "Combo Pack"
In 2002, the optional 5-inch LCD screen for the PSone was included as a pack-in bundle called the "Combo Pack".
December 2003: PlayStation and PS one Combined Shipments Reach 102.49 Million Units
By December 2003, the PlayStation and PS one had shipped a combined total of 102.49 million units.
2004: PlayStation 2 Slimline Released
In 2004, the PlayStation 2 Slimline was released, marking the first major redesign of the PlayStation 2.
November 29, 2005: PS2 Reaches 100 Million Units Shipped
On November 29, 2005, the PS2 became the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch.
2005: The Age Article Highlights PlayStation's Impact
In 2005, The Age published an article featuring interviews that highlighted the impact of the PlayStation brand on the gaming industry. Jeffrey Brand noted PlayStation re-ignited our imagination with video games, Yoshiki Okamoto called it revolutionary, and Evan Wells said PlayStation made playing games cool.
July 2006: Controversial Advertising Campaign in the Netherlands
In July 2006, an advertising campaign in the Netherlands, comparing the Ceramic White PSP and Piano Black PSP using white and black models, drew criticism for being potentially racist.
November 11, 2006: PlayStation 3 Released in Japan
On November 11, 2006, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) was released in Japan.
November 2006: Viral Marketing Campaign "All I want for Xmas is a PSP" Exposed
In November 2006, a Sony marketing campaign using a website called "All I want for Xmas is a PSP", designed to promote the PSP virally, was exposed, leading to Sony admitting it was "poorly executed".
September 2007: PSP-2000 (Slim & Lite) Release
In September 2007, the PSP-2000, also known as the Slim & Lite in PAL territories, was released as the first major hardware revision of the PlayStation Portable. This new version featured a lighter and slimmer design compared to the original PSP.
2007: Revision of the Slimline Shipped
In 2007, Sony began shipping a revision of the Slimline which was lighter than the original Slimline together with a lighter AC adapter.
2007: PlayStation sponsorship of AJ Auxerre ends
In 2007, the PlayStation sponsorship of French Ligue 1 club AJ Auxerre ended.
2008: Development on PlayStation 4 Begins
According to lead system architect, Mark Cerny, development on the PlayStation 4 began as early as 2008.
2008: Another Revision of the Slimline Released
In 2008, Sony released yet another revision of the Slimline which had an overhauled internal design incorporating the power supply into the console itself like the original PlayStation 2 resulting in a further reduced total weight of the console.
June 2, 2009: PlayStation Move Revealed
On June 2, 2009, PlayStation Move, a motion-sensing game controller platform for the PlayStation 3, was first revealed.
September 1, 2009: PlayStation 3 Slim Released in North America and Europe
The redesigned PlayStation 3 "slim" model was officially released on September 1, 2009, in North America and Europe.
September 3, 2009: PlayStation 3 Slim Released in Japan, Australia and New Zealand
On September 3, 2009, the redesigned PlayStation 3 "slim" model was officially released in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
October 2009: PSP Go Release
Released in October 2009, the PSP Go is a redesign of the PlayStation Portable that features 16 GB of internal flash memory instead of a UMD drive.
2009: PlayStation sponsorship of Olympique Lyonnais begins
In 2009, PlayStation became the main kit sponsor of Olympique Lyonnais.
2009: PlayStation Ranked Among Top Social Brands
In 2009, ViTrue, Inc. ranked the PlayStation brand as number 13 on their "The Vitrue 100: Top Social Brands of 2009", based on social media presence.
2010: PlayStation Stands Apart as a Top Sony Product
In 2010, Gizmodo highlighted that the PlayStation brand was one of the last Sony products to stand out from its competitors as a top product.
2010: PlayStation Move Launched
In 2010, PlayStation Move was launched in Q3/Q4. Hardware available at launch included the main PlayStation Move motion controller and an optional PlayStation Move sub-controller.
2010: PlayStation 3 Firmware Update Removes Linux Support
In 2010, a firmware update removed the feature to install a second operating system on PlayStation 3.
2010: PlayStation sponsorship of Olympique Lyonnais ends
In 2010, the PlayStation sponsorship of Olympique Lyonnais ended.
January 27, 2011: PlayStation Vita Unveiled
On January 27, 2011, Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation Vita at the PlayStation Meeting 2011.
December 17, 2011: PlayStation Vita Release in Japan
On December 17, 2011, the PlayStation Vita was released in Japan. It was previously codenamed Next Generation Portable (NGP).
2011: Sony Wanted to Avoid Launching PS4 Behind Competition
In 2011, PlayStation Europe CEO Jim Ryan emphasized that Sony wanted to avoid launching the next-generation console (PlayStation 4) behind the competition.
February 22, 2012: PlayStation Vita Release in North America
On February 22, 2012, the PlayStation Vita was released in North America. The original model features a 5-inch OLED touchscreen and two analog sticks.
April 2012: PlayStation Most Followed Brand on Facebook
As of April 2012, PlayStation became the "most followed" brand on Facebook, with over 22 million fans and followers.
December 28, 2012: PlayStation 2 Shipments End in Japan
PlayStation 2 shipments in Japan ended on December 28, 2012.
2012: New "Super Slim" PlayStation 3 revealed
In 2012, Sony revealed a new "Super Slim" PlayStation 3 with a redesigned case and a sliding door covering the disc drive.
January 4, 2013: PS2 Production Ends Worldwide
On January 4, 2013, The Guardian reported that PS2 production had ended worldwide.
February 20, 2013: PlayStation 4 Announced
On February 20, 2013, Sony Computer Entertainment announced the PlayStation 4 (PS4) at a press conference.
September 2013: PCH-2000 Series Announced
In September 2013, the PCH-2000 series, a lighter redesign of the PlayStation Vita, was announced at the SCEJA Press Conference prior to the Tokyo Game Show.
October 10, 2013: PCH-2000 Series Release in Japan
On October 10, 2013, the new PCH-2000 series, a lighter redesign of the PlayStation Vita, was released in Japan.
November 15, 2013: PlayStation 4 Released in North America
On November 15, 2013, the PlayStation 4 was first released in North America.
November 2013: PlayStation 3 Sales Reach 80 Million Units Worldwide
As of November 2013, the PlayStation 3 had sold over 80 million consoles worldwide.
May 6, 2014: PCH-2000 Series Release in North America
On May 6, 2014, the new PCH-2000 series, a lighter redesign of the PlayStation Vita, was released in North America.
July 2014: Sony Boasts 100 Million PlayStation Units Sold
In July 2014, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita had sold a combined total of 100 million units.
2015: PlayStation 2 ranked as best selling console of all time
As of 2015, PlayStation 2 has been ranked as the best-selling console of all time.
2015: PlayStation is the Strongest Selling Home Console Brand Worldwide
As of 2015, PlayStation is the strongest selling home console brand worldwide.
2015: PlayStation Gear launch
In 2015, Sony launched PlayStation Gear, an online store for merchandise and apparel.
September 7, 2016: PlayStation 4 Slim Unveiled
On September 7, 2016, the PlayStation 4 Slim, a revised version of the original PS4 with a streamlined form factor, was unveiled. The new console features a smaller casing and a matte finish.
September 15, 2016: PlayStation 4 Slim Release
On September 15, 2016, the PlayStation 4 Slim was released with a 500 GB model, priced the same as the original PS4. The model number for this version is CUH-2000.
2016: PlayStation Sponsors Fiesta Bowl
In 2016, PlayStation became the sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl.
March 2019: PlayStation Vita Discontinuation
In March 2019, the PlayStation Vita was discontinued. SIE president Jim Ryan stated that the company has moved away from portable consoles.
April 2019: First News of PlayStation 5
In April 2019, Mark Cerny provided the first news regarding the PlayStation 5 in an interview with Wired. Sony planned to ship it worldwide by the end of 2020.
October 2019: PlayStation 5 Specifications Released
In October 2019, the specifications for the PlayStation 5 were released, detailing the console's use of an 8-core, 16-thread CPU based on AMD's Zen 2 microarchitecture and a custom AMD Navi family GPU with ray-tracing support.
December 2019: PlayStation Network active users
As of December 2019, the PlayStation Network had over 103 million active users monthly.
November 12, 2020: PlayStation 5 Worldwide Release
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) was released worldwide on November 12, 2020, marking its entry into the ninth generation of video game consoles.
2020: PlayStation 5 released
In 2020, the PlayStation 5, the most recent console in the PlayStation line, was released.
2022: PlayStation Sponsorship of Fiesta Bowl Ends
In 2022, PlayStation's sponsorship of the Fiesta Bowl ended.
2022: Plans to release Spartacus subscription service
In 2022, Sony had plans to release the Spartacus subscription service, incorporating PlayStation Plus, PlayStation Now, and access to older PlayStation games.
August 23, 2023: PlayStation Portal Unveiled
On August 23, 2023, Sony officially unveiled Project Q as PlayStation Portal, a portable system that can stream PS5 games from a home console.
October 2023: PlayStation 5 Slim Released
In October 2023, a revised slimmer design for the PS5, similar to past "slim" rereleases, was released. Besides the slimmer design, the slim model features 1 TB of internal storage and replaces one of the USB-A ports with USB-C. The base version also removes the internal optical disc drive, replaced by an external drive.
November 15, 2023: PlayStation Portal Released
On November 15, 2023, the PlayStation Portal released for $199.99. It is a portable system that can stream PS5 games from a home console.
November 2024: PlayStation 5 Pro Release
The PlayStation 5 Pro was released in November 2024. It features three main upgrades over the base PS5 model: a GPU that was about 45% faster than the base PS5 GPU, the inclusion of an image upscaling technology called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), and an increase of internal storage to 2 TB.
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