30 years of PlayStation – How Sony has spurred the console race since 1994

Sony launched the PlayStation in Japan in 1994 and in the west in 1995. (Photo by Karolina Grabowska via Pexels)

Looking at big-budget titles such as Gran Turismo 7, Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil and other banger games now, it’s difficult for the uninitiated to recognize their humble beginnings. Today, gaming is accessible on almost every platform but very few remember the time when Sony took the world by storm when they put their foot through the door in the video game industry. Let’s take a walk-through history to see just how this multi-billion-dollar behemoth took over the world with the famed PlayStation lineup of hit consoles that became the pride of every house’s entertainment unit.

Breathing new life into the console market with the Sony PlayStation

At a time when the world was discussing palm-sized cartridges that were jammed into the top of family entertainment systems, an unsuspecting electronics giant Sony strides in with its own entrant into the market, changing the way video games are played. Boasting a compact disc system that also played music pretty well, Sony introduced the PlayStation in 1994 to Japan and in 1995 to the west.

Focusing more on 3D-model driven titles such as the mascot Crash Bandicoot, the futuristic Wipeout and even moving Final Fantasy to this platform – Sony drafted its vision for its own line of gaming products. The instantly recognizable geometric shapes replaced buttons bearing letters; trigger buttons were introduced, and Sony even made the analog sticks pressable (which took forever for first timers to discover) – Sony revolutionized the way folks would play video games.

During this time, Sony made several enhancements to its own controllers – perfecting its shape, ergonomics, adding more functionality. The controllers also introduced DualShock, a never-before-seen feature that gave immersive feedback to the palms of gamers holding the controller.

Keeping the flames of innovation burning, Sony even created a Japan-only PocketStation console – a pocket-sized gaming device that fit inside a shirt pocket. Mini-games that people could consume on the go were designed for this and doubled up as a memory card. With innovations in its arsenal, Sony was going to battle.

PocketStation console – a pocket-sized gaming device that fit inside a shirt pocket.

Setting world records with the Sony PlayStation 2

Having set the standard for gaming and at an attractive price point, Sony began its descent into this space while developers lined up to build games for this new hot selling platform. Sony was already thinking up the PlayStation 2, and launched it five years later in 2000. The sale of 155 million units later, the PlayStation 2 officially became the highest selling console of all time, setting the bar well beyond render distance.

The PlayStation 2 also set the stage for a little-known game called God Of War which would soon go on to be associated with the PlayStation ecosystem for decades to come. Multiple other famous entries that are still remembered fondly include Ratchet And Clank, Devil May Cry, and Kingdom Hearts.

PlayStation 2

Sports games such as Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA too put their latest entrants towards the swan song of the console. The competition didn’t even come close, even though significant threats were posed by Microsoft, Sega and Nintendo with their Xbox, Dreamcast and GameCube, respectively.

Things did get weird on the accessories front as Sony’s innovation didn’t stop with just the console. They even made a buzzer controller and mics for SingStar karaoke supported on the PlayStation 2. Packaging more within less, Sony later released the PlayStation 2 Slimline model that supported a built-in ethernet port for some online play.

Of clipped wings and the PlayStation 3

While the dollars kept coming in for the PlayStation 2, there was an overall technological shift happening in the media industry. DVD was slipping out of the scene with Blu-Ray was coming into the picture as the hottest new format. Supporting much more storage and providing clear 1080p resolutions, Sony became the first to build a console using Blu-Ray and introduced the PlayStation 3. This became probably Sony’s most expensive console at a whopping $599, whereas its competitor, the famed Xbox 360 was going for an affordable $399 for the highest variant.

The price increase was not a welcome one. Fans still did take it, ensuring that the console sold decently. The PS3 was a big boy – the original model weighing at nearly 5 kg. This is twice the weight of nearly all the PS consoles launched till date. Sony wasted no time in putting its R&D into action, slowly introducing the PS3 Slim and the PS3 Super Slim models to attract more target audiences.

The PlayStation 3 introduced several important features that are still seen today, including the PlayStation Network for online play and the PlayStation Plus service that enabled this play with exclusive access to games. This was also the first time the PlayStation controllers went wireless, supporting its six-axis features for some of its hits.

Grand Theft Auto IV, Assassin’s Creed, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare and towards the end of its life, the hit phenomenon The Last Of Us ensured that PlayStation 3 users bonded with their devices. While the PlayStation 3 may not have been as successful as its predecessor, it definitely burnt Sony’s wings a bit, bringing them to rethink their future strategy of consoles with more careful consideration being put into place.

PlayStation 3 weighed 5 kg, and cost $599 - $200 more than the most expensive Xbox 360 then.

From Home to Handheld

While home consoles have been a mainstay for Sony, it didn’t stop them from venturing into the hands and backpacks of millions of commuters with their own handheld consoles. Taking their recognizable identity from home to hand, Sony introduced the PlayStation Portable or the PSP in 2004. Bringing almost every feature into its own handheld version including trigger buttons and the usage of the cool new optical media discs (OMDs) – Sony ensured that the PSPs were compatible with almost any computer via a USB interface. The PSP also supported media playback, allowing folks to carry their favourite music videos or movies on the fly.

Naturally, a market was born and the takers arrived for a generation of handheld consoles that bared the brands of PlayStation Portable, PSP-2000 and 3000 variants, the miniature PSP Go, the stylish PSP Street and the last entrant on the list – the PlayStation Vita. The Vita was perhaps the most revolutionary of the lot, bringing even the analog sticks to handheld and a 5-inch OLED touchscreen reminding fans why Sony is at the forefront of tech.

Sony introduced the PlayStation Portable or the PSP in 2004.

Sailing the longest generation with the PlayStation 4

Launched when this writer was in grad school nearly a decade ago, the PlayStation 4 is still going strong. A lot has been written about the PlayStation 4, which has seen video games constantly upgrade. Well begun with a million pre-orders and becoming the best-selling console at launch at multiple geographies, the PlayStation 4 housed nearly all of this generation’s greatest gaming hits.

The landscape is at its competitive best with the Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch both challenging the PlayStation 4. Probably more households that are home to a Sony console today have a PlayStation 4 than a PlayStation 5. The accessibility of the system over an expensive gaming PC and the availability of its units too made it a hit across countries.

Bloodborne, Red Dead Redemption 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Resident Evil 2, God Of War, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn… the list roars fiercely with gigantic storytellers. Amidst the high seas of the console market, from its launch in 2013 till date, Sony also added the PlayStation 2 slim, Remote Play features, a Pro version which boasted 4K resolutions and even the first generation of PlayStation VR.

PlayStation 4 launched on November 15, 2013.

Ringing in the new generation of gaming with PlayStation 5

While the PlayStation 4 is still being picked up from shelves across stores, after what was possibly the longest gap between consoles, Sony introduce the revolutionary PlayStation 5 to the world in 2020. The hardware was state-of-the-art, with SSDs, 4K resolution with up to 120 FPS support and capable of harnessing the power of ray-tracing, making video games look stunning.

The PS5 also evolved Sony’s controllers, moving from the iconic DualShocks to the all new DualSense controller that featured haptic feedback. Rain feels like rain in your palms. Walking on different terrain in-game also changed the way you feel the motors from the controller. Games also supported 3D audio for complete immersion and the path was cleared towards the best in gaming the world has ever seen.

The cherry on the cake was backward-compatibility support for previous generation PlayStation games which the prior consoles did not have. The device has almost every feature a gamer dreamed of having on their consoles. Even in its off-state, the PlayStation 5 is easily the best looking device in your entertainment unit, standing tall with its collars propped up.

Catering to the demands for the console was a challenge for Sony at launch. The semi-conductor industry was hit badly during the pandemic that had brought the world to a stand-still. Sony managed to make it work, ensuring that by the end of the launch year, production had doubled and they were able to put a PS5 in every home that demanded it.

Moving forward on their quest to make it their best console yet, they revamped the PlayStation Plus subscription program, now opening up a catalog of games that people could get for free during its available window.

With the market shifting towards a digital-only setup, Sony also introduced a digital edition of the PS5 at launch for those who didn’t want to hoard physical discs for games. Gamers could simply download the game they wanted to play and delete it at their convenience.

Accessories too were futuristic with the next generation of VR coming in with the PlayStation VR2 headset. A controversial remote-play handheld device too was a bold entrant by Sony with the PlayStation Portal.

Next, Sony strengthened its first-party offerings by bringing the developers of God Of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding, Bloodborne, Demon Souls and many more under the umbrella of PlayStation Studios, promising fans a never-ending flow of games that they wouldn’t otherwise get to play on other devices. First-time gamers saw the PlayStation 5 as the perfect console to kickstart their gaming adventures due to the library and offerings that Sony proudly boasted.

The seas ahead for Sony

Sony has captured the hearts of gamers and the respect of even its competition’s users. Having plenty to offer and constantly giving to its fans, creating a whole ecosystem of movies, TV shows, entertainment and more, the gaming industry has been reshaped with this giant’s efforts.

Supporting indie developers to put their own babies on the PlayStation store has also been in the sights of Sony to ensure that while the consumers who love playing video games get what they want, the developers who love making games for them too are felt seen.

The years 2024-25 can see the first steps of shifting towards another age of gaming. How Sony analyzes it, plans for it and reacts to it is something we are curious to see, as we have done right from the consoles back in the early 1990s.