# PlayStation (console) {#playstation-console .reader-title}
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This article is about the original PlayStation console.
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| 'Top:' The initial PlayStation model (1994) with original controller and memory card\ |
| 'Bottom:' The redesigned PS one (2000) with DualShock controller and memory card |
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| Codename | PSX |
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| Also known as | <div> |
| | |
| | - PS |
| | - PS1 |
| | - PS one (redesign) |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Developer | Sony Computer Entertainment |
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| Manufacturer | Sony Electronics |
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| Product family | PlayStation |
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| Type | Home video game console |
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| Generation | Fifth |
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| Released | <div> |
| | |
| | 3 December 1994 |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Introductory price | <div> |
| | |
| | - ¥39,800 (equivalent to ¥44,990 in 2024) |
| | - US\$299 (equivalent to \$630 in 2025)^\[9\]^ |
| | - £299 (equivalent to £610 in 2025)^\[10\]^ |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Discontinued | EU: 19 October 2001^\[11\]^(PS one only)\ |
| | WW: 23 March 2006^\[12\]\[13\]^ |
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| Units sold | <div> |
| | |
| | - Worldwide: 102.49 million^\[12\]^ |
| | - North America: 40.78 million |
| | - Europe: 40.12 million |
| | - Asia: 21.59 million |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Media | CD |
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| CPU | R3000 @ 33.87 MHz |
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| Memory | 2 MB RAM, 1 MB Video RAM (2MB in SCPH-7501 and later) |
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| Storage | Memory card |
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| Display | 480i, 240p |
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| Sound | <div> |
| | |
| | - \* Analog stereo |
| | - \* PCM stereo (requires third-party Parallel I/O adapter) (SCPH-100x to 7000 |
| | only) |
| | - \* Dolby Pro Logic surround (select games)^\[14\]^ |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Controller input | PlayStation controller, PlayStation Analog Joystick, Dual Analog Controller, |
| | DualShock |
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| Connectivity | <div> |
| | |
| | List |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Online services | <div> |
| | |
| | - i-mode Mobile Phone Connection Cable (Japan only) |
| | - Lightspan Online Connection CD (third-party) |
| | |
| | </div> |
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| Best-selling game | *Gran Turismo* (10.85 million)^\[15\]^ (list) |
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| Successor | PlayStation 2 |
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: PlayStation
The 'PlayStation'^\[a\]^ (codenamed 'PSX', abbreviated as 'PS',
and retronymically 'PS1' or 'PS one') is a home video game console
developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released
in Japan on 3 December 1994, followed by North America on 9 September
1995, Europe on 29 September 1995, and other regions following
thereafter. As a fifth-generation console, the PlayStation primarily
competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn.
Sony began developing the PlayStation after a failed venture with
Nintendo to create a CD-ROM peripheral for the 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 polygon graphics was placed at the forefront of the console\'s
design.^\[16\]^ 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.
Critically acclaimed games that defined the console include *Gran
Turismo*, *Crash Bandicoot*, *Spyro the Dragon*, *Tomb Raider*,
*Resident Evil*, *Metal Gear Solid*, *Tekken 3*, *Final Fantasy VII*,
and *Silent Hill*. Sony ceased production of the PlayStation on 23 March
2006---over eleven years after it had been released, and in the same
year the PlayStation 3 debuted.^\[13\]^ More than 4,000 PlayStation
games were released, with cumulative sales of 962 million units.
The PlayStation signaled 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 million units.^\[17\]^ Its use of compact discs heralded the game
industry\'s transition from cartridges. The PlayStation\'s success led
to a line of successors, beginning with the PlayStation 2 in 2000. In
the same year, Sony released a smaller and cheaper model, the PS one.
<figure>
<img
src="file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Nintendo_Playstation_Prototype_%2826398118438%29.jpg"
class="moz-reader-block-img" data-file-width="5760"
data-file-height="2036" width="250" height="88"
alt="A photo of the only-known SNES-based PlayStation prototype with a controller and disk drive in the foreground." />
<figcaption>One of the only two known SNES-based PlayStation
prototypes<sup><span>[</span>18<span>]</span><span>[</span>19<span>]</span></sup></figcaption>
</figure>
The PlayStation was conceived by Ken Kutaragi, a Sony executive who
managed a hardware engineering division and was later dubbed \"the
Father of the PlayStation\".^\[20\]\[21\]^ Kutaragi\'s interest in
working with video games stemmed from seeing his daughter play games on
Nintendo\'s Famicom.^\[22\]^ Kutaragi convinced Nintendo to use his
SPC-700 sound processor in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES) through a demonstration of the processor\'s capabilities.^\[23\]^
His willingness to work with Nintendo was derived from both his
admiration of the Famicom and conviction in video game consoles becoming
the main home-use entertainment systems.^\[24\]^ Although Kutaragi was
nearly fired because he worked with Nintendo without Sony\'s
knowledge,^\[25\]^ president Norio Ohga recognised the potential in
Kutaragi\'s chip and decided to keep him as a protégé.^\[22\]^
The inception of the PlayStation dates back to a 1988 joint venture
between Nintendo and Sony.^\[10\]^ Nintendo had produced 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.^\[22\]\[26\]^ Since Sony was already contracted to produce
the SPC-700 sound processor for the SNES,^\[10\]^ Nintendo contracted
Sony to develop a CD-ROM add-on, tentatively titled the \"Play Station\"
or \"SNES-CD\".^\[27\]\[28\]^ 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.^\[29\]^
Sony was keen to obtain a foothold in the rapidly expanding video game
market. Having been the primary manufacturer of the MSX home computer
format, Sony had wanted to use their experience in consumer electronics
to produce their own video game hardware.^\[30\]\[31\]^ 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.^\[10\]\[32\]^ 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.^\[10\]\[33\]\[31\]^ 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.^\[34\]^
The Play Station was to be announced at the 1991 Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) in Las Vegas.^\[35\]^ 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 department.^\[36\]^
Wanting to protect Nintendo\'s existing licensing structure, Yamauchi
cancelled all plans for the joint Nintendo--Sony SNES CD attachment
without telling Sony.^\[37\]\[38\]\[35\]^ He sent Nintendo of America
president Minoru Arakawa (his son-in-law) and chairman Howard Lincoln to
Amsterdam to form a more favourable contract with Dutch conglomerate
Philips, Sony\'s rival. This contract would give Nintendo total control
over their licences on all Philips-produced machines.^\[39\]\[31\]^
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.^\[40\]^ On the first day of the CES, Sony announced their
partnership with Nintendo and their new console, the Play Station. At
9 am on the next day, in what has been called \"the greatest ever
betrayal\" in the industry,^\[39\]^ Howard Lincoln stepped onto the
stage and revealed that Nintendo was now allied with Philips and would
abandon their work with Sony.^\[22\]\[41\]\[42\]^
<figure>
<img
src="file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Ken_Kutaragi_-_Game_Developers_Choice_Awards_2014_%28cropped%29.jpg"
class="moz-reader-block-img" data-file-width="500"
data-file-height="944" width="190" height="359"
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." />
<figcaption>Ken Kutaragi, the "Father of the PlayStation", pictured at
the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014</figcaption>
</figure>
Incensed by Nintendo\'s renouncement, Ohga and Kutaragi decided that
Sony would develop their own console.^\[43\]^ Nintendo\'s
contract-breaking was met with consternation in the Japanese business
community,^\[22\]^ as they had broken an \"unwritten law\" of native
companies not turning against each other in favour of foreign
ones.^\[31\]^ Sony\'s American branch considered allying with Sega to
produce a CD-ROM-based machine called the Sega Multimedia Entertainment
System, but the Sega board of directors in Tokyo vetoed the idea when
Sega of America 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?\"^\[44\]^ Sony halted their research, but decided to
develop what it had developed with Nintendo and Sega into a console
based on the SNES.^\[44\]^
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.^\[31\]\[45\]^ Many within Sony were still opposed to their
involvement in the video game industry, with some resenting Kutaragi for
jeopardising the company.^\[46\]^ Kutaragi remained adamant that Sony
not retreat from the growing industry and that a deal with Nintendo
would never work.^\[22\]\[39\]^ Knowing that they had to take decisive
action, Sony severed all ties with Nintendo on 4 May 1992.^\[47\]^
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.^\[48\]^ 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.^\[33\]^ 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.^\[49\]^ After Kutaragi reminded him of the humiliation he
suffered from Nintendo, Ohga retained the project and became one of
Kutaragi\'s most staunch supporters.^\[28\]\[50\]^
Ohga shifted Kutaragi and nine of his team from Sony\'s main
headquarters to Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ),^\[51\]^ a
subsidiary of the main Sony group, so as to retain the project and
maintain relationships with Philips for the MMCD development
project.^\[33\]^ 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.^\[33\]^ Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) was
jointly established by Sony and SMEJ to handle the company\'s ventures
into the video game industry.^\[52\]\[53\]^ On 27 October 1993, Sony
publicly announced that it was entering the game console market with the
PlayStation.^\[39\]\[54\]^ According to Maruyama, there was uncertainty
over whether the console should primarily focus on 2D, sprite-based
graphics or 3D polygon graphics. After Sony witnessed the success of
Sega\'s *Virtua Fighter* (1993) in Japanese arcades, the direction of
the PlayStation became \"instantly clear\" and 3D polygon graphics
became the console\'s primary focus.^\[55\]^ 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.^\[56\]^ Maruyama claimed that Sony further
wanted to emphasise the new console\'s ability to utilise redbook audio
from the CD-ROM format in its games alongside high quality visuals and
gameplay.^\[57\]^
Wishing to distance the project from the failed enterprise with
Nintendo, Sony initially branded the PlayStation the \"PlayStation X\"
(PSX).^\[39\]^ 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 1995.^\[58\]\[59\]^ 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.^\[60\]^ 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\".^\[33\]\[34\]^
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 port successful games
to their home consoles.^\[61\]^ Recent consoles like the Atari Jaguar
and 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.^\[31\]^ A team from Epic Sony visited more than
a hundred companies throughout Japan in May 1993 in hopes of attracting
game creators with the PlayStation\'s technological appeal.^\[62\]^ Sony
found that many disliked Nintendo\'s practices, such as favouring their
own games over others.^\[63\]^ Through a series of negotiations, Sony
acquired initial support from Namco, 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.^\[64\]^ Attaining these companies
secured influential games such as *Ridge Racer* (1993) and *Mortal
Kombat 3* (1995),^\[31\]\[9\]^ *Ridge Racer* being one of the most
popular arcade games at the time,^\[65\]^ and it was already confirmed
behind closed doors that it would be the PlayStation\'s first game by
December 1993,^\[66\]^ despite Namco being a longstanding Nintendo
developer.^\[63\]^ Namco\'s research managing director Shegeichi
Nakamura met with Kutaragi in 1993 to discuss the preliminary
PlayStation specifications, with Namco subsequently basing the Namco
System 11 arcade board on PlayStation hardware and developing *Tekken*
to compete with *Virtua Fighter*.^\[67\]^ The System 11 launched in
arcades several months before the PlayStation\'s release, with the
arcade release of *Tekken* in September 1994.^\[68\]^
<figure>
<img
src="file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Ian_Hetherington_1990.png"
class="moz-reader-block-img" data-file-width="339"
data-file-height="279" width="250" height="206"
alt="A photo of Ian Hetherington, founder of game developer Psygnosis, seated at a desk." />
<figcaption>Ian Hetherington pictured in 1990. Hetherington and
Psygnosis played important roles in the PlayStation
project.</figcaption>
</figure>
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
Psygnosis (later renamed SCE Liverpool) for US\$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.^\[31\]\[9\]^ 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.^\[69\]^ 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.^\[70\]^ 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.^\[69\]\[71\]^
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 Sony NEWS
workstations for PlayStation development, Psygnosis employees disliked
the thought of developing on these expensive workstations and asked
Bristol-based SN Systems to create an alternative PC-based development
system.^\[33\]^ Andy Beveridge and Martin Day, owners of SN Systems, had
previously supplied development hardware for other consoles such as the
Mega Drive, Atari ST, and the SNES.^\[72\]^ When Psygnosis arranged an
audience for SN Systems with Sony\'s Japanese executives at the
January 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.^\[31\]^ An order of over 600
systems followed, and SN Systems supplied Sony with additional software
such as an assembler, linker, and a debugger.^\[73\]^ SN Systems
produced development kits for future PlayStation systems, including the
PlayStation 2 and was bought out by Sony in 2005.^\[74\]^
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.^\[53\]\[75\]^ Sony did not favour their own over non-Sony
products, unlike Nintendo;^\[63\]^ Peter Molyneux of 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\".^\[76\]^ Another strategy that helped attract
software developers was the PlayStation\'s use of the CD-ROM format
instead of traditional cartridges. Nintendo cartridges were expensive to
manufacture, and the company controlled all production, prioritising
their own games, while inexpensive compact disc manufacturing occurred
at dozens of locations around the world.^\[63\]^
The PlayStation\'s architecture and interconnectability with PCs was
beneficial to many software developers. The use of the programming
language C proved useful, as it safeguarded future compatibility of the
machine should developers decide to make further hardware
revisions.^\[71\]^ 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.^\[77\]^ An engineer from 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.^\[78\]^ 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.^\[79\]^ 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.^\[79\]^
Its technical specifications were finalised in 1993 and its design
during 1994.^\[80\]^ 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.^\[81\]^
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Sony released the PlayStation in Japan on 3 December 1994, a week after
the release of the Sega Saturn, at a price of ¥39,800.^\[9\]\[82\]^
Sales in Japan began with a \"stunning\"^\[22\]^ success with long
queues in shops.^\[31\]^ Ohga later recalled that he realised how
important PlayStation had become for Sony when friends and relatives
begged for consoles for their children.^\[63\]^ PlayStation sold 100,000
units on the first day^\[83\]^ and two million units within six
months,^\[84\]^ although the Saturn outsold the PlayStation in the first
few weeks due to the success of *Virtua Fighter*.^\[9\]\[85\]^ By the
end of 1994, 300,000 PlayStation units were sold in Japan compared to
500,000 Saturn units.^\[86\]^ A grey market emerged for PlayStations
shipped from Japan to North America and Europe, with buyers of such
consoles paying up to £700.^\[83\]^
<div>
> \"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.
--- Lee Hutchinson of *Ars Technica*, a Babbage\'s employee in 1995,
recalling how PlayStation preorders greatly outnumbered Saturn sales at
his shop.^\[87\]^
</div>
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 their 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 only said \"Two ninety-nine.\"
(as in \$299) and left the audience with a round of
applause.^\[88\]\[89\]\[90\]\[91\]^ The attention to the Sony conference
was further bolstered by the surprise appearance of Michael Jackson and
the showcase of highly anticipated games, including *Wipeout* (1995),
*Ridge Racer* and *Tekken* (1994).^\[92\]\[93\]\[94\]^ In addition, Sony
announced that no games would be bundled with the console.^\[31\]\[95\]^
Although the Saturn had released early in the United States to gain an
advantage over the PlayStation,^\[96\]^ the surprise launch upset many
retailers who were not informed in time, harming sales.^\[97\]^ Some
retailers such as KB Toys responded by dropping the Saturn
entirely.^\[98\]^ 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.^\[31\]^ The well-received *Ridge Racer* contributed to the
PlayStation\'s early success,^\[85\]\[99\]\[100\]^ --- with some critics
considering it superior to Sega\'s arcade counterpart *Daytona USA*
(1994)^\[101\]\[102\]^ --- as did *Battle Arena Toshinden*
(1995).^\[103\]^ There were over 100,000 pre-orders placed and 17 games
available on the market by the time of the PlayStation\'s American
launch,^\[31\]^ in comparison to the Saturn\'s six launch
games.^\[104\]^
The PlayStation released in Europe on 29 September 1995^\[3\]^ and in
Australia on 15 November 1995.^\[4\]^ By November it had already outsold
the Saturn by three to one in the United Kingdom, where Sony had
allocated a £20 million marketing budget during the Christmas season
compared to Sega\'s £4 million.^\[105\]\[106\]^ 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.^\[69\]^
Within its first year, the PlayStation secured over 20% of the entire
American video game market.^\[107\]^ 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,^\[b\]\[109\]^ though the SNES and Mega Drive from the fourth
generation still outsold it.^\[110\]^ Sony reported that the attach rate
of sold games and consoles was four to one.^\[111\]^ To meet increasing
demand, Sony chartered jumbo jets and ramped up production in Europe and
North America.^\[112\]^ By early 1996, the PlayStation had grossed
\$2 billion (equivalent to \$4.106 billion 2025) from worldwide hardware
and software sales.^\[113\]^ By late 1996, sales in Europe totalled 2.2
million units, including 700,000 in the UK.^\[114\]^ Approximately 400
PlayStation games were in development, compared to around 200 games
being developed for the Saturn and 60 for the Nintendo 64.^\[115\]^
In India, the PlayStation was launched in test market during 1999--2000
across Sony showrooms, selling 100 units.^\[116\]^ 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.^\[8\]^
PlayStation was also doing well in markets where it was never officially
released. For example, in Brazil, due to the registration of the
trademark by a third company, the console could not be released, which
was why the market was taken over by the officially distributed Sega
Saturn during the first period, but as the Sega console withdrew,
PlayStation imports and large piracy increased.^\[117\]\[118\]\[119\]^
In another market, China, the most popular 32-bit console was Sega
Saturn, but after leaving the market, PlayStation grown with a base of
300,000 users until January 2000, although Sony China did not have plans
to release it.^\[120\]\[121\]^
<div>
# # Marketing success and later years {#Marketing_success_and_later_years}
</div>
The PlayStation was backed by a successful marketing campaign, allowing
Sony to gain an early foothold in Europe and North America.^\[122\]^
Initially, PlayStation demographics were skewed towards adults, but the
audience broadened after the first price drop.^\[123\]^ While the Saturn
was positioned towards 18- to 34-year-olds,^\[124\]^ 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.^\[125\]^ The console was marketed
with advertising slogans stylised as \"LIVE IN
Y{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="12" width="14"}UR
W{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="12" width="14"}RLD.
PL{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="12" width="14"}Y IN
{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="12" width="14"}URS\" (*Live in Your World. Play
in Ours.*) and \"U R NOT E\" (red E). The four geometric shapes were
derived from the symbols for the four buttons on the
controller.^\[126\]\[31\]^ 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.\'\"^\[127\]^ 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.^\[128\]^
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.^\[129\]^ 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.^\[130\]^ Sheffield-based graphic design studio The Designers
Republic was contracted by Sony to produce promotional materials aimed
at a fashionable, club-going audience.^\[131\]^ Psygnosis\' *Wipeout* in
particular became associated with nightclub culture as it was widely
featured in venues.^\[130\]\[132\]^ 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 slush
fund money to invest in impromptu marketing.^\[129\]^
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 million discs to 6.5 million discs.^\[133\]^ 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.^\[134\]^ The PlayStation also
outsold the Saturn at a similar ratio in Europe during 1996,^\[135\]^
with 2.2 million consoles sold in the region by the end of the
year.^\[136\]^ Sales figures for PlayStation hardware and software only
increased following the launch of the Nintendo 64.^\[137\]\[138\]^
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.^\[139\]^ 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.^\[123\]^
By 1998, Sega, encouraged by their declining market share and
significant financial losses,^\[140\]^ launched the Dreamcast as a
last-ditch attempt to stay in the industry.^\[141\]^ Although its launch
was successful, the technically superior 128-bit console was unable to
subdue Sony\'s dominance in the industry.^\[142\]\[143\]^ Sony still
held 60% of the overall video game market share in North America at the
end of 1999.^\[144\]^ Sega\'s initial confidence in their new console
was undermined when Japanese sales were lower than expected,^\[145\]^
with disgruntled Japanese consumers reportedly returning their
Dreamcasts in exchange for PlayStation software.^\[146\]^ On 2 March
1999, Sony officially revealed details of the 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.^\[147\]\[148\]^ 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.^\[149\]^ In
2005, PlayStation became the first console to ship 100 million units
with the PlayStation 2 later achieving this faster than its
predecessor.^\[150\]^ The combined successes of both PlayStation
consoles led to Sega retiring the Dreamcast in 2001, and abandoning the
console business entirely.^\[143\]^ 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 PlayStation 3.^\[13\]^
<div>
# # Technical specifications {#Technical_specifications}
</div>
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| [The GPU (SCPH-9000 version)]{.small} | [PlayStation Custom Sound Processor]{.small} | <div> |
| | | |
| | | [R3000 CPU]{.small} |
| | | |
| | | </div> |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| {.moz-reader-block-img | motherboard](file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Sony-PlayStation-SCPH-1000-Motherboard-Top.jpg){.moz-reader-block-img | motherboard](file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/PSone-Motherboard.jpg){.moz-reader-block-img |
| file-width="862" file-height="694" height="81" width="100"} | file-width="4410" file-height="3900" height="88" width="100"} | file-width="3325" file-height="2680" height="81" width="100"} |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| [Digital Signal Processor]{.small} | <div> | <div> |
| | | |
| | [An early SCPH-1000 motherboard]{.small} | [A PS One motherboard]{.small} |
| | | |
| | </div> | </div> |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The main microprocessor is a R3000 CPU made by LSI Logic operating at a
clock rate of 33.8688 MHz and 30 MIPS.^\[151\]\[152\]^ This 32-bit CPU
relies heavily on the \"cop2\" 3D and matrix math coprocessor on the
same die to provide the necessary speed to render complex 3D
graphics.^\[31\]^ 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-bit sound chip supports
ADPCM sources with up to 24 sound channels and offers a sampling rate of
up to 44.1 kHz and music sequencing. It features 2 MB of main RAM, with
an additional 1 MB of video RAM.^\[153\]\[154\]^ The PlayStation has a
maximum colour depth of 16.7 million true colours^\[155\]^ with 32
levels of transparency and unlimited colour look-up tables. The
PlayStation can output composite, S-Video or RGB video signals through
its AV Multi connector (with older models also having RCA connectors for
composite), displaying resolutions from 256×224 to 640×480
pixels.^\[152\]^ Different games can use different resolutions. Earlier
models also had proprietary parallel and serial ports that could be used
to connect accessories or multiple consoles together; these were later
removed due to a lack of usage.
The PlayStation uses a proprietary video compression unit, MDEC, which
is integrated into the CPU and allows for the presentation of full
motion video at a higher quality than other consoles of its
generation.^\[156\]^ 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.^\[157\]^ While running,
the GPU can also generate a total of 4,000 sprites and 180,000 polygons
per second, in addition to 360,000 per second
flat-shaded.^\[152\]\[158\]^
{.moz-reader-block-img
file-width="3300" file-height="2540" height="131" width="170"}
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.^\[159\]^ Subsequent models saw a
reduction in number of parallel ports, with the final version only
retaining one serial port.^\[160\]^
Sony marketed a development kit for amateur developers known as the Net
Yaroze (meaning \"Let\'s do it together\" in Japanese^\[161\]^). It was
launched in June 1996 in Japan,^\[162\]^ and following public interest,
was released the next year in other countries.^\[163\]^ The Net Yaroze
allowed hobbyists to create their own games and upload them via an
online forum run by Sony.^\[164\]^ 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 compilers.^\[165\]\[166\]^
<figure>
<img
src="file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Sony-PSone-Console-wScreen-Open-FL.jpg"
class="moz-reader-block-img" data-file-width="2760"
data-file-height="3080" width="250" height="279"
alt="A photo of a PS One console against a pure white background with a 5-inch LCD screen attachment placed on top." />
<figcaption>The PS One "combo pack" with 5-inch LCD screen
attachment</figcaption>
</figure>
On 7 July 2000, Sony released the PS One (stylised as \"PS one\" or
\"PSone\"),^\[167\]^ a smaller, redesigned version of the original
PlayStation.^\[167\]\[168\]^ It was the highest-selling console through
the end of the year, outselling all other consoles---including the
PlayStation 2.^\[168\]^ In 2002, Sony released a 5-inch (130 mm) LCD
screen add-on for the PS One, referred to as the \"Combo pack\". It also
included a car cigarette lighter adaptor adding an extra layer of
portability.^\[169\]\[170\]^ Production of the LCD \"Combo Pack\" ceased
in 2004, when the popularity of the PlayStation began to wane in markets
outside Japan.^\[171\]^ A total of 28.15 million PS One units had been
sold by the time it was discontinued in March 2006.^\[12\]\[13\]^
<div>
<div>
<div>
{file-width="2620"
file-height="2280" height="113" width="130"}
</div>
<div>
{file-width="3780"
file-height="2820" height="97" width="130"}
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
{file-width="3060"
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</div>
<div>
{file-width="432"
file-height="318" height="96" width="130"}
</div>
</div>
</div>
Three iterations of the PlayStation\'s controller were released over the
console\'s lifespan. The first controller, the PlayStation controller,
was released alongside the PlayStation in December 1994. It features
four individual directional buttons (as opposed to a conventional
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-width="18"
file-height="15" height="15" width="18"},
{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="15" width="18"},
{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="15" width="18"},
{file-width="18"
file-height="15" height="15" width="18"}).^\[172\]^ 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.^\[173\]\[151\]^ 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.^\[174\]^
Sony\'s first analogue gamepad, the PlayStation Analog Joystick (often
erroneously referred to as the \"Sony Flightstick\"), was first released
in Japan in April 1996. Featuring two parallel joysticks, it uses
potentiometer technology previously used on consoles such as the
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.^\[175\]^ The Analog
Joystick sold poorly in Japan due to its high cost and cumbersome
size.^\[176\]^
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.^\[177\]^ The first official
analogue controller, the Dual Analog Controller, was revealed to the
public in a small glass booth at the 1996 PlayStation Expo in
Japan,^\[176\]^ and released in April 1997 to coincide with the Japanese
releases of analogue-capable games *Tobal 2* and *Bushido
Blade*.^\[178\]^ 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 LED beneath
the \"Start\" and \"Select\" buttons which toggles analogue
functionality on or off.^\[177\]^ The controller also features rumble
support, though Sony decided that haptic feedback would be removed from
all overseas iterations before the United States release.^\[179\]^ 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 Nintendo 64 controller\'s Rumble Pak. However, a
Nintendo spokesman denied that Nintendo took legal action. *Next
Generation*\'s Chris Charla theorised that Sony dropped vibration
feedback to keep the price of the controller down.^\[180\]^
In November 1997, Sony introduced the DualShock controller. Its name
derives from its use of two (dual) vibration motors (shock).^\[181\]^
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.^\[182\]^ The
DualShock later replaced its predecessors as the default
controller.^\[172\]^
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| {.moz-reader-block-img | {.moz-reader-block-img | file-width="1500" file-height="2220" height="126" width="85"} | Adaptor](file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/PlayStation-Multitap-Adaptor.jpg){.moz-reader-block-img |
| file-width="2220" file-height="1680" height="76" width="100"} | | file-width="5056" file-height="2752" height="54" width="100"} |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| <div> | <div> | <div> |
| | | |
| [PlayStation Memory Card]{.small} | [PocketStation]{.small} | [PlayStation Multitap]{.small} |
| | | |
| </div> | </div> | </div> |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| {.moz-reader-block-img |
| Mouse](file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/PlayStation_Mouse.jpg){.moz-reader-block-img | Cables](file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Sony-PlayStation-Link-Cables.jpg){.moz-reader-block-img | file-width="3840" file-height="2240" height="58" width="100"} |
| file-width="1854" file-height="1551" height="84" width="100"} | file-width="4200" file-height="2200" height="52" width="100"} | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| <div> | <div> | <div> |
| | | |
| [PlayStation Mouse]{.small} | [PlayStation Link Cable]{.small} | [GunCon]{.small} |
| | | |
| </div> | </div> | </div> |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Sony released a series of peripherals to add extra layers of
functionality to the PlayStation. Such peripherals include memory
cards,^\[183\]^ the PlayStation Mouse,^\[184\]\[185\]^ the PlayStation
Link Cable,^\[183\]^ the Multiplayer Adapter (a four-player
multitap),^\[183\]^ the Memory Drive (a disk drive for 3.5-inch floppy
disks),^\[186\]^ the GunCon (a light gun), and the Glasstron (a
monoscopic head-mounted display).^\[187\]^
Released exclusively in Japan, the PocketStation is a memory card
peripheral which acts as a miniature personal digital assistant. The
device features a monochrome liquid crystal display (LCD), infrared
communication capability, a real-time clock, built-in flash memory, and
sound capability.^\[188\]\[189\]^ Sharing similarities with the
Dreamcast\'s VMU peripheral, the PocketStation was typically distributed
with certain PlayStation games, enhancing them with added
features.^\[9\]^ The PocketStation proved popular in Japan, selling over
five million units.^\[190\]^ Sony planned to release the peripheral
outside Japan but the release was cancelled, despite receiving promotion
in Europe and North America.^\[191\]^
In addition to playing games, most PlayStation models are equipped to
play CD-Audio. The Asian model SCPH-5903 can also play Video
CDs.^\[192\]^ 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 (GUI) for the PlayStation BIOS.^\[33\]^ 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.^\[193\]^
PlayStation emulation is versatile and can be run on numerous modern
devices.^\[194\]\[195\]^ 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, which allowed it to
emulate PlayStation games with improved visual fidelity, enhanced
resolutions, and filtered textures that was not possible on original
hardware.^\[196\]^ Sony sued Bleem! two days after its release, citing
copyright infringement and accusing the company of engaging in unfair
competition and patent infringement by allowing use of PlayStation BIOSs
on a Sega console.^\[197\]^ Bleem! were subsequently forced to shut down
in November 2001.^\[198\]^
<div>
# # Copy protection system {#Copy_protection_system}
</div>
Sony was aware that using CDs for game distribution could have left
games vulnerable to piracy, due to the growing popularity of CD-R and
optical disc drives 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 decoding.
Consoles would not boot game discs without a specific wobble frequency
contained in the data of the disc pregap sector (the same system was
also used to encode discs\' regional lockouts).^\[199\]^ 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 pick-up 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.^\[200\]^
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.^\[201\]^ 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.^\[202\]^
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.^\[201\]^
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 modchip installed, allowing play on older televisions.^\[203\]^
The PlayStation featured a diverse game library which grew to appeal to
all types of players. Critically acclaimed PlayStation games included
*Final Fantasy VII* (1997), *Crash Bandicoot* (1996), *Spyro the Dragon*
(1998), *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,^\[204\]^ and is
considered one of the most influential and greatest video games ever
made.^\[205\]^ The PlayStation\'s bestselling game is *Gran Turismo*
(1997), which sold 10.85 million units.^\[15\]^ After the PlayStation\'s
discontinuation in 2006, the cumulative software shipment was
962 million units.^\[206\]^
Following its 1994 launch in Japan, early games included *Ridge Racer*,
*Crime Crackers*, *King\'s Field*, *Motor Toon Grand Prix*, *Toh Shin
Den* (i.e. *Battle Arena Toshinden*), and *Kileak: The Blood*. The first
two games available at its later North American launch were *Jumping
Flash!* (1995) and *Ridge Racer*,^\[207\]\[208\]^ with *Jumping Flash!*
heralded as an ancestor for 3D graphics in console gaming.^\[209\]^
*Wipeout*, *Air Combat*, *Twisted Metal*, *Warhawk* and *Destruction
Derby* were among the popular first-year games, and the first to be
reissued as part of Sony\'s Greatest Hits or Platinum
range.^\[210\]\[211\]^
At the time of the PlayStation\'s first Christmas season, Psygnosis had
produced around 70% of its launch catalogue;^\[70\]^ their breakthrough
racing game *Wipeout* was acclaimed for its techno soundtrack and helped
raise awareness of Britain\'s underground music community.^\[212\]^
Eidos Interactive\'s action-adventure game *Tomb Raider* contributed
substantially to the success of the console in 1996,^\[213\]^ with its
main protagonist Lara Croft becoming an early gaming icon and garnering
unprecedented media promotion.^\[214\]\[215\]^ Licensed tie-in video
games of popular films were also prevalent; 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.^\[216\]^
Third-party developers committed largely to the console\'s wide-ranging
game catalogue even after the launch of the PlayStation
2;^\[83\]\[154\]^ some of the notable exclusives in this era include
*Harry Potter and the Philosopher\'s Stone*, *Fear Effect 2: Retro
Helix*, *Syphon Filter 3*, *C-12: Final Resistance*, *Dance Dance
Revolution Konamix* and *Digimon World 3*.^\[c\]^ Sony assisted with
game reprints as late as 2008 with *Metal Gear Solid: The Essential
Collection*, this being the last PlayStation game officially released
and licensed by Sony.^\[217\]^
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.^\[218\]^
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 41⁄2 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.\"^\[219\]^ Albert Kim from *Entertainment
Weekly* praised the PlayStation as a technological marvel, rivalling
that of Sega and Nintendo.^\[220\]^ *Famicom Tsūshin* scored the console
a 19 out of 40, lower than the Saturn\'s 24 out of 40, in May
1995.^\[221\]^
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 their 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.^\[222\]^
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 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 18-29-year-olds
who were not the primary focus of Nintendo.^\[223\]^ 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.^\[224\]^
The PlayStation became the first \"computer entertainment platform\" to
ship over 100 million units worldwide,^\[10\]\[225\]^ with many critics
attributing the console\'s success to third-party developers.^\[87\]^ It
remains the sixth best-selling console of all time as of 2025, with a
total of 102.49 million units sold.^\[225\]^ 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.^\[10\]^ Its success
resulted in a significant financial boon for Sony as profits from their
video game division contributed to 23%.^\[226\]^
Sony\'s next-generation PlayStation 2, which is backward compatible with
the PlayStation\'s 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,^\[224\]^ which overcame the earlier launch of the Sega\'s
Dreamcast and then fended off competition from Microsoft\'s newcomer
Xbox and Nintendo\'s GameCube.^\[227\]\[228\]\[229\]^ The PlayStation
2\'s immense success and failure of the Dreamcast were among the main
factors which led to Sega abandoning the console market.^\[230\]\[231\]^
To date, five PlayStation home consoles have been released, which have
continued the same numbering scheme, as well as two portable systems.
The PlayStation 3 also maintained backward compatibility with original
PlayStation discs.^\[232\]^ Hundreds of PlayStation games have been
digitally re-released on the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3,
PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.^\[233\]\[234\]^
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\".^\[235\]^ 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.^\[236\]^ Keith Stuart from *The Guardian* likewise named it as
the seventh best console in 2020, declaring that its success was so
profound it \"ruled the 1990s\".^\[237\]^
In January 2025, Lorentio Brodesco announced the nsOne project,
attempting to reverse engineer PlayStation\'s motherboard. Brodesco
stated that \"detailed documentation on the original motherboard was
either incomplete or entirely unavailable\". The project was
successfully crowdfunded via Kickstarter.^\[238\]^ In June, Brodesco
manufactured the first working motherboard, promising to bring a fully
rooted version with multilayer routing as well as documentation and
design files in the near future.^\[239\]^
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,^\[d\]\[228\]^ which the industry had expected to use CDs like
PlayStation.^\[63\]^ 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; they were likely concerned with the
proprietary cartridge format\'s ability to help enforce copy protection,
given their substantial reliance on licensing and exclusive games for
their revenue.^\[241\]^
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.^\[242\]\[243\]^ 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.^\[244\]\[245\]\[63\]^ 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.^\[123\]^
Tokunaka remarked in 1996:
> 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.^\[123\]^
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.^\[228\]^ As a result, some third-party
developers switched to the PlayStation, including Square and Enix, whose
*Final Fantasy VII* and *Dragon Quest VII* respectively had been planned
for the Nintendo 64 (both companies later merged to form Square
Enix).^\[246\]\[247\]^ Other developers released fewer games for the
Nintendo 64 (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 themselves
or second-parties such as Rare.^\[241\]^
<div>
# # PlayStation Classic {#PlayStation_Classic}
\[edit\]
</div>
<figure>
<img
src="file:///home/geoff/Documents/wikipedia%20extra/PlayStation%20%28console%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/PlayStation_Classic_Konsole_+_Controller_%28transparenter_Hint.png"
class="moz-reader-block-img" data-file-width="2390"
data-file-height="956" width="250" height="100"
alt="A PlayStation Classic console and controller against a pure white background." />
<figcaption>PlayStation Classic console and controller</figcaption>
</figure>
The PlayStation Classic is a dedicated video game console made by Sony
Interactive Entertainment that emulates PlayStation games. It was
announced in September 2018 at the Tokyo Game Show, and released on 3
December 2018, the 24th anniversary of the release of the original
console.^\[248\]\[249\]^
As a dedicated console, the PlayStation Classic features 20
pre-installed games; the games run off the open source emulator
PCSX.^\[250\]^ The console is bundled with two replica wired PlayStation
controllers (those without analogue sticks), an HDMI cable, and a
USB-Type A cable.^\[251\]^ Internally, the console uses a MediaTek
MT8167a Quad A35 system on a chip with four central processing cores
clocked at @ 1.5 GHz and a Power VR GE8300 graphics processing unit. It
includes 16 GB of eMMC flash storage and 1 Gigabyte of DDR3
SDRAM.^\[252\]^ The PlayStation Classic is 45% smaller than the original
console.^\[253\]^
The PlayStation Classic received negative reviews from critics and was
compared unfavorably to Nintendo\'s rival Nintendo Entertainment System
Classic Edition and Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic
Edition.^\[254\]^ Criticism was directed at its meagre game library,
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.^\[255\]^ The console sold
poorly.^\[254\]\[256\]^
- *PlayStation: The Official Magazine* (*PSM*)
- Portable Sound Format (PSF)
- System 573
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