Sony’s PlayStation brand was introduced on December 3, 1994, and since then, four major PlayStation consoles have been released, all of which have received slim versions, and refreshed designs. The latest console, PlayStation 5, broke a sales record of selling over 46.6 million units so far, quickly climbing the sales charts to one day surpass its predecessor, the PlayStation 4.
From the original PlayStation’s 3D polygon graphics to PlayStation 5’s 4K resolution, the brand has made a fantastic journey with some of the best titles ever released, changing the way gaming used to be. In this list, we are going through each generation and model, taking a close look at their specs, and what made each one unique!
Table of Contents
PlayStation (1994)
CPU: RISC MIPS R3000A (32-bit) – 33 MHz
GPU: R800A (32-bit) – 33 MHz
Memory:2 MB EDO DRAM
Storage: Memory Cards of 1 MB
Optical Drive: CD-ROM
Video Output: S-Video, SCART (RGB)
Resolution: 256×224, 640×480 (SD)
Audio: 16-bit, 24 Channel ADPCM, Stereo
Release Date: December 3, 1994
Code Name: PSX
Generation: Fifth
Status: Discontinued, March 23, 2006
Release Price: $299
Units Sold: 102.49 million
Best-selling Game: Gran Turismo, 10.85 million
Sony entered the market of consoles back in 1994 with the release of the PlayStation. The product was announced under the name “Play Station” in May 1991 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in a corporation with Nintendo. After that partnership fell apart, Sony went on to release a console of its own. PlayStation launched in Japan after the release of its rival Sega Saturn and the sales began with a stunning success with long lines in stores, selling 100,000 units on the first day, and then two million units after six months on the market.
Sony’s approach to third-party developers was a big part of the PlayStation’s success. By the end of 1996, almost 400 games were being developed for the PlayStation, while 200 and 60 games were for the Saturn and the Nintendo 64. A wild variety of games were offered for the original PlayStation over its 11-year run and some of the best-selling games on PlayStation are Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy VII, Crash Bandicoot, and Tekken 3.
The PlayStation controller is the first controller released by Sony using geometric shapes of a green triangle, a red circle, a blue cross, and a pink square. The original version was released alongside the console on December 3, 1994. Besides the console and controller, the memory cards were valuable back then for saving your game progress, and they came out in a total of 1 megabyte. Sony released a few peripherals for the console such as a PlayStation mouse, an Analog Joystick and a Link Cable to connect two consoles to play compatible multiplayer games on separate consoles.
As of March 2006, PlayStation sold 102.49 million units worldwide. Games for the PlayStation continued to sell until 23 of March 2006, were Sony ended the production of both PlayStation consoles and games.
PS One (2000)
CPU: RISC MIPS R3000A (32-bit) – 33 MHz
GPU: R800A (32-bit) – 33 MHz
Memory: 2 MB EDO DRAM
Memory Cards: 1 MB
Optical Drive: CD-ROM
Video Output: S-Video, SCART (RGB)
Resolution: 256×224, 640×480 (SD)
Audio: 16-bit, 24 Channel ADPCM, Stereo
Release Date: July 7, 2000
Generation: Fifth
Status: Discontinued March 26, 2006
Release Price: $299
Units Sold: 28.15 million
Six years later, a redesigned, slim version was released under the name PS One, having the same hardware specifications. They replaced the original grey color with white and named it appropriately to avoid confusion with its successor, PlayStation 2. It was the highest-selling console through the end of the year, outselling all other consoles, including Sony’s own PlayStation 2.
The PS One is fully compatible with all PlayStation software, but compatibility with peripherals may vary. The PS One model also had additional changes, including the removal of the parallel and serial ports from the rear of the console, and the removal of the reset button. Sony also released a version with a 5″ LCD screen compatible with the console, calling it a Combo pack.
The last PS One consoles were sold at the end of 2006 shortly after it was officially discontinued, for a total of 102 million units shipped since its launch eleven years earlier and less than a year before the debut of the PlayStation 3.
PlayStation 2 (2000)
CPU: MIPS R5900 (64-bit) – 294 MHz
GPU: Graphics Synthesizer – 147 MHz
Memory: 32 MB RDRAM
Hard Drive: 40 GB HDD (Released on July 19, 2001)
Memory Cards: 8 MB
Optical Drive: CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
Video Output: AV Multi Out
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD)
Network: PlayStation 2 Network Adapter
Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound, Stereo
Release Date: March 4, 2000
Abbreviation: PS2
Generation: Sixth
Status: January 4, 2013
Release Price: $299
Units Sold: 155 million (as of March 31, 2012)
Best-selling Game: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, 17.33 million
Soon after the first sixth-generation console was released, Sega’s Dreamcast, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 2 at the Tokyo Game Show on September 20, 1999, and released in July 2011. Sales of the console, games, and accessories pulled in $250 million on the first day, beating the $97 million made on the first day of the Dreamcast.
The hardware uses the Emotion Engine CPU, a custom-designed processor based on the MIPS architecture with a floating-point performance of 6.2 GFLOPS, and the custom-designed Graphics Synthesizer GPU, with a fillrate of 2.4 gigapixels/second, capable of rendering up to 75 million polygons per second.
Software for the PlayStation 2 was distributed primarily on DVD-ROM, with some titles being published on CD-ROM. Also, the console can play audio CDs and DVD movies and is backwards compatible with almost all original PlayStation games. The PlayStation 2 also supports PlayStation memory cards and controllers, although original PlayStation memory cards will only work with original PlayStation games and the controllers may not support all functions, such as analogue buttons, for PlayStation 2 games.
Some of the following titles were released exclusively for the console, Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, and Metal Gear Solid. Some of the most popular series started from PlayStation 2, such as Kingdom Hearts, God of War, and Devil May Cry. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling game on the console. Some games on the PlayStation 2 support online multiplayer gaming through the use of a broadband internet connection and a PlayStation 2 Network Adapter.
The PlayStation 2 initially sold well and made a great success based on the PlayStation brand, as well as, the console’s backwards compatibility feature. Announced in 1999, the PlayStation 2 offered backward compatibility for its predecessor’s DualShock controller, as well as for its games. The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide. Over 3,800 game titles have been released for the console, with over 1.5 billion copies sold.
PlayStation 2 Slim (2004)
CPU: MIPS R5900 (64-bit) – 294 MHz
GPU: Graphics Synthesizer – 147 MHz
Memory: 32 MB RDRAM
Hard Drive: 40 GB HDD (Released on July 19, 2001)
Memory Cards: 8 MB
Optical Drive: CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
Video Output: AV Multi Out
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD)
Network:Ethernet
Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound, Stereo
Release Date: October 29, 2004
Generation: Sixth
Status: Discontinued January 4, 2013
Release Price: $299
In September 2004, Sony unveiled its third major hardware revision. In late October 2004, a smaller, thinner, and quieter slim version of the PlayStation 2 was released, including a built-in Ethernet port. Due to its thinner, the slim version does not support the internal hard disk drive. It also lacks an internal power supply and has a modified Multitap expansion.
At the beginning of 2005, it was found that some black slimline console power transformers manufactured between August and December 2004 were defective and could overheat. The units were recalled by Sony and replaced by a 2005 model.
In July 2007, Sony started shipping a revision of the slimline PlayStation 2 featuring a reduced weight of 600 grams compared to 900 grams of the previous slim version, achieved through a reduction in parts. The unit also uses a smaller motherboard as well as a custom ASIC which houses the Emotion Engine, Graphics Synthesizer, and the RDRAM. The AC adaptor’s weight was also reduced to 250 grams from the 350 grams in the previous revision.
PlayStation Portable (2004)
CPU: 20-333 MHz MIPS R4000
GPU: Custom Rendering Engine + Surface Engine GPU
Memory: 32MB of System Memory and 2MB of Video Memory
Hard Drive: Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo
Optical Drive: UMD Drive (Playback only)
Resolution: 480×272 pixels with 24-bit color, 30:17 widescreen TFT LCD
Network: Wi-Fi (802.11b)
Audio:Stereo speakers, mono speaker
Release Date: December 12, 2004
Abbreviation: PSP
Generation: Seventh
Status: Discontinued January 2014
Release Price: $249.99
Units Sold: 82 million
Best-selling Game:Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, 8 million
The PlayStation Portable (abbreviated to PSP) was Sony’s foray into the handheld business. Originally released in Japan back on December 12, 2004, the PSP was Sony’s first handheld system. At the time of its release, Nintendo was already dominating the market with its Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS. However, the coming of the PSP was Sony’s answer to Nintendo, as not only did it compete against the latter but also against other competitors such as N-Gage and Gizmondo.
Thanks to the massive support from third-party developers, the PSP boasts a fantastic library of video games to dig into. Similar to the PS2, the games’ library is diverse, brimming with a variety of fantastic genres such as JRPG, Hack and Slash, Beat’em Up, and especially Racing.
PlayStation 3 (2006)
CPU: Cell Broadband Engine 6-core – 3.2 GHz
GPU: Nvidia/SCEI RSX – 550 MHz
Memory: 256 MB XDR
Hard Drive: 2.5” Serial ATA 80 GB HDD
Optical Drive: Blue-ray, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
Video Output: HDMI (Up to 1080p), AV Multi Out
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Network: Ethernet, Wireless
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Release Date: November 11, 2006
Abbreviation: PS3
Generation: Seventh
Status: Discontinued October 2016
Release Price: $499
Units Sold: 87.4 million (as of March 31, 2017)
Best-selling Game: Grand Theft Auto V, 21.3 million
The console was first officially announced at E3 2005 and was released at the end of 2006. It was the first console to use Blu-ray Disc as its primary storage medium. The console was the first PlayStation to integrate social gaming services, including the PlayStation Network, as well as the first to be controllable from a handheld console, through its remote connectivity with PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita.
The PlayStation 3 development began in 2001 when Sony announced a collaboration with Toshiba and IBM to the Cell microprocessor. Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 console to the public on May 16, 2005, at E3 2005.
PlayStation 3 launched with 14 titles. After the first week of sales, it was confirmed that Resistance: Fall of Man from Insomniac Games was the top-selling launch game in North America. As of March 31, 2012, there have been 595 million games sold for PlayStation 3. The best selling games are Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, Gran Turismo 5, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.
During its early years, the system was receiving negative reviews, due to its high price, $599 for a 60-gigabyte model and $499 for a 20 GB model. A big problem was also the complex processor architecture, and the lack of quality games, but that was praised for its Blu-ray capabilities and “untapped potential”. The system had a slow start in the market but managed to recover, particularly after the introduction of the Slim model.
PlayStation 3 Slim (2009)
CPU: Cell Broadband Engine 8-core – 3.2 GHz
GPU: Nvidia/SCEI RSX – 550 MHz
Memory: 256 MB
Hard Drive: 120 GB HDD
Optical Drive: Blue-ray, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
Video Output: HDMI (Up to 1080p), AV Multi Out
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Network: Ethernet, Wireless
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Generation: Seventh
Status: Discontinued October 2016
Release Price: $299
The slim version of PlayStation 3 no longer provided the hardware ability to run PlayStation 2 games. It was lighter and thinner than the original console and featured a redesigned logo and marketing design.
The slimmer version of the PlayStation 3 features an upgradeable 120 GB, 160 GB, 250 GB or 320 GB hard drive and is 32% smaller, 36% lighter and consumes 34% less power than the previous model.
The Cell microprocessor has moved to a 45 nm manufacturing process, which makes it cooler and quieter than any previous model, redesigning the cooling system too. The RSX moved to a 40 nm process in the latest revision.
The PlayStation 3 Slim no longer had the ‘main power’ button like the original console, similar to the PlayStation 2 Slim version. After the backward compatibility was not featured on the Slim version, Sony announced a new series of PlayStation 2 remasters, called Classics HD, including PS2 and PSP titles remastered in HD.
PlayStation Vita (2011)
CPU: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
GPU: Quad-core PowerVR SGX543MP4+
Memory: 512 MB RAM, 128 MB VRAM
Removal Storage: Proprietary PS Vita memory card (4, 8, 16, 32 or 64GB)
Hard Drive: 1GB flash memory (PCH-2000 model only)
Resolution: 5-inch (16:9) OLED – 960 by 544 pixels
Network: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Audio:Stereo speakers, microphone, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Bluetooth
Release Date: December 17, 2011
Abbreviation: PS Vita/ Vita
Generation: Eighth
Status: Discontinued March 1, 2019
Release Price: $249.99
Units Sold: 16 million (estimates and not confirmed)
Best-selling Game:Uncharted: Golden Abyss 1.47m units
The PS Vita is the successor to Sony’s critically acclaimed PSP with massive improvements over its predecessor. Perhaps the striking improvement at first glance is the addition of dual analogue sticks instead of the PSP’s solo-analogue stick. In addition to other improvements is the introduction of a 5-inch multi-touch capacitive touchpad.
While the PS Vita looked beautiful thanks to its eye-catching design, and how it felt comfortable to hold in one’s hands, the console was a flop on the commercial side outside of Japan. Perhaps one of the factors that contributed to the downfall of the PS Vita was underestimating the impact of mobile gaming at the time of the system’s release. The lack of support from renowned developers such as Capcom and Activision may have had an impact too. However, on the one hand, the Vita was home to a diverse line of indie games such as Velocity 2X, Axiom Verge, and more games which you can check up on the website.
PlayStation 3 Super Slim (2012)
CPU: Cell Broadband Engine 8-core – 3.2 GHz
GPU: Nvidia/SCEI RSX – 550 MHz
Memory: 256 MB
Hard Drive: 250 GB HDD
Optical Drive: Blue-ray, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
Video Output: HDMI (Up to 1080p), AV Multi Out
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Network: Ethernet, Wireless
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Generation: Seventh
Status: Discontinued October 2016
Release Price: $299
The Super Slim version of PlayStation 3 was released in late 2012, refined and redesigned. The console came out on the market with the availability of either a 250 GB or 500 GB hard drive. One of the obvious changes was the sliding disc cover, instead of the traditional slot-loading drive.
In look, shape, and design, the Super Slim version resembles something of a hybrid between the Slim and the original PlayStation 3. The console is much smaller, measuring 11.4 inches wide by 2.36 inches tall by 9.05 inches deep, 20% smaller and 25% lighter than the previous Slim console.
Beyond its smaller size and storage capacities, the Super Slim model doesn’t feature anything else. A vertical stand was also available for these models and launched on the same day as the consoles in their respective regions.
PlayStation 4 (2013)
CPU: AMD Jaguar 8-core – 1.6 GHz
GPU: AMD Radeon, 1.84 TFLOPS – 800 MHz
Memory: 8 GB GDDR5
Hard Drive: 500 GB HDD
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray, DVD
Video Output: HDMI
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Network: Ethernet, Wireless
Audio: 7,1 Surround Sound
Release Date: November 15, 2013
Abbreviation: PS4
Generation: Eighth
Status: Discontinued
Release Price: $399
Units Sold: 102.8 million (as of September 30, 2019)
Best-selling Game: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, 16 million
The PlayStation 4 is the eighth-generation console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced in February 2013 the critics were praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers’ needs, embracing independent game development, and not imposing the restrictive digital rights management schemes like those originally announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One.
The console features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit built upon the x86-64 architecture, which can peak at 1.84 teraflops. AMD stated that it was the most powerful APU it had developed to date. Its optical drive is capable of reading Blu-ray Discs at speeds of up to three times that of its predecessor. The original PS4 console can output in 4K and play multimedia in the format but does not play games in 4K resolution. The console includes a 500 GB hard drive for additional storage, which can be upgraded by the user.
The console’s controller was also redesigned and improved over the PlayStation 3, with improved buttons and analog sticks, and an integrated touchpad among other changes. The console also supports High-dynamic-range video and playback of 4K resolution multimedia. The shape of the triggers and shoulder buttons were refined, the D-pad buttons were given a steeper downward angle to provide a resting space in the center for the user’s thumb, and the handgrips were made thicker and given micro texturing to improve their feel.
Sadly, the PlayStation 4 is not compatible with any game of the older PlayStation consoles. PlayStation 4 games are distributed at retail on Blu-ray Disc, and digitally as downloads through the PlayStation Store.
PS4 allows users to access a variety of free and premium PlayStation Network services, to play online on multiplayer games, including the PlayStation Store access, giving its player up to three games per month for a limited time to play.
By the end of September 2019, over 102 million PlayStation 4 consoles had been shipped worldwide, surpassing lifetime sales of the PlayStation 3.
PlayStation 4 Slim (2016)
CPU: AMD Jaguar 8-core – 1.6 GHz
GPU: AMD Radeon, 1.84 TFLOPS – 800 MHz
Memory: 8 GB GDDR5
Hard Drive: 500 GB HDD, 1 TB HDD
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray, DVD
Video Output: HDMI
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Network: Ethernet, Wireless
Audio:
Release Date: September 16, 2016
Generation: Eighth
Status: Released
Release Price: $299
The Playstation 4 Slim is the smaller version of the original console, which features an upgraded GPU and a higher CPU clock rate to support enhanced performance and 4K resolution in supported games. The addition of 5GHz WiFi was added, and a UHD Blu-ray drive.
Like the original PlayStation 3 and the PS3 Slim model, the PS4 Slim retains the overall shape of the PS4, with a glossy black synthetic and a textured matte finish. This makes it much less prone to collecting dust, fingerprints, and scratches. The sharp corners have changed into softer and rounded.
The power and eject buttons have been replaced with physical buttons. The power button is larger, while the eject button is in the shape of a circle. The power button also acts as a replacement for the color-changing LED strip that adorned the top of the original PlayStation 4.
PlayStation 4 Pro (2016)
CPU: AMD Jaguar 8-core – 2.1 GHz
GPU: AMD Radeon, 4.2 TFLOPS – 911 MHz
Memory: 8GB GDDR5, 1 GB GDDR3
Hard Drive: 1 TB HDD
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray (UHD), DVD
Video Output: HDMI, 4K support
Resolution: 720×480 (SD), 1280×720 (HD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Network: Ethernet, Wireless
Audio: 7.1 Surround Sound
Release Date: November 10, 2016
Generation: Eighth
Status: Released
Release Price: $399
Three years have passed since the PlayStation 4 Pro launched, and it is still considered to be one of the best consoles out there, especially for its 4K capabilities and premium quality.
The Pro design is a complete copy of the original PS4 console, there are a lot of similarities such as the flat parallelogram. Although, the Pro version is a little wider and a little taller than the original, and a bit heavier, too.
DualShock 4 was changed too, adding a light bar built into the touchpad, with a feature where you can see instantly which player you are by the color, but more importantly, the triggers have been tweaked and it feels lighter in the hand.
This new strategy by Sony, releasing a Pro version of its new console led to increasing the total player base and making another great success on sales, by also releasing exclusive games that would take advantage of the console’s capabilities.
PlayStation Classic (2018)
CPU: ARM Cortex-A35 8-core – 1.5 GHz
GPU: Power VR GE8300
Memory: 1 GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 16 GB eMMC Flash
Video Output: HDMI
Release Date: December 3, 2018
Status: Released
Release Price: $99.99
Units Sold: N/A
The PlayStation Classic, it’s a deliberate model of the original PlayStation console for the system’s 24th anniversary. It was announced in September 2018, with a full list of games and released a month later in December.
The PlayStation Classic ships with two PlayStation controllers, the original model without the analog sticks, an HDMI cable, and a USB Micro-A to standard USB-A cable. An AC adapter for the console is sold separately. The console weighs about 170 grams, approximately 80% smaller in volume than the original PlayStation and 45% smaller in width and length. It includes ports for both controllers, HDMI output, and power via USB.
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 GB of DDR3 memory.
The PlayStation Classic comes preloaded with 20 games, running off the open-source emulator, PCSX ReARMed. Five games were revealed when the console was announced, and the full roster was revealed a month later, such as Tekken 3, Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Grand Theft Auto. The PlayStation Classic does not feature the PlayStation Network and doesn’t support an adapter. Each game can be suspended in a save state by pressing the console’s reset button.
PlayStation 5 (2020)
CPU: Custom 8-core AMD Zen 2
Variable frequency up to 3.5GHz
GPU: Custom RDNA 2 – 2.23GHz, 36 CUs, 10.28 TFLOPs
Memory: 16 GB GDDR6 – 256-bit
Hard Drive: Custom 825GB SSD
Video Output: HDMI 2.1
Release Date: 12 November 2020
Status: Present
Release Price: $499 Base Edition/ $399 Digital Edition
Units Sold:46.6 million (as of November 9, 2023)
Back in April 2019, Sony unveiled the next-generation console, without any specific details. In August, Jim Ryan, President & CEO at the time, announced that the next console would be called PlayStation 5, sharing also some exciting details about the new controller.
It features Haptic feedback that simulates touch, meaning the controller will output vibrations or movements to replicate a real-life touch experience. You will be able to even get a sense of a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud. This aims to improve the controller’s feedback and the player’s immersion.
PlayStation 5 Slim (2023)
CPU:Custom AMD Zen 2, 8-core / 16 threads, 3.5GHz
GPU:AMD RDNA 2, 10.3 teraflops, 2.23 GHz
Memory:GDDR6 16GB
Hard Drive: 1TB SSD
Disc Drive: Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc (Disc Edition) / Optional add-on (Digital Edition)
Video Out: 4K, 120Hz
Ports: 1 x USB Type C (front), 2 x USB Type A, 1 x gigabit Ethernet
Video Output: HDMI 2.1
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6
Release Date: November 2023
Status: Present
Official Name: New PS5
Release Price: $500 Disc Edition/ $450 Digital Edition
Units Sold:46.6 million (as of November 9, 2023)
Three years following the initial launch of the PS5, Sony unveiled the existence of a PS5 Slim disc and a digital edition in October 2023. Subsequently, just one month later, the console became officially available for purchase by the general public.
The most apparent contrast between the original PS5 and the newly introduced PS5 Slim is the noticeable difference in size. The standard PS5 disc edition stands at 104mm (height) x 390mm (width) x 260mm (depth), whereas the PS5 Slim exhibits a more compact form factor, measuring 96mm (height) x 358mm (width) x 216mm (depth).
In addition to the size reduction, the PS5 Slim comes with an extra internal storage capacity of 1TB, outperforming the standard PS5’s 825GB. This increased storage space on the Slim model provides users with a practical advantage, offering more room for storing games, movies, music, photos, and applications without the immediate need for external storage solutions.
PlayStation VR Consoles
PlayStation VR (2016)
Release Date: October 13, 2016
Codename: Project Morpheus
Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony
Type: Virtual Reality
Launch Price: $399
Units Sold: 5 million (as of December 31, 2019)
Successor: PSVR2Display: 5.7″ OLED, 100° field of view
Graphics: 1080p RGB (960 × 1080 per eye; 90–120 Hz refresh rate)
Sound: 3D audio through the headphone jack
Supported Controller: DualShock 4 controller, PlayStation Aim, PlayStation Move
Compatible with: PS4, PS5
Input: Positional tracking with 9 LEDs via PlayStation Camera
The PlayStation Virtual Reality (Abbreviated PSVR) is Sony’s strong jump into the virtual reality niche, and an attempt by the company to deliver a new experience for long-time PlayStation fans and newcomers alike.
The PSVR was not only impressive at the time for its smooth responsivity, visuals and controls, but Sony has also managed to strike a couple of strong deals with known companies like Capcom, Bethesda and even indie companies. This clever move by Sony acted as an incentive to convince players to purchase this fine piece of hardware. And to nobody’s surprise, the PSVR proved to be a massive success, yielding approximately 5 million units sold as of 2019.
PlayStation VR 2 (2023)
Release Date: February 22, 2023
Codename:NGVR, or ‘Next-Generation VR
Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony
Type: Virtual Reality
Launch Price: $549.99Display: OLED, HDR, 110° field of view
Graphics: ~4K PenTile (2000 × 2040 per eye; 90–120 Hz refresh rate)
Sound: 3D audio through the headphone jack
Supported Controller: PlayStation VR2 Sense controller, Dualsense
Compatible with: PS5, PC
Tracking: Inside Out Tracking (x4 Built-in Cameras)
Sony’s success with the PSVR has played a tremendous role in giving birth to its next successful jump into the virtual reality business, the PSVR2. More powerful than its predecessor, the PSVR 2 comes loaded with a wealth of features that make it stand out from other competitors like the SteamVR and Oculus Quest 2.
Apart from its advanced technical specifications for a virtual reality headset, the strongest asset of the PSVR2 are its games. Players can take their games to the next level. All they have to do is put on the headset and experience hits like No Man’s Sky, Resident Evil 4, and After the Fall fully on VR.