Today, PlayStation will officially celebrate its 30th anniversary. It was on December 3, 1994 that the Japanese company launched its very first console in Japan. To celebrate this event, Sony has just set up a nostalgia-filled timeline on its website. And good news, unlike the PS5 “30th Anniversary” collection, this timeline is accessible to everyone.
(Re)live 30 years of PlayStation
So it is on December 3, 1994 that the story begins with the release of the PlayStation. A legendary console that will launch the phenomenon that will not stop, even 30 years later. The first PlayStation will offer cult games, many accessories, several controllers with the launch of the first DualShock, and above all, a legendary intro that everyone knows. In total, no less than 102 million PS1s will be sold worldwide.
On March 4, 2000, the PlayStation 2 arrives. And its release will be even more impactful than that of the PlayStation. With the PS2, Sony reaches the roof of the world. Historic launch, out of stock, cult games, the PS2 has it all. It offers a very attractive price and becomes the cheapest DVD player on the market. The console would go on to sell 160 million units worldwide, becoming the best-selling video game console in history.
On December 11 2004, Sony decided to make the PlayStation brand portable. With the PSP, you can play your favorite games wherever you go. A bold bet for the Japanese firm that dares to take on Nintendo, which remains the big leader in the portable console market, ultra-dominated by the Game Boy. However, the PSP will manage to sell more than 80 million copies and will be a great success.
From November 11, 2006, it is the PlayStation 3 that will aim to write a new page in the history of PlayStation. Like the PS2, this new machine offers a great innovation with the Blu-Ray player. Unfortunately, the high price of €600 will be a deterrent for many consumers and the success of the console will not be as significant as that of the PS2. Especially since at that time, Microsoft and its Xbox 360 manage to seduce many players. We will have to wait until the middle of the generation with the release of the PS3 Slim and major games, including new licenses, to reverse the trend, allowing more than 87 million consoles to be sold.
On December 17, 2011, the PSP will have its new version with the PS VITA. A formidable console and a technical feat on paper. With a double touch screen, a sublime OLED screen, great power, the possibility of winning trophies, connecting to the PlayStation Network, going on the Internet, the PS VITA had everything to please, especially at a fairly affordable price. Unfortunately, Sony will not support the console which will have a fairly weak catalog in Europe and America. The console will not be a success and will mark the first real failure of PlayStation with sales estimated between 10 and 15 million units to date.
On November 15, 2013, the PS4 arrives. After the chaotic launch of the PS3, Sony and PlayStation changed strategy with a new team led by Andrew House and Shawn Layden. An important generation that would mark the video game industry and the history of the PlayStation brand. It was with the PS4 that Sony would address its slogan "4 The Players". Reasonable price, incredible catalog, quality of services, historic conferences, Sony achieved almost a flawless performance and 117 million consoles would be sold worldwide. An important victory in a generation where players had started to create their digital game backlog. A very important detail for the future.
It is with the PS4 that Sony will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand with a collector's console, and with this generation that the first model of "Pro" consoles will be launched with the PS4 Pro which cost the price of a normal PS4 at the time.
On October 13, 2016, Sony decided to follow the trend and offered its first virtual reality experience with the PlayStation VR. Once again, it was a success. In a few months, the PSVR became the first VR headset on the market, thanks in particular to its price, which was well below that of other competing headsets. A convincing first experience allows you to discover some pretty incredible games and experiences on PS4.
On November 12, 2020, it was the launch of the PlayStation 5, the latest console from PlayStation which is based on the same foundations as the PS4. In just four years, with two years of pandemic and stock shortages, the PS5 has already peaked at more than 65 million copies sold. Although Sony's strategy is no longer as designed for gamers as on PS4, the ship seems to be holding. Recently, the PS5 Pro arrived, the most powerful console in the world, but also the most expensive in the world with a price of €799 in digital version. Despite this, the first figures seem positive and above those of the PS4 Pro at the time.
With the PS5 (and the PS5 Pro), Sony is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a beautiful 30th Anniversary collection that, unfortunately, will not have really benefited the fans from the start.
Finally, on February 22, 2023, Sony released the PlayStation VR2, the latest VR headset, with some pretty impressive features and performance. Unfortunately, it was still sold at a high price. And, as with the PS VITA ten years earlier, it seems that Sony doesn't really believe in the project with an already abandoned headset that suffers from a terrible lack of communication with a very weak catalog.
Despite a few difficult years, especially in recent months, PlayStation's record is very positive, both for Sony and the video game industry. In 30 years, some very big names, great studios and incredible cult licenses have been born at PlayStation.
Recently, we learned of the departure of Shuhei Yoshida, the founder of Sony Computer Entertainment (now Sony Interactive Entertainment). A founding member of PlayStation who was part of the project in its early stages, well before the launch of the console. A new page is turning, but others are about to be written.
Visit now to the official PlayStation website to discover even more in this retrospective.
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