20 Years of Playstation
Take a look back at the consoles, games and innovations that have brought PlayStation to where we are today – and a glimpse into the future.
1994
Sony PlayStation launches in Japan on 3rd December.
1995
PlayStation launches in Australia, Europe and USA and the rest of the world shortly after.
1996
Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider and more all debut on PlayStation. By the end of the year 10 million consoles had sold worldwide.
1997
Parappa the Rapper, Final Fantasy VII, International Super Star Soccer and more arrive on PS One, alongside the Dual Analog controller.
1998
PS One control is revolutionised again with the DUALSHOCK controller, while Gran Turismo, Spyro the Dragon and Grand Theft Auto help achieve 50 million global console sales.
1999
More future classics including Silent Hill, Driver and Tony Hawk Pro Skater are released, while at E3 1999, attention turns to the next generation of PlayStation…
2000
PlayStation 2 launches into the new millennium, reaching European players in November 2000 with a launch line up including Tekken Tag Tournament, SSX and TimeSplitters.
2001
Naughty Dog join PlayStation in an exclusive partnership; their first PS2 release – Jak and Daxter – debuted in December 2001.
2002
Ratchet &Clank blast their way onto PS2, while central London is recreated in amazing detail in The Getaway. By the end of the year, over 40 million PS2 systems had been sold worldwide.
2003
Innovations come to PS2: EyeToy makes interactive motion-controlled gaming a reality, while the Network Adaptor puts gamers online for the first time.
2004
PlayStation goes portable as PSP launches in December, while PS2 gets a slim new design – and wannabe singers grab a mic for the first time with SingStar.
2005
Kratos smashed onto PlayStation for the first time in God of War, while Team Ico release Shadow of the Colossus. By September, PS2 had sold 100 million units, making it the most successful games console ever.
2006
PlayStation 3 launches in Japan and USA, boasting HD graphics, 60GB of internal storage and Blu-ray Disc support. Online gaming becomes available to all with the launch of PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store.
2007
PS3 comes to the UK and Europe with a stellar line up including MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man and Nathan Drake’s debut Uncharted adventure.
2008
The DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller is introduced, bringing enhanced Six Axis motion control to new titles including LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and Resistance 2.
2009
PS3 gets a slim, 120GB re-design – making space for epic games like inFamous and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. For handheld gaming fans, PSP Go is released in October.
2010
Players get hands-on with the PlayStation Move motion controller and are introduced to PlayStation Plus for the first time.
2011
MotorStorm Apocalypse, Killzone 3, inFamous 2, Batman Arkham City and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception head up another stellar year of game releases.
2012
PlayStation Vita launches in Europe on 22 February, while PS3 games continue to push boundaries with The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V.
2013
PlayStation 4 launches on 29 November, giving players the most powerful games console ever – including a redesigned control system in the DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller.
2014
Less than a year after launch, PS4 becomes the fastest selling console of all time. PlayStation TV launches, and games including Destiny, Watch Dogs and The Last of Us Remastered prove that PS4 is for the players.
2015
To celebrate the franchise, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is Remastered for PS4 ahead of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was released.
The Future…
PlayStation VR has put virtual reality on the horizon for PS4, PlayStation Now promises an on-demand gaming service on a range of devices, while developers continue to work on the next ground-breaking PlayStation games…
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®4 (PS4®) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system and PSN software and hardware in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE has revolutionized home entertainment since they launched PlayStation® in 1994. PlayStation®4 redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalisation and deeply integrated social capabilities. PS Vita is a portable entertainment system that offers a combination of rich gaming and social connectivity. PS3® is an advanced computer entertainment system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. SCEE also develops, publishes markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories.
More information about PlayStation® products can be found at www.playstation.com.
PlayStation, PS4, PS3, and DUALSHOCK are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.