A Journey Through Time: Celebrating 30 Years of PlayStation Innovation and Legacy
Sony has launched a recollection of its PlayStation consoles in anticipation of the original PlayStation’s Thirtieth anniversary on December 3.
In this release, the console manufacturer reflects on the journey and significant achievements of iconic PlayStation hardware. For example, the now 20-year-old PlayStation 2 has surpassed 160 million units sold—supporting what PlayStation head Jim Ryan initially stated back in April. It continues to be one of the highest-grossing consoles of all time.
In addition to the sales figures, Sony recognized the PS2 for making “significant advancements in home console gaming,” highlighting then-groundbreaking features like online gameplay, “exceptionally popular” DVD playback, and backward compatibility with PlayStation 1 games. Praise was also awarded for first-party titles such as Team ICO’s Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, along with franchises like Sly Cooper and God of War that have since expanded to various PlayStation platforms.
Sony continued by mentioning that the PlayStation 4 achieved 117 million units sold throughout its lifetime, while the latest PlayStation and PlayStation 3 recorded sales of 102 million and 87 million units respectively. Precise figures were not provided for the PlayStation 5, the PlayStation Vita, or the PlayStation VR headsets, but Sony’s recent financial report indicates the PS5 has sold over 65.5 million units to date.
PlayStation 5 is still making waves globally
The PS5’s overview acknowledged that the console is PlayStation’s most significant global launch (and equally monumental for gaming consoles in general), despite debuting in “challenging global circumstances.” It was introduced in 2020 amidst the initial days of the COVID pandemic, facing supply chain challenges due to a chip shortage. During this period, Sony raised the console’s price in several regions, including Japan, and produced additional PS4 units to compensate for the new machine’s shortages.
As of last year, those supply issues have been resolved, and Sony has since launched Slim and Pro models of the PlayStation 5, along with the PlayStation Portal cloud streaming device. Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the company is developing a new portable console capable of playing PlayStation 5 games, making it the first dedicated PlayStation handheld since the PlayStation Vita.
You can explore the complete timeline of PlayStation history here.
About the Author
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A native of Kansas City, MO, Justin Carter has contributed to several websites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his work can be found on io9 over at Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s consumed, as the answer will likely be more than he’s willing to reveal.