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Journey through Sony’s PlayStation consoles as we rank them according to sales, performance and how fans received them.
In 1988, Sony and Nintendo started creating CD-based gaming enhancements for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). They built multiple Nintendo PlayStation prototypes. The dispute about license control pushed Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi to secretly discuss business with Phillips instead.
After losing the partnership, Sony built the PlayStation brand, which became an enormous success in 1994 and expanded to seven gaming platforms, with the PS5 having sold over 65.5 million units (as of September 30, 2024).
7. PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita received poor marketing results and expensive proprietary storage that made it the least successful gaming system in Sony’s lineup. Although the Vita showed strong technical capabilities, it failed to get major game releases after launch, which made its passionate fans feel abandoned.
The Vita’s failure to deliver new games effectively shows that Sony needed better long-term support to reach its full potential. The Vita received love from indie developers, and its user base preferred JRPGs and visual novels until it stopped working in 2019. The Vita continues to attract buyers, and its development ideas help shape modern handhelds, including the Nintendo Switch, although fans still wonder how much better the system would have become with dedicated support from Sony.
6. PlayStation 3
During its launch phase, the PlayStation 3 faced the issue of both an expensive price tag and a complex platform design, which made game development harder. Despite its multiple device functions, the PS3 had poor sales because of the worldwide economic problems after its debut.
In 2009 the PS3 Slim release brought down the price and offered compelling package deals that made the console more popular than the Xbox 360. The PS3 became famous when first-party games, including The Last of Us, Uncharted 2 and 3, and God of War 3, proved its capabilities, but some titles struggled with performance issues.
Although the DualShock 3 controller enhanced features, few users considered its lightweight design to be weaker. The PlayStation 3 became an important console despite its problems by creating a powerful device that left its PS2 predecessor far behind. The console would have achieved a better rank among PlayStation products if it had reached its full potential earlier.
5. PlayStation
After Sony and Nintendo ended their partnership, Sony created the first PlayStation, which transformed gaming during the 1990s. The PS had better processing speed than both the SNES and Sega Saturn, yet it still sold well despite having less video memory than the Saturn. To make PlayStation a success, Sony needed to show its users the “play” experience by making it work as both a video game system and a CD player, which helped it reach record sales numbers.
The PlayStation offered four thousand video games for players, while Sega Saturn had only 1028 games, and Nintendo 64 featured 388 games. The PS offered games for every type of player. Although some PlayStation games did not win over the players, they still delivered the charm that showcased the system’s power to make memorable games across different genres.
4. PlayStation Portable (PSP)
When the PlayStation Portable debuted in 2005, it delivered a handheld gaming experience that matched the PlayStation 2 game library. Unlike the Nintendo DS, which served families with dual-screen games, the PSP sought teenage users through its advanced gaming performance.
Two Grand Theft Auto spin-offs received strong sales because they demonstrated how the PSP delivered 3D sandbox worlds without major performance sacrifices. People appreciated the chance to explore Liberty City through the device between restroom breaks, which showed its impressive capabilities back then.
The PSP’s library is filled with standout titles such as God of War. The PSP library also features Peace Walker and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection alongside Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core and other stellar titles. Through the PSP, Sony created space for smaller titles to grow and created new fans through their Persona and Shin Megami Tensei games. Even though loading times made gameplay less convenient, people generally ignored this issue because they focused on the device’s breakthrough features.
You can use the PSP for many smartphone functions, except for making phone calls. The device could play UMD movies and handle MP3s, so people can use it as a bulky portable music player alongside its DVD viewing feature. Through its online features, the PSP performed better than the PS2, while early streaming options let users play PS3 games on their devices. The PSP also worked well for video blogging, showcasing its many use cases. Despite lower sales than the Nintendo DS, Sony achieved 80 million PSP unit sales to become the top-selling gaming platform of all time and beat its PlayStation Vita successor.
3. PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) debuted in November 2020 as the start of a new gaming generation through its two versions: one with a disc drive at $499 and a digital-only model priced at $399. On November 7th, 2024, the PS5 Pro debuted with a $699 price tag. All PS5 models come with 16GB memory and 825GB storage space, but the disc version supports Ultra HD Blu-ray playback.
With its extensive collection of games, the PS5 offers fans new installments of Final Fantasy XIV and God of War Ragnarök, along with exclusive content such as Astro’s Playroom. Through its solid-state storage technology, the system delivers quick boot times that enable games to display 4K visuals at 120 frames per second without interruptions.
The DualSense controller stands out because it sends real physical sensations to players that match game actions, which makes the PS5 the top console for gaming experiences.
2. PlayStation 4
Sony achieved its most successful results in gaming history with the introduction of the PlayStation 4 console. Despite early difficulties in 2013-2014, the PS4 gained popularity in 2015 thanks to exclusive games like Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, and God of War. Through its high-quality exclusive games, the PS4 gained its position as a leading gaming platform.
Many developers praised the PS4 features, which led them to launch their own games on PlayStation first. Despite player dissatisfaction over the paid online multiplayer change, Sony succeeded by creating popular free-to-play games and enhancing party chat connectivity.
The standard PlayStation 4 needed an upgrade to PlayStation 4 Pro due to problems handling 4K games, which required a mid-cycle solution. By putting games first, Sony made a profitable shift in direction that brought back committed players, whereas other competitors focused on add-ons.
1. PlayStation 2
People view the PlayStation 2 (PS2) as the top PlayStation model because it sold 157.7 million units, making it the most successful game console in history. The PS2 sold well because Sony marketed it as a low-cost DVD player at $299. The PS2 promotional team tapped into DVD trends to sell more units by offering buyers a way to use their new console as a budget DVD player plus video game system.
Because of DVD read technology, the PS2 helped developers expand their visionary games with advanced capability enabled by the optical disc format. Its diverse game library of more than 4000 titles made the PS2 a popular choice among many different player groups. The PS2 showcased its capabilities by hosting Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which became the best third-person shooter game, and Gran Turismo 3, which improved the quality of racing simulation in games. The PS2 also attracted a fan base through the success of Ratchet & Clank’s 3D platformers.
Despite their competitors having stronger hardware, the PS2 kept its own special charm and popularity that made it the most successful gaming system in history.
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