---
title: Sony PlayStation
categories:
- Consoles
params:
  name: PlayStation
  image: /media/museum/photos/sony_playstation_1s.jpg
  logo: /media/museum/logos/playstation_logo.gif
  company: /companies/sony
  company_name: Sony
  tabs:
  - photos
  - emulators
  - docs
  - videos
  forum_thread: 1196
  photos:
  - title: PLAYSTATION
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sony_playstation_1.jpg
  - title: PSONE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sony_psone_1.jpg
  - title: PSONE - PROMOTIONAL PICTURE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sony_psone_2.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: ePSXe
    url: http://www.epsxe.com/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: The best Playstation emulator out there!
  - title: pSX
    url: http://psxemulator.gazaxian.com
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: Great speed and compatibility. Easy to use.
  docs:
  - title: PLAYSTATION MANUAL
    url: http://www.us.playstation.com/support/ps/Manuals/default.html
    cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sony_playstation_doc.jpg
    text: |-
      [**PLAYSTATION MANUAL**](http://www.us.playstation.com/support/ps/Manuals/default.html)written by Sony

       type of document : PDF\
       size : 1.3 MB\
       source : [www.us.playstation.com](http://www.us.playstation.com)
  - title: PSONE MANUAL
    url: http://www.us.playstation.com/support/ps1/manuals
    cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/sony_psone_doc.jpg
    text: |-
      [**PSONE MANUAL**](http://www.us.playstation.com/support/ps1/manuals)written by Sony

       type of document : Unknown\
       size : 1.4 MB\
       source : [www.us.playstation.com](http://www.us.playstation.com)
  videos:
  - title: 'PlayStation - European TV Commercial: ''Double Life'''
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bqq38WZctA
    text: 'Length: 59 s'
  - title: Playstation - Japanese TV commercial
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztLDCOEpsdA
    text: 'Length: 15 s'
  - title: Society Against PlayStation - TV Commercial
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIyEqpYnEaU
    text: 'Length: A min'
  - title: Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8TiUZtcPg0
    text: 'Length: 5 min 18s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #2'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxNSOz4h7O4
    text: 'Length: 5 min 03 s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #3'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mATEKlgtA6s
    text: 'Length: 5 min 13 s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #4'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1iAmYXcueo
    text: 'Length: 5 min 07 s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #5'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm4JanyrtQM
    text: 'Length: 5 min 04 s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #6'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfSqYayhPng
    text: 'Length: 4 min 14 s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #7'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFRz1Qsb8gg
    text: 'Length: 5 min 03 s'
  - title: 'Collection of Japanese Playstation TV commercials #8'
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frmz3BqBtG0
    text: 'Length: 5 min 18 s'
  oc_id: 1229
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230323083721/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1229
    date: '2023-03-23'
---

After Sony and Nintendo's collaboration on the Super CD-ROM came to an end, Sony continued their research and decided to make a stand alone console. A deal was reached with Nintendo to allow the Play Station (as it was called then) to play [SNES](/museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system/) cartridges. This feature was dropped from the final design, and the name changed to PlayStation.

A powerful machine, the PlayStation featured 3D graphics capabilities which at the time were remarkable. Games like Tomb Raider made 3D game worlds popular and effectively put an end to the 2D shoot 'em ups and platformers which had been around since the late '70s and early '80s.

Early units suffered from problems with the laser mechanism. The CD tray was made from plastic and over a period of time would wear away resulting in games no longer working. A common solution was to turn the console on its side or even upside down to relieve stress on the laser's motor. Later units had a metal tray to prevent this problem.

Even to this day the PlayStation is often wrongly referred to as the PSX, the correct term being PS. PSX was the name given to the PlayStation based arcade hardware and later a Japanese only version of the PS2, which was capable of digital video recording and featured either a 160 GB or 250 GB hard drive.

A redesigned machine named **PSone** was released in 2000. This smaller version lacked the serial port but was otherwise fully compatible with older games. The PS and PSone achieved combined sales of more than 102 million units between them, making the PlayStation the first ever console to break the 100 million mark. In the process PlayStation became a household name, ended Nintendo's domination of the market and fought off competition from Sega's [Saturn](/museum/sega-saturn/) and [Dreamcast](/museum/sega-dreamcast/), which no doubt had an influence on Sega's decision to pull out of the console hardware business.

---

Contributors: Ste (text & info)