The Play Station (1991)

Sony’s first attempt at a PlayStation console appeared in 1991 and featured a CD drive but played SNES games.

The original PlayStation (1994)

The actual first PlayStation was released in Japan on 3 December 1994.

The PlayStation mouse (1994)

In terms of accessories, the PlayStation Mouse - released in Japan in 1994 - became the one most likely to end up at the back of a drawer.

The PS One (2000)

The PS One came in 2000 as a cheaper alternative to the just-released PlayStation 2.

PlayStation 2 (2000)

The first PlayStation 2 was released in Japan in March 2000. It was a big old beast but effectively killed Sega’s console ambitions.

As well as being one of the best selling consoles of all time, the PS2 was the first console to embrace multiple colour options.

PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive (2001)

Remarkably, the PS2 had its own hard drive as an optional accessory.

PlayStation X (2003)

The PSX - or PlayStation X - was only ever released in Japan. It featured a PS2 inside but was also a digital video recorder.

PlayStation 2 Slimline (2004)

The first slimline revision of the PlayStation 2 arrived towards the end of 2004.

SingStar (2004)

Singstar was a competitive music game for PlayStation consoles that also came with accessories for the PS2 - two wired microphones.

PlayStation Portable (2004)

At the same time that Sony was slimlining its PS2, the company revealed the first handheld console, the PlayStation Portable.

Buzz! (2005)

One of our favourite PS2 games was Buzz, which came with its own buzzer controllers for four people. There were wireless versions too for the PS3.

PlayStation 3 concept (2006)

The first time anybody saw the PlayStation 3 it was in official concept art released by Sony.

PlayStation 3 (2006)

Sony ditched the controller design that had been heavily criticised, but stuck with the “pregnant” design of the console itself on its Japanese unveiling.

PSP 2000 (2007)

A slimmer PSP - the PSP 2000 - was released in 2007. The PSP 2000 was a major upgrade to this handheld console.

PlayStation Eye (2007)

The PlayStation Eye was a camera, that was essentially a webcam and worked to track players and allow gamers to play games that used motion control.

PlayStation 2 Slimline v2 (2008)

A few years later, Sony released another version of the Slimline that was even lighter.

PSP 3000 (2008)

Another PSP - the PSP 3000 - followed in 2008. The PSP 3000 had a few more upgrades that included an improved screen.

PlayStation 3 Slim (2009)

Sony kept up the trend of releasing slimmed-down models of its console by releasing the PS3 slim in 2009.

PSP Go (2009)

Strangely, the next PSP console ditched the UMD drive to play games on disc and prompted gamers to download titles instead.

PlayStation Move (2010)

The PlayStation Move controller was Sony’s answer to the Xbox Kinect but never really took off.

PSP E1000 (2011)

A last PSP - the E1000 - brought back the UMD format in 2011. It was cheap and cheerful.

PlayStation 3 Super Slim (2012)

Not content with the Slim, Sony also released a “Super Slim” version in 2012, an incredible six years after the original console launched.

PlayStation Vita (2011/2012)

The first, beefier PS Vita was released in Japan in time for Christmas 2011 and its front and rear touch panels excited at the time.

PlayStation 3 remote (2012)

The PlayStation 3 was more than just a games machine, it was also seen as a media hub, what with the built-in Blu-ray player and access to the web.

PlayStation 4 (2013)

Unbelievably, the PlayStation 4 was released way back in 2013. It was seen as part of the eighth generation of games consoles.

White PlayStation 4 (2013)

Shortly after the PS4 was released, a white version became available too. It was included in a bundle with Destiny originally and a great alternate option.

DualShock 4 controllers (2013)

The DualShock 4 was the first major leap for Sony’s gamepad since near the beginning, with its touch panel and LED lighting. Shame about the battery life.

PlayStation camera (2013)

The PS4 camera is a smarter affair than the original for the PS3. Perhaps smarter still was Sony’s decision not to bundle it with the console.

PS Vita (PCH-2000) (2013)

The PS Vita didn’t really take off until the PS4 and Remote Play entered the scene. The redesigned, slimmer and lighter PS Vita also had better battery life.

PlayStation TV (2013)

One interesting modern addition to the PlayStation family was the PS TV (PS Vita TV in Japan). It’s essentially a Vita that you plug into your telly.

Sony PlayStation VR (2016)

PlayStation VR was released in 2016 and was perhaps one of the most affordable and accessible VR headsets available at the time. 

PlayStation 5 (2020)

The end of 2020 saw the launch of the PlayStation 5. The PS5 comes in two variants, the standard model and PS5 Digital Edition, that doesn’t have a disc drive. 

PS5 DualSense controller

The PS5 DualSense controller is worth a mention on its own, so drastic is the departure from the previous controller design.