Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🎨

PlayStation

arts Maturity 11-13 Next article →

PlayStation is a famous brand for video games.

PlayStation-SCPH-1000-with-Controller
PlayStation-SCPH-1000-with-Controller

It is owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. This brand includes many different things for players. They make home game consoles and handheld devices. They also offer online services and magazines. People all over the world love these products. The brand is a very big part of gaming culture.

PlayStation Studios logo with a black center frame
PlayStation Studios logo with a black center frame

Playing a PlayStation game involves special tools. Most players use a controller called a DualShock. These controllers have vibration feedback to help you feel the action. You will see four iconic face buttons on them. These shapes are a triangle, a circle, a square, and an X.

PlayStationTriangle
PlayStationTriangle
PlayStationCircle
PlayStationCircle
PlayStationSquare
PlayStationSquare
PlayStationX
PlayStationX

Sony also runs the PlayStation Network for online play. This network had over 103 million active users in December 2019. Some games are made by PlayStation Studios just for these machines.

Ken Kutaragi is a very important person in this story. He was a Sony executive who led the project. People call him "The Father of the PlayStation."

Nintendo Playstation Prototype (26398121058)
Nintendo Playstation Prototype (26398121058)

The idea started from a project with Nintendo. Sony and Nintendo once worked together on a CD-ROM system. However, the partnership ended in 1991. This happened because they could not agree on money. Sony President Norio Ohga then gave Kutaragi the job to make a rival console.

History shows how much the brand has grown. The first PlayStation launched in Japan in 1994. It was a huge success for Sony. It was the first console to sell over 100 million units.

Sony-PSone-Console-FL
Sony-PSone-Console-FL

Later, the PlayStation 2 arrived in the year 2000. It is the most successful console ever made. It sold more than 155 million units by 2012.

PS2-Fat-Console-Set
PS2-Fat-Console-Set

The PlayStation 3 came out in 2006. It was the first to use motion-sensing technology. The newest major model is the PlayStation 5 from 2020.

Black and white Playstation 5 base edition with controller
Black and white Playstation 5 base edition with controller

PlayStation connects many different types of technology. The consoles use discs and digital downloads to work. The PlayStation 3 even included a Blu-ray player.

Ps3-fat-console
Ps3-fat-console

Sony also makes budget versions of their games. These are called Greatest Hits or Platinum versions. You might also see them called Essentials. These versions help more people enjoy the games. The brand uses many famous slogans too. You might have heard "Greatness Awaits" or "Play Has No Limits."

369 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (28)
File:PlayStationTriangle.svg
PlayStationTriangle.svg
File:PlayStationCircle.svg
PlayStationCircle.svg
File:PlayStationCross.svg
PlayStationCross.svg
File:PlayStationSquare.svg
PlayStationSquare.svg
File:Nintendo Playstation Prototype (26398121058).jpg
Nintendo Playstation Prototype (26398121058).jpg
File:Sony Computer Entertainment logo (No Trademark).svg
Sony Computer Entertainment logo (No...
File:PlayStation-SCPH-1000-with-Controller.jpg
PlayStation-SCPH-1000-with-Controller.jpg
File:Sony-PlayStation-2-30001-wController-L.jpg
Sony-PlayStation-2-30001-wController-L.jpg
File:Sony-PlayStation-3-CECHA01-wController-L.jpg
Sony-PlayStation-3-CECHA01-wController-L.jpg
File:PS4-Console-wDS4.jpg
PS4-Console-wDS4.jpg
File:Black and white Playstation 5 base edition with controller.png
Black and white Playstation 5 base...
File:Sony-PSone-Console-FL.jpg
Sony-PSone-Console-FL.jpg

+ 16 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.