PlayStation (console)

The PlayStation (abbreviated as PS, commonly known as the PS1 or its codename PSX) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released on 3 December 1994 in Japan, 9 September 1995 in North America, 29 September 1995 in Europe, and 15 November 1995 in Australia, and was the first of the PlayStation line of video game consoles. As a fifth-generation console, the original PlayStation primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn.

Development of the console began after a failed venture with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM peripheral for their Super Famicom in the early 1990s. Game production for the console was designed to be streamlined and inclusive, enticing the support of many third-party developers. In July 2000, Sony released a smaller model, the PS one. The PlayStation was succeeded by the PlayStation 2 the same year.

The PlayStation signalled Sony's rise to power in the video game industry. Its release elicited critical acclaim and strong sales; in less than a decade, it became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units. Its use of compact discs heralded the game industry's transition from cartridges. Games for the original PlayStation continued to sell until Sony ceased production of both the PlayStation and its games on 23 March 2006—over eleven years after it had been released, and less than a year before the debut of the PlayStation 3. A total of 7,918 games were released for the console over its lifespan, with cumulative sales of 962 million units.