The new PS5 reveal event date is Thursday, June 11. Bloomberg
The new PS5 reveal event date is Thursday, June 11. Bloomberg
The new PS5 reveal event date is Thursday, June 11. Bloomberg
The new PS5 reveal event date is Thursday, June 11. Bloomberg

From the PS1 to the PS5: how the PlayStation has evolved since 1994


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

As the world navigates the coronavirus pandemic, plenty of casual and avid gamers have relied on their trusty PlayStation to keep themselves entertained through global lockdowns.

While many are now waiting with baited breath for the reveal of the PlayStation 5 – a celebratory event for which was scheduled for Thursday, June 4, but then cancelled because of America's ongoing protests surrounding George Floyd's murder – we take a look at the history of this legendary gaming device.

The history of the PlayStation

The illustration below takes us through the history of the console, starting from 1994, when the first PlayStation (PS1) was introduced. It was worth $299 (Dh1,098) and a whopping 104.25 million units were sold.

An illustration of the history of the PlayStation. Roy Cooper / The National
An illustration of the history of the PlayStation. Roy Cooper / The National

It was another six years before a second iteration of the console was released – the PlayStation 2 (PS2) came out in March 2000, cost $299 and, this time, Sony went on to sell 157.68m units.

This is a Japanese SCPH-1000, which was the very first model of PlayStation commercially released. Wikipedia Commons
This is a Japanese SCPH-1000, which was the very first model of PlayStation commercially released. Wikipedia Commons

This time, it was only a couple of months before another option came out in the form of the PSOne, a smaller, cheaper redesign of the original PS1 with improved graphic user interface that retailed at only $99.

If we count the much-awaited PlayStation 5, there have been a total of 20 consoles to come out over the past 26 years, including handhelds and even a virtual reality headset.

While the release date for the new version, which promises to be a much savvier and upgraded device, is up in the air, Sony Interactive Entertainment still very much plans to release it later this year.

“[The pandemic is] obviously introducing a level of complexity any business would prefer not to have to deal with,” Jim Ryan, the company's chief executive and president, told the BBC. “But we’re feeling really good about the supply chain, we’re going to launch this year and we’ll be global.”

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5