The System That Changed My Life! The Playstation

By: Taylor G. (TAGTTG)

Playstation 1

Ever since I could pick up a controller, I spent my youth subconsciously falling in love with the many Worlds inside of a System.

The very first Playstation model was created in Japan, 1994, and soon launched to the US the following year.

The Playstation

$299

It took the world by storm! It was the beginning of an entertainment franchise beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. If you were a kid during the PS1 run in the 90’s, you knew this was the coolest thing on the block. Even the adults realized, no matter the age it’s just pure fun!

The first generation Playstation alone lasted for 12 years, amassing over 102 million units sold in that stretch. Averaging around 10 million sold per year. There was absolutely no reason to look back, so forward they went.

During the reign of Playstation One/PS1/PSX, whatever you choose to call it, a successor was born to carry the torch. The Playstation 2!

Playstation 2

The Playstation 2

  $299

This is where my journey with video games truly began. Just the thought of the PS2 floods memories and nostalgia through my mind and body. The PS2 was announced in the spring of 1999, but the highly anticipated release wasn’t until the following year 2000. 13 strong, fun, and for some, very wealthy years. 155 million units were shipped during its lifetime, which sounds amazing regardless if the starting price ran for $299 or not!

Amazing games like Ratchet and Clank, Jak 3, Final Fantasy, God of War 1 and 2, Gran Turismo, and so many more were at their peak during the PS2 era. Hundreds of millions of games were sold in addition to the actual systems. The PS2 grew out of the shoes of its predecessor, the PS1, producing more than a 50% increase in total units sold. All in all, the PS2 created many joyous memories, and a doorway to the future…

Playstation 3

The Playstation 3!

    $299

The literal and figurative “big little brother” of the PS2. The PS3 looked clean, strong, and new. Visually pleasing to the eye, but behind the beautiful design the PS3 was a beast of a gaming console.

2 model versions of this console, both had its own distinct look, also storage space started at 20-60GB. The PS3 also came with new wireless controllers and touchscreen buttons on the system, this even felt like the future! Classic games that were lost on systems before were given a face-lift and reinvented when an ingenious idea became a reality, remastering games!

The impact of the PS3 was 110% felt by all Playstation faithful. Accumulating 80 million units shipped from its release in 2006-2013, and was finally discontinued in 2017.

Playstion 4 (Pro and Slim)

The PS4/Slim

Slim:$299

When the Playstation 4 was released It was clear there are no limits to the exponential growth that Sony can achieve. Speed, power, graphics, adaptation; all increased upon each rendition of the PS4, but why make 3? Well, the Slim version mass wise is about 30% less material, and around 20% lighter for those who don’t necessarily want a “beefy” system and the same gaming experience.

The PS4 Pro grew into its own in 3 years of polishing and tinkering that translated to a complete final product.

Playstation 4 Pro

          $399

Ok, I had to give the Playstation Pro its own section! Being the first Playstation product to naturally process 4k resolution, The gameplay and visuals were top of the line at its peak. In 2016, PS4 Pro launch day, North America alone accumulated over one million units sold! The following week, the UK generated a million sales of their own.

I would still recommend this system to this day (nearly 10 years later), for anyone who loves video games, and or you want to begin and don’t know where to start. The storage capacity doubled its original version holding up to 1TB, perfect for owning multiple large games in one’s library.

Playstation 5

 Playstation 5

$499-$1000

The War of the PS5. Last but not least, the system that brought about a supply and demand war beyond anything I’ve seen and felt first hand. Its “alien” futuristic design dropped everyone’s jaw, and its processing and 8k native visuals made any gamers mouth water. Released in 2020, All aspects of the system upgraded seemingly 10 fold from its Pro predecessor. Haptic reacting controllers changed the feel game, inside the game! Honestly something you have to feel to wholeheartedly understand (especially previous Playstation gamers).

Conclusion

Games are no longer just “little toys”, we are now dealing with interactive cinematic masterpieces. You can live in a completely different world seamlessly, honestly perfect for alone time or fun with family and friends. Words don’t do it justice.