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Sony PlayStation Turns 15

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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Would you like to feel old? The PlayStation gaming console celebrated its 15th birthday Thursday, and Sony published a trip down memory lane to celebrate.

The PlayStation made its debut in North America on Sept. 9, 1995, almost a year after it landed in Japan. The first generation console was on the market for five years before Sony released the PS one in September 2000, which boasted an internal structure that was a third of the size of its predecessor, Sony said.

One month later, Sony released its popular PlayStation 2. It included a 128-bit CPU, dubbed the "emotion engine," and a graphics processor that, at the time, was more powerful than the average PC. It was the first console to include a DVD player and the ability to play CDs.

Sony PlayStation 2

The original PlayStation still had some legs, however. By May 2004, it sold 100 million units worldwide, the first video game console to achieve that feat.

In 2005, Sony took the PlayStation on-the-go with the March 24 launch of the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It included an LCD screen and let users watch movies in addition to playing games. It also included built-in wireless networking for Internet access and team play.

The 2006 holiday season saw the release of the PlayStation 3, which included a Blu-ray disc player and built-in hard disk drive. The new console supported downloadable games and other digital content available through the PlayStation Network. A lighter and more compact PS3 was released last year for $299.

The next-generation PSP hit the market in September 2007 with a lighter, smaller frame. The PSP 3000 came along in August 2008, and included a revamped LCD screen and built-in microphone for apps like Skype.

In September 2009, the PS2 reached over 140 million units sold. A month later, Sony released the PSP go, which featured a slide-out design and 16GB of storage.

Later this month, Sony will release the PlayStation Move motion controller. For more details, see PCMag's full review of the device.

For more images, see Sony's PlayStation timeline.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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