Definition
PlayStation is Sony’s gaming entertainment brand and home console family. The first PlayStation console launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, and the official history page records that it sold over 102,000,000 consoles worldwide from 1994 to 2006. See the official history page.
How it works
PlayStation centers on home consoles that play disc and digital games through controllers and other peripherals, with content sold and delivered through official channels such as the PlayStation Store. The official history timeline covers the PS, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS Vita, PS4, and PS5, plus peripheral forms like PS VR and PS VR2; each generation’s configuration and compatibility are governed by that product’s official documentation.
Usage
The typical use is playing single-player and online games on a home large-screen setup; the different generations, handhelds, and VR devices cover different play scenarios. Its game line-up and exclusive titles have long been a defining feature of the brand.
Related and confusable terms
In everyday usage “PS” is simply short for PlayStation; PlayStation refers to the brand and console family, while the PlayStation 5 is the entry for one specific model — the two are catalogued separately. Company-level information belongs to the Sony brand entry. Online services such as PlayStation Network and PlayStation Plus are services under the brand, not consoles.
Episode discussion
In Weekly #007, in the chapter “AI 游戏破圈：移植、网页游戏与上瘾机制” (Chinese transcript), Guizang discusses community porting progress and says “Bloodborne is a really important game on PS” that players have long wanted on PC and other platforms. The “PS” here refers to PlayStation; the porting progress is a speaker’s account, and this site draws no conclusion about any official plans. See the chapter.
Frequently asked questions
What does PlayStation mean?
PlayStation is Sony’s gaming entertainment brand and the name of its home console family; “PS” in casual speech and media usually refers to it. See the official history page.
How do PlayStation and PlayStation 5 differ?
PlayStation is the brand and the family spanning multiple generations, while the PlayStation 5 is one specific generation. For the current console, see this site’s PlayStation 5 entry.
When was the first PlayStation released?
December 3, 1994, in Japan; the official history page records over 102,000,000 consoles sold worldwide from 1994 to 2006.