PlayStation
プレイステーション
PlayStation
- Manufacturer
- Sony
- Type
- Home video game console · 32-BIT
- Note
- Model SCPH-1000
03
Overview
Overview
A home console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1994. Built around a 32-bit R3000A CPU with a geometry coprocessor, it brought textured 3D polygon graphics into the home on CD-ROM.
- Name in Japan
- プレイステーション
- Name in North America
- PlayStation
- Name in Europe
- PlayStation
04
Industrial Design
Industrial design
Both console and controller were designed by Teiyu Goto; the original SCPH-1000 has a gray casing measuring 270 × 60 × 188 mm.
05
Technical Specifications
Technical specifications
- Model number
- SCPH-1000
- CPU
- MIPS R3000A @ 33.8688 MHz + GTE (geometry coprocessor)
- Memory
- RAM 2 MB / VRAM 1 MB / sound RAM 512 KB
- Graphics
- Custom GPU (~180,000 textured polygons/s per EN)
- Display
- 256×224 – 640×480, up to 16.7 million colors
- Bits (period term)
- 32-bit
- Generation (Wikipedia)
- 5th generation
Values are from the sources below. Where sources differ, see the notes under Sources.
06
Controller
Controller
Grip-style controller designed by Teiyu Goto, with four face buttons marked by a green triangle, red circle, blue cross and pink square.
07
Media Format
Media format
- CD-ROM
CD-ROM
Optical discs sharing the audio CD format, used for data. Sources describe the PC Engine's CD-ROM² (1988) as the first use of CD-ROM as a home console game medium.
PlayStation Memory Card
A flash-memory card for storing PlayStation save data. Its 1-megabit (128 KB) capacity is divided into 15 usable blocks.
08
Launch & Context
Launch & historical context
- Release (Japan)
- 3 Dec 1994[1]
- Release (North America)
- 9 Sep 1995[1]
- Release (Europe)
- 29 Sep 1995[1]
- Release (Australia)
- 15 Nov 1995[1]
- Launch price (Japan)
- ¥39,800[2]
- Units
- 102.4 million+(shipped / sell-in · worldwide · 2012-03-31)[3]
Launched in Japan on December 3, 1994. Development was led by Ken Kutaragi, who aimed for full-fledged textured 3D graphics modeled on CG workstations.
09
Notable Games
Notable games
- G-0011994PlayStation
Ridge Racer
リッジレーサー
- Release
- JP 1994.12.03
- Dev
- Namco
- Genre
- Racing
- G-0021996PlayStation
PaRappa the Rapper
パラッパラッパー
- Release
- JP 1996.12.06
- Dev
- NanaOn-Sha
- Genre
- Rhythm
- G-0031996PlayStation
Resident Evil
バイオハザード
- Release
- JP 1996.03.22
- Dev
- Capcom
- Genre
- Survival horror
- G-0041997PlayStation
Final Fantasy VII
ファイナルファンタジーVII
- Release
- JP 1997.01.31
- Dev
- Square
- Genre
- RPG / JRPG
- G-0051997PlayStation
Gran Turismo
グランツーリスモ
- Release
- JP 1997.12.23
- Dev
- Polys Entertainment
- Genre
- Racing / Simulation
- G-0061998PlayStation
Metal Gear Solid
メタルギアソリッド
- Release
- JP 1998.09.03
- Dev
- Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
- Genre
- Stealth / Action-adventure
10
Gallery
Gallery
PlayStation (SCPH-1000) with controller
PlayStation with controller
DualShock analog controller
PlayStation Memory Card
PlayStation (SCPH-1000) motherboard
13
Sources
Sources
- [1]PlayStation (console)ReferenceAccessed 2026-09-26
Wikipedia (EN)
- [2]PlayStation (ゲーム機)ReferenceAccessed 2026-09-26
Wikipedia (JA)
- [3]ビジネスデータ（ハードウェア全世界累計販売台数（セルイン））ManufacturerAccessed 2026-09-26
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Notes on conflicting sources
unitsSold from SIE business data page labeled 'ハードウェア全世界累計販売台数（セルイン）' = sell-in, mapped to kind 'shipped'. Wikipedia gives 102.49M shipped (through 2006). Polygon throughput differs: EN 180,000/s vs JA ~1.5M/s (different measurement bases); left out of JA description. Launch controller had no analog sticks (DualShock came later).
14
Image Credits
Image credits
PlayStation (SCPH-1000) with controller
Original PlayStation (SCPH-1000) with controller
PhotoEvan-Amos
Wikimedia Commons·Public domain
PlayStation with controller
PlayStation console with controller
PhotoEvan-Amos
Wikimedia Commons·Public domain
DualShock analog controller
DualShock analog controller
PhotoEvan-Amos
Wikimedia Commons·Public domain
PlayStation Memory Card
PlayStation Memory Card
PhotoEvan-Amos, modified by Gunnar.offel
Wikimedia Commons·Public domain
PlayStation (SCPH-1000) motherboard
PlayStation (SCPH-1000) motherboard
PhotoEvan-Amos
Wikimedia Commons·Public domain