PlayStation was Sony’s first video-game console, released in Japan on December 3, 1994.
Sony developed the system after its planned partnership with Nintendo over a CD-ROM add-on collapsed. The resulting console used CD-ROMs instead of cartridges and emphasized 3D graphics, streamed music, and larger game storage. It was Sony Computer Entertainment’s first major entry into the home-console market.
The PlayStation launched in North America in September 1995 and in Europe in September 1995. Its library included Ridge Racer, Tekken, Wipeout, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII, and Gran Turismo. Strong third-party support helped it become one of the best-selling consoles of its generation.
The name is sometimes confused with PlayStation 2, released in 2000, or with the Nintendo 64, which arrived later and retained cartridge-based software. The original PlayStation is also commonly called the PS1 or PSone, although PSone specifically refers to its smaller 2000 redesign.