Sony created the PlayStation brand and introduced the original console in Japan in 1994.
Sony Computer Entertainment launched the first PlayStation in Japan on December 3, 1994. The console used CD-ROMs rather than the cartridges common in many earlier systems and helped establish Sony as a major force in the video-game industry. The PlayStation later launched in North America and Europe in 1995.
Sony’s broader business includes electronics, entertainment, music, pictures, financial services, and image sensors. The PlayStation business sits within Sony Interactive Entertainment, which operates consoles, games, online services, and related products. Sony’s market value therefore reflects a diversified group rather than a game-console maker alone.
Sony was originally founded in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. It adopted the name Sony Corporation in 1958. The company’s PlayStation success is sometimes attributed only to hardware, but its ecosystem of game developers, software sales, online services, and recognizable franchises was equally important.