Sony created the PlayStation console family and remains a major part of Sony Group's entertainment and electronics business.
Sony was founded in Tokyo in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita as Tokyo Tsushin Kenkyujo, or Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation. The company adopted the name Sony in 1958 and grew from electronics into music, film, games, imaging, and financial services.
The original PlayStation launched in Japan in 1994 and later expanded worldwide. Sony Interactive Entertainment manages the PlayStation business, including consoles, games, network services, and related hardware. Sony's broader group also includes Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, so the console brand is only one part of the corporation.
Sony became a publicly traded company long before PlayStation, and its market capitalization reflects the combined expectations for its different businesses. A common mistake is treating PlayStation as a separate listed company; it is a Sony business rather than an independent public corporation.