Sony makes the PlayStation gaming console, through Sony Interactive Entertainment, the Sony subsidiary responsible for the brand’s hardware, software, and network services.
The original PlayStation launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, after Sony executive Ken Kutaragi championed the project. It reached North America and Europe in 1995 and helped make CD-based game consoles mainstream. The system eventually sold more than 102 million units worldwide, a landmark result for a first-generation product.
PlayStation is a brand, not just one console. Its successors include PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, alongside handhelds such as PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita. Sony also operates PlayStation Network, PlayStation Store, and PlayStation Plus.
A common mix-up is choosing Nintendo or Microsoft because both make major game systems. Nintendo produces Switch hardware, while Microsoft produces Xbox consoles; neither owns or manufactures PlayStation. Sony’s game studios also publish famous first-party series such as Gran Turismo, God of War, and The Last of Us.