Which PlayStation console was the first to support Blu-ray discs?

The PlayStation 3 was the first PlayStation console to support Blu-ray discs. Sony made Blu-ray its primary game and video format when the PS3 launched, giving the console a built-in high-definition movie player as well as Blu-ray game storage.

The PS3 launched in Japan on November 11, 2006, followed by North America on November 17. Its Blu-ray drive could also read DVDs and CDs, making it a versatile home-entertainment machine. Early models shipped with 20 GB or 60 GB hard drives, and the 60 GB version was positioned as a premium multimedia system.

Blu-ray support was especially important because Sony was competing against Toshiba’s HD DVD format in the high-definition video disc war. The PS3’s inclusion of a Blu-ray drive helped expand the format’s user base, while the console’s large game capacity gave developers more room than DVD-based systems. A common mix-up is assuming the PS4 was the first: the PS4 arrived in 2013, several years after the PS3.