PlayStation

The latest PlayStation hardware and software news, updates, and reviews

Sony launched its now iconic PlayStation brand in 1994 with the Japanese release of its first console the aptly named PlayStation. However, the tech giant's first foray into the gaming hardware market was a joint project with Nintendo to create a hybrid cartridge-CD console called the SNES CD, but it never saw the light of day.

Alongside a string of home consoles, with the PS5 and PS5 Pro being the most recent, Sony also found success with handhelds like the PSP and PS Vita. 11 years after it released the Vita, Sony returned to handhelds with the PlayStation Portal in 2023, but didn't fully commit to a standalone, fully portable device, opting for remote streaming capabilities instead.

The company expanded its gaming hardware range to incorporate VR headsets in 2016 with the PSVR, following up with the PSVR 2 in 2023, and the latest rumours indicate it's working on a PS Vita successor, possibly launching the handheld codename Project Jupiter by 2028. The device is reportedly being developed by AMD and will go on to compete with the Nintendo Switch 2 and the ROG Xbox Ally.

PlayStation also offers a monthly subscription service which it expanded in June 2022 to accommodate a new three-tier model. PS Plus Essential is the base level offering access to online play and a small selection of free monthly games, while the Extra and Premium tiers throw in more perks to include access to cloud gaming and an online library of games similar to Xbox Game Pass.