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Happy birthday! 20 ways PlayStation changed gaming
As Sony’s console turns 20, we look back at the ways the Japanese giant has changed gaming for good.
20 ways PlayStation changed gaming
© Sony
Happy 20th to the PlayStation! That’s right, Sony’s iconic games console has been around for 20 years to the day, and while it started life way back in the mid 1980s as a partnership between Sony and Nintendo, the PlayStation went solo and has gone on to become one of the three major pillars of the console gaming world. While it’s had its fair share of bonkers adverts and a few misfires (PlayStation Move, anyone?), join us as we run through many of the ways that the Japanese tech giant has changed gaming for the better, forever.
1) It did away with the cartridge
The Philips CD-i and the Sega Mega CD may have been first, but who remembers them? The original PlayStation brought the concept of games on discs into the mainstream, getting rid of the need for expensive cartridges with onboard processor. It even helped nab one of the biggest exclusives of all time: Squaresoft moved Final Fantasy VII over from Nintendo consoles to the PlayStation as a result. The rest is history.
2) It gave us dual thumbsticks
While the N64 gave you a single analogue stick to play with on its quirky trident controller in 1996, a year later, Sony launched the Dual Analog Controller as a PlayStation peripheral. Ape Escape launched in 1999, becoming the first game designed specifically for two analogue sticks, and we’ve been using the same control paradigm ever since.
3) The DualShock rumble
Along with dual thumbsticks, the PlayStation also helped make force feedback a mainstay for consoles with the DualShock controller. Unlike the N64’s Rumble Pak which was largely optional, the DualShock went on to become the standard pad for all of Sony’s consoles (with the motors built in), and had its most radical refresh with the DualShock 4 for PS4.
4) It gave us the memory card
Moving to read only CD-ROMs with the PlayStation 1 meant that you could no longer save your game, and as a result, you needed a Memory Card. The PS1 helped popularise it as something you could take around to your mate’s place and continue where you left off – no more inputting codes or unlocking extra characters in a single playthrough again!
5) Remember the PocketStation?
The quirky PocketStation that launched in 1999 for the PS1 plugged into your Memory Card slot and let you play downsized games and also acted as a miniature personal digital assistant. It wasn’t a hit, but it certainly inspired others, with the Sega Dreamcast’s VMU acting in a similar way. We’ve even seen that second screen functionality pop up in the Nintendo Wii U GamePad too.
6) It ushered in the console as a DVD player
The PlayStation 2 might not have all the bells and whistles of the Xbox One when it comes to watching TV, but when it launched in 2000, it practically introduced the concept of a games console as your multimedia centre by doubling up as a DVD player for a competitive price.
7) It found more space under the TV
We’ve got Sony to thank for the vertically stacked console. Got nowhere to put your PS2? Turn it sideways and plonk it anywhere you want, as its slimmer footprint lets it fit in all sorts of spaces. It’s been the same for Sony’s consoles ever since, and even Microsoft followed suit with the Xbox 360.
8) It introduced your body as the controller
Forget Kinect, Sony let you control games with your body way before Microsoft unleashed its motion sensing camera in 2010 with the EyeToy. The PS2 accessory put you in the game, and some titles let you snap a photo of your face to use in-game, something we still see developers trying to add to their games even today.
9) PlayTV made your console your entertainment hub
Forget the Xbox One TV tuner, Sony launched a high-definition DVR add-on for the PS3 all the way back in 2008, and it let you record shows to the hard drive too. It didn’t quite catch on, but Microsoft must surely have looked at it for inspiration with the Xbox One.
10) PSX RIP
Half DVR, half PS2, the short lived PSX was ahead of its time when it launched in 2003, letting you record TV, play games and even edit video, something now commonplace in consoles. It also featured the very first implementation of the PS3’s XMB user interface too.
11) It took Blu-ray mainstream
The shift to Blu-ray with the PlayStation 3 meant you were treated to even bigger games than before due to its massive storage capacity (as much as 33GB), and that also meant you no longer had to switch discs when playing lengthy games, such as huge role playing games – something you still had to do with the Xbox 360. Metal Gear Solid 4 even makes in-game jokes about switching discs (though you still had to install chunks of the game every so often).
12) It gave us a hard drive
The Xbox launched in 2001 with a hard drive and internet access, but the PS2 actually beat Microsoft’s console to the punch by a few months. The PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive was released in July in Japan along with the Network Adaptor, and many games took advantage of the extra internal space and network capabilities, such as Final Fantasy XI – which is still going to this day.
13) It ushered in HD console gaming
Sure, the Xbox 360 beat the PS3 out of the starting gate, but it didn’t originally pack in a HDMI connection, whereas Sony had the foresight to see where tech was heading with the 2006 PS3 – and that was pin sharp high definition console gaming.
14) PlayStation Plus gave you free games for everyone
You have to pay to play online with Xbox Live – a tax on multiplayer, if you will – but Sony’s PS3 let you play with your mates for free. When Sony finally rolled out its own subscription service, it added incentives instead of shutting features away behind a wall, as PlayStation Plus netted you free games each month. Microsoft has now followed suit with free titles since the Xbox One launched.
15) It gave us Remote Play
Remote Play today lets you play your PS4 games in bed with your Vita, but it actually first launched almost a decade ago with the PSP and worked with certain PS3 titles and the full catalogue of original PS1 games. Game streaming magic.
16) It’s bringing virtual reality into the living room
The Oculus Rift is leading the way for giving you a VR experience at home, but it’s not easy to kick back with on the couch unless you have a gaming rig on wheels and a mains extender. Sony’s working on its own VR tech with Project Morpheus, and it promises to give you a true VR experience with games console in your living room.
17) It’s changing how we play games online
With the PS4, social gaming is on the rise: the new Share Play feature lets you hand over the controller to a friend over the internet, or let you sample a friend’s game. Far Cry 4 even lets you play co-op for free with a friend who doesn’t own the game, and you can bet other games will follow suit.
18) Introduced touch controls on a console controller
Mobile gaming has clearly had some form of influence over the latest generation of consoles, and it’s most evident with the PS4’s DualShock 4, which includes a touchpad on the face for swiping and pointing with your fingers, and who knows what else in the future.
19) It gave us amazing exclusives
Sony’s cultivated an incredible collection of first-party studios over the years, such as Naughty Dog, Polyphony Digital, Guerrilla Games and Media Molecule, while we’ve seen previous greats under Sony’s wing like Studio Liverpool and 989 Studios. Where else would you find top games like Uncharted, Crash Bandicoot, WipeOut, Killzone and LittleBigPlanet? Nowhere.
20) PlayStation taught us to expect more for longer
Where previous generations lasted just four to five years at best, the PS2 defied history by lasting nearly 13 years before finally being discontinued, making it one of the longest lasting games consoles of all time. The PS3 looks likely to run for just as long, seeing as we’re less than two years away from its 10th anniversary. Your wallet thanks Sony.
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