30 years of play

Join us for a journey through PlayStation® history and the consoles and games that made us. 

Global release

November 12th 2020

In November 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, PlayStation®5 launched to bring play to new levels in unexpected and thrilling ways.

From the radical form-factor revealed in June of that year to the tactile responsiveness of the DualSense® wireless controller that created new experiences in players’ hands, the PS5® console backed all of this up with system architecture that made play faster, more immersive and more visually stunning than any PlayStation console before.

Play Has No Limits™

Despite challenging global conditions, the launch of PlayStation 5 became not only the biggest ever PlayStation launch, but the biggest global console launch in history.

Changing the game

While PS5 delighted gamers with new experiences that looked, sounded and felt incredible, it was the advanced technology and integrated system architecture under the hood that made this all possible.

Spectacular visuals at lightning speed

Built from the ground up and fine-tuned for the most realistic gameplay possible, the custom CPU, GPU and SSD inside the PS5 console worked together to thrust players into spectacular game worlds faster than ever before.

Breathtaking immersion

The PS5 console’s stunning visuals were complimented by revolutionary gameplay experiences, thanks to the unique, tactile features of the DualSense wireless controller, and incredible Tempest 3D Audio tech, taking in-game immersion to new sonic levels.

PS4® backwards compatibility

New-gen players were treated to full backward-compatibility for their PS4 game collections, meaning thousands of titles were ready to play immediately at launch – with the added bonus of Game Boost technology giving them a new sheen.

Console variations

PS5 launched with two versions – one with Blu-ray Disc compatibility, and a digital-only edition for playing downloadable games. These were joined in 2023 by a slimmer model that was also digital-only but with the option to add a removable disc drive.

PS5 console

The original launch console, complete with disc drive and integrated vertical stand, was fully backward compatible with PS4 discs.

PS5 Digital Edition

A digital-only version was also available at launch, designed to play games downloaded from PlayStation™ Store.

PS5 console – model group slim

Released in 2023, this slimmer version of the PS5 Digital Edition also introduced an optional attachable disc drive.

New sensations with PS5 controllers

The PS5 era marked a shift in PlayStation controller design and functionality, as the DualSense wireless controller arrived to surprise and delight players worldwide – and was soon joined by a family of controllers for an even wider spectrum of gamers.

DualSense wireless controller

The PS5 console’s flagship controller was an evolution of everything that had come before.

Old-school vibrations were replaced by dynamic haptic feedback that simulated an incredible range of in-game conditions, while the traditional L2 and R2 buttons were upgraded to become Adaptive Triggers, able to simulate tension as players interact with gear and objects as they play, forging a physical connection to on-screen actions.

DualSense Edge™ wireless controller

Three years later DualSense Edge took the wildly successful stock controller a step further, with high-performance components and customizable control features and profiles added for more competitive, tournament-standard gaming.

Access™ controller

Designed to allow gamers with disabilities to play more comfortably and for longer, the Access controller was created in close collaboration with accessibility experts and provided extensive customization options for button and control stick layout, as well as 360-degree orientation possibilities.

Iconic PlayStation 5 games

Some of the stand-out releases of the PS5 generation so far…

Iconic PlayStation 5 games

Some of the stand-out releases of the PS5 generation so far…

Astro’s Playroom

Pre-installed on every console, Astro’s return to PlayStation consoles was both a showcase of the astoundingly tactile features of the new DualSense wireless controller, and one of the finest platformers of recent times – and a taste of things to come…

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

One of PlayStation’s most beloved characters stepped outside of the LittleBigPlanet franchise to take centre stage in a 3D platforming adventure to save Craftworld from the evil Vex, with the help of the Knitted Knights – and countless loveable costume changes.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Visually stunning and a jaw-dropping showcase of the PS5 console’s lightning-fast SSD, Rift Apart saw the galaxy-hopping duo hurtling between dimensions in the blink of an eye, providing a diversity of gameplay experiences never before possible at such speed.

Returnal

Following up on the breakout success of PS4 space-shooter Resogun, developer Housemarque took the action into third-person realms in this intriguing and challenging roguelike shooter where you play as Selene, an astronaut following a mysterious signal who finds herself trapped in a time-loop.

God of War Ragnarök

The consequences of Kratos and Atreus’ climactic encounter with the Aesir god Baldur in God of War (2018) left the Norse lands gripped by Fimbulwinter. Spurred to action by Atreus’ desire for answers and Odin’s forces martialling across Nine Realms, father and son fight to keep their family safe as the prophesized battle of Ragnarök approaches. Stunningly rendered by the console’s tech and with responsive DualSense haptic feedback to feel each swing of the Leviathan Axe, God of War Ragnarök became an instantly essential PS5 experience.

Gran Turismo 7

The thirteenth instalment in Polyphony Digital’s love letter to the automobile, GT7 crystallized the vision and ambitions that came before into the most realistic driving simulator yet, putting perfectly recreated performance cars onto stunningly recreated global race tracks.

Horizon Forbidden West

Machine hunter and one-time saviour of Meridian Aloy returned in 2022 in one of the generation’s most visually breathtaking games. Traveling west, Aloy took on new threats, new factions poised on the brink of war, and a dangerous new threat from the old world, encountering the ruins of many real-world locations along the way.

Elden Ring

The much-anticipated return of FromSoftware with a new IP created in collaboration with Game of Thrones writer George R.R Martin thrust players into one of the most beautiful and expansive open worlds yet imagined, inhabited by the developers’ trademark unrelenting foe and fights interwoven with mysterious storytelling.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, returned for an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise for PS5. Players travelled across Marvel’s New York, quickly switching between Peter Parker and Miles Morales to experience different stories and epic new powers, as the iconic villain Venom threatened to destroy their lives, their city, and the ones they love.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Much anticipated by fans of RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur’s Gate 3 was a fixture at the top of many Game of the Year lists in 2023. An intricately woven storyline and complex cast of characters made the fantasy world of Faerûn come alive in astonishing ways based on player choices and the relationships between characters, giving a true sense of unique world-building to every play-through.

Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 exploded onto PS5 with a fanfare of galactic freedom and democracy, taking the online multiplayer world by storm with its intense action, cooperative gameplay and wry sense of humour. As a Helldiver, players are tasked with protecting Super Earth’s civilization from hordes of alien invaders, armed with overpowered weapons capable of taking down the bugs – but also of inflicting brutal (and sometimes hilarious) friendly fire on teammates.

Astro Bot

A true celebration of PlayStation’s incredible legacy, ASTRO and the bot crew return, scattered all over the galaxies in a brand-new adventure. Hop on your trusty Dual Speeder and explore more than 50 planets full of fun, danger and surprises. 

PlayStation Studios breaks new ground

The PlayStation 5 generation also saw PlayStation Studios’ critically acclaimed catalogue of games begin making the leap to PC. God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn and many more are now available to a whole new world of players on the PC platform including all the same great features and content that made them a hit on PlayStation.

PlayStation® Plus gets an upgrade

After over a decade of bringing players together online and delighting members with a vast catalogue of downloadable monthly games, PlayStation Plus took a bold step forward in 2022.

Offering players a whole new range of features, such as Game Catalogue, Classics Catalogue, cloud streaming, Game Trials and more, PlayStation Plus also adopted a new tiered membership, filled with great games and features for every type of player.

PlayStation Stars™ rewards players' loyalty

PlayStation’s new loyalty program, PlayStation Stars, launched on PS App to celebrate PlayStation players' love of play and the shared experiences of gaming.

By challenging members to complete Campaigns spanning many games and genres, PlayStation Stars rewards participants with Digital Collectibles to add to their Display Case or with Points to redeem from their Rewards Catalogue. The service continues to evolve alongside PlayStation. 

PlayStation Portal™ remote player

Combining a beautiful 8” LCD screen with the unique feature set of DualSense wireless controller, PS5’s innovative handheld device expanded gaming horizons by unhooking the traditional home console experience from a big screen display.

PlayStation Portal means you can now enjoy PS5’s biggest hits all around your home – on the couch, in bed, or reclining in your garden.

PlayStation 5 Pro

As the PlayStation story continues to be written, in 2024 the latest evolution of PS5 was announced, bringing with it the most impressive visuals ever possible on a PlayStation console, thanks to PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, advanced ray tracing and optimized console performance.

PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection

To celebrate 30 years of play, in late 2024 the 30th anniversary collection was unveiled. This limited edition product range included a PS5 Pro console, a PS5 digital edition, DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller and PlayStation Portal remote player, all designed with a throwback colour scheme and design elements that hark back to the original PlayStation console from 1994.

2023

Global release

February 22nd 2023

Taking cues from the PS5 console’s immersive and tactile features, PlayStation’s next steps into virtual reality came with a redesigned, lighter and easier-to-wear headset – thanks to the single-cable design – and a bespoke set of orb-like controllers complete with unique features that gave players a greater sense of immersion in their game worlds.

Feel a New Real™

Taking control

The PlayStation VR2 Sense™ controller featured the revolutionary Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers that set the DualSense wireless controller apart and brought a new dimension to games. PS VR2 players could feel all this and more, with Finger Touch Detection adding even more interactive potential to the immersive games available.

Games of the generation

Some of the virtual worlds available for PS VR2 

Games of the generation

Some of the virtual worlds available for PS VR2 

Horizon Call of the Mountain 

A new adventure set in the Horizon universe, this PS VR2 launch title thrust players into a stunning world full of towering mountain peaks, stunning landscapes and, of course, colossal, deadly machines to take down with your virtual bow, drawn and fired with the PS VR2 Sense controller.

Gran Turismo 7

“The real driving simulator” got even closer to reality as Polyphony Digital’s motoring masterpiece roared onto PS VR2, allowing users to look around the cockpit of their supercars, into corners at high speed, and out at the stunning recreations of global racetracks – not to mention admiring their collection of high-powered machines.

Resident Evil Village: VR Mode

For those brave enough to venture back to the village, Resident Evil’s 8th instalment added a hyper-realistic VR mode that dialled up the terror in immersive new ways. Rendered in 4K HDR and with chilling 3D audio, getting up close and personal with Lady Dimitrescu had never been so terrifying.

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge

Thrusting players into a galaxy far, far away, this original adventure set in the Star Wars universe combines a fresh storyline as a droid repair technician taking on high-stakes missions amongst gangsters and First Order facilities, with fan-service set piece scenarios that see players joining the Jedi or completing shady bounties against deadly adversaries.

Resident Evil 4: VR Mode

One of the most iconic entries in the Resident Evil series returned to PS5, and soon after added this chilling VR mode to test the mettle of would-be Leon S. Kennedys, as the nightmare unfolds in front of his eyes with trademark sparse-ammo gunplay and up-close melee combat as he creeps through the visceral, horrifying world.

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

This rollercoaster ride from hell dialled up the terror with ingenious use of the PS VR2 headset’s eye tracking: blink, and the horrors stalking you get ever closer, or appear where you’re least expecting them. Dual-wielding an array of weaponry with the PS VR2 Sense controller is your only hope of surviving this nightmarish trip to the funfair.

© 2024 MARVEL

© 2024 Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.

Developed by Insomniac Games, Inc.