The PlayStation One Is 25 Years Old Today

Flickr/Sony

If you remember sitting down after school and jumping straight in front of the TV for another round of Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider and MediEvil on PlayStation One, then you’re about to feel super old.

The games console, which no doubt was the first love of gamers all over the world, officially turned 25 today after making its global debut in Japan on December 3, 1993.

It began with humble beginnings as an upstart with Sony, before Ken Kutaragi and his team worked tirelessly to create a console that would provide entertainment everyone could enjoy.

Here’s a little throwback, courtesy of PlayStation:

The very first PlayStation shifted an impressive 100,000 units on its very first day on sale in Japan, before going on to be the first ever gaming console to sell more than 100 million units worldwide.

Thanks to its innovative ideas and ease of use, the PlayStation One kickstarted a gaming addiction for millions of gamers who would spend hours watching Disney characters take life in their games, alongside a whole host of different characters with important missions to complete.

In his most recent blog post, president and CEO of PlayStation Jim Ryan said community remains, and has always been, at the forefront of everything the now-global brand creates.

Sony

He wrote:

Over the past 25 years, PlayStation has stood at the forefront of gaming, and I’m honored to have been a part of the team since the early days.

As I was helping set up the business in Europe, I remember having to start from scratch with many things, from hiring employees to ordering furniture.

Back then, we focused on catering to local markets to ensure that a gamer in Poland would feel a part of the broader PlayStation community just as much as someone in the UK, or Japan, or the U.S. Supported by passionate fans all around the world, our business has grown significantly and our focus on community is more important than ever.

It’s truly humbling to see fans who grew up on PlayStation passing down their love of gaming to their children, who are now playing on PS4.

People on social media have been detailing their gaming journey with PlayStation for the anniversary, with one user, called Joe, reminiscing back to 2000 when his mum bought him his first PlayStation for Christmas. Three years later, in 2003, Joe received a PlayStation Two for his birthday, before he was given a PSP in 2005.

In 2010, he bought his own PlayStation 3 with money he’d saved up from his paper round. In 2014 Joe bought himself a PlayStation 4 before treating himself to a PS Vita earlier this year.

And Joe certainly isn’t alone, with millions of other gamers reciting the day they received their very first PlayStation, and sticking with the console and its many iterations for years following.

Thanks for the memories, PlayStation.

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Emma Rosemurgey

Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.