GameTimeline

PlayStation US launch dates · 1995–2020

PlayStation consoles in US release order

Seven major PlayStation consoles in US release order—from the original PlayStation (1995) through PS5 (2020), including PSP and PS Vita handhelds. Home and portable systems on one timeline; Slim, Pro, and PS one redesigns are in the questions below, not separate entries.

Updated June 2026

Release order

PlayStation (1995) → PS2 (2000) → PSP (2005) → PS3 (2006) → PS Vita (2012) → PS4 (2013) → PS5 (2020).

  • This is the full PlayStation consoles timeline in US release order—home and portable systems on one list
  • We don't list prices, bundles, or where to buy—check Sony or your preferred retailer
  • For Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sega in the same era, see the industry-wide game console timeline

At a glance

PlayStation (1995) → PS2 (2000) → PSP (2005) → PS3 (2006) → PS Vita (2012) → PS4 (2013) → PS5 (2020).

Tap a year to jump straight to that console.

PlayStation consoles in order

US launch dates for every major PlayStation home and portable system on this timeline.

  1. Sony PlayStation
    S

    PS1

    Home

    Sony's first console—CD-ROM pricing changed who could publish games.

    What's new
    CD-ROM discs held far more data than cartridges and cost less to manufacture. The DualShock controller (1997) added dual analog sticks and became the template for modern gamepads.
    Hardware
    32-bit R3000 CPU, 2 MB RAM. Original gray model; PS one slim redesign in 2000. US launch September 9, 1995.
    Standout games
    Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Tekken 3.
    Context
    Launched after Sega Saturn but a full year before Nintendo 64, and eventually outsold both. Cartridge loyalty at Nintendo pushed major RPG studios toward PlayStation.
  2. PlayStation 2
    S

    PS2

    Home

    Best-selling console of all time—DVD playback mattered as much as games for many buyers.

    What's new
    DVD playback made it an easy sell to parents. Backward compatible with PS1 discs and controllers at launch. DVD-sized storage enabled huge worlds and cinematic cutscenes at scale.
    Hardware
    Emotion Engine CPU plus Graphics Synthesizer, 32 MB RAM. Slimline PSTwo revision (2004) reduced size. US launch October 26, 2000.
    Standout games
    Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy X, Guitar Hero.
    Context
    Outlasted GameCube and Xbox by years; production continued until 2013. Weak online versus Xbox Live but unbeatable software breadth and install base.
  3. PlayStation Portable
    S

    PSP

    Handheld

    Sony's first PlayStation handheld—UMD movies and console-quality ports on the go.

    What's new
    Universal Media Disc (UMD) carried games and movies on one format. Wi-Fi multiplayer and Remote Play let PSP connect to PS3 later in the generation. Analog nub and shoulder buttons matched home PlayStation feel.
    Hardware
    MIPS R4000-based CPU, 32 MB RAM, 4.3-inch LCD. Models: PSP-1000 (2005), slimmer PSP-2000/3000, PSP Go download-only (2009). US launch March 24, 2005.
    Standout games
    God of War: Chains of Olympus, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, Lumines, Patapon, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
    Context
    Sold roughly 80 million units—strong versus Nintendo DS overall but defined portable AAA for Sony fans. UMD format faded as digital downloads grew on later models.
  4. PlayStation 3
    S

    PS3

    Home

    Blu-ray won the format war partly because of PS3's player.

    What's new
    Cell processor was hard to program but powerful when mastered. PlayStation Network added free online (later PS Plus). DualShock 3 added motion sensors after the Sixaxis launch controller.
    Hardware
    Cell Broadband Engine plus RSX GPU, 256 MB RAM. Early models backward-compatible with PS2; later models removed the chip. Blu-ray up to 50 GB dual-layer. US launch November 17, 2006.
    Standout games
    The Last of Us, Uncharted 2, God of War III, Demon's Souls, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5, Journey.
    Context
    Launched at $499–$599—steep for 2006. Xbox 360 head start hurt early adoption. Exclusives and Blu-ray value helped PS3 recover; sold more units worldwide than Xbox 360 by generation's end.
  5. PlayStation Vita
    S

    Vita

    Handheld

    Successor to PSP—OLED screen, dual sticks, and rear touchpad in one package.

    What's new
    Dual analog sticks finally matched home controls on a handheld. Front and rear touch surfaces enabled new mechanics (Gravity Rush, Tearaway). Cross-buy and Cross-save linked some PS4 and Vita titles.
    Hardware
    Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9, 512 MB RAM, 5-inch OLED (1000 series) or LCD (2000 slim). Wi-Fi and 3G models. US launch February 22, 2012.
    Standout games
    Persona 4 Golden, Killzone: Mercenary, Gravity Rush, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Tearaway, Soul Sacrifice, Spelunky.
    Context
    Critically praised but sold far below PSP and Nintendo 3DS. Sony ended first-party support around 2015; the handheld line ended with Vita while home consoles continued on PS4 and PS5.
  6. PlayStation 4
    S

    PS4

    Home

    Sony leaned into social sharing, indie games, and player-focused messaging after PS3's rough start.

    What's new
    Share button for screenshots and clips. PS4 Pro (2016) added 4K upscaling and HDR for a mid-gen upgrade path. Strong courting of indie developers at launch compared to Xbox One's TV pivot.
    Hardware
    AMD Jaguar x86-8 cores, Radeon GPU, 8 GB GDDR5. Models: original, slim, Pro. DualShock 4 touchpad and light bar. US launch November 15, 2013.
    Standout games
    God of War (2018), Horizon Zero Dawn, Bloodborne, Spider-Man, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Persona 5 Royal.
    Context
    Won the generation decisively over Xbox One worldwide. Nintendo Switch later sold more lifetime units but PS4 dominated HD home consoles of the 2010s.
  7. PlayStation 5
    S

    PS5

    Home

    Custom SSD designed to reduce load screens and change level design.

    What's new
    Ultra-fast SSD with hardware compression—games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart showcase instant world swaps. DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers add resistance per action.
    Hardware
    AMD Zen 2 8 cores, RDNA 2 GPU, 16 GB GDDR6, 825 GB SSD. Disc and Digital Edition models; PS5 Slim revision (2023) shrunk the chassis. US launch November 12, 2020.
    Standout games
    Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Demon's Souls (remake), Returnal, Final Fantasy XVI, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Astro's Playroom.
    Context
    Competes with Xbox Series X on specs but Sony maintained strong exclusive narrative early in the generation. Supply shortages in 2020–2022 slowed early adoption.

FAQ

How many systems exist, which came first, handheld vs home order, model variants, and how this page compares to the full industry timeline.

Basics

This timeline lists seven major PlayStation consoles in US release order—one entry per generation, from the original PlayStation through PS5, including PSP and PS Vita handhelds. If you count every variant—PS one slim, PS2 Slimline, PSP Go, PS3 Super Slim, PS Vita 2000, PS4 Slim and Pro, PS5 Slim— the total is higher. Variants play the same game library as their parent system and are covered in the questions below, not as separate timeline entries.

In the United States, the Sony PlayStation on September 9, 1995 is the first PlayStation home console on this timeline. In Japan it launched as the PlayStation (often called PSX locally) on December 3, 1994. The PSP (2005) was Sony's first PlayStation handheld; the PS Vita (2012) replaced it. The full list in order is on this page.

US release order on this page: PlayStation (1995) → PlayStation 2 (2000) → PlayStation Portable (2005) → PlayStation 3 (2006) → PlayStation Vita (2012) → PlayStation 4 (2013) → PlayStation 5 (2020). That is the complete PlayStation consoles timeline for major home and portable hardware.

Handhelds

This page mixes home and handheld launches by year: PSP arrived between PS2 and PS3; PS Vita between PS3 and PS4. Handheld-only order: PSP → PS Vita. Home-only: PlayStation → PS2 → PS3 → PS4 → PS5. Sony has not released a new PlayStation handheld since Vita; remote play and Portal accessories are separate from console generations.

History

Related pages

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.