It’s been almost three decades since PlayStation released its first console. Since then, we’ve already seen PlayStation 2 through PlayStation 5. But, how much do you know about the first console that Sony released? Here are a few that you might find interesting.
(Photo : Jinho Jung from Seoul, South Korea via Wikimedia Commons)
1. The First Game on PlayStation
In its early days, the console had very few games, and the first one was titled Motor Toon Grand Prix. It appears that the developers behind the game, Poly, stayed on track as they are the same team that created the Gran Turismo franchise. The developers have since changed the name from Poly to Polyphony Digital.
2. Retaining Popularity
The first PlayStation was a success, so much so that even if it had stopped production in 2004, developers still made games for the console until 2006, as mentioned in TL Dev Tech. Now, the PS One is considered a vintage device and can even go significantly higher than its original price back then.
3. They Were Cheaper
The console was first released in Japan, distributing 100,000 units at its initial launch. At the time, the gaming device was sold for only 37,000 Yen, which amounts to around $265 now. Now, the latest console costs almost twice as much at $499.99, $399.99 if you decide to buy the PS5 Digital Edition.
4. The Original Deal
Sony has achieved massive success with its video game console business since the release of the PS One, but did you know that another video game giant had a partnership with Sony? Nintendo had a deal with Sony to create its first gaming console, but that didn’t turn out well since the deal was broken.
5. PS One Part Two
Sony actually released a cheaper version of the PS One back in 2000. Not only did it cost less, but it was also smaller in size. Despite the six-year gap from the first version, it was still a successful launch having sold 28 million units, as pointed out by Ask The Bests, which outsold even the PS2.
6. PlayStation Symbols Meaning
All this time, the symbols on the controller which are the triangle, circle, square, and X, actually had their own meanings. The triangle stands for direction, the square symbolizes a menu, document, or paper in general, and the X and circle meant “yes” and “no,” respectively. Funny because now, the X is for selecting and not exiting.
Read Also: 5 PlayStation 2 Games That Deserve Remakes or Remasters
7. Storage was Different Then
One of the selling points of consoles today is how big the built-in storage is. The bigger the storage of the model, the higher the price. Back then, you have to save your game progress on a memory card. If you happen to lose that, then you lose your progress as well.
8. Frames per Second Then and Now
A lot of gamers nowadays are hellbent on making sure that their games run at high frame rates. 60 FPS is not enough anymore and they would spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars to up their frame rate. Looking back, the PS One ran on 25 FPS with a 50Hz refresh rate.
Related: 10 Things to Know About the Xbox One