PlayStation 1

The PlayStation 1 (PS1, also called the PSX or PS one) was Sony’s first video game console and the machine that turned Sony into the biggest name in gaming. It sold more than 102 million units, made 3D graphics and CD-based games the norm, and gave the world Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and Gran Turismo. This guide covers its release date, its best games, the PlayStation Classic, and how to play PS1 games in 2026.

PlayStation 1 release date

Sony famously announced the $299 US price at the first E3 in 1995 with a one-word speech, “$299”, undercutting the Sega Saturn by $100. The smaller, rounder PS one model launched in July 2000, and Sony ended production in March 2006, after more than eleven years.

The Nintendo PlayStation connection

The PlayStation began as a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo that Sony was developing with Nintendo. In 1991 Nintendo publicly walked away from the deal and partnered with Philips instead, so Sony turned the project into its own console. About 200 prototypes of the “Nintendo PlayStation” were made; one surviving unit sold at auction for $360,000 in 2020. Read more about PlayStation history in our Xbox and PlayStation logos and history guide.

Best PlayStation 1 games

1. Final Fantasy VII (1997): the RPG that made the genre mainstream outside Japan.
2. Metal Gear Solid (1998): cinematic stealth that still holds up.
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997): the template for every modern “Metroidvania”.
4. Crash Bandicoot trilogy: Sony’s unofficial mascot.
5. Spyro the Dragon trilogy: colorful 3D platforming.
6. Gran Turismo 1 and 2: the real driving simulator.
7. Resident Evil 2 (1998): survival horror at its peak.
8. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000): one of the best-reviewed games of its time.
9. Silent Hill (1999): psychological horror in fog.
10. Tekken 3 (1998): the best-selling fighting game on the console.

Families in Europe also remember licensed games such as Lucky Luke on PlayStation 1, the 1998 platformer from Infogrames based on the Belgian cowboy comic, and its sequel Lucky Luke: Western Fever. Prices for complete copies of popular PS1 games have risen sharply, but most are still cheaper than Nintendo cartridges from the same era.

PlayStation Classic

The PlayStation Classic was a mini PS1 released on December 3, 2018, exactly 24 years after the original Japanese launch, for $99.99. It came with two wired controllers and 20 built-in games including Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil Director’s Cut, Tekken 3 and Jumping Flash. Reviews criticized the missing classics (no Crash, Spyro or Gran Turismo), the use of slower PAL versions for some games and the lack of analog stick controllers, and the price was quickly cut to $39.99. It is now a cheap collectible.

How to play PlayStation 1 games today

• On PS5 and PS4: PlayStation Plus Premium includes a Classics catalog with dozens of PS1 games, including Ape Escape, Syphon Filter and Tekken 2, with rewind and save states. Some are also sold individually. See PlayStation Plus.
• On a PS2 or PS3: almost every PS2 and every PS3 model plays original PS1 discs.
• On original hardware: a PS1 or PS one costs $40-$90 used. The laser in early models weakens; standing the console on its side was a famous trick for disc-reading problems.
• Remasters: Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Resident Evil 2 remake rebuild the classics for modern consoles.

PlayStation BIOS

The PlayStation BIOS is the PS1’s system firmware, which runs the startup animation and handles memory cards and CD audio. Accurate emulators such as DuckStation need a BIOS file (for example SCPH-1001 for North America). The legal way to get one is to dump it from your own console; downloading BIOS files is copyright infringement. We do not link to downloads.

PS1 controllers and memory cards

The original 1994 PlayStation controller had no analog sticks. The Dual Analog controller added them in 1997, and the DualShock added rumble the same year; games such as Ape Escape required analog sticks. Saves used 1MB memory cards with 15 blocks. See our PlayStation controller guide for every pad Sony has made since.

PlayStation 1 specs

Why the PS1 beat Nintendo and Sega

Three decisions made the PlayStation a hit. First, CDs were far cheaper to make than Nintendo 64 cartridges and held hundreds of times more data, so publishers could add full-motion video, voice acting and CD-quality music. That is a big reason Square moved Final Fantasy VII from Nintendo to Sony. Second, Sony made its development tools easy to use and courted third-party studios, while Sega’s Saturn was notoriously difficult to program. Third, Sony marketed the console to teenagers and young adults with edgy advertising and a lower price than the Saturn. By the end of its life the PlayStation had a library of almost 8,000 games across all regions.

PS1 models and how to spot them

Sony revised the console many times. Early SCPH-1000 to SCPH-3000 models in Japan had RCA audio and video outputs; later models removed them and used the multi-out port only. The SCPH-5500 and later series are the most reliable for disc reading, and the SCPH-7000 added a sound scope feature for music CDs. The PS one (SCPH-100 series) is about a third of the size and had an optional 5-inch LCD screen for portable play in cars. The model number is on the label underneath the console.

Collecting PS1 games

• Black-label vs Greatest Hits: original US releases have black spines; best-sellers were reprinted as cheaper Greatest Hits with green spines, which collectors value less.
• Watch for reproductions: copies of expensive games like Suikoden II and Valkyrie Profile are common; look for the correct black disc underside and printed manuals.
• Long jewel cases: the earliest US releases came in long cardboard boxes, which are rare and valuable today.

For Sony’s later consoles, see the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 hubs.

Common PlayStation 1 problems

• Discs not reading or skipping: the laser weakens with age. Clean the lens gently with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol, and adjust the laser’s potentiometer only if you know what you are doing. Replacement lasers cost about $15-$25.
• Black-and-white picture: usually a PAL console on an NTSC TV or the wrong cable; use the correct region’s AV or an RGB SCART cable.
• Memory card errors: clean the contacts and keep a backup card; third-party cards with huge “block” counts often corrupt saves.
• Overheating: early units run hot; keep the vents clear and do not stack anything on top.

Playing PS1 games on a modern TV

The PS1 outputs a 240p signal that many modern TVs process badly, making games look blurry with input lag. A cheap RCA-to-HDMI box works but looks soft. For the best picture, use an RGB SCART cable or component cable with an upscaler such as the RetroTINK, or play the PlayStation Plus Premium versions on a PS5, which add filters and save states.

PlayStation 1 at a glance

• Maker: Sony Computer Entertainment.
• Launched: 1994 in Japan, 1995 in North America and Europe.
• Best seller: Gran Turismo, with about 10.85 million copies.
• Successor: PlayStation 2 (2000), which plays nearly every PS1 game.

Whether you are rebuilding a childhood collection or discovering these games for the first time, the PlayStation 1 library is one of the richest in gaming, and it is easier than ever to play legally on modern hardware.

Next, read about the console that replaced it: the PlayStation 2, the best-selling console of all time.