Every PlayStation Artefact Explained - Astro's Playroom Guide - IGN (2024)

Astro's Playroom is full of Artefacts to find, all of which are various PlayStation consoles, controllers and peripherals. On this page of IGN's Astro's Playroom guide, we'll explain what every one of them are!

PlayStation

Three-dimensional big bang!

• Release date: December 3rd, 1994
• Product code: SCPH-1000

The original PlayStation, also known as the PlayStation 1, released in 1994 in Japan and 1995 for the rest of the world. Alongside the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn, the PlayStation was one of the first video game consoles to specialize in 3D graphics. Early models featured RCA jacks for video and audio output and a Parallel I/O port, but these were all removed by the 1999 models.

Many fans colloquially refer to this console as the "PSX", which was its development name that was also used in American marketing. The name would be re-used for the PSX console (a PlayStation 2 with an internal hard drive), and the PlayStation Experience conventions from the mid-to-late 2010s.

Its best-selling games include Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy VII, Tekken 3, Crash Bandicoot 2, Tomb Raider II, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Spyro the Dragon, Rayman, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Driver, Dino Crisis, Spider-Man, Syphon Filter, Twisted Metal 2, Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, PaRappa the Rapper, Ridge Racer, and Jet Moto 2.

PlayStation Controller

You can handle this.

• Release date: December 3rd, 1994
• Product code: SCPH-1080

The original PlayStation controller is the model the PlayStation first launched with. Taking cues from the Super Nintendo gamepad, the PlayStation controller added two extra shoulder buttons, as well as handles so that it rests more comfortably in the user's hands.

This controller is where the "sacred symbols" on the face buttons originate. Each shape has a function in mind: Circle and Cross represent Yes and No, respectively, while Square represents a page for menus, and Triangle being the viewpoint of a character for looking around.

PlayStation Game Disc

Comes coated in a mysterious black ooze...

• Release date: December 3rd, 1994

The PlayStation famously used CD-ROMs for delivering games, making it the second video game console that supported discs in the base model (the SEGA Mega Drive could support discs, but only via the SEGA CD add-on). Unlike the earlier SEGA Saturn, the PlayStation could only play discs, having no cartridge slot.

Using discs meant that developers had much higher storage capacity than with cartridges, allowing for the inclusion of movies (often called FMVs) and higher-quality music. They were also much less expensive to manufacture, making it less of a risk to make a small run of games, bolstering the number of more experimental and niche releases on the system.

PlayStation Memory Card

So long, overnight pauses!

• Release date: December 3rd, 1994
• Product code.: SCPH-1020

The PlayStation Memory Card acted as an interim between on-board cartridge memory and storing saves on a console's internal storage (which the PlayStation lacked, outside of the RAM). Holding a whopping 1 MB of storage divided into 15 blocks, these allowed saves to be copied, backed up and shared among friends independent of the games and consoles.

Since Memory Cards were sold separately, many PlayStation 1 games (like Crash Bandicoot) offered a password system that allowed you to return to where you left off with all your progress. Sony would later release a USB adapter to connect PS1 and PS2 Memory Cards to a PlayStation 3, even PS3s that couldn't play those games.

PlayStation Mouse

You'll have a ball with this.

• Release date: December 3rd, 1994
• Product code: SCPH-1030 (JP) / SCPH-1090 (US/UK)

The PlayStation Mouse was a peripheral that allowed the player to control supported games using a mouse, and was mainly used in point-and-click games, strategy and simulation games, visual novels, and first-person shooters.

Games that supported the mouse include Alien Resurrection, Command & Conquer, Final Doom, Lemmings and Oh No More Lemmings, Myst, Policenauts, Quake II, Riven, SimCity 2000, Snatcher, Time Crisis, and X-COM.

PlayStation Multitap

The most fun you can have with a right angle.

• Release date: Early 1996
• Product code: SCPH-1070

The Multitap was an add-on that allowed the PlayStation to support more than two controllers and Memory Cards. Most games that support this would allow up to 4 players with this add-on, but some titles would support five, six or even eight players (the latter two of which required two Multitaps, plugged into each port of the PlayStation itself).

Supported titles included Bomberman Land, Crash Bash, Frogger, Hogs of War, Hot Shots Golf, Klonoa Beach Volleyball, Micro Machines V3, Need for Speed: Porche Unleashed, Quake II, Running Wild, Space Jam, and many, many soccer and NFL games.

DUALSHOCK Controller

Those apes can't escape now!

• Release date: November 20th, 1997
• Product code: SCPH-1200 / SCPH-110U (US)

The DualShock Controller is one of the most recognizable pieces of PlayStation history, and replaced the original pad as the pack-in controller. It added twin analog sticks (which could be pressed in for L3 and R3), a small and large rumble motor in either handle, and increased the height of the L2 and R2 buttons. While many games supported the DualShock, very few utilized the right analog stick. JAPAN Studio's own Ape Escape is famous for requiring the use of a DualShock for this very reason.

The DualShock was actually preceded by the Dual Analog Controller in April that same year. It differs by having longer handles, concave analog sticks with no rubber coating, a ridge on top of the L2 and R2 buttons, and a green Analog button light. The international version of the controller lacked the dual rumble motors, hence the name difference.

PocketStation

Big in Japan!

• Release date: January 23rd, 1999
• Product code: SCPH-4000

The PocketStation is a small peripheral for the original PlayStation that plugged into the Memory Card slot, and featured a small LCD display and some buttons, similar to the Virtual Memory Unit for the Dreamcast. The use among games would vary, but it's most influential game was Toro's first game, Doko Demo Issyo in 1999, turning him into a PS1 mascot in Japan.

Supported games included Ape Escape, Armored Core: Master of Arena, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Final Fantasy VIII, Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, Everybody's Golf 2, Legend of Mana, Metal Gear Solid: Integral, Rockman Complete Works, and the first two Spyro the Dragon games.

PS One

Awww, chibi console!

• Release date: July 7th, 2000
• Product code: SCPH-100

The PSone is the first "slim" revision of a PlayStation system, releasing four months after the PlayStation 2 (and in fact outsold the PS2 that year!), hence the "one" moniker. Featuring a smaller, rounded, more late-90s design, it also removed the dedicated Reset button above the Power button, and had its own PSone DualShocks and Memory Cards that matched its aesthetic.

PS One LCD Monitor

Flipping Genius!

• Release date: July 18th, 2000
• Product code: SCPH-130

The PS One LCD monitor was an attachment that allowed the console to be played without using a full-sized television. It plugged into the back of the unit and used the RGB video signal, providing a much clearer picture than the Composite and S-Video signals most players used. It also featured a headphone jack, and a Multi Out port that meant the system could still be connected to a TV as normal.

PlayStation 2

2000: A Games Odyssey

• Release date: March 4th, 2000
• Product code: SCPH-10000

The PlayStation 2 is the follow-up to the original PlayStation, and featured the Emotion Engine CPU chip. Building upon the success of its predecessor, it would go on to sell more than 155 million units, making it the best-selling games console of all time.

Its best-selling games include Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Tekken 5, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Ratchet & Clank, Need for Speed: Underground, Guitar Hero II, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Sonic Heroes, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Tony Hawk's Underground, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Dynasty Warriors 3, Burnout 3: Takedown, Midnight Club II, Dark Cloud, and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus.

DUALSHOCK 2 Controller

Copes well under pressure.

• Release date: March 4th, 2000
• Product code: SCPH-10010

The DualShock 2 controller is the follow-up to the original DualShock. Since it was available at launch, many more games took advantage of the right analog stick and the L3 / R3 buttons. Its main innovation was pressure-sensitive face buttons, which was used frequently in racing games for the accelerator. They were also used in Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3: gently letting go of Square would cause Snake to disengage without firing a shot.

PS2 Game Disc

Blue is the new black!

• Release date: March 4th, 2000

Following on from the first PlayStation, the PlayStation 2 would use DVDs for its optical storage medium. This proved to be a huge boon for the system, as it allowed it to double as a DVD player right when that format began to take off.

Interestingly, the disc in Astro's Playroom has a blue back, which was used for PS2 games that were small enough to fit on a CD-ROM, the format used by the original PlayStation.

PS2 Memory Card

Improved in every way. Resists even the most powerful psychics.

• Release date: March 4th, 2000
• Product code: SCPH-10020

The PlayStation 2 Memory Card holds 8 MB of storage, eight times more than the original's, and abandoned the blocks system so that saves could be whatever size they needed to. It could also store PS1 saves on it if copied over (which Suikoden III took advantage of), although PS1 games would not be able to detect them.

PS2 Multitap

Guaranteed fun on tap.

• Release date: March 4th, 2000
• Product code: SCPH-10090

The follow-up to the original Multitap, this peripheral also allowed players to use more than two controllers with their games. Unlike PS1 games, PS2 games never exceeded more than four players. The PS2 Slim models didn't support the first PS2 Multitap, and had their own model.

Supported games include Alien Hominid, Ratchet & Clank 3, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Sonic Riders, Tekken Tag Tournament, and all three TimeSplitters games.

PS2 Network Adapter

The secret to successful networking.

• Release date: July 19th 2001
• Product code: SCPH-10281

The Network Adapter allowed the PlayStation 2 to connect online for multiplayer, sliding into the Expansion Bay. It also had space for a hard drive, which was required for some games, while others could use them for optional DLC or game installation to reduce load times, much like the PS3 would do. The last official servers, for Final Fantasy XI, were shut down on March 31st 2016.

Supported Network and / or HDD games included Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, Burnout 3: Takedown, Call of Duty, Dirge of Cerberus, Final Fantasy X and XI, Jak X, Killzone, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Midnight Club II and 3, Monster Hunter, Need for Speed Underground, Phantasy Star Universe, Ratchet: Deadlocked, The Sims 2, SOCOM II and 3, SSX 3, Star Wars: Battlefront, SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals, Tony Hawk's Underground, and XIII.

EyeToy Camera

Keeps your granny entertained.

• Release date: July 4th, 2003
• Product code: SCJ-1001L (JP) / SLEH-00030

The EyeToy camera was a webcam that allowed the player to participate in mixed-reality minigames, where their body is able to interact with the games on-screen. This makes it a precursor of sorts to Xbox's Kinect seven years later.

In addition to a long line of EyeToy-branded games, it was also compatible with Buzz! The Music Quiz, many Dance Dance Revolutions games, Jackie Chan Adventures, The Sims 2, SingStar, and Vib-Ripple. It could even be used with LittleBigPlanet and Burnout Paradise on the PlayStation 3!

SingStar Microphone

Your neighbors will be thrilled!

• Release date: May 21st, 2004
• Product code: SCEH-0001

The SingStar Microphone was the iconic peripheral of the SingStar games, of which there were over 70 different releases (including the same game with different setlists per region). Coming as a pair of one red and one blue microphone, they came bundled with an adapter that both mics plugged into. This was so that they only take up one of the PS2's USB ports, leaving the remaining port open for the EyeToy camera.

PlayStation 2 (Slim)

Cute kid! Looks just like its mum.

• Release date: October 29th, 2004
• Product code: SCPH-70000

The revised PS2 model reduced the size of the unit, and returns to a top-loading disc design similar to the original PlayStation. Aside from the size, the biggest change is built-in network functionality, however it could not use hard drive expansion since it's too small to have an Expansion Bay. In 2007, a revised slim design was released that incorporated the power supply "brick" into the unity as well!

Buzz Controller

Let's get quizzical!

• Release date: October 21st, 2005
• Product code: SCEH-0005

The Buzz Controller is the peripheral designed for use with the Buzz! series of trivia games for the PlayStation 2 and 3, with over eighteen games released between 2005 and 2010. The first PS3 Buzz, Quick TV, introduced a wireless version of the Buzz Controller.

PlayStation Portable

Loves being held.

• Release date: December 12th, 2004
• Product code: PSP-1000

The PSP is Sony's first dedicated handheld device, able to play PSP games (of course), as well as digital PSone Classics and PlayStation Minis. It could also play videos, browse the internet, view pictures and play music. The PSP predates the PlayStation 3 as the first PlayStation device able to connect to the PlayStation Store, as well as the first PlayStation to use the XMB menu design.

The PSP had many revisions, with the first, the PSP-2000, being one of the few PlayStations to have its slimness recognized in the name, as the PSP Slim & Lite. Typically the "slim" moniker is used only by fans, with Sony instead treating them only as a model revision that replaces the previous one.

Its best-selling games include Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Daxter, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and WipEout Pure.

PSP UMD

Makes a strong case.

• Release date: December 12th, 2004

The UMD, or Universal Media Disc, was the physical distribution method for the PSP. Rather than using cartridges, the PSP is one of the only handhelds to use optical media for the task. UMDs weren't just for games, as Sony released many movies and even a few TV shows on the format to be viewed on the handheld, most famously Spider-Man 2.

PSP Camera

Portable cameras? They'll never catch on...

• Release date: November 2nd, 2006
• Product code: PSP-300

The PSP camera was a camera attachment that plugged into the USB Mini port and fitted into the two holes on the top of a PSP. It went by the name "Quick Shot" in Japan and "Go!Cam" in PAL territories. In 2010, a revised model was released alongside Invizimals with a redesigned, wider appearance.

PSP Microphone

Talk, man!

• Release date: November 17th, 2008
• Product code: PSP-240

The PSP Microphone, also known as the TALKMAN (after Sony's famous Walkman music players), allowed microphone functionality for the first two PSP models. The third PSP model didn't technically require this, as it had a microphone built-in. The PSP Camera also had a microphone in it!

PSP GPS Receiver

Helps you find your way around any dark dungeon.

• Release date: December 7th, 2006
• Product code: PSP-290

The PSP GPS Receiver was a device that gave the PSP the functionality of a GPS (Global Positioning System). It was used with the Map This! software, as well as with Everybody's Golf Portable 2, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, and Homestar Portable.

PSP Go

No UMD? OMG.

• Release date: October 1st, 2009
• Product code: PSP-N1000

The PSP Go was the smallest version of the PSP, removing the disc drive and having a screen that slid up to reveal the buttons underneath. Because the UMD drive was removed, the PSP Go could only play digital games, either downloaded from its PSN Store or transferred via a PlayStation 3. It also coudln't use the Camera, Microphone or GPS peripherals without an adapter.

The PSP Go was not the last PSP model, however. In 2011 Sony released the PSP Street that returned to the original PSP aesthetic, lacking wifi and the microphone, and has only a single speaker.

PlayStation 3

With great power...

• Release date: November 11th, 2006
• Product code: CECH-B00

The PlayStation 3, released in 2006 in Japan and America, was Sony's third games console, using the multi-core Cell processor for running games, and Blu-Ray discs for physical game distribution. It was the first game console to support HDMI output, and showcased the Xross Media Bar menu design that still has influences on future PlayStation consoles.

Its best-selling games include Grand Theft Auto V, Gran Turismo 5, The Last of Us, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Batman: Arkham City, God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Motorstorm, Heavy Rain, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance: Fall of Man, Killzone 2, inFamous, Dark Souls, Heavenly Sword, Red Dead Redemption, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller

Can you say SIXAXIS fast ten times?

• Release date: November 11th, 2007
• Product code: CECH-ZC2

The DualShock 3 was the PS3's main controller, and the first PlayStation controller to be wireless (well, sort of; see below). It swaped the Analog button for the Home button, and had convex triggers for L2 and R2. Its primary new feature was SIXAXIS motion sensing that let you move and rotate the controller to control the game, a feature still in use today.

The DualShock 3 was preceded by the original SIXAXIS controller, which lacked rumble motors and had a slightly transparent plastic shell. Because of this, early PS3 games lacked rumble, but several were retroactively patched to support the feature. The DualShock 3 released exactly one year after the PS3's launch date.

PS3 Game Disc

Perfect Blu.

• Release date: November 11th, 2006

The PlayStation 3 used Blu-Ray discs as its optical storage method, a format that would be used for the PlayStation 4 and 5 as well. Because every PS3 came with an internal hard drive, many games supported partially installing data onto the console in advance (which some PS2 games also did, especially in Japan). Until the Wii U, the PS3 was the only system using optical storage with more capacity than a DVD, meaning many games that were on multiple discs elsewhere could be on one PS3 disc.

PS Eye Camera

This ain't no toy.

• Release date: October 26th, 2007
• Product code: SLEH-00201

The PlayStation Eye camera was the successor to the EyeToy. Much like its predecessor, it was able to detect the movements of people, as well as recognize gestures and colours. It also had four microphones, which is why it had the big bar above the camera.

Supported games include Burnout Paradise, EyePet, The Eye of Judgement, Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and SingStar.

PlayStation 3 (Slim)

Surely it can't get any smaller than this...

• Release date: September 1st, 2009
• Product code: CECH-2000

The second PlayStation 3 model simplified the design of the system both internally and externally, removing the many card reader slots and PlayStation 2 game support (but not PS1 discs, which work on all PS3s). This redesign also came with a branding refresh, switching from red to blue and adopting a new logo style similar to the PS2, both of which are still in use today.

PlayStation 3 (Super Slim)

...Ok, maybe it can.

• Release date: October 4th, 2012
• Product code: CECH-4000

The colloquially titled "Super Slim" marked the PlayStation 3 as the second PlayStation to receive more than one exterior design revision, after the PSP (which had five). So far the Super Slim is the final PlayStation system to use a top-loading disc drive, with the top sliding to the side so the user can insert the disc.

PS Move Motion Controller

New wave controller.

• Release date: September 15th, 2010
• Product code: CECH-ZCM1

The PS Move Controller was Sony's answer to the Nintendo Wiimotes. Instead of using an infrared light bar, movement was tracked using the soft light ball on top via the PS Eye Camera, and rotation by the internal SIXAXIS. This made it slightly more advanced than a Wiimote, until the Wii MotionPlus released. The PS Move controller later made a comeback as the hand tracking method for the PlayStation VR.

Supported games included Angry Birds Trilogy, Bioshock Infinite, Echochrome II, Epic Mickey 2, EyePet, Gal Gun, Heavy Rain, inFamous 2, Just Dance, Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, Ninja Gaiden 3, PlayStation Move Heroes, Puppeteer, Resistance 3, Sports Champions, Toy Story 3, and Wonderbook.

PS Move Navigation Controller

The Motion Controller's left-hand man.

• Release date: September 15th, 2010
• Product code: CECH-ZCS1

As a companion to the main PS Move Motion Controller, the Navigation controller was equivalent to the Wii Nunchuck. It sported a D-pad that makes it more versatile, but like the Nunchuck it lacked any motion or tracking functionality.

PS Move Shooting Attachment

Stop, or my Move will shoot!

• Release date: October 21st, 2010
• Product code: CECH-ZGA1

As its appearance suggests, the PS Move Shooting Attachment allowed a PS Move Motion Controller to be housed and function like a pistol firearm, which made it much more convenient and easier to use in games that used motion controls for shooting. It can also be compared to another Nintendo product: the NES Zapper.

PS Move Sharp Shooter

Met with Resistance.

• Release date: February 22nd, 2010
• Product code: CECHYA-ZRA1

The PS Move Sharp Shooter is a more advanced peripheral that locked a PS Move Motion Controller and Navigation Controller into a submachine gun-like arrangement which, alongside an array of extra buttons, gave much greater functionality. This makes it similar in spirit to the Wii Zapper.

The tagline refers to the Sharp Shooter being bundled with Resistance 3 and Killzone 3, but it was also supported by Dead Space: Extraction and SOCOM 4. Individually-sold models of the Sharp Shooter were red-and-white with a slightly simplified design.

PlayStation Vita

Loves to have its back stroked.

• Release date: December 17th, 2011
• Product code: PCH-1000

The PlayStation Vita was the successor to the PSP, featuring an OLED touch screen, two analog sticks, both a front and rear-facing camera, and a touch pad on the back. It also supported playing PSone Classics and PSP games. On October 10th 2013, a revised model was released with a thinner, lighter design that swapped the OLED screen with an LCD.

One month later, the PlayStation TV (or PS Vita TV) was released on November 14th 2013, which "consolized" the Vita hardware so that it could be played on a TV using a DualShock 3 or 4, although certain PS Vita games could not be played since they used the touch surfaces and / or cameras.

The best-selling PS Vita games include Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Assassin's Creed: Liberation, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, Phantasy Star Online 2, Rayman Origins, LittleBigPlanet, Persona 4 Golden, Minecraft, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Killzone: Mercenary, Tearaway, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Unit 13, and Wipeout 2048.

PlayStation Vita Game Pack

Why go disc when you can go cart?

• Release date: December 17th, 2011
• Product Code: PCH-1000

The Vita Game Pack (not to be confused with the Vita memory card) was the physical delivery method for PS Vita games, making the Vita the first (and so far, only) PlayStation to use dedicated game carts for the task. Vita Game Packs could also be used on the PlayStation TV, which meant it wasn't a digital-only platform like the PSP Go was.

PlayStation 4

Promised greatness. Delivered more.

• Release date: November 15th, 2013
• Product code: CUH-1000

The PlayStation 4 was the first PlayStation to not inherently be compatible with any previous PlayStations, after the PS2 and PS3 were able to. It was the first PlayStation to incorporate social media, with a What's New section showing the accomplishments of your friends. This would be the last PlayStation console to have an Optical Out port for audio, with the first being the PlayStation 2.

Its best-selling games include Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Gran Turismo Sport, The Last of Us: Part II, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, inFamous: Second Son, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Monster Hunter: World, Persona 5 Royal, Bloodborne, Driveclub, Knack, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Kingdom Hearts III.

DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller

Legend has it lil robots live inside it!

• Release date: November 15th, 2013
• Product code: CUH-ZCT

The DualShock 4 marked the first time the PlayStation controller was given a significant aesthetic redesign. The new Share Button, which let you take screenshots and record video, replaced the Select Button, Fortunately, almost all games moved the Select Button function to pressing down on the new touchpad. It also had a lightbar between the shoulder buttons, which could change colour and be tracked by the PlayStation VR. One feature that was dropped was the pressure-sensitive face buttons from the DualShock 2 and 3.

PlayStation 4 (Slim)

Lost some weight, but none of the magic.

• Release date: September 15th, 2016
• Product code: CUH-2000

The updated PlayStation 4 reduced the size by 40%, updated the USB ports to the 3.1 standard, and removed the optical port, which had been present on all previous PlayStation consoles since the PS2. It is otherwise identical in capabilities to the original PS4, with the design tying into the look of the PlayStation 4 Pro.

PlayStation Camera

The perfect fit for your PLAYROOM!

• Release date: November 15th, 2013
• Product code: CUH-ZEY

The PlayStation Camera was the PS4 equivalent to the PS Eye Camera and EyeToy, and could be used with the PS4's Share Button to do livestreams to sites like Twitch. On September 15th 2016, it was updated with a cylindrical design to match the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro aesthetics.

The showcase app for the PlayStation Camera was The Playroom. This would be the debut of the Bots, who would become much more famous once The Playroom series evolved into Astro Bot.

PS VR Headset

A new fantastic point of view.

• Release date: October 13th, 2016
• Product code: CUH-ZVR2

Codenamed Project Morpheus, the PlayStation VR was Sony's first virtual reality headset, featuring twin 120hz OLED displays with 100 degrees field of view, an integrated microphone, and motion sensors. It required the PlayStation Camera as it used the same tracking technology used for the PlayStation Move. Move controllers were also used for the hand-tracking controllers, although some games used the DualShock 4.

Its best-selling games include Beat Saber, Job Simulator, SUPERHOT VR, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Batman: Arkham VR, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, and Sniper Elite VR. Many standard PS4 games also supported VR modes, including Ace Combat 7, Ark: Survival Evolved, Concrete Genie, Dreams, Gran Turismo Sport, Hitman III, Minecraft, No Man's Sky, Resident Evil 7, Star Wars: Squadrons, and WipEout: Omega Collection.

The PSVR is also where Astro Bot came to be. One of the games in The Playroom VR was Robots Rescue, which was so well-received it was expanded into a full game: Astro Bot Rescue Mission.

PS VR Processor Unit

Nobody really knows what goes on in there...

• Release date: October 13th, 2016
• Product code: CUH-ZVR2

The PS VR Processor Unit was a box that both the PlayStation 4 and PSVR connected to. It enabled Social Screen video output to the TV, which meant it adjusted the VR headset's display so that it was viewable on a television. This also allowed it to be used with asymmetrical multiplayer modes such as those used in The Playroom VR, and handles normal 2D content. A revised version of the Processor Unit allowed for HDR passthrough, which was a feature added to all PS4s via firmware.

The strapline used in Astro's Playroom is a cheeky reference to media confusion regarding what the Processor Unit actually did, initially thought to give the PS4 extra processing power for VR titles.

PlayStation 4 Pro

How Pro can you go?

• Release date: November 10th, 2016
• Product code: CUH-7000

Codenamed Project Neo, the PlayStation 4 was the first mid-generation hardware revision that added significant amounts of power compared to earlier models. It used custom hardware that supported streamlined rendering techniques for better performance, or increased resolutions via checkerboard rendering. Curiously, playback of Ultra-HD Blu-Rays would not appear until the PlayStation 5.

PS VR Aim Controller

VR-y accurate.

• Release date: May 17th, 2017
• Product code: CECHYA-ZRA2

The PS VR Aim Controller was the gun-shaped peripheral for the PlayStation VR, and came bundled with the game Farpoint. It followed in the footsteps of the PS Move Sharp Shooter controller, but had a far simpler design that integrated the Move and Navigation controllers for an appearance that didn't look as much like a gun as the Sharp Shooter did.

PlayStation 5

Number five is alive!

• Release date: November 12th, 2020
• Product code: CFI-1000

The PlayStation 5 is the aptly-named fifth PlayStation console, and is physically the largest one to date. It's the first of them to have detachable plates, which would later be available in different colours, and like the PS5's accessories, the inside of the panels have a texture using the face button symbols. Every PS5 also comes pre-installed with Astro's Playroom!

The best-selling PS5 games (as of mid-2024) include God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Horizon: Forbidden West, Final Fantasy XVI, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Elden Ring, Returnal and Demon's Souls. It's also home to the PS5 Astro Bot game!

DualSense Wireless Controller

It's in your hands now.

• Release date: November 12th, 2020
• Product code: CFI-ZCT1W

The DualSense Wireless Controller is PlayStation's most feature-filled controller. Removing only the light bar and renaming the Share Button to the Create Button, it features new haptic feedback motors in the handles for much more precise vibrations. The triggers were redesigned into "adaptive" triggers that provide force feedback during gameplay. It's also the first PlayStation controller to have textured analog sticks and monochrome face button symbols (preceded by the PSP and Vita handhelds).

On January 26th, 2023, a more advanced version was released called the DualSense Edge, featuring underside paddles, removable analog stick modules with swappable stick caps, and textured adaptive triggers that can have their pull distances reduced. It also supports customizeable controller profiles that could be stored on the controller itself.

HD Camera

Camera? Looks like a clam-era!

• Release date: November 12th, 2020
• Product code: CFI-ZEY1

The HD Camera follows in the footsteps of the PlayStation Camera, PS Eye and EyeToy before it. The odd clam design is actually so that the lower "jaw" can be pulled down to help perch the camera on top of a television. It's also the first PlayStation camera that, via the PS5's software, can remove the background behind the player.

PULSE 3D Wireless Headset

Makes things sound a 3D as they look.

• Release date: November 12th, 2020
• Product code: CFI-ZWH1

The PS5's Pulse headset is a headset designed to use 3D audio with PS4 and PS5 games that support it, allowing for sounds to be heard as if all around the player, similar to a surround sound system. It also features two microphones that can cancel out background noises, and still has a 3.5mm jack to use as a standard headset.