Exhibit: Sony PlayStation 4 (2013–2021)
Released: November 15, 2013 (North America) · November 29, 2013 (UK)
Manufacturer: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Units Sold: 117.2 million worldwide
Status: Sony's most commercially successful console
The Generation Sony Won
The PS4 launched in 2013 with a clear message: this console is for gamers. After Microsoft's controversial Xbox One reveal — with its DRM policies and always-online requirements — Sony's straightforward, gamer-first approach resonated powerfully. The PS4 outsold the Xbox One by a significant margin throughout the generation.
Its library of first-party exclusives is extraordinary. God of War reinvented a franchise. Spider-Man delivered the superhero game fans had always wanted. Bloodborne created a genre. Horizon Zero Dawn built a world of breathtaking ambition.
Iconic Games
- God of War (2018) — a reinvention that became one of gaming's greatest achievements
- Marvel's Spider-Man — the definitive superhero game
- Bloodborne — FromSoftware's gothic masterpiece, a PS4 exclusive
- Horizon Zero Dawn — open-world storytelling of extraordinary ambition
- The Last of Us Part II — divisive, ambitious, and technically stunning
- Ghost of Tsushima — a love letter to samurai cinema
The PS4 Pro
In 2016, Sony released the PS4 Pro — a mid-generation upgrade with 4K output capability and improved performance. It extended the PS4's life and demonstrated Sony's willingness to iterate on hardware within a generation.
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