Today is an incredibly important milestone for PlayStation, marking the 30th anniversary of the console we love. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out Press Square wouldn’t exist if Ken Kutaragi hadn’t convinced Sony President Norio Ohga to take a risk three decades ago.

Originally announced as a CD-based expansion for the Super Nintendo, the greatest betrayal in gaming history resulted in one of the greatest consumer electronics brands of all time. While senior executives initially rejected the PlayStation project, Ohga Kutaragi and his team moved to Sony Music, where he worked on the system in secret.

Sony Music’s influence would play a large role in PlayStation’s early success, as the manufacturer treated the company like a record label, nurturing talent and taking developers away from reigning market leader Nintendo. With its cutting-edge 3D graphics and CD-quality sound, the PS1 was a revolution.

But PlayStation had more to offer than just great games. It was a movement. Sony embraced the counterculture and became the yin to Nintendo’s yang. The PS1 could be seen in nightclubs and its marketing was surreal, perhaps best exemplified by the infamous PS1 Spiritual wealth campaign that ran in the UK.

Even the biggest titles felt more “adult” than anything available on competing consoles. WipEout, a futuristic racing game inspired by Mario Kart, had a soundtrack featuring The Chemical Brothers and the controversial magazine poster showed DJ Sara Cox with a nosebleed.

Tomb Raider made gaming characters like Lara Croft larger than life and appeared on the covers of 90s boys magazines like Loaded.

And great games kept coming: Tekken, Ridge Racer and Metal Gear Solid – many of the best games of all time released on the Sony system.

The true testament to the PS1’s impact is that each fan has a unique memory associated with it. Whether it’s running down civilians in GTA, devouring Wumpa Fruit in Crash Bandicoot, or setting the fastest lap in Gran Turismo, it’s been a remarkable console.

And that’s why, to mark the occasion, we’ve brought together our internal staff and a selection of contributors to share some of our PlayStation memories. Look forward to these stories going live throughout the day.

We should also emphasize that while our focus today will be on the PS1, this 30th anniversary is a notable moment for us all of the consoles in the Sony catalog. The brand has grown with us and is still as relevant today as ever. While there have been bumps in the road, it’s truly remarkable that an entertainment product has endured so long.

The fact that we are writing this and you are reading it is a testament to the continued popularity of a platform that means so much to all of us.

Never underestimate the power of PlayStation.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links. This means if you click and make a purchase, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. For more information, see our FTC disclosure.