26 Awesome Things Fan Forgot About PlayStation
Table of Contents
The PlayStation legacy is filled with incredible trivia that gamers always forget about.
You Are Reading :26 Awesome Things Fan Forgot About PlayStation
From a partnership with Nintendo and Sega, to almost going bankrupt — the history of Sony’s PlayStation is quite rich indeed.
The PlayStation has transformed into one of the stalwarts of gaming, ever since the first console was released way back in 1994 (although the release for the West was pushed to 1995). Sony has truly stumbled onto an absolute landmine that has allowed them to become the dominant force in console gaming — they’ve yet to be unseated from their throne to this day. The sheer number of gamers who have sworn by PlayStation as their preferred console of choice is simply massive, and there’s a reason why this particular gaming brand has become so famous — the sheer wealth of exclusives they possess, along with the leaps and bounds they’ve made in terms of hardware have led to an unwavering and strong brand image that most people might find almost impossible to go against.
However, even the most devout PlayStation fan can’t state for a fact that they know anything and everything there is to know about the gaming giants. After all, the fact of the matter is that there are just so many nifty details about the company that most people have little to no clue about. The sheer number of impressive details about the PlayStation is so immense that it’s quite mind-blowing once you actually manage to figure out most — if not all — of these cool details. So, without further ado, here are 30 of the best and most awesome things about the PlayStation that most people are not even aware of.
26 Each Symbol On The Controller Has A Meaning
The symbols on the PlayStation controller have become legendary in their own right. Every devout gamer, regardless of which console they might be playing on, knows the significance of these symbols in modern gaming.
In fact, each symbol was actually made with a meaning in mind.
This was revealed in an interview with Teiyu Goto, who designed the original PlayStation controller. According to him, the O and X buttons represented “Yes” and “No” respectively — something that was reversed in the West. Meanwhile, the Triangle represented the gamer’s point of view, while the Square was meant to represent a map.
25 You Can Remap The Buttons On Your PlayStation 4
Speaking of buttons, here’s a nifty fact you probably didn’t know about the latest PlayStation console — you can actually configure the functionality of each button, somewhat like a PC.
This can help you quite a lot while playing certain games.
After all, while most games nowadays have multiple control schemes on the console, there are times when it just isn’t suited to the needs of the player. To counter this, a player who’s having problems with the default control scheme can, instead, choose to map the buttons from the console itself, as per his or her liking.
24 The PlayStation 2 Is The Highest-Selling Home Console
Most people tend to understate just how definitive the PlayStation 2 was in establishing Sony at the very top of the gaming landscape during the sixth generation of video game consoles. The sheer success achieved by this monumental offering by Sony is nothing to scoff at.
In fact, it holds an enviable record that most consoles can only dream to break.
With total sales of more than 155 million, the PlayStation holds the distinct honor of being the highest-selling video game console ever. The fact that its closest competitor is the Nintendo DS — a handheld console — shows just how impressive this achievement actually is.
Funnily enough…
23 The Announcement Of The PlayStation 3 Was Disastrous
E3 is one of the biggest gaming events of all time, but the fact of the matter is that it’s also home to some of the cringiest and saddening moments that make us feel ashamed to be gamers. Perhaps one of the most infamous E3 moments has to be the launch of the PS3, which was nothing short of disastrous.
Featuring launch games that weren’t exactly exciting in the first place, and a price point that was quite unreasonable, the 2006 Sony E3 showcase is something that most Sony fanboys tend to ignore, due to the sheer spectacle of garbage that was unfolding before their very eyes.
22 Sony Lost $300 On Every PlayStation 3 Sold For The First Three Years
One of the major reasons that contributed to the high price point of the PS3 was the fact that it sported impressive technology that was — unfortunately — so pricey that Sony was forced to market their console at a price that was $100 higher than their competitors. However, even that wasn’t enough to recoup their losses, since they ended up losing $300 on every PlayStation 3 sold over the first three years since launch.
Thankfully, after a while, the technology became more accessible, and Sony was finally able to gain a profit on the console. It would’ve taken a herculean effort to make up for the $3.3 billion that was lost during the initial outing of the console.
21 It Still Managed To Outsell The Xbox 360 Outside The West
Even after the not-so-great launch of the PS3, it’s still quite commendable that it managed to give the Xbox 360 a run for its money, even though Sony released their console a year after Microsoft. While the Xbox 360 did capture a sizeable chunk of the market in NA, this definitely didn’t deter Sony from establishing themselves as a top-tier gaming console.
The margin between both consoles is negligible (the 360 sold around 200,000 more units), but the fact that the PS3 had greater worldwide appeal helped it become more of a household name.
20 The Technology Of The PlayStation 3 Was Used By The US Air Force To Form A Supercomputer
If you want to know just how advanced the technology of the PS3 was, just read up on this tidbit to understand just how groundbreaking the console actually was. Well, the folks over at the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) certainly thought the same.
If that wasn’t the case, then they definitely wouldn’t have used a total of 1,760 PS3s to construct the 33rd most powerful supercomputer in the world. This was made possible due to the Cell microprocessors in the console, that were considered to be revolutionary for its time.
19 The “Enable HDMI Device Link” Option On Your PlayStation 4 Is Quite Useful
The PlayStation 4 is another technological marvel, even though most people might consider it slightly inferior from a hardware standpoint to the Xbox One X. The sheer level of user-friendliness provided by this console is nothing to scoff at, and one such application of this feature can be seen in an innocuous option, called the “Enable HDMI Device Link.”
By doing so, your PS4 and TV will be in sync for the most part. For example, your PS4 will switch on the moment you turn on the TV, which is certainly quite nifty.
18 The Console’s Original Mascot Was Supposed To Be Someone Called “Polygon Man”
During the age of the PlayStation, console mascots were a major selling point. Nintendo probably had the most recognizable mascot in the form of Mario, while Sega had a beloved blue hedgehog called Sonic. What was Sony’s initial answer to this? An ugly, purple face constructed solely of polygons.
Thankfully, this idea was scrapped, and Sony instead chose to go for the lovable Crash Bandicoot instead.
However, not everyone was sold on the idea of having this mischevious character as the console’s mascot.
17 PlayStation CEO Ken Kutaragi Hates Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot was one of the most well-known characters of the PS1 era. The games featuring this character is still popular to this day, which can be seen in the fact that the original games were actually remastered from the ground-up for the sole purpose of nostalgia.
However — regardless of the character’s popularity — there was one person against the idea of Crash being the mascot. This person was none other than Ken Kutaragi, the CEO of PlayStation itself.
16 Typing On The PlayStation 4 Can Be Made Easier Through Motion Control
We’ve already talked about the user-friendliness of the PS4 before, but this aspect of the console simply cannot be stated enough. The people at Sony took special care to ensure that the limitations of using a DualShock controller were mitigated to a certain extent.
One of the ways they managed to achieve this goal was by streamlining the annoying task of typing on the DualShock controller. Now, instead of having to painstakingly select each and every letter, gamers can use the motion control feature instead to fulfill this task with relative ease.
15 A Gamer Once Known As “Dan Holmes” Legally Changed His Name To “PlayStation 2” In 2002
Do you love games? The answer is most probably a yes, but to what extent do you love them? Lemme rephrase that question — just how far are you willing to go to show your love for video games? Because there’s one person who might surpass your expectations in that regard.
You see, there’s a man known as Dan Holmes… or — to be more precise — there was a man called Dan Holmes, who decided to legally change his name to “PlayStation 2” in 2002 to demonstrate how much he loved his console.
Sheesh.
14 The White Towers On The PlayStation 2 Loading Screen Increased With Every Game Played
But the actions of the man formerly known as Dan Holmes are certainly understandable. After all, the PS2 was a groundbreaking console for legitimate reasons. From the wealth of brilliant exclusives to nifty little features — there’s no shortage of the amazing elements in this console.
A great example of this are the towers that appear during the loading screen. They might seem randomly placed at a first glance, but they’re actually an indicator of the number of games you’ve played, along with the time spent on each game as well.
Quite neat, innit?
13 Stream Your PlayStation 4 Game On A PC Or Mac With Ease
You thought we were done with bragging about the functionality of the PS4? Well, think again — there are many features that are yet to be mentioned, such as the ability for gamers to stream their games on a PC or Mac.
This can be accomplished through the Remote Play feature on your PS4. By following some simple steps, you finally won’t be restricted by the fact that someone else is using the TV — playing the game on your device is finally an option!
12 Extend The Life Of Your PlayStation 4 Controller
The light of the DualShock controller is certainly quite a cool feature to look at… until you realize that you won’t even bother to look at it more than half of the time you spend gaming. The worst part is that it also ends up sucking the precious battery life of the controller for no good reason.
Thankfully, you can go to the settings of your PS4 and dim the light of the controller, so that the battery consumption is reduced somewhat. It’s not exactly ideal… but hey — it’s something.
11 A PS Vita Has The Processing Power Of 236 PlayStations Combined
Time to blow your mind by showing just how far we’ve come in terms of technology.
The PS Vita is one of the impressive handheld consoles in terms of hardware, and it’s a damn shame that the console didn’t really sell all that well. However, that shouldn’t take away from the wealth of impressive games in the repertoire of the Vita.
However, coming back to the topic of technology — the original PlayStation used to be the benchmark in terms of comparing processing power way back when it was released. Well, the Vita actually has the processing power of 236 PS1s combined.
And that’s not all…
10 The Entire Library Of The Original PlayStation’s Games Can Be Stored On Just 33 PlayStation 3/4 Discs
The original PlayStation has one of the broadest and most diverse collections of games that anyone had ever witnessed. From kid-friendly games like Crash Bandicoot, all the way to gritty games like Metal Gear Solid, there’s no shortage of the impressive games featured in the PS1’s library.
Fast forward to 2018, and now the entire library of the original PlayStation can fit in just 33 Blu-Ray discs — the same technology used in the PS3 and PS4. Think about that for a second… an entire generation of games means so little right now.
Isn’t that mind-blowing?
9 The Original PlayStation Was The First Console To Sell More Than A 100 Million Units
It certainly wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Sony paved the way to the 100-million club that most consoles strive to join. While the PS3 fell short by around 15 million units, each home console of the previous generations reached this milestone. In fact, the original PlayStation was the first console to reach this coveted landmark.
With the amazing sales experienced by the PS4, there’s a possibility that this console might also become a treasured member of this club as well.
8 The Creator Of Minecraft Got An Invite To Sony’s E3 Conference In The Form Of A Golden PlayStation
The legacy of the PlayStation truly is immense, and it certainly wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the original console has become a collector’s item of sorts. Sony understands the novelty of this console, and decided to invite the creator of Minecraft to their conference in a classy fashion.
Markus Persson — more commonly known as Notch — was gifted a golden PSone (an upgraded version of the original PlayStation) as an invitation to their E3 event in 2013.
We’re not jealous. Not. Jealous. At. All.
7 The PlayStation Single-Handedly Ended The Cartridge Vs. CD Debate
It obvious why the original PlayStation was just so important — the number of groundbreaking developments enabled through the entry of this revolutionary console are simply too numerous to list out. Before this console came to the market, cartridges used to be the prevalent way to distribute games.
However, the CD-ROM technology sported by the PS1 completely annihilated the debate of the cartridge versus CDs. It was obvious that the latter was the clear winner.
Games, music, TV shows, movies, and a little bit of everything else.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/playstation-things-fans-forget-awesome/