Sony Interactive Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group, runs the PlayStation division that’s been central to gaming since 1994. The original PlayStation sold over 100 million units, the PS2 moved 155 million (still the best-selling console ever), and the PS4 hit 117 million. The PS5, launched in November 2020, crossed 50 million units by mid-2024 despite early supply chain challenges.
The company was formed as Sony Computer Entertainment in 1993 when Ken Kutaragi convinced Sony’s leadership to enter the gaming market after a failed collaboration with Nintendo on a CD-ROM add-on. That breakup turned into one of the biggest rivalries in tech history.
PlayStation Studios, the company’s first-party development arm, produces some of gaming’s most acclaimed franchises. God of War, The Last of Us, Spider-Man, Horizon, Gran Turismo, and Uncharted have collectively sold hundreds of millions of copies. The Last of Us HBO adaptation became a massive cultural crossover hit.
PlayStation Network has over 100 million monthly active users. PlayStation Plus, the subscription service revamped in 2022 into three tiers, competes with Xbox Game Pass by offering a catalog of downloadable games alongside online multiplayer access.
Sony has been on an acquisition spree, purchasing Bungie (Destiny) for $3.6 billion in 2022 and acquiring Insomniac Games, Housemarque, Bluepoint Games, and Firesprite. The company has also expanded into PC gaming, porting former PlayStation exclusives like God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn to Steam.
