The original Sony PlayStation made its debut all the way back in 1994 and has since remained a household name to gamers worldwide. With the development of the system's hardware, the games have also evolved, showcasing amazing ideas from different studios across the globe. Whether it's the industry-shifting titles that launched with the original PlayStation or the game innovations in titles on the PS3, everyone has their favorite era.

While always innovative and usually a solid choice, PlayStation has seen its highs and lows, with periods of time that produced superior video games in story, graphics, and overall execution. It's also experienced some bumpy patches with some rather lackluster titles as well, which is why it's worth exploring the best PlayStation console based on its games.

5 PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 was just released in November 2020 but already has an amazing start when it comes to producing solid gaming titles. With games like The Last of Us Part 1, Elden Ring, Final Fantasy 16, God of War Ragnarök, and the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man 2, there's a chance the console could take the crown for best one ever created based on its video games, one day.

While the platform has the potential to become the greatest and host both exclusive and non-exclusive games, the fact it's only been released a few years, combined with the scarcity of the platform, has given the PS5 a somewhat slow start compared to other PlayStation consoles of the past.

The PS5 has an innovative ergonomic new controller design and backward compatibility, as well as upgraded hardware that provides faster load times than the PS4. The system itself is the best PlayStation console ever made, but not when considering its current game catalog. However, it's still early in the console's lifecycle, and the platform has a lot of time to prove itself.

4 PlayStation 1

When it comes to the OG of PlayStation consoles, PlayStation 1 was innovative for its time. Boasting discs over the widely-used cartridge format, the system launched a multitude of iconic gaming franchises with titles like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and Tekken. It also was home to many fan-favorite follow-ups, including Final Fantasy VII.

However, without factoring in nostalgia or looking at the era through rose-tinted glasses, it's hard to say that the console boasted the best catalog of games. After all, just because the new technology existed didn't mean all game developers took advantage of it. There were also many subpar games, including the ill-fated 1996 Bubsy 3D, a forgettable The Fifth Element game, and the horrid Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, among many others that flopped.

Related: The 10 Best PS2 Games You Can Play on PS4 and PS5 (Updated 2023)

Though many of the games would go on to improve, it was still early days for developers creating games for the console. The PlayStation 1 would later go on to implement a dual-analog stick design in its controllers, though many games of the time were actually unable to use this feature. While the original PlayStation was certainly a pioneer of its time and launched what would eventually become some of the most iconic gaming franchises in history, it was merely a catalyst to what would pave the way for better, more refined, and thoughtful gaming titles in the future.

3 PlayStation 4

The PlayStation 4 is one of the best consoles ever made, making huge strides in hardware when it was first released in 2013. It also boasts a pretty impressive selection of titles. Games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Marvel's Spider-Man ushered gamers into a new era of modern gaming on an epic scale, employing hundreds of creatives and coders to produce a single AAA title.

Other standout games for the console include Bloodborne, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Persona 5, Detroit: Become Human, and Street Fighter 5, just to name a few. Unlike other platforms, the PS4 has also had pretty strong staying power, with developers still creating games that are compatible with the console today, including the release of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. The upgraded PlayStation 4 Pro version further enhances the hardware and visual fidelity, granting gamers access to 4K resolution and HDR compatibility, bringing it pretty close to the capabilities of a PS5.

2 PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3 is a classic platform and one that many gamers would consider the best gaming console ever made. Released in 2006, the platform is responsible for churning out titles like Red Dead Redemption, BioShock, and The Last of Us. This period in time was arguably the golden era of games, with small and large studios putting energy into new IPs, tweaking popular gaming mechanics, and taking them to the next level.

For one, gaming narratives and storylines took huge strides that rivaled movie production studios via games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Metal Gear Solid 4, and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Not only are these the best games of their time, but they are also still being played today, with massive communities in games like GTA Online. In addition to these titles, the platform was also home to some seriously epic exclusive titles like God of War 3, Demon's Souls, and Ratchet & Clank, as well as the Infamous and Uncharted franchises.

PS3 was also the first console to utilize Blu-ray discs, which enabled developers to fit more into every game, opening the door for new possibilities and expanding their capabilities to better execute what would become incredibly popular gaming mechanics like open-world environments. The console would later go on to release a Slim and Super Slim version.

1 PlayStation 2

Initially released in 2000, the PlayStation 2 is arguably the best PlayStation console in history, at least according to the titles that launched on the platform. This would eventually lead the PS2 to become the best-selling console of all time, with over 155 million total units sold. The PS2 picked up where its predecessor left off and fine-tuned and expanded on the facets that made the original console so great. The early 2000s was a time of technological innovation, as many companies, including game developers, pushed the limits of the new hardware made available by more powerful processors and smaller chips.

With this came the ability for developers to push the limits with their titles, and it resulted in a massive list of amazing games, including Grand Theft Auto 3 and GTA:San Andreas, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and Resident Evil 4. Many of the top games from this era still to this day maintain some of the highest critical scores and would later go on to influence future video games for decades to come.

While many titles that were created for the PS2 are sequels to games started on the first PlayStation, the leap in graphics, gameplay, and story-telling is so large, gamers will likely never see such a jump for a long time to come. This was also the first time Sony released a Slim version of the console, which would go on to influence future designs. Home to a host of exclusives like Kingdom Hearts, God of War, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, it was essential to own a PlayStation 2 as a gamer at the time.