PlayStation (console) - Successors

Successors

Sony's successor to the PlayStation is the PlayStation 2, which is backwards compatible with its predecessor in that it can play almost every PlayStation game. The third generation of the PlayStation, the PlayStation 3, was launched on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe. Like the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3 is able to play most original PlayStation games (with some early models also able to play PlayStation 2 games). While PlayStation 3 games are not region-locked, PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games are only playable on PlayStation 3 consoles from the same region.

The PlayStation Portable, or PSP, is a handheld game console first released in late 2004. The PSP is capable of playing PlayStation games downloaded via Sony's online store, and can also play any PlayStation game by using the PlayStation 3's remote play feature while the disc is in the PlayStation 3. Sony hopes to release nearly all PlayStation games on a gradual basis. It is also possible to convert original PlayStation disc images into executable binaries using freely available software. These games are then playable on PSPs that have been modified to run unsigned code.

The successor to the PSP, the PlayStation Vita, was introduced as a part of the 8th generation of video game consoles.