Best PlayStation Console?

[ifelloffmybike]

I have never been an explicit sony fan. I had a PS1 when i was very small but it was never my favorite. I only ever played one of the four games we had which was Crash Bandicoot 2. (The best OG crash by the way.) In the general retro gaming space i feel like a lot of people praise the PS2 as the holy grail of all consoles. And yeah, there's some solid reasons why, but it's just never captured me like the original Xbox, Gamecube, Dreamcast or the Wii have.

So i'm interested to hear other people's favorites and their reasoning for it. Handhelds do count for this if you wanted to chose the PSP, PS Vita, or the PocketStation... if you're super niche lol.

 

[DunkeyKong]

All of them until the 7th gen
PS1: great console to start Sony's dominance, great library too with many influential titles
PS2: best selling, the most advanced for it's time, thousands of great libraries! What else can I say?
PSP: Sony's attempt to try and take the handhelds throne, they kinda did for awhile
PS3: one of the last PlayStation with one of the most complex hardware and system. The last great gen, the most memorable console for many generations to come

 

[AnonymousCookieMonster]

I'd say PS2 would be my favorite. Best balance of graphics and ability and a bunch of games.

PS1, had decent enough RPG's and other games, but pickings were generally weak.

PS3 while better technically, usually was too expensive a console and games. Games were also a bit inferior based on Sony's push for complex hardware and so devs went for simpler programming over superior graphics.

PS4/PS5 - Don't care. They are pushing the 'release now, fix later' on top of censorship and push of digital-only purchases at only one storefront.

 

[RageBurner]

I'll be honest, after getting delusioned with Sega over the Saturn treatment and demise, I stopped waving company banners, and I went where the games were; it just so happened that Sony systems had tons of excellent games, and have (and do) provide a lot of entertainment.

Crucially, it is software that matters; hardware is secondary, as the PS2 has flatly proven (much weaker than either the Game Cube or XBox), and nowadays the Switch itself is proof of this fact.

 

[ifelloffmybike]

Interesting to see other people also dont care much for the newer consoles. I also dislike the pump 'n dump method big companies go for now. I stick to older titles and indie mostly. A few exceptions to that rule of course, like sonic and mario games.

Software is absolutely more important than hardware and you're right. Another thing most studios now forget. Look at the gameboy, it went totally undefeated as a pea soup underpowered brick that just absolutely refused to die. No one could take that thing down because of price and great library.

 

[bjork]

For the library, I would go PS1 because there was just so much weird stuff as they were figuring out what was and wasn't going to work with 3D.

For the actual unit, it's the PS2 and specifically the Sakura Spring one:

But the automotive edition PS2s were also pretty nice, just impossible to actually find. I think they were limited to like 600 pieces per region, but had a super glossy finish

 

[RageBurner]

The red one would have been to kill for back in the day.

 

[DunkeyKong]

Interesting to see other people also dont care much for the newer consoles. I also dislike the pump 'n dump method big companies go for now. I stick to older titles and indie mostly. A few exceptions to that rule of course, like sonic and mario games.

Software is absolutely more important than hardware and you're right. Another thing most studios now forget. Look at the gameboy, it went totally undefeated as a pea soup underpowered brick that just absolutely refused to die. No one could take that thing down because of price and great library.

That's so true! Older titles are just bangers after bangers, even on the handheld!

Nowadays, there are less games that are at least good and not a buggy mess. Indies though? They'll keep making a masterpiece back to back

 

[RacingGameEnjoyer]

Factually, its the PS2, but IMO, the PS3 and the PSP had this sort of connected "feel" that the newer consoles lack, especially with PS Home. If only Sony would make a new one (although, one of the dev studios did make their own "PS Home" on mobile, Avakin Life. It's very similar but also riddled with MTX and money-only currencies, you can barely do anything)

 

[ThunderBoy]

PlayStation 2 and PSP

 

[Waffles]

PS3 just because of how versatile it is.

 

[ifelloffmybike]

PS3 just because of how versatile it is.

Do you mean specifically the launch PS3 with its ps1 and ps2 backwards compatibility, or do you mean homebrew capability?

 

[Waffles]

Do you mean specifically the launch PS3 with its ps1 and ps2 backwards compatibility, or do you mean homebrew capability?

That, and also how moddable it is. I write my articles on it, too.

 

[Yousef]

This might sound weird butt
For some reason, my nostalgia did not overpower me this time.
I was so sure my nostalgia would make me go “DualShock 4 is the worst”
But honestly? No
That never happened
Even after revisiting DS1, DS2 and DS3, I did not lose love for DS4. It’s still my favorite controller of all time.
Yes, that’s a lame answer, I know, the so-called big retro geek prefers a modern controller.
But it’s the truth. Dark Souls 4 err I mean DualShock 4 is my favorite.

 

[fake-kun]

I'll say PS3 and PSP since it's what I had as a teen.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

I say PS2, Varied library, a lot of weird more experimental games, like the katamaris and the possibility of playing most of the ps1 library mostly flawlessly.
One negative i can think for is that the ps2 usually had the worse multi-platform games, Dead or Alive 2(extras aside) works far better in the Dreamcast (specially the japan only limited edition), Alone in the dark the new nightmare, to name a few.

 

[Yousef]

Oh this was a question about consoles not controllers
Best console is ps2

 

[ifelloffmybike]

OG Xbox just completely clears the PS2 for me. However, the PS3 clears the Xbox 360 for me. I have a PS3 super slim, and the uncharted series is just so good! I've played all of them more than once. So for my favorite im going with PS3 for its good library. Despite being a huge OG Xbox fan, im not a huge halo fan. So the 360 has no real exclusives of that generation that pull me towards it.

 

[thanonyx]

PS2, next question

 

[PhrawzT]

I own them all, and they all have their strengths. PS5 gets the most use, but 1 and 2 had some amazing games.

 

[CG4R12I4N]

PS2 was released in the era when people were absolutely into gaming consoles thanks to the great cred PSX provided before the 00s.
So yes, I think in terms of overall performance, PS2 destroyed any other consoles up to this day by a landslide, hands down.

 

[Ikagura]

 

[TropicalFreeze3499]

PS2, no question.

 

[Yoru Momo]

PSX>PS3>PS2>PS4>PSP>VITA>PS5

 

[Zerpina]

Myself, the PS2 will always have my Heart, and the Vita for a Travel Handheld <i really need to fix that thing>

Yes i know the PS3 up have hdd's but the PS2, ah that thing was Awesome, getting to FMB it, with a Big ol 500 GB HDD <at the time, mine has a SSD now>
But i bought my PS2, on Launch day. and loved the thing from the getgo

The PS3 is Second as my Favorite, due to as @Waffles Say about the Modability of it. and well nothing like hitting up OG Ps1 games in 1080 P <L> ah they look like ass on a Console

So my All time Favorite Playstation Console?

PS2 on Batocera