Playstation1 logoThe PlayStation (PS, PSone or PS1) is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December 1994. The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of console and handheld game devices, which was first created and released in Japan. Successor consoles and upgrades include the Net Yaroze, PS one, PSX, PocketStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the PlayStation 3. On March 31, 2005, the PlayStation and PS one reached a combined total of 102.49 million units shipped, becoming the first video game console to reach 100 million. As of July 20, 2008, the PlayStation has sold 102 million units. Sony ceased production of the PlayStation on March 23, 2006, over 11 years after it was first produced.

Functions

PlayStationConsole1 The Playstation console, in addition to playing games, has the ability to read and play audio CDs. The CD player has the ability to shuffle the playback order, play the songs in a programmed order, and repeat one song or the entire disk. This function, as well as a memory card manager, can be accessed by starting the console without inserting a game, therefore accessing a system menu with a dark blue background and buttons that are designed like rainbow graffiti. If a game is put in the system at any time on the menu, the game will immediately start.

Technical specifications

Central processing unit

MIPS R3000A-compatible (R3051) 32bit RISC chip running at 33.8688 MHz

The chip is manufactured by LSI Logic Corp. with technology licensed from SGI. The chip also contains the Geometry Transformation Engine and the Data Decompression Engine.

  • Operating performance of 30 MIPS
  • Bus bandwidth 132 MB/s
  • 4 KB Instruction Cache
  • 1 KB non-associative SRAM Data Cache

Geometry transformation engine

This engine is inside the main CPU chip. It gives it additional vector math instructions used for the 3D graphics.

  • Operating performance of 66 MIPS
  • 360,000 flat-shaded polygons per second
  • 180,000 texture mapped and light-sourced polygons per second

Sony originally gave the polygon count as:

  • 1 million flat-shaded polygons per second
  • 500,000 texture mapped and light-sourced polygons per second

These figures were given as a ballpark figure for performance under optimal circumstances, and so are unrealistic under normal usage.

Data decompression engine

This engine is also inside the main CPU. It is responsible for decompressing images and video. Documented device mode is to read three RLE-encoded 16×16 macroblocks, run IDCT and assemble a single 16×16 RGB macroblock. Output data may be transferred directly to GPU via DMA. It is possible to overwrite IDCT matrix and some additional parameters, however MDEC internal instruction set was never documented.

  • Compatible with MJPEG and H.261 files
  • Operating Performance of 80 MIPS
  • Directly connected to CPU Bus

Graphics processing unit

This chip is separate to the CPU and handles all the 2D graphics processing, which includes the transformed 3D polygons.

  • Maximum of 16.7 million colors (24-bit color depth)
  • Resolutions from 256×224 to 640×480
  • Adjustable frame buffer
  • Unlimited color lookup tables
  • Maximum of 4000 8×8 pixel sprites with individual scaling and rotation
  • Emulation of simultaneous backgrounds (for parallax scrolling)
  • Flat or Gouraud shading, and texture mapping

Sound processing unit

Can handle ADPCM sources with up to 24 channels and up to 44.1 kHz sampling rate

Memory

  • Main RAM: 2 MB
  • Video RAM: 1 MB
  • Sound RAM: 512 KB
  • CD-ROM Buffer: 32 KB
  • Operating System ROM: 512 KB
  • PlayStation Memory Cards have 128 KB of space in an EEPROM

CD-ROM drive

  • 2x, with a maximum data throughput of 300 KB/s
  • XA Mode 2 Compliant
  • CD-DA (CD-Digital Audio)

MainBoard:

PSX_mainboard