I’ve never really played too many PS first-party titles (though I did recently purchase a PS1 recently!), so I cannot vote on this. EDIT: Actually, I’ll vote PS1. Spyro and Crash (are these first party?) are enough to sway me.
That said, to share some thoughts, my understanding of all five home console systems is this: PS1 was varied and original, PS2 did everything PS1 but significantly better, PS3 tried to repeat PS2 but fell a bit short, and PS4 & PS5 have abandoned the original generations’ approach of wide library of mixed results, instead prioritizing quality over quantity — a respectable model especially for people who don’t have the time nor money for hundreds of games.
From this perspective, I’d say PS2 and PS4 are the most attractive generations… but for polar opposite reasons. PS2 is filled with a wide library of short-and-sweet experiences, so there’s no pressure to feel as committed to any single game; PS4 is far less overwhelming in its options, and every title is crafted with a very high standard of quality.
As far as handhelds are concerned: PSVita was a Japanese machine with virtually no support for western devs, PSPortable was filled with an okay library of on-the-go games which paled in comparison to the home console experience.
Last edited by firebush03 - on 10 October 2025
