Sony PlayStation 4

The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of the Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. Launched in late 2013, the PS4 belongs to the eighth generation of video game consoles and served as the successor to the PlayStation 3. The brand was originally the brainchild of Ken Kutaragi, often referred to as the 'Father of the PlayStation', who pushed Sony to enter the gaming market in the early 1990s.

Manufacturing of the PlayStation 4 has primarily taken place in China through major contract manufacturers like Foxconn, as well as in Sony's own highly automated facilities in Japan, such as the famous Kisarazu plant. This plant is known for its incredible efficiency, using robotic arms to assemble consoles in mere seconds. While the PS4 has been largely succeeded by the PlayStation 5, it remains one of the best-selling gaming platforms in history with over 117 million units sold worldwide.

Today, the brand is managed by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), which is headquartered in San Mateo, California, while the ultimate parent company remains Sony Group Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. The ecosystem includes not just hardware, but also the PlayStation Network, PlayStation Plus subscription services, and a vast portfolio of first-party titles developed by PlayStation Studios.