The design of the PlayStation has gone through some major changes since the release of Sony’s first console in 1994. Although they haven’t been as vastly different as the likes of Nintendo’s consoles and not as similar to one another as the Xbox’s, the PlayStation’s designs are always recognizable at first glance, for better or worse.

With the impending release of the PS5, it seems like Sony has managed to create something that is both aesthetically pleasing but also the target of many online memes, with people comparing its design to duck’s bills, coffee machines, and even burritos. This hasn’t always been an issue for Sony’s console, as there are many consoles with an even worse design, particularly the older generation consoles.

14 PlayStation (& PlayStation Classic)

The original PS1 is something of an icon, with its original design even coming back for the ill-fated PlayStation Classic, which tried and ultimately failed to ride on the same success as the SNES Mini console.

While its design is iconic, the PS1 has also aged poorly compared to its follow up consoles. The grey color that was synonymous with the PS1 doesn’t look anywhere near as good as it would if it were a newer console.

13 PS one

The slimmed-down version of the PS1, appropriately named the PS one, is slightly better than the PS1’s design. However, it still falls victim to the weird shape experiments that Sony made with its hardware during the late ’90s.

The PS one’s smaller size and shape are definitely improvements on the original, but only just.

12 PlayStation 3 Super Slim

For some reason, Sony thought that one version of the PS3 Slim wasn’t enough. Therefore, three years after releasing the PS3 slim, Sony released an even smaller variant called the Super Slim.

While it is quite a bit smaller than both the original PS3 and the PS3 Slim, which are both fairly chunky, the Super Slim ends up looking like a flat, black pillow and has some weird coloration going on that makes it look ridged from certain angles.

11 PlayStation Portable

The first portable console from Sony, the PSP was a great idea in theory, but the execution left much to be desired. While the system suffered from a lack of noteworthy games, the console itself isn’t half bad.

While it’s not on the same level as any of Nintendo’s handheld systems, the PSP is distinctly “Sony” in its design. It is fairly recognizable as one of the company’s products even without the name.

10 PlayStation Vita

The follow-up to the PSP did worse than its predecessor, but the PS Vita is marginally better in design than the PSP. Taking some cues from the PSP Go, the Vita is a little more streamlined than the PSP.

The Vita also benefits from the addition of a second analog stick, something that held the PSP back from being great when it came to playing certain titles.

9 PlayStation Portable Go

Released around the same time as the PSP, the PSP Go was way ahead of its time and fell short as a result. A digital-only version of the PSP that also had a unique sliding design, the console may have done much better for itself if it was released in the modern-day when digital games are far more common.

Unfortunately, Sony looked too far ahead with the PSP Go and the console suffered for it.

8 PlayStation 4 Slim

The PS4, like the original PS3, is fairly chunky, so the release of a PS4 Slim was no surprise. However, the smaller version of the PS4 doesn’t take as many cues from the original as it maybe should have. Consequently, it looks a little bit more like a giant, black sandwich than a console.

7 PlayStation 4 Pro

The most powerful PlayStation console before the PS5 was released, the PS4 Pro’s design takes more cues from the PS4 Slim than the original, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.

While it goes back to the slanted design of the PS4, the Pro also takes the sandwich look from the Slim. As a result, it just looks like a sandwich made with three pieces of bread instead of two.

6 PlayStation 3

Following the blocky designs of the PS1 and PS2, the PS3 went in a different direction and made a curvier and heftier console. The new rounded look is a nice change, but its enormous size compared to the previous two consoles lets it down on the design side.

This size would be rectified in its Slim variations, but it’s hard to get around just how much bigger the original PS3 is compared to the PS2, which was already quite a bit bigger than the PS1.

5 PlayStation 4

Unlike the curved body of the PS3, the original PS4 takes it in a different direction with a sleek and angled design. Though it is still on the larger side of consoles, the PS4 is smaller than the original PS3, a bonus for any gamer who was running out of room to fit their consoles in their game room.

4 PlayStation 2 Slimline

While it seems like it might break if you leave too many game cases on top of it, the PS2 Slimline is great both in size and design. It is simply a scaled-down version of the original PS2, unlike other Slim counterparts that take the overall design in a different direction.

The only real downside is the disc drive being a flip-top lid, but that’s more a matter of preference than anything else.

3 PlayStation 2

Unlike the original PS1, the original PS2’s iconic design has actually stood up to the test of time. It looks just as good now as it did back in 2000, though is still on the blocky side of consoles compared to newer PlayStations.

Aside from the massive technical upgrade and an enormous library of games, the overall design of the PS2 is surely a factor in why it is one of the best selling consoles of all time.

2 PlayStation 3 Slim

Of the three different PS3 designs, the first PS3 Slim is easily the better looking of the bunch. It’s not as oversized and chunky as the original, but not as overly flat as the Super Slim, essentially making it the Goldilocks of the PS3 consoles.

As good as the PS3 Slim’s design is, there is still one that beats it for the best PlayStation console design.

1 PlayStation 5 (Standard And Digital Edition)

Clearly, after nearly 30 years of creating game consoles, Sony has learned a thing or two about how to make one look good. Changing up the standard design of nothing-but-black works quite well for the PS5’s design, though the center of the console retaining the signature color of Sony’s consoles was also a good design choice.

Let’s just hope that the inevitable PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro look just as good as the original does.