PlayStation 5: The next step in Sony’s rebound

Not that long ago, a typical American household might have been full of Sony devices. There was probably a Walkman or a Discman lying around, not to mention Sony boomboxes, VCRs, stereos, televisions and a list that went on and on.

These days, most household Sony collections have been whittled to a single product: a PlayStation gaming console.

As it prepares to start selling its fifth major game console in 25 years on Thursday, Sony has largely become the PlayStation company. Just as the $160 billion video game industry has outstripped film and music in the global market, the business that Sony started in the 1990s is now its biggest, most profitable division.