PlayStation turns 20 with collector's edition PS4

In a special limited edition, Sony's next-generation console takes on the same grey shade as its ancestor, the original PlayStation, which celebrates its 20th anniversary December 3.

In a special limited edition, Sony's next-generation console takes on the same grey shade as its ancestor, the original PlayStation, which celebrates its 20th anniversary December 3.

Fans of retro gaming memorabilia will have to be quick to score one of the 12,300 grey PS4 consoles releasing worldwide. The color of this limited edition echoes that of the original PlayStation, now known as the PS1, released in 1994.

In North America, pre-orders for the 20th Anniversary Edition PS4 will open on December 6, coinciding with the PlayStation Experience community event. Sony invites interested fans to log on to the official website from 10am PST on the Saturday in question.

Released on December 3, 1994 in its native Japan, the PlayStation was the first games console to sell over 100 million units worldwide. After eventually making its way to North America (September 9, 1995) and Europe (September 29, 1995), the console enjoyed several years of popularity and remained in production until 2006.

Today, the PS1 remains the second best-selling home console of all time, having sold 102 million units, just behind the PlayStation 2 (157 million). When accounting for portable consoles, the first PlayStation is the fourth best seller, ranking after the PS2, the Nintendo DS (155 million) and the Game Boy (118 million).