On December 3, 1994, Sony launched the original PlayStation in Japan and changed the video game industry forever. American gamers didn’t get their hands on the PS until September 9, 1995, but Sony’s not going to make us wait another year to start the celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. And the first plans for that year-long party have been revealed.
From October to the end of January, Sony Music will release classic PlayStation game scores on Spotify and digital music storefronts. The confirmed titles include God of War, God of War II, God of War: Chains of Sparta, Twisted Metal, Starhawk, and Unit 13.
A free trial version of Gran Turismo 7 called My First GT will also be released. Sony hasn’t set a date for the trial yet, but it will be released this holiday season for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users with some of the fan-favorite cars, tracks, and more from Gran Turismo 7.
Sports gaming enthusiasts should take note that September 21 and 22 will be a free online multiplayer weekend with multiple esports tournaments for games like Madden NFL 24, MLB The Show 24, NBA 2K25, NBA 2K24, and even fighting games like Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, and EA UFC 5. You won’t need a paid PlayStation Plus membership to compete a PS 30th anniversary-themed avatar and other prizes, but you will need a copy of the previously mentioned titles.
This is just the beginning, as additional plans for PlayStation’s 30th anniversary will be announced at a later time. Some fans believe that Sony used the initial announcement to reveal the design of the PlayStation 5 Pro, which is rumored to be officially unveiled soon.
This week also marks the release of Astro Bot, which is receiving rave reviews and features numerous references to games from PlayStation’s history.