When it comes to consoles like the Switch, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, the debate over which company will reign supreme will likely only end if one of the three major publishers collapses.
Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have been the three publishing powerhouses of the video game industry for two decades, clashing over software sales, hardware performance, and so on.
And while every fan will probably die with their console of choice physically buried with it on their chest under six feet of dirt, I’d argue that no company has a more robust roster of in-house studios supporting them at every corner than Sony .
For more details, I will be ranking the top ten main developers for Sony Interactive Entertainment.
10. Sony San Diego
While you may not recognize this studio by name, you no doubt know their signature sports franchise, MLB: The Show. While not for everyone, the numbers don’t lie, and this series has made San Diego one of Sony’s most successful studios.
However, in 2021, The Show expanded to other platforms such as Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch – which at first glance is a bit surprising, considering that Sony is literally in the name of the studio, they are one of the longest-standing early developers and etc. However, it makes financial sense.
And while that’s certainly what put them on the map, The Show isn’t all they’ve got to offer Sony, considering other titles like Cree sign, Modnation racers and even a few NBA games in the early 2000s, I’d say they’re among Sony’s elite.
9. Digital polyphony
PlayStation’s best-selling franchise, Grand Touring also ranks among the thirty most financially successful game franchises ever created. With over eighty million units sold, this marquee racing series has been around since the inception of consoles themselves, like the original Gran Turismo released on the original PlayStation.
The seventh major installment was released earlier this year for both PS4 and PS5, and despite some pretty serious controversy over its excessive use of microtransactions, it received great reviews from critics and topped the sales charts in March.
8. Media-molecule
Z LittleBigPlanet franchise, this team created the PlayStation brand icon in Sackboy, and so far they’ve released two entries in the popular platform series, and helped Sumo Digital develop a third.
More recently they have developed Marie for PS4, where players can create and play user-generated content to their heart’s content.
Perhaps their finest title came in 2013: originally exclusive to the PlayStation Vita handheld console, Detachable has since been remastered for PS4 to positive reviews across the board.
And while none of their games have bad reviews from critics, and they’re all doing well financially, Media Molecule just doesn’t have the track record as a developer to rank higher on this list.
7. Sony Bend
The first studio since 2000, Bend has developed eleven exclusives, seven of which are in Siphon filter franchise. While the first installment of Band’s vaunted franchise is definitely dated, it was undeniably groundbreaking, especially in regards to its cinematically stylized gameplay.
After recording under the title Siphon Filter: Combat Ops for the PlayStation Portable, they continued the handheld trend Resistance: Retaliation (produced by the Insomniac Games franchise) on PSP and Uncharted: Golden Abyss (produced by the Naughty Dog franchise) on Vita.
While both were important titles for their handhelds, Bend soon switched back to home consoles. As far as the fans are concerned, it worked in their favor Days passed for PS4 was almost as innovative in its gameplay as the original Siphon Filter.
Unfortunately, the open-world zombie game didn’t sell many copies, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a sequel anytime soon.
6. Domestic brand
The most underrated studio under the Sony banner, by a mile. Responsible for classic PS3 arcade titles, e.g Super stardust and A dead nationFinnish developer Housemarque has really hit the ground running – at least in terms of popularity – since its release Resagunlaunch game for PlayStation 4.
Sony has since acquired the once-independent studio, and they recently developed their first AAA game: Reverse, a third-person roguelike game released on the PS5. While the overall experience is a far cry from their original formula, it has garnered decent sales and even better review scores.
Their consistency is perhaps their strongest asset as a studio – you can be sure that whatever Housemarque releases next will be action-packed, gameplay-driven.
5. Guerrilla games
By November 2013—the month Sony released the PlayStation 4 along with several anticipated exclusives—Guerrilla had grown Killzone Games since 2004.
The games were decent fun, always looked great graphically, but after almost a decade of releasing the same first-person shooter, it was time for a change.
Here is where Horizon is coming Without two recent releases in their newest hit franchises, Guerrilla wouldn’t have been easy to make the top five. however, Zero dawn in 2017, renewed the purpose of the studio and added a new level to the brand as a whole.
This series was do-or-die for Guerrilla, but they obviously pulled through and lived to tell Aloy’s story, which continued earlier this year via Horizon: Forbidden West.
It’s yet to be confirmed if this powerful new developer will continue their fan-favorite franchise or move on to new horizons, but I speak for all fans when I say we’re here no matter what.
4. Santa Monica Studio
If we put aside the underproduction for a moment God of War: Ascension in 2013, this team has four top-flight games under the same franchise. God of War, obviously.
The days of the PlayStation 2 were special, and perhaps no other franchise has had such an impact.
When the first game came out in 2005, Santa Monica was just getting started – they had only released one game before that: a racing title called Kinetics, released in 2001 for the PS2. It was good, but nothing compared to their outstanding mythology-based efforts.
The recent activation of the series p God of war in 2018 certainly helps solidify their place on this list—it’s masterful and one of the most well-known PlayStation exclusives in recent memory. But I think we’d all be remiss not to look back with the same fondness on the original trilogy of action games that originally set Santa Monica apart from other developers. Their timelessness is truly unparalleled.
3. Games for insomnia
Undoubtedly a controversial choice, as many fans probably expected this lauded studio to take the number two or even number one spot just for their numbers alone. But the number of releases is not everything – in other words, I prefer quality over quantity.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Insomniac is struggling to produce quality content or anything. Quite the opposite. Their early platformer franchises like Spiro and Ratchet and Clank– the latter of which continue to this day – were among the most popular titles in the genre.
The Resistance the PS3 franchise, however, showed a slight dip in caliber. It wasn’t bad in and of itself, but it definitely wasn’t great. Ratchet and Clank became obsolete around the same time. Fortunately, however, they rallied impressively to take the lead Spider man a series of Marvel-based video games, the first of which is the third best-selling PS4 exclusive, as well as a reboot of the Ratchet franchise.
2. Sucker Punch Productions
Apart from a few gameplay bugs in the first one inFamous in gaming, quality over quantity is basically the mantra of Sucker Punch Productions.
From Sly Cooper from the franchise on PS2 to inFamous on PS3, they’ve been releasing some of the best PlayStation exclusives for nearly two decades straight.
Their last name, Ghost of Tsushima for PS4 confirmed their status as a powerhouse studio for Sony. It combined the stealth platforming mechanics of Sly Cooper with the adventure elements of inFamous for what might be their best game yet.
It’s yet to be confirmed if they’ll continue their foray into feudal Japan, return to the overpowered inFamous communities, or create a brand new property entirely, but no matter what, I think we’ll all be buying their next title.
1. Naughty dog
After making a name for themselves with family platformers such as Crash Bandicoot and Jack and DaxterNaughty Dog became a star with the release Uncharted: Drake’s Luck in 2007 on the PS3. Its continuation Among the thieves in 2009 is among the highest rated games of all time and Uncharted 3 was almost at the same level.
In terms of gameplay, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End might be the best of them all, and that’s largely due to the updated hardware features of the PlayStation 4. Some would even consider it the best Uncharted game overall, and while I don’t agree, there are arguments to be made.
Then, there is The last of us.
Regardless of how you feel about the latest entry in this post-apocalyptic franchise, there’s no denying that the original game cemented Naughty Dog among the finest developers in the industry.
If you ask me, Naughty Dog’s success on the PlayStation 3 is one of the most popular in the video game history books, with the first three Uncharted games holding an average score of 92 on Metacritic, with Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception coming in fifth and fourth on the console. best-selling console games, respectively, while The Last of Us holds a 95 on Metacritic and has climbed all the way to third place.
While personal preference can undoubtedly play a role in allowing studios like Santa Monica, Insomniac, and Sucker Punch to take the top spot among fans, Naughty Dog’s support numbers don’t lie. They are the best and you have to deal with it.
Doubtful, but do you agree with our list?
in any case, I appreciate you checking it out. Let me know your favorite studio under the PlayStation mantle and even your favorite game from them in the comments! But please play nice.