How a Decade of CD-ROM Experiments Led Sony to the PlayStation
From optical storage to gaming dominance
In 1982, Sony made headlines by launching the world’s first CD player, the CDP-101. For most people at the time, used to cassette tapes or vinyl, the clarity of Compact Discs was jaw-dropping. Even through modest stereo systems, CDs delivered a clear leap in sound quality. That instant, no-fuss experience became the format’s strength. Even an untrained ear could hear the difference.
Before CDs were even on store shelves, Sony and Philips were already looking beyond music. In 1980, the two companies created the Red Book, a technical standard that defined everything about how audio CDs should work, including how data is stored, how long a disc can play, and how players should read it. It was the blueprint that made Compact Discs possible.
But they didn’t stop there. At the time, storage options were extremely limited. Floppy disks barely held a megabyte, and hard drives weren’t much better. So the idea of using a CD to hold data, not just music, was a huge leap. By 1984, they published the Yellow Book, which extended the Red Book format to handle computer data instead of audio. This new format became known as CD-ROM.
In 1985, the first CD-ROM title was released: the Grolier Academic American Encyclopedia. It compressed an entire encyclopedia onto one disc. Grolier, a publisher with roots going back to the 19th century, took the leap into digital. Most people didn’t own a CD-ROM drive yet, but the message was clear. This was a new platform for distributing knowledge.
As the Yellow Book matured, Microsoft began hosting an annual CD-ROM conference starting in 1986 to bring PC makers on board. Sony partnered with Apple, Intel, and others to shape the format’s future. One of the key results was the High Sierra Format, which became ISO 9660, the standard file system for CD-ROMs. Sony also developed MSCDEX, a DOS driver that let users read CDs like any other drive on their computer.
In 1987, Sony introduced the CDU-7101, one of the first external CD-ROM drives for personal computers. It was a single-speed drive with a SCSI interface and a protective caddy system, capable of reading up to 540 MB of data. It was aimed at professionals, including libraries and businesses, who needed large storage capacity. With this move, Sony shifted from helping define CD-ROM standards to producing real hardware that brought optical storage into everyday use.
Back in Japan, Sony began outfitting its own business machines with CD-ROM drives. In 1988, a version of the Quarter/L PC featured one of the earliest built-in CD-ROM drives. These machines were intended for professional environments, but they made it clear that Sony was serious about bringing optical storage into computing.
That same year, Apple introduced its first external CD-ROM drive for Macintosh, the Apple CD SC. While branded and sold by Apple, the drive’s internal mechanism was actually manufactured by Sony, specifically the Sony CDU-8001, one of the earliest commercial CD-ROM drives. Apple designed the outer case and SCSI interface, but the core optical technology, including the laser assembly and playback hardware, came directly from Sony.
By 1989, Sony had introduced the CDB-904, an internal CD-ROM drive bundled with an 8-bit ISA controller card. The card also worked as a basic sound card with RCA and 3.5 mm audio outputs. The drive appeared in the Headstart LX CD, one of the first IBM-compatible PCs with a built-in CD-ROM drive in North America.
In 1990, Sony launched the Data Discman, a portable 8 cm CD-ROM player designed for dictionaries and reference materials. Sold in both electronics stores and bookstores, it was a clear attempt to reposition optical storage as more than just tech gear. Sony even insisted on using caddies to separate these discs from regular music CDs. It wasn’t just for looks. The move reduced confusion and justified the higher price. The Data Discman series lasted a decade and became one of Sony’s most successful CD-ROM products in Japan.
On the entertainment side, Philips introduced the CD-I in 1991, a hybrid of CD player and game console. Sony produced its own professional CD-I player, the IVO-V10, also known as the Intelligent Discman, which found use in niche areas like karaoke systems. In the United States, Sony developed the MMCD Player (PIX-100) in 1992, a DOS-based multimedia terminal that used full-size CD-ROMs. Though never widely released, it was adopted in industries like pharmaceuticals for sales and training tools.
Behind the scenes, Sony was also exploring gaming. In 1991, they briefly partnered with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Famicom. The partnership fell apart, and Philips stepped in to license Nintendo characters for CD-I games. But Sony had already sunk time and money into CD-ROM development. Rather than let it go to waste, they doubled down. Sony kept going and launched the original PlayStation in 1994.
Looking back, it’s fair to say the PlayStation became the most successful CD-ROM system of all time. It sold over 100 million units worldwide, transforming the CD-ROM from a promising storage medium into the foundation for global entertainment. No PC drive, reference device, or multimedia system ever came close to matching its reach, impact, or cultural footprint.
After years of experimentation, from encyclopedias and business machines to karaoke systems and portable reference players, Sony finally found the perfect expression of its optical ambitions. A decade of CD-ROM experiments had led, at last, to a bet that paid off in spectacular fashion.