PlayStation Hits
A Sony Interactive Entertainment label for discounted reprints of popular PlayStation video games.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
PlayStation Hits is a budget-reissue brand used by Sony Interactive Entertainment for popular and commercially successful video games released across the PlayStation family of consoles. The program began in North America in 1997 under the name Greatest Hits, initially covering games for the original PlayStation. Rather than representing a separate game-development studio or a distinct hardware platform, the label identifies selected titles that have remained on the market long enough and sold enough copies to qualify for a lower suggested retail price and a redesigned package. The original Greatest Hits program was introduced by Sony Computer Entertainment America in March 1997. Its first group of releases included Battle Arena Toshinden, NFL GameDay, NHL FaceOff, Twisted Metal, and Warhawk. The program provided a way to extend the commercial life of established games after their initial full-price sales period. Eligible games were generally reprinted with prominent red branding, making them visually distinct from standard releases. On later PlayStation platforms, the red treatment commonly appeared on the box-art banner and, depending on the system, on the physical case and disc artwork. Eligibility rules changed as the program expanded. For the original PlayStation, the initial requirement was at least 150,000 units sold and at least one year on the market; the sales threshold was later raised to 500,000 copies in January 1999 and subsequently adjusted. When the program reached PlayStation 2 in 2002, a game generally needed to have been available for at least nine months and to have sold at least 400,000 copies, while the threshold for original PlayStation titles was reduced to 250,000. The rules were not an absolute obligation for third-party publishers: a qualifying game could remain outside the label, and publishers retained some flexibility over pricing and participation. Sony extended the program to PlayStation Portable in 2006 and to PlayStation 3 on July 28, 2008. Portable releases typically began at a lower budget price, while PlayStation 3 Greatest Hits products used a higher price point appropriate to that platform. Some reissues were materially enhanced rather than merely repackaged. Examples cited for special editions include Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Heavy Rain, Jet Moto 2, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Silent Hill 2, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Such editions could contain bug fixes, additional characters or levels, new modes, demonstrations, soundtrack material, or support for features such as analog control and vibration. Sony introduced the PlayStation Hits name for PlayStation 4 in Mexico, Canada, and the United States on June 19, 2018. The label was also used for PlayStation 4 products in Europe, Oceania, Japan, Brazil, and selected Asian markets. PlayStation Hits pricing could apply both to physical releases and to games sold through the PlayStation Store. In markets outside the principal North American branding, Sony has used related names: Essentials in Europe and Oceania, The Best in Japan and certain Asian territories, BigHit in South Korea, and Favoritos in South America. These regional programs serve a similar function but are not necessarily branded PlayStation Hits. The brand's positioning is straightforward: it gives consumers access to well-known PlayStation games at a lower price while giving Sony and participating publishers a structured way to maintain catalog sales. It is therefore both a value proposition for players and a lifecycle-management tool for software publishers. The label has been especially recognizable through its red packaging, which distinguishes discounted catalog titles from their original launches.
History
PlayStation Hits developed from Sony's Greatest Hits program, which Sony Computer Entertainment America introduced for the original PlayStation in March 1997. The initiative was designed for games that had achieved substantial sales and had remained available for a defined period. Its first releases were Battle Arena Toshinden, NFL GameDay, NHL FaceOff, Twisted Metal, and Warhawk. Initially, a title generally needed to sell at least 150,000 copies and remain on the market for one year. Sony later increased the relevant sales threshold for original PlayStation games to 500,000 in January 1999, before later adjustments to the qualification framework. The program combined a commercial and visual strategy. Qualifying games were sold at lower suggested retail prices than their original releases and received distinctive Greatest Hits packaging. Red became the principal identifying color from the PlayStation 2 era onward, replacing the appearance of standard clear or blue cases on several platforms. Typical pricing for Greatest Hits games was around the budget segment, although exact prices differed by system, title, territory, and package format. Third-party publishers could choose whether to participate even when a game met the stated performance and age criteria. Publishers could also have limited discretion over pricing, although many followed Sony's suggested levels. Greatest Hits expanded to PlayStation 2 in 2002. At that stage, qualifying games generally needed at least nine months on the market and approximately 400,000 sales, while the original PlayStation threshold was reduced to 250,000 sales. Sony sometimes delayed a successful title's budget reissue, particularly where the publisher wanted to maximize full-price sales or coordinate the reissue with a sequel or follow-up. This made the label part of a broader software lifecycle strategy rather than an automatic release immediately after a game achieved strong sales. Sony extended the program to PlayStation Portable in 2006. Portable titles generally needed nine months of availability and at least 250,000 units sold. On July 28, 2008, the company brought Greatest Hits to PlayStation 3, where qualifying games generally required ten months on the market and at least 500,000 sales. The PlayStation 3 editions continued the red visual identity and occupied a lower price tier than their original releases. Not every Greatest Hits product was a simple reprint. Sony and participating publishers occasionally used the label for enhanced editions containing fixes, extra demonstrations, soundtrack material, improved controls, vibration support, additional characters, new levels, or new game modes. The enhanced examples associated with the program include releases of Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Heavy Rain, Jet Moto 2, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Silent Hill 2, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. The modern PlayStation Hits identity was announced for PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2018, initially for Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Sony used the branding more broadly for PlayStation 4 releases in North America, Brazil, Europe, Oceania, Japan, and selected Asian markets, and also made the reduced pricing available through the PlayStation Store. Related regional labels perform a comparable role: Essentials in Europe and Oceania, The Best in Japan and selected Asian countries, BigHit in South Korea, and Favoritos in South America. PlayStation Hits therefore represents the North American and increasingly international expression of a long-running Sony catalog-pricing system, while the underlying objective remains consistent: provide lower-cost access to proven PlayStation software and extend the sales life of successful games.
- 2018
PlayStation Hits branding announced for PlayStation 4
[1]Sony announced the PlayStation Hits name for PlayStation 4 in Mexico, Canada, and the United States on June 19, 2018.
- 2008
Greatest Hits launched on PlayStation 3
[1]The PlayStation 3 version of the program was introduced on July 28, 2008, with red packaging and its own availability and sales criteria.
- 2006
Greatest Hits expanded to PlayStation Portable
[1]Sony extended the budget-label program to PlayStation Portable releases.
- 2002
Greatest Hits expanded to PlayStation 2
[1]The program reached PlayStation 2, with qualification generally based on at least nine months on the market and approximately 400,000 copies sold.
- 1999
Original PlayStation sales threshold increased
[1]The stated sales requirement for original PlayStation Greatest Hits eligibility rose to 500,000 copies in January 1999.
- 1997
Greatest Hits program introduced for the original PlayStation
[1]Sony Computer Entertainment America introduced the program in March 1997. The first releases included Battle Arena Toshinden, NFL GameDay, NHL FaceOff, Twisted Metal, and Warhawk.
Products and positioning
An accessible-value catalog label that lowers the price of established, popular PlayStation games while extending their commercial life through distinctive packaging and digital-store pricing.
Budget game reissues · 1997
Original PlayStation Greatest Hits
The original version of Sony's catalog-pricing program, introduced in North America in 1997 for successful PlayStation games. Qualifying releases received distinctive Greatest Hits packaging and were sold at a lower suggested retail price than their initial editions. The program included first-party and participating third-party titles.
Budget game reissues · 2002
PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits
The PlayStation 2 continuation of Greatest Hits, introduced in 2002. It applied the label to successful games that had been available for a specified period and had reached the relevant sales level. Red branding became increasingly associated with the program during this generation.
Portable game reissues · 2006
PlayStation Portable Greatest Hits
A portable version of the catalog label introduced in 2006. Eligible PSP games generally had to remain on sale for at least nine months and reach the stated sales requirement. Releases commonly used red packaging and a lower budget price.
Budget game reissues · 2008
PlayStation 3 Greatest Hits
The PlayStation 3 implementation introduced in 2008. Its qualifying games used the established red visual identity and were sold at a reduced price compared with original launch editions. The program also included selected enhanced or special-edition reissues.
Budget game reissues · 2018
PlayStation 4 PlayStation Hits
The PlayStation 4 expression of the brand, announced in 2018. Selected popular games were issued with a red banner and red packaging, and PlayStation Hits pricing was also made available through the PlayStation Store in relevant markets.
Enhanced game reissues
Greatest Hits special editions
Some releases carrying the Greatest Hits label included more than new packaging and a lower price. Depending on the title, special editions could add bug fixes, demonstrations, soundtrack material, improved control support, vibration functionality, characters, levels, modes, or other enhancements.
Brand decisions
2018
Rename the PlayStation 4 budget label as PlayStation HitsStrategyBackground
Sony had used the Greatest Hits name across earlier PlayStation hardware generations. For PlayStation 4, it announced a more platform-specific PlayStation Hits identity in several markets.
Action taken
Sony introduced PlayStation Hits branding for PlayStation 4 in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, with red packaging and reduced pricing for physical and PlayStation Store products.
Aftermath
The PlayStation Hits name became the principal label for selected discounted PlayStation 4 games in North America, Brazil, Europe, Oceania, Japan, and selected Asian markets, while related regional names continued elsewhere.
Recent events
- 2018
Sony introduces PlayStation Hits branding for PlayStation 4[1]
Product launch · Pricing
Sony announced that the PlayStation Hits name would be used for selected PlayStation 4 games in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, with red packaging and reduced pricing available in physical and digital channels.
Sources1 sources
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