SNES PlayStation
The PlayStation was originally going to be a peripheral for the Nintendo SNES. However, licensing issues between Sony and Nintendo prevented this.
3D Graphics
Unlike the Nintendo SNES which was restricted to a 2-D game world, the PlayStation One allowed games to take place in a three-dimensional world.
CD Compatible
The PlayStation One is able to play CDs. This is impossible for cartridge based consoles and gave the PlayStation One an advantage over the competition.
PSone
The PSone was released as a cheaper version of the PlayStation. This was marketed as a more affordable alternative to the soon-to-be released PlayStation 2.
Technical Specifications
The PlayStation One was created to be powerful and easy to program. The 32-bit processor runs at 33.8688 MHz.