PlayStation

• Type: Muggle electronic entertainment device (video game console)
• Owners: Dudley Dursley
• Maker: Sony (a Muggle corporation)

The novels do not provide a physical description of the PlayStation. As a real-world Muggle object, it is a gray, rectangular electronic console designed to be connected to a television for the purpose of playing video games. It was a popular and contemporary piece of technology during the time period in which the story is set.

The PlayStation is a purely Muggle artifact and possesses no magical properties. Its function is entirely dependent on electricity, a power source that is famously unreliable in heavily enchanted areas like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its sole purpose is for entertainment. Users insert game discs into the console and use a handheld controller to interact with the games displayed on a television screen. It was one of many modern luxuries owned by Dudley Dursley, contrasting sharply with the magical but often less technologically advanced items found in the Wizarding World.

The only known PlayStation in the series was owned by Dudley Dursley at Number Four, Privet Drive. It was presumably a gift from his parents, Vernon Dursley and Petunia Dursley, who frequently spoiled him with expensive presents. In the summer of 1994, Dudley was forced to go on a strict diet prescribed by the school nurse at Smeltings due to his increasing weight. Enraged by his new, restrictive meal plan, Dudley threw the PlayStation out of his bedroom window in a fit of temper, destroying it.

The PlayStation's appearance is brief but serves an important role in characterising the Dursley family and their lifestyle. Its mention firmly grounds the Privet Drive setting in the contemporary Muggle world of the 1990s. The act of Dudley destroying such an expensive item in a tantrum highlights his spoiled, materialistic, and volatile nature. It underscores the stark contrast between his privileged, possession-filled life and the neglected upbringing of his cousin, Harry Potter. The incident serves as a clear example of the excess and anger that defined Dudley's character in his youth.

• The inclusion of a PlayStation is chronologically accurate. The original Sony PlayStation was first released in Japan in December 1994 and in North America and Europe in September 1995. The events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire take place from 1994 to 1995, placing the console at the peak of its popularity and making it a very likely object for a spoiled child like Dudley to own.
• In the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire video game, the player briefly controls Harry Potter in Dudley's bedroom. The broken PlayStation can be seen on the floor near the window, a direct reference to the event in the novel (video game).