Abstract: Recently, a new type of light absorption material CH3NH3PbX3 with a perovskite structure has made its debut in the series of dye-sensitized solar cell systems, and has attracted great attention due to the resultant high increase in conversion efficiency. To understand the mechanism behind this and to attain even better performance, researchers have focused on almost all aspects of the perovskite solar cells. In this article, the basic properties of perovskite compounds,the history of their use in solar cells including their role in raising the conversion efficiency to beyond 15%, and recent important progresses in this field are briefly reviewed. The future prospects of perovskite solar cells are also discussed.