The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on October 26, in Europe on November 24, in Australia on November 30, and other regions thereafter. It is the successor to the original PlayStation as well as the second installment in the PlayStation brand of consoles. As a sixth-generation console, it competed with Nintendo's GameCube, Sega's Dreamcast, and Microsoft's Xbox.
Announced in 1999, Sony began developing the console after the immense success of its predecessor. In addition to serving as a game console, it features a built-in DVD drive and was priced lower than standalone DVD players of the time, enhancing its value. Full backward compatibility with original PlayStation games and accessories gave it access to a vast launch library, far surpassing those of its competitors. The console's hardware was also notable for its custom-built Emotion Engine processor, co-developed with Toshiba, which was promoted as being more powerful than most personal computers of the era.
The PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold 160 million units worldwide—nearly triple the combined sales of competing sixth-generation consoles. It received widespread critical acclaim and amassed a global library of over 4,000 game titles,[20] with 1.54billion copies sold. In 2004, Sony revised the console with a smaller, lighter body officially known as the "Slimline". Even after the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, in 2006, it remained in production and continued to receive new game releases for several years with the last game for the system Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 being released in Europe in November 2013. Manufacturing officially ended in early 2013, giving the console one of the longest lifespans in video game history.
History
Background
Released in 1994, the original PlayStation proved to be a phenomenal worldwide success and signalled Sony's rise to power in the video game industry.[21] Its launch elicited critical acclaim and strong sales; it eventually became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units.[22] The PlayStation enjoyed particular success outside Japan in part due to Sony's refined development kits, large-scale advertising campaigns, and strong third-party developer support. By the late 1990s Sony had dethroned established rivals Sega and Nintendo in the global video game market.[23][24]
Hardware
Technical specifications
The main central processing unit (CPU) is the 64-bit R5900-based "Emotion Engine", custom-designed by Sony and Toshiba.[82] The Emotion Engine consists of eight separate "units", each performing a specific task, integrated onto the same die. These units include a central CPU core, two Vector Processing Units (VPU), a 10-channel DMA unit, a memory controller, and an Image Processing Unit (IPU). There are three interfaces: an input output interface to the I/O processor running at a clock speed of 36.864 MHz, a graphics interface to the graphics synthesiser, and a memory interface to the system memory.[83] The Emotion Engine CPU has a clock rate of 294.912 MHz (299 MHz on newer versions) and 6,000 MIPS, with a floating point performance of 6.2 GFLOPS.[84]
Game library
The PlayStation 2 features a diverse global library.[144] Premier franchises include the Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, Gran Turismo, Persona and Metal Gear series, most games of which were released exclusively for the console. Several prolific series first arrived on the console, including God of War (2005), Ratchet & Clank (2002), Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001), Sly Cooper (2002), Katamari (2004), Devil May Cry (2001), and Kingdom Hearts (2002). The best-selling PlayStation 2 game is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), which sold 17.33 million units. After the PlayStation 2's discontinuation in 2013, the cumulative software shipment was 1.54 billion units.[144]
Following its 2000 launch in Japan, the PlayStation 2 was released with eleven launch titles; early notable games included Ridge Racer V (2000) and Tekken Tag Tournament (2000).[145]
Reception
The PlayStation 2 received critical acclaim upon release. Initial reviews commended its hardware and graphics capabilities, ability to play DVDs, and backward compatibility with games and hardware for the original PlayStation. Early points of criticism included the lack of online support at the time, its inclusion of only two controller ports, and the system's price at launch compared to the Dreamcast in 2000.[150][151] PC Magazine in 2001 called the console "outstanding", praising its "noteworthy components" such as the Emotion Engine CPU, 32 MB of RAM, support for IEEE 1394 (branded as "i.LINK" by Sony and "FireWire" by Apple), and the console's two USB ports while criticising its "expensive" games and its support for only two controllers without the multitap accessory.[152]
The inclusion of DVD playback was a major factor in the commercial success of the PlayStation 2. At launch, the PS2 was priced comparably to standalone DVD players, making it an attractive option for consumers. This multifunctionality also increased the console's appeal beyond traditional gamers and accelerated DVD adoption in households.[153]
See also
- Linux for PlayStation 2
- PCSX2 – PlayStation 2 (PS2) emulator for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS
- PlayStation Broadband Navigator
References
- K. Thor Jensen. 20 Years Ago, the PS2 Launched With Terrible Games But Still Won the Generation PCMag, 26 October 2020, retrieved 13 June 2025^
- Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Announces Introduction of Pink PlayStation 2 - To debut at Games Convention, Leipzig, 23-27 Aug 06 GamesIndustry.biz, Gamer Network, 21 August 2006, retrieved 13 June 2025^