PlayStation 2
Best-selling console ever
The PlayStation 2 dominated gaming with 155 million units sold, DVD playback, and a library spanning every genre imaginable.
The PlayStation 2 achieved unprecedented success through smart positioning and an overwhelming game library. Launching as an affordable DVD player when standalone units cost more, it entered homes beyond gaming enthusiasts. Sony’s third-party relationships delivered exclusive content while backwards compatibility preserved PlayStation 1 libraries. No console before or since has matched its 155 million sales.
Fast facts
- Manufacturer: Sony Computer Entertainment.
- Release: March 2000 (Japan), October 2000 (NA/EU).
- Units sold: 155+ million (best-selling console ever).
- Library: 4,000+ titles.
- Production ended: 2013.
Hardware specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | Emotion Engine, “128bit RISC (MIPS IV subset)”, 300 MHz as announced |
| GPU | Graphics Synthesiser |
| RAM | “32Mb Direct Rambus” main |
| Media | DVD-ROM, CD-ROM |
| Storage | 8 MB Memory Card |
| Outputs | Composite, S-Video, component |
The specification, as announced
Sony gave the machine’s numbers at announcement and Edge printed the table in April 1999. Two scans of that issue are held here, which is how the noisier figures were read.
| Floating point | 6.2 GFLOPS |
| Geometry, transform only | 66m polys/sec |
| …plus lighting | 38m polys/sec |
| …plus fog | 36m polys/sec |
| Bézier surface generation | 16m polys/sec |
| Image processing | 150m pixels/sec |
| Memory bus | 3.2 Gb/sec |
The geometry row is the honest one, and it is unusual for a launch table to include it. The headline number is 66 million polygons a second, but that is transform alone; light the polygons and it falls to 38 million, add fog and it is 36. Sony published the cost of doing the work rather than the number with the work removed — a distinction most of the generation’s marketing declined to make.
The Graphics Synthesiser’s figures are all about bandwidth to embedded memory: “Total Memory Bandwidth 48Gb/sec” across a “DRAM Bus Width” of “2,560bits”. The pixel format is spelled out as “RGB:Alpha:Z Buffer (24:8:32)”.
The old machine is still in there
The most interesting line in the table is the shortest. Under the I/O processor, where a spec sheet would normally name a controller chip, it says:
CPU Core — Current PlayStation CPU
Backward compatibility is not emulation and not a compatibility mode. The original PlayStation’s processor sits inside the PlayStation 2 doing the I/O, and when a PS1 disc goes in, the subordinate chip is simply given the machine.
This is the same move Sega made with the Mega Drive, where the Master System’s Z80 stays on board as the sound processor and becomes the whole computer again in Master System mode. The cost of an old CPU had fallen far enough that keeping one was cheaper than pretending to be one.
The DVD advantage
Trojan horse strategy:
- DVD players cost 300+ dollars in 2000.
- PS2 launched at 299 dollars with DVD playback.
- Families bought it for films.
- Gaming became secondary benefit for some.
- Accelerated DVD adoption.
Backwards compatibility
PlayStation 1 support:
- Play existing PS1 library.
- Use PS1 memory cards.
- Preserve investment.
- Smooth generational transition.
Controller evolution
DualShock 2:
- Analogue buttons (pressure sensitive).
- Refined DualShock design.
- Improved ergonomics.
- Became industry standard shape.
Network Adapter
Online gaming introduction:
- Separate peripheral required.
- SOCOM, Final Fantasy XI online.
- Laid groundwork for PS3 networking.
- Limited but significant adoption.
Defining game library
| Genre | Notable titles |
|---|---|
| Action | God of War, Devil May Cry |
| RPG | Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts |
| Stealth | Metal Gear Solid 2/3 |
| Racing | Gran Turismo 3/4 |
| Sports | Pro Evolution Soccer, FIFA |
| Horror | Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 4 |
| Sandbox | GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas |
Third-party dominance
Publisher relationships:
- Square Enix exclusive RPGs.
- Konami Metal Gear and Silent Hill.
- Capcom exclusive period.
- Rockstar GTA timed exclusives.
- Everyone published on PS2.
Hardware revisions
| Model | Year | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | 2000 | Original design |
| Slim | 2004 | Smaller, built-in ethernet |
| Later slim | Various | Further refinement |
Regional variations
Market differences:
- Japan: RPG focus.
- America: Sports, shooters, GTA.
- Europe: Football games dominant.
- Worldwide success across cultures.
Competition defeated
Console war position:
- Dreamcast withdrawn 2001.
- Xbox strong but couldn’t match library.
- GameCube third place.
- PS2 market leader entire generation.
Longevity
Extended lifespan:
- New games until 2013.
- Budget market in developing regions.
- 13-year production run.
- Supported longer than PS3 initially.
Legacy
The PlayStation 2 set records that may never be broken. Its DVD strategy, overwhelming library, and smart positioning created the template for console market dominance. Every subsequent console launch references its success.