PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all time. Sony shipped more than 160 million units between 2000 and 2013, a record that still stands, and the console’s library of over 4,000 games includes Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts and God of War. For many families it was also their first DVD player, which helped it sell far beyond core gamers.

PlayStation 2 release date

Region	Release date	Launch price
Japan	March 4, 2000	39,800 yen
North America	October 26, 2000	$299
Europe	November 24, 2000	299 pounds

The North American launch was badly supply-constrained: Sony shipped about half the units it planned, and PS2s sold for several times their price on eBay that holiday. Sony stopped making the PS2 in Japan on December 28, 2012, and worldwide in early 2013. Sony kept repairing PS2 consoles in Japan until 2018.

PlayStation 2 Slim

The PlayStation 2 Slim (the SCPH-70000 series) launched in late 2004. It is about a quarter of the size of the original “fat” PS2, has built-in Ethernet, a top-loading disc lid instead of a tray, and an external power supply. Later Slim revisions (SCPH-90000) moved the power supply back inside. The Slim is the easiest PS2 to find, repair and fit next to a modern TV, but it lost the expansion bay, so it cannot use the official internal hard drive that the original model supported for Final Fantasy XI and a few other games.

Best PlayStation 2 games

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004): the best-selling PS2 game, with about 17.3 million copies on the console.
2. Shadow of the Colossus (2005): a landmark of games as art.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004): jungle stealth and one of the best boss fights ever made.
4. Final Fantasy X (2001): the first fully voiced Final Fantasy.
5. Kingdom Hearts (2002) and Kingdom Hearts II (2005).
6. God of War (2005) and God of War II (2007).
7. Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter series.
8. Gran Turismo 3 and 4.
9. Burnout 3: Takedown (2004).
10. Persona 4 (2008), released after the PS3 was already out.

Other PlayStation 2 games worth hunting include Okami, Silent Hill 2, Ico, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil 4, Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II, SSX Tricky and Tony Hawk’s Underground. Many have modern remasters, which are often cheaper than original discs.

How to play PS2 games today

• PlayStation Plus Premium includes a growing list of PS2 classics on PS5 and PS4, with trophies and higher resolution. See PlayStation Plus.
• Original hardware: a used PS2 Slim costs about $60-$120; an original fat model $50-$100.
• Early PS3 models: the launch 20GB and 60GB PS3s include PS2 hardware and play PS2 discs. Later PS3s do not.
• Remasters and collections: the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, the Kingdom Hearts and God of War collections and many others bring PS2 classics to current consoles.

PlayStation 2 BIOS

The PS2 BIOS is the console’s system software, and the PCSX2 emulator needs it to run games on a PC. PCSX2 includes a tool that dumps the BIOS from your own console using a memory card exploit. That is the legal route; downloading the BIOS from the internet is copyright infringement. We do not link to BIOS or ROM downloads.

PlayStation 2 specs

Part	PlayStation 2
CPU	Emotion Engine, 294.9 MHz
Graphics	Graphics Synthesizer, 147 MHz
Memory	32MB RDRAM, 4MB video RAM
Media	DVD-ROM, CD-ROM
Backward compatibility	Plays almost all PS1 games
Units sold	More than 160 million

PlayStation 2 controllers and accessories

The DualShock 2 looked like the PS1 DualShock but was lighter and had pressure-sensitive face buttons, used by games such as Metal Gear Solid 2 to control how hard you squeezed a trigger. Popular accessories included the EyeToy camera, the network adapter for online play on the fat model, the Guitar Hero guitars, the SingStar microphones and the 8MB memory card. The PlayStation controller guide covers how pads evolved after the PS2.

Why the PlayStation 2 sold so well

The PS2 had several advantages that no rival matched at the same time. It played almost every PS1 game, so millions of existing owners could upgrade without losing their collection. It played DVD movies at a time when a standalone DVD player still cost around $200, which made the $299 console an easy family purchase. It had the deepest third-party support of its generation: Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X and Madden all sold best on PS2. And it lasted a very long time, with Sony cutting the price again and again until it sold for $99, which brought in buyers in Latin America, India and Eastern Europe long after the PS3 launched. New PS2 games kept appearing until 2013, mostly yearly sports titles such as FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer, more than six years after the PS3 launched.

PS2 models: fat vs slim

The original “fat” PS2 came in several revisions. Early models (SCPH-10000 to 30000) have the most disc-read errors, often fixed by cleaning the laser or adjusting its gear. The SCPH-50000 series added a built-in IR receiver for the DVD remote and is generally the most reliable fat model. The Slim models are smaller and quieter, but their lid mechanism and power supply can fail. If you buy a used PS2 today, test a game disc, a DVD and both controller ports, and check that the console reads blue-bottom PS1 discs as well as silver-bottom PS2 CDs.

Common PS2 problems and fixes

• “Disc read error” or a black screen: clean the laser lens with isopropyl alcohol; on fat models, the laser sled gear can slip and may need adjusting.
• Memory card corruption: use official 8MB cards when possible, and keep a second card for backups.
• No picture on a modern TV: composite cables look poor on flat screens; component cables (or an HDMI adapter that accepts component) give a much sharper image, and many PS2 games support 480p via a button combination at startup.
• Controller drift: DualShock 2 sticks wear out; genuine Sony pads last much longer than cheap third-party copies.

PS2 online play

The PS2 had no built-in online service like Xbox Live. Each publisher ran its own servers, and you needed the network adapter on the fat model (built in on the Slim). Official servers closed years ago, but fan-run replacement servers have revived online play for SOCOM, Twisted Metal Black Online, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal and others. These are community projects; check each one’s instructions and safety before connecting.

PlayStation 2 vs Xbox vs GameCube

The PS2 outsold the original Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube combined many times over: about 160 million units versus roughly 24 million and 21 million. The Xbox had more powerful hardware and the better online service, and the GameCube had Nintendo’s first-party games, but the PS2’s head start, DVD playback and enormous library decided the generation. Compare it with Microsoft’s first console on the original Xbox page.

Collecting PS2 games in 2026

Common PS2 games are still cheap, often under $10, because so many copies were sold. Prices climb for Japanese RPGs, survival horror and late releases with small print runs, such as Rule of Rose, Haunting Ground, Kuon and the Suikoden games. Greatest Hits reprints have red spines in North America and are usually cheaper than the original black-label releases. Watch out for reproductions of expensive games; genuine PS2 DVDs have a blue or purple data side.

The PS2 was followed by the PlayStation 3 in 2006, and its predecessor was the PlayStation 1.

In short: the PlayStation 2 remains one of the easiest and most rewarding retro consoles to own. It is cheap, reliable when cared for, plays two generations of PlayStation games, and its best titles are still among the most praised games ever made.