Collection essentials #470: Sony PlayStation 2

Say hello to the (currently) best-selling video game system of all-time.

Sony had caught wildfire with the original PlayStation in 1995, a system which one held that title (because I don’t count Game Boy and Game Boy Color as the same platform like Nintendo does). Unlike Nintendo and Sega, who both were less successful in the generation after their big breakthrough, Sony not only kept their momentum with the PlayStation 2, but actually increased it. The original PlayStation had sold just over 100 million units, while the PlayStation 2 wound up in the neighborhood of 160 million!

How did Sony do it? Well, there are a number of factors and good decisions which culminated in this runaway success. The success of the original PlayStation gave it a leg up, obviously, and Sony made sure to capitalize on this fully by keeping certain elements of the previous console. For example, the PlayStation 2 controller is nearly identical to the PlayStation 1 “DualShock” controller, with the only differences being color and making the buttons pressure-sensitive (which was only relevant in a select few games). The PlayStation 2 is almost completely and perfectly “backwards compatible” with the original PlayStation’s games and accessories, meaning that the original console’s game discs, memory cards and controllers will all work on the PlayStation 2 with no problem. Only a tiny fraction of the previous PlayStation’s games have issues running on a PlayStation 2 console. 

Another factor was the console’s ability to play DVDs. At the time of the system’s release, DVDs were fairly new, and it was clear that they were replacing VHS tapes as the standard form of home video media. This of course meant that millions of Americans were going to be on the market for a DVD player. The PlayStation 2 was the only game console of its generation which played DVD discs right out of the box. This was an especially attractive feature in Japan, where standalone DVD players were quite expensive. Over there, a PS2 console cost about the same as a regular DVD player, so why even bother getting the latter when you could get a big new game console that also played the same discs? So you see, right away, PlayStation 2 offered great value to customers, able to play DVDs, and also able to play the original PlayStation’s games. People who owned the first PlayStation could happily sell their old unnecessary system while keeping the games and accessories they wanted. 

The timing of the PlayStation 2’s release also worked out in its favor. Sega had been first to the party with their Dreamcast console which launched in 1998 in Japan and 1999 worldwide. PlayStation 2 released over a year later in all regions in 2000. Sega’s advantage of having a flashy new and advanced console was nullified when the PlayStation 2 came along with even more powerful hardware, which made the Dreamcast suddenly seem to some like yesterday’s news.

Now, after the Dreamcast died, PS2 was going to get brand new competition a year after its release, in late 2001, from Nintendo and console-newcomer Microsoft with their brand new systems. These competitors did each boast more powerful hardware than PS2. But that wound up not being nearly enough to threaten it. Why? Well, even though it may not have been as powerful, the difference was not quite stark enough for most of the large install base to jump ship to a new console. Most multiplatform games came out on PS2 and held up decently well, as the compromises for the weaker hardware were only minor. Plus, as I said before, timing was crucial. The PS2 didn’t quite have a killer lineup right on launch day like the Dreamcast had, but 2001 was a massive year for the system. There were many popular series that got brand new PS2 installments that fans eagerly awaited, such as Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Twisted Metal, and more. There were brand new series which got their start on PS2 that year such as Jak & Daxter, Devil May Cry and Onimusha and became instantly popular. But perhaps no game was bigger than one called Grand Theft Auto III, a revolutionary open-world action game about crime which had an enormous impact on gamers and the industry going forward. By the time the two competing consoles were released near the end of 2001, the PS2 already had built up a very strong library and a ton of momentum that was impossible to top.

Not only did the PS2 have quantity in its game library, it had sheer quantity. By the end of its lifespan, it was estimated that over 4,000 titles were released for the console, which is simply a gargantuan number. Keep in mind that this is before games were digitally distributed, so it wasn’t as easy to inflate that number with cheap digital-only games for sale on an online store. Virtually any serious or casual gamer was able to find stuff they wanted on the PS2 to an extent that clearly wasn’t possible on any of its competitors. The amount of RPGs on PS2, for example, absolutely dwarfed that of any other competing system. 

The thing that pushed PS2 over the edge into becoming the best-selling console of all time was the fact that it managed to last so long. Its successor would release in 2006, but the PS2 was so popular that developers still found it viable to release lower-budget titles for it years afterward. Of course, the console was clearly past its prime and there were far fewer titles and sales, but the fact that its last game came out in 2013 is still very remarkable. 

In terms of my personal experience, obviously I got to see and play the PlayStation 2 soon after its release because it was so darn popular. But I wouldn’t get one for a few years. I was personally more interested in Nintendo’s big new console on the horizon, since I was such a big Nintendo fan. But I did notice that there were games on PS2 I really wanted to play, such as Kingdom Hearts and the new Final Fantasy game. But I didn’t exactly have money to burn back then, so instead I settled for a cheap original PlayStation in early 2003. It was about a year later, in 2004, that I scored my first PS2. What put me over the edge was a new Mortal Kombat game on the horizon that apparently wasn’t getting a Nintendo release. (Ironically, it DID wind up being released for Nintendo’s console eventually, plus I never even got the PS2 version of that game). The console wasn’t immediately my favorite, but it grew on me as so many games kept coming out for it and I grew to know and appreciate the incredible depth of its library. It’s certainly become one of my top favorite systems.

Is the PS2 the best video game system of all-time? Well, that’s obviously very subjective and it really depends on your tastes and criteria. I could make a very strong argument that, if one must only play one game system for the rest of their life, PS2 is the best choice. But in real-life practical usage, I hesitate to say it’s the best. That’s because, while the PS2 is home to a TON of multiplatform games (i.e., games also available on another console), the reality is that much of the time the PS2 version is just not the preferred version of choice. Again, if you’re stuck with only one game console for life, you could live with those versions’ compromises and be happy with the incredible variety. But there are many games technically available on PS2 that I simply would recommend that you play on a different system. Don’t get me wrong though, the PS2’s library is still incredibly strong, and it still has more than plenty of games that you should seek out and play on it in modern times. And the fact that it plays the original PlayStation’s games still makes it a great value proposition for those looking to get into old-school gaming today. 

You knew PS2 would be here. If you were alive in the early 2000s, you probably at least knew about it even if you weren’t a gamer because it was so big. It’s an essential game console both of my collection and for anyone with any interest in classing gaming.