PlayStation2

Other products by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004S1DZ
• Media: Electronics
• Release Date: October 25, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,385 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

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  Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Hardware > Consoles

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

At the heart of the PlayStation2 is the 128-bit Emotion Engine processor, which brings lightning-fast gameplay and unprecedented graphics power to your TV screen. The awesome capabilities of this machine have lured not only hard-core and casual gamers alike, but also premier game developers who quickly are building a library of high-quality games for the system. Among the system's top launch titles are Madden NFL 2001, Tekken Tag Tournament, Time Splitters, and SSX: Snowboard Supercross.

A big advantage for owners of the original PlayStation is that they will not have to discard their existing game collection, because the PlayStation2 is designed to be compatible with most (although not all) software for the classic PlayStation game system.

The new PlayStation2 also doubles as a DVD player. If you get tired of playing the latest games, you can choose from thousands of digital-quality movies--many of which feature fancy extras that are unavailable on videotape, such as alternate audio tracks, unreleased bonus footage, and DVD-ROM games. In addition, the PlayStation2 can play your favorite audio CDs.

While the PlayStation2 delivers a slam-dunk entertainment experience directly out of the box, this system also is wired for the future with two USB ports, an i.Link (IEEE 1394/Firewire) interface, and a Type III PCMCIA expansion slot. As a result, the system soon will allow owners to access broadband Internet content directly on their TV sets. Sony eventually is expected to distribute music, games, and other cool content digitally--and directly--to PlayStation2 owners via the Internet. --Brett Atwood

Amazon.com preview

Note to Customers: Due to an expected overwhelming demand and limited supply of PlayStation2 consoles, Amazon.com has decided not to offer pre-order sales of game hardware at this time. However, we share your excitement for the new system and, in the meantime, encourage you to sign up for our e-mail notification so we can let you know as soon as we have the PlayStation2 console available for sale.

Even though the U.S. release of the PlayStation2 is not due until October 26, hard-core and casual gamers are already buzzing about the incredible potential of the new DVD-based system. The PlayStation2, which retails for $299, is expected to change forever the way we experience digital entertainment. At the heart of the PlayStation2 is the 128-bit Emotion Engine processor, which promises to bring lightning-fast gameplay and unprecedented graphics power to your TV screen. Almost all of the major game developers are preparing A-list titles to support the system. Among the highly anticipated games expected at or near launch are Tekken Tag Tournament, Gran Turismo 2000, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, and The Bouncer. Owners of the original PlayStation will not need to discard their existing game collection, since the PlayStation2 is designed to be compatible with most (but not all) software for the classic PlayStation game system.

The new PlayStation2 also doubles as a DVD player. If you get tired of playing the latest games, you can choose from thousands of digital-quality movies--many of which feature fancy extras not available on videotape, such as alternate audio tracks, unreleased bonus footage, and DVD-ROM games. In addition, the PlayStation2 can also play your favorite audio CDs.

While the PlayStation2 delivers a slam-dunk entertainment experience directly out of the box, this system is also wired for the future with two USB ports, an i.Link (IEEE 1394/FireWire) interface, and a Type III PCMCIA expansion slot. As a result, the system will soon allow owners to access broadband Internet content directly on their TV set. Sony is eventually expected to digitally distribute music, games, and other cool content directly to PlayStation2 owners via the Internet. --Brett Atwood

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

140 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of potential...I see a bright future for Sony., August 8, 2000

By	Michael Brooks (Hanover, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

I recently came back from summer vacation and I have to tell you it was quite exciting. Not only did I get to visit a long time friend, but I found out he had imported a japanese ps2. For over a year I've been waiting to play this system, to see what all the hype was about and out of the blue came my opportunity. During my short stay there I only had a chance to play three games. He bought the imported version of Tekken Tag Tournament, and rented Dead or Alive 2 and Ridge Racer V ......... First off, I'd like to say that I own a Dreamcast and a Playstation and I'm not biased in any way. We all share pros and cons for our systems and the ps2 has its share.

The games I played were about average, I'm not really into Tekken, but Ridge Racer V was great fun. So far the graphics are on par if not a tad better then the Dreamcast. True the games we played did have an AA issues, but then again, so do most Dreamcast games (Virtua Tennis-just look at the net, NFL2k2-any cinematic view, being picky isn't it? same deal). I wouldn't even consider the AA problem a problem because the problem was in hasted programming. I believe that if Namco had more time, the games would have seemed more polished. Now don't get me wrong, the graphics were great and the games were fun, but I don't believe anyone has really dug deep into the potential of the ps2. That is, until he showed me the Metal Gear Solid 2 DVD video trailer. Anyone who got to see this video will instantly be shocked at the fluid motion and amount of detail. Now this is what I'm talking about! this is the future of what the ps2 can handle. This looks revolutionary, this is what people have been waiting for. Then it occured to me. One, the ps2 is still in its infancy, we all can't expect revolutionary games from the get go, what are we supposed to expect? The developers need time to learn the programming tools for the system. Look at history, the Japanese Dreamcast launch was a joke, Pen Pen Triathoon, Godzilla anyone? At least the ps2 launch in Japan was better then the DC launch. Now look at how succesful the American launch for the DC was. Ummmhhmmm, trust me the American ps2 launch will be great. I believe that the ps2 will be just like the playstation, with way better graphics, and way more options. I consider the ability for the ps2 to play DVD's icing on the cake. The picture and sound quality are just as good as any $400 player. And in the future when they relase games on DVD, not only will the graphics and sound quality increase, but so will the storage capacity since a dual layered DVD can hold 3.25 gb. And in the future when sony releases it's hard-drive modem then we'll be able to play games with broadband and download games and movies all onto the hard drive. In closing all I have to say is don't buy into the negative hype, I like the Dreamcast and unlike my other Dreamcast owners I choose to like the ps2 also, instead of trying to critisize it. The future looks bright for Sony, [release day] will be a great day for me.

205 of 228 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why PS2 is a must have, September 19, 2000

By	BB (USA) - See all my reviews

I felt I should chime in after reading "gamers" review. Now I know that is not a Sega vs Sony discussion group, but I felt the argument presented against the PS2 was flawed.

1) Price, yes it will cost more than the Dreamcast, (same price as the PS1 at launch), but all of your current PS games and controllers, and memory cards will be supported. In fact sony has offically announced (www.videogames.com) that the PS2 will enhance certain PS1 games.

2) No, the PS2 does not come with a 56K modem, and it doesn't use leaded gasoline either. Any true PC based game knows that online gaming and phone modems are dead. The PS2 will be ethernet ready to provide support for both cable and DSL modem support.

3) It is a DVD player! Why is this bad. What if you purchased a Dreamcast and a seperate DVD player and someone wants to watch a movie, same problem. In fact a remote is available for purchase, or Universal remotes to work.

4) Monster 3rd party support...EA PS2 Madden 2001 has features that the Dreamcast version doesn't have, and the PS2 will have 30 launch titles. Add this to all the PS games you already own, and you are a gaming, movie watchin' fool!

Note: I own a Dreamcast and have been very dissapointed with the lack of games and support from Sega (I shouldn't be surprised). Even rumors of Sega abandoning the hardware business (www.videogames.com, EGM)sour me on the future of the system. The job by Sony creating an entertainment console, with the customers in mind (full backward compatibility, haven't seen that since the Atari 7800), foreshadows years of continued entertainment

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inside Info on PS2, October 2, 2000

By	Tom C (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

To all those people out there who say the DVD quality on the PS2 will be bad are wrong. The japanese version has bad DVD playback due to the DVD drivers being stored on the memory card. The American version has built in hardware support for DVD playback and so the quality will be much higher. My father works for Sony Computer Entertainement, which is resonsible for the creation of the PS2 and I have played the AMERICAN console, the DVD quality is, as i said earlier much better.