PlayStation 2
Manufacturer	Sony Computer Entertainment
Product family	PlayStation
Type	Video game console
Generation	Sixth generation era
First available	JP March 4, 2000 NA October 26, 2000[1] EU November 24, 2000 AUS November 30, 2000
CPU	128-bit "Emotion Engine" clocked at 294 MHz
GPU	"Graphics Synthesizer" clocked at 147 MHz
Media	DVD, DVD-DL, CD
System storage	Memory card
Controller input	DualShock 2
Connectivity	Ethernet/modem adapter
Online service	DNAS (Dynamic Network Authentication System)
Units sold	127 million (as of December 31, 2007)[2]
Units shipped	120 million (as of September 20, 2007)[3]
Best-selling game	Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, 14. A console manufacturer is a company that manufactures and distributes Video game consoles It is also known as a first-party Video game publisher. ( SCEI) is a Japanese Video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry mostly in Video game consoles and is a full Video games were introduced as a commercial entertainment medium in 1971, becoming the basis for an important entertainment industry in the late 1970s/early 1980s in the United The sixth-generation era (sometimes referred to as the 128-bit era; see "Number of bits" below refers to the computer and Video games For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Emotion Engine is a CPU developed and manufactured by Sony and Toshiba for use in the Sony PlayStation 2 Video game console DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic Flash memory Data storage device used with Digital The DualShock (officially DUALSHOCK and occasionally referred to as Dual Shock) is a line of vibration-feedback Ethernet is a family of frame -based Computer networking technologies for Local area networks (LANs Modem (from mo dulator- dem odulator is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode Digital information DnaS is a Gene involved in DNA replication. See also DnaA DnaB DnaC This is a list of Video game consoles and Handheld game consoles that have sold or shipped at least one million units Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This is a list of Video games that have sold or shipped at least one million copies including the top ten best-selling franchises. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec is a Racing game, the first in the ''Gran Turismo'' series to be released for the PlayStation 2. 89 million shipped (as of April 30, 2008)[4]
Backward compatibility	PlayStation
Predecessor	PlayStation
Successor	PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 2 (abbreviated "PS2") is Sony's second video game console, the successor to the successful PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3 as part of the PlayStation series. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common In Technology, especially Computing (irrespective of platform a product is said to be backward compatible when it is able to take the place of an older product The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was released a year later in Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

The PS2 is part of the sixth generation era, and is the best-selling console to date,^[5][6] having reached over 127 million units in sales by the end of 2007. The sixth-generation era (sometimes referred to as the 128-bit era; see "Number of bits" below refers to the computer and Video games This is a list of Video game consoles and Handheld game consoles that have sold or shipped at least one million units ^[2] On November 29, 2005, the PS2 became the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This achievement occurred faster than its predecessor, the PlayStation, which took "9 years and 6 months since launch" to reach the same benchmark. ^[7]

History

Only a few million people had obtained consoles by the end of 2000 due to manufacturing delays. ^[8] After its release, it was difficult to find PS2 units on retailer shelves. ^[9] Another option was purchasing the console online through auction websites such as eBay, where people paid over one thousand dollars for a PS2. eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and ^[10] The PS2 initially sold well partly on the basis of the strength of the PlayStation brand and the console's backward compatibility, selling over 980,000 units by March 5, 2000, one day after launch, in Japan. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[11] This allowed the PS2 to tap the large install base established by the PlayStation — another major selling point over the competition. Later, Sony gained momentum with new development kits for game developers and more PS2 units for consumers.

A notable piece of advertising for the PS2 launch was accompanied by the popular "PS9" television commercial. 9 was to be the epitome of development, toward which the PS2 was the next step. The ad also presaged the development of a portable PlayStation (first released in Japan on December 12, 2004). The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a Handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Many analysts predicted a close three-way matchup between the PS2 and competitors Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube (GameCube being the cheapest of the three consoles and had an open market of games); however, the release of several blockbuster games during the 2001 holiday season maintained sales momentum and held off the PS2's rivals. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer The Xbox is a sixth-generation Video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. "Christmas season" redirects here For other uses see Christmas season (disambiguation. ^[12]

Although Sony, unlike Sega with its Dreamcast, placed little emphasis on online gaming during its first years, that changed upon the launch of the online-capable Xbox. is a multinational Video game Software and Hardware development company and a former Home computer The is Sega 's most recent Video game console and the successor to the Sega Saturn. Xbox Live (trademarked as Xbox LIVE) is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation Sony adapted in late 2002 to compete with Microsoft, with several online first–party titles released alongside it, such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs to demonstrate its active support for Internet play. SOCOM US Navy SEALS is a Video game classified as a tactical third-person shooter developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Sony also advertised heavily, and its online model had the support of Electronic Arts. Although Sony and Nintendo both started out late, and although both followed a decentralized model of online gaming where the responsibility is up to the developer to provide the servers, Sony's attempt made online gaming a major selling point of the PS2.

In September 2004, in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Sony revealed a new, slimmer PS2 (see Hardware revisions). Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and Video game developed by Rockstar North In preparation for the launch of a new, slimmer PS2 model (SCPH-70000; also known unofficially as the "PStwo"), Sony stopped making the older PS2 model (SCPH-5000x) during the summer of 2004 to let the distribution channel empty its stock of the units. After an apparent manufacturing issue caused some initial slowdown in producing the new unit, Sony reportedly underestimated demand, caused in part by shortages between the time the old units were cleared out and the new units were ready. The issue was compounded in Britain when a Russian oil tanker became stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking a ship from China carrying PS2s bound for the UK. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation During one week in November, British sales totaled 6,000 units — compared to 70,000 units a few weeks prior. ^[13] There were shortages in more than 1700 stores in North America on the day before Christmas. ^[14]

Hardware and software compatibility

OEM PlayStation 2 8 MB Memory Card. A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic Flash memory Data storage device used with Digital

See also: List of PlayStation 2 games, List of PlayStation games incompatible with PlayStation 2, List of PlayStation 2 CD-ROM games, List of PlayStation 2 DVD-9 games, List of HD Enhanced PS2 games, and Chronology of PlayStation 2 games

In addition to PS2 software, the PS2 can read both CDs and DVDs and is backward compatible with PlayStation games. This is a list of about 1800 games for the Sony PlayStation 2 Video game system both released and unreleased organized alphabetically by name This is a list of all Sony PlayStation games incompatible with PlayStation 2. This is a list of Sony PlayStation 2 games that use the CD-ROM format This is a list of Sony PlayStation 2 games that use the DVD-9 ( Dual layer) format This is a List of PlayStation2 games with support for HDTVs and EDTVs (as well as the games that have a widescreen mode This is a comprehensive chronology of PlayStation 2 games Games are organized by the month and year of their release A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is In Technology, especially Computing (irrespective of platform a product is said to be backward compatible when it is able to take the place of an older product The ability to play DVD movies was an added incentive for consumers to be able to justify purchasing the PS2 (the MSRP was US$300 in October 2000). The ( manufacturer's) suggested retail price ( MSRP or SRP) list price or recommended retail price ( RRP) (originally The PS2 also supports PlayStation memory cards (for PlayStation game saves only) and controllers, although the memory cards only work with PS1 games and the controllers may not support all functions (such as analog buttons) for PS2 games. A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic Flash memory Data storage device used with Digital

The PlayStation 2's DualShock 2 controller is cosmetically similar to the original DualShock.

The PS2's DualShock 2 controller is essentially an upgraded PlayStation DualShock; analog face, shoulder and D-pad buttons replaced the digital buttons of the original. The DualShock (officially DUALSHOCK and occasionally referred to as Dual Shock) is a line of vibration-feedback Analogue electronics (or analog in American English) are those electronic systems with a continuously Variable signal A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for Like its predecessor, the DualShock 2 controller has force feedback, which is commonly called the "vibration" function. The standard PlayStation 2 memory card has an 8MB capacity and uses Sony's MagicGate encryption. A megabyte is a unit of Information or Computer storage equal to either 106 (1000000 Bytes or 220 (1048576 bytes depending on MagicGate is a copy-protection technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI This requirement prevented the production of memory cards by third parties who did not purchase a license for the Magicgate encryption. The memory card can store PlayStation game saves, but PlayStation games cannot read from or write to the card - it can only be used as a backup. In Information technology, backup refers to making copies of Data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a

The console also features USB and IEEE 1394 expansion ports. The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus Interface standard for high-speed communications and Isochronous real-time data transfer frequently Compatibility with USB and IEEE 1394 devices is dependent on the software supporting the device. For example, the PS2 BIOS will not boot an ISO image from a USB flash drive or operate a USB printer, as the machine's operating system does not include this functionality. An ISO image is an Archive file (aka Disk image) of an Optical disc using a conventional ISO ( International Organization for Standardization By contrast, Gran Turismo 4 is programmed to save screenshots to a USB mass storage device and print images on certain USB printers. Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) is a racing Video game for Sony PlayStation 2 which is published by The USB mass storage device class or USB MSC or UMS is a set of computing communications protocols defined by the USB Implementers Forum that A PlayStation 2 HDD can be installed in an expansion bay on the back of the console, with some exceptions (see Hardware revisions below). The PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive (PS2 HDD was released on July 19, 2001 in Japan (together with the Network Adaptor and on March 23, 2004 The PlayStation 2 Expansion Bay is a 35" drive bay introduced with the model 30000 and 50000 PlayStation 2 (replacing the PCMCIA slot used in the models 10000 15000 and

Online

See also: List of PlayStation 2 network games

With the purchase of a separate unit called the Network Adapter (which is built into the slimline model), some PS2 games support online multiplayer. This list of Network games on the PlayStation 2 lists games that are capable of network-play on the Playstation 2 Video game console. The PlayStation 2 Expansion Bay is a 35" drive bay introduced with the model 30000 and 50000 PlayStation 2 (replacing the PCMCIA slot used in the models 10000 15000 and Online games are games played over some form of computer network. Instead of having a unified, subscription-based online service like Xbox Live, online multiplayer on the PS2 is split between publishers and run on third-party servers. Most recent PS2 online games have been developed to exclusively support broadband Internet access. Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just Broadband, is high-speed Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access over a Modem Xbox Live similarly requires a broadband Internet connection.

All online PS2 games released in and after 2003 are protected by the Dynamic Network Authentication System (DNAS). DnaS is a Gene involved in DNA replication. See also DnaA DnaB DnaC The purpose of this system is to prevent piracy and online cheating. 'Copyright infringement' (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is covered by Copyright law in a manner that violates Cheating in Online games are activities that modify the game experience to give one player an advantage over another player(s depending on the game different activities constitute DNAS will prevent games from being played online if they are determined to be pirated copies or if they have been modified. Recently, however, methods have been developed to get around this protection by modifying key files in the pirated game.

Also, some unofficial hacks have been made on the PS2 software allowing it to be used as a fully-functional web browser or messenger when connecting to a certain network. The PS2 can also run Linux. Linux for PlayStation 2 is a kit released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2002 that allows the PlayStation 2 console to be used as a Personal computer

Hardware revisions

The PS2 has undergone many revisions, some only of internal construction and others involving substantial external changes. These are colloquially known among PS2 hardware hackers as V0, V1, V2, etc. , up to V15b^[15] (as of 2008).

The most obvious variations were the changes in the case design. So the PS2 is differentiated between the original case design and the "slimline" model, which was introduced at the end of 2004. In November 2007, Sony announced a new, physically smaller, version of the slim PS2. ^[16]

Original case design

The original PlayStation 2 design.

Three of the original PS2 launch models (SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000, and SCPH-18000) were only sold in Japan, and lacked the expansion bay (Dev9) of current PS2 models. These models included a PCMCIA slot instead of the Dev9 port of newer models. In Computing, PC Card (originally '''PCMCIA''', or PCMCIA Card is the Form factor of a peripheral interface designed for Laptop computers A PCMCIA-to-Dev9 adapter was later made available for these models. SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 did not have a built-in DVD movie playback and instead relied on encrypted playback software that was copied to a memory card from an included CD-ROM (normally, the PS2 will only execute encrypted software from its memory card, but see PS2 Independence Exploit). The PS2 Independence Exploit allows the execution of homebrew programs on an unmodified PlayStation 2. V3 had a substantially different internal structure from the subsequent revisions, featuring several interconnected printed circuit boards. A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect Electronic components using conductive pathways or traces As of V4 everything was unified into one board, except the power supply. V5 introduced minor internal changes, and the only difference between V6 (sometimes called V5. 1) and V5 is the orientation of the Power/Reset switch board connector, which was reversed to prevent the use of no-solder modchips. A modchip (short for modification chip) is a small electronic device used to modify or disable built-in restrictions and limitations of many popular Videogame consoles V7 and V8 included only minor revisions to V6.

Assembly of the PS2 moved to the People's Republic of China during the development of V9 (model numbers SCPH-50000 and SCPH-50001). Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The upgraded console added an infrared port for the optional DVD remote control, removed the IEEE 1394 port, added the capability to read DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs, added progressive-scan output of DVD movies, and added a quieter fan. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of A remote control is an electronic device used for the remote operation of a Machine. V10 and V11 were only minor revisions to V9.

The PS2 standard color is matte black. Several different variations in color have been produced in different quantities and regions, including ceramic white, light yellow, metallic blue (aqua), metallic silver, navy (star blue), opaque blue (astral blue), opaque black (midnight black), pearl white, Sakura purple, satin gold, satin silver, snow white, super red, and transparent blue (ocean blue). ^{[17][18][19][20]}

The small PlayStation logo on the front of the disc tray could be rotated ninety degrees clockwise, in order for the logo to be the right way up in both vertical and horizontal console orientations.

Slimline

The redesigned slimline PlayStation 2.

In September 2004, Sony unveiled its third major hardware revision (V12, model number SCPH-70000). Available in November 2004, it is smaller, thinner, and quieter than the older versions and includes a built-in Ethernet port (in some markets it also has an integrated modem). Ethernet is a family of frame -based Computer networking technologies for Local area networks (LANs Modem (from mo dulator- dem odulator is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode Digital information Due to its thinner profile, it does not contain the 3. 5" expansion bay and therefore does not support the internal hard disk drive. The PlayStation 2 Expansion Bay is a 35" drive bay introduced with the model 30000 and 50000 PlayStation 2 (replacing the PCMCIA slot used in the models 10000 15000 and The PlayStation 2 Expansion Bay is a 35" drive bay introduced with the model 30000 and 50000 PlayStation 2 (replacing the PCMCIA slot used in the models 10000 15000 and It also lacks an internal power supply, similar to the GameCube, and has a modified MultiTap expansion. The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. Multi-tap also refers to a text-entry system for mobile phones The removal of the expansion bay has been criticized as a limitation due to the existence of titles such as Final Fantasy XI, which require the use of the HDD. also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG developed and published by Square (later Square The official PS2 Linux also requires an expansion bay to function. Linux for PlayStation 2 is a kit released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2002 that allows the PlayStation 2 console to be used as a Personal computer Currently only the modified MultiTap is sold in stores, meaning that owners of older PS2s must find a used or non-Sony MultiTap in order to have 4 or 8 players during a single game. Third-party connectors can be soldered into the unit giving hard drive support, however IDE connections were completely removed in the V14 revision, thereby eliminating this option.

Comparison of the Slimline PlayStation 2 design with the PlayStation 2, with an Eye Toy on top. History The EyeToy was originally devised by Dr Richard Marks who had the idea of connecting a Web camera to a PlayStation 2 and using it to play games

There are some disputes on the numbering for this PS2 version, since there are actually two sub-versions of the SCPH-70000. One of them includes the old EE and GS chips, and the other contains the newer unified EE+GS chip, but otherwise they are identical. Since the V12 version had already been established for this model, there were some disputes regarding these sub-versions. Two propositions were to name the old model (with separate EE and GS chips) V11. 5 and the newer model V12, and to name the old model V12 and the newer model V13. Currently, most people use V12 for both models, or V12 for the old model and V13 for the newer one.

The V12 model was first released in black, but a silver edition is available in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, South Africa, and most recently, North America. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest It is unknown whether or not this will follow the color schemes of the older model, although a limited edition Pink PS2 has become available since March 2007.

V12 (or V13) was succeeded by V14 (SCPH-75001 and SCPH-75002), which contains integrated EE and GS chips, and different ASICs compared to previous revisions, with some chips having a copyright date of 2005, compared to 2000 or 2001 for earlier models. It also has a different lens and some compatibility issues with a different number of PlayStation games and even some PS2 games.

In the beginning of 2005 it was found that some black slimline console power transformers bought between November and December 2004 were faulty and could overheat. The units were recalled by Sony, with the company supplying a replacement model made in 2005.

Later hardware revisions had better compatibility with PlayStation games (Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions operates on most silver models); however, the new Japanese slim models have more issues with playing PlayStation games than the first PS2 revisions.

The mainboard of the new silver slim PS2(model SCPH-79000).

In 2006, Sony released the latest hardware revisions (V15, model numbers SCPH-77001a and SCPH-77001b). It was first released in Japan on September 15, 2006, including the Silver limited edition. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. After its release in Japan, it was then released in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world. The new revision uses an integrated, unified EE+GS chip, a redesigned ASIC, a different laser lens, an updated BIOS, and updated drivers.

In July of 2007, Sony started shipping a revision of the slimline PlayStation 2 (SCPH-79000) featuring a reduced weight of 600 grams compared to 900 grams of the SCPH-77001, achieved through a reduction in parts. The unit also uses a smaller motherboard as well as a custom ASIC which houses the Emotion Engine, Graphics Synthesizer, and the RDRAM. The Emotion Engine is a CPU developed and manufactured by Sony and Toshiba for use in the Sony PlayStation 2 Video game console Direct Rambus DRAM or DRDRAM (sometimes just called Rambus DRAM or RDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic RAM, designed by the Rambus The AC adaptor's weight was also reduced to 250 grams from the 350 grams in the previous revision. ^[21] This revision is currently shipping in retail game stores. Another refinement of the slimline PlayStation 2 (SCPH-90000) was announced for release in Japan on November 22, 2007, with an overhauled internal design that incorporates the power supply into the console itself, with a further reduced total weight of 720 grams. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[22]

PSX

Main article: PSX (DVR)

Sony also manufactered a consumer device called the PSX that can be used as a digital video recorder and DVD burner in addition to playing PS2 games. PSX was a Sony Digital video recorder with fully integrated PlayStation and PlayStation 2 Video game consoles Since it was designed PSX was a Sony Digital video recorder with fully integrated PlayStation and PlayStation 2 Video game consoles Since it was designed A digital video recorder ( DVR) or personal video recorder ( PVR) is a device that records video in a digital format to a Disk drive or other The device, which was only released in Japan, was poorly received, with some major features absent from the first revisions of the hardware, and has thus far experienced very weak sales in Japan, in spite of major price drops. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[23] The machine's future continues to be uncertain, with North American and European launches considered to be distant, if at all, especially since the release of the PlayStation 3.

Accessories

Main articles: DualShock, PlayStation 2 HDD, EyeToy, PlayStation 2 Headset, and Logitech

The PlayStation 2's DualShock 2 controller is largely identical to the PlayStation's DualShock, with the same basic functionality; however, it includes analog pressure sensitivity on the face, shoulder and D-pad buttons, is lighter and includes two more levels of vibration. The DualShock (officially DUALSHOCK and occasionally referred to as Dual Shock) is a line of vibration-feedback The PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive (PS2 HDD was released on July 19, 2001 in Japan (together with the Network Adaptor and on March 23, 2004 History The EyeToy was originally devised by Dr Richard Marks who had the idea of connecting a Web camera to a PlayStation 2 and using it to play games The PlayStation 2 Headset is a USB headset used with the PlayStation 2. Logitech International SA ( SWX: LOGN,) headquartered in Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland, is the Holding company for Logitech A game controller is an Input device used to control a Video game. An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature (variable of the signal is a representation of some other Oscillation is the repetitive variation typically in Time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of Equilibrium) or between two or more different states The L2 and R2 buttons are also significantly larger. The fact that the design did not change pleased some consumers who were already used to the DualShock controller.

EyeToy USB camera. History The EyeToy was originally devised by Dr Richard Marks who had the idea of connecting a Web camera to a PlayStation 2 and using it to play games

Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller compatible with the PlayStation 2.

Optional hardware includes DualShock or DualShock 2 controllers, a PS2 DVD remote control, an internal or external HDD, a network adapter, horizontal and vertical stands, PlayStation or PS2 memory cards, light guns (GunCon), fishing rod and reel controllers. A remote control is an electronic device used for the remote operation of a Machine. A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic Flash memory Data storage device used with Digital A light gun is a Pointing device for Computers and a control device for arcade and video games. The Guncon (often spelled "GunCon" a Portmanteau of "Gun Controller" known as the G-Con in Europe is a family of Light gun Also available are various cables and interconnects, including the Multitap for PlayStation or PS2, S-Video, RGB, SCART, VGA (for progressive scan games and PS2 Linux only), component and composite video cables, an RF modulator, a USB camera (EyeToy), dance pads for Dance Dance Revolution, In the Groove, and Pump It Up titles, Konami microphones for use with the Karaoke Revolution games, dual microphones (sold with and used exclusively for SingStar games), various "guitar" controllers (for the Guitar Freaks series and Guitar Hero series), the drum set controller (sold in a box set (or by itself) with a "guitar" controller and a USB microphone for use with Rock Band), Onimusha 3 katana controller, Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller, a USB keyboard and mouse, and a headset. Multi-tap also refers to a text-entry system for mobile phones Super Video or Separated Video abbreviated S-Video and also known as Y/C is an analog video signal that carries the video data as two separate SCART (from Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs) The term Video Graphics Array ( VGA) refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread Linux for PlayStation 2 is a kit released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2002 that allows the PlayStation 2 console to be used as a Personal computer This article is about analog component video for the processing of color components in digital video see Digital video, Chroma subsampling and YCbCr Composite video is the format of an Analog television (picture only signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF An RF modulator (for Radio frequency Modulator) is a device that takes a Baseband input signal and outputs a Radio frequency -modulated signal History The EyeToy was originally devised by Dr Richard Marks who had the idea of connecting a Web camera to a PlayStation 2 and using it to play games A dance pad, also known as a dance mat or dance platform, is a flat electronic Game controller used for Input in dance games Dance Dance Revolution (abbreviated DDR) previously known as Dancing Stage in PAL territories until the announcement of In the Groove (abbreviated ITG) is the first game in the In the Groove franchise published and developed by Pump It Up, commonly abbreviated as PIU () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines Karaoke Revolution and its many sequels are Video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, This article concerns the series as a whole For the PlayStation 3 version see SingStar (PlayStation 3. GuitarFreaks (also GUITARFREAKS, abbreviated GF) is a Music video game series produced by Konami. Onimusha 3 Demon Siege, released in Japan as, is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as, is a Third-person shooter Video game and the sixth installment in the Resident Evil In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys In Computing, a mouse (plural mice, mouse devices, or mouses) Headphones (also known as earphones, earbuds, stereophones, headsets) are a pair of small Loudspeakers or less commonly a single Unlike the PlayStation, which required the use of an official Sony PlayStation mouse to play mouse-compatible games, the few PS2 games with mouse support work with standard PC-compatible USB mice. The PlayStation Mouse (SCPH-1090 is a peripheral input device for the Sony PlayStation console that allows the player to use a mouse as a method of Early versions of the PS2 could be networked via an iLink port, though this had little game support and was dropped. The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus Interface standard for high-speed communications and Isochronous real-time data transfer frequently The original PS2 multitap cannot be plugged into the newer slim models (as the multitap connects to the memory card slot as well as the controller slot and the memory card slot on the slimline is shallower). New slim-design multitaps are manufactured for these models, however third-party adapters also exist to permit original multitaps to be used. Some third party manufacturers have created devices that allow disabled people to access the PS2 through ordinary switches etc. One such device is the PS2-SAP from LEPMIS.

Homebrew development

Main article: Linux for PlayStation 2

Sony released a version of the Linux operating system for the PS2 in a package that also includes a keyboard, mouse, Ethernet adapter and HDD. Linux for PlayStation 2 is a kit released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2002 that allows the PlayStation 2 console to be used as a Personal computer Linux (commonly pronounced ˈlɪnəks In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys In Computing, a mouse (plural mice, mouse devices, or mouses) Ethernet is a family of frame -based Computer networking technologies for Local area networks (LANs A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device Currently, Sony's online store states that the Linux kit is no longer for sale in North America. However as of July 2005, the European version was still available. The kit boots by installing a proprietary interface, the run-time environment, which is on a region-coded DVD, so the European and North America kits only work with a PS2 from their respective regions. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

In Europe and Australia, the PS2 comes with a free Yabasic interpreter on the bundled demo disc. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Yabasic (Yet Another BASIC is a free and Open source BASIC interpreter for Windows and Unix platforms This allows simple programs to be created for the PS2 by the end-user. This was included in a failed attempt to circumvent a UK tax by defining the console as a "computer" if it contained certain software.

A port of the NetBSD project and BlackRhino GNU/Linux, an alternative Debian-based distribution, are also available for the PS2. NetBSD is a freely redistributable Open source version of the Unix -derivative Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD Computer Operating Debian ( pronounced) is a computer Operating system composed entirely of Free and open source software.

Using homebrew programs (e. g. 'SMS Media Player'^[24]) it is possible to listen to various audio file formats (MP3, Ogg, AAC, FLAC, AC3), and watch movies (MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4-ASP in AVI Container) using the console. MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a Digital audio encoding format using a form of Lossy data compression Vorbis is a free and open source, lossy audio Codec project headed by the Xiph Advanced Audio Coding ( AAC) is a standardized lossy compression and encoding scheme for Digital audio. Free Lossless Audio Codec ( FLAC) is a File format for lossless Audio data compression. Dolby Digital is the marketing name for a series of lossy audio compression technologies developed by Dolby MPEG-1 was an early Standard for Lossy compression of Video and audio. MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information" MPEG-4 Part 2 is a Video compression technology developed by MPEG. Media can be played from any device connected to the console i. e. external USB/Firewire thumb drive/hard disk (FAT32), the internal hard disk on early revision consoles, optical CD-R(W)/DVD±R(W) disks, or network shares (Windows Network or PS2 host: protocol). The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus Interface standard for high-speed communications and Isochronous real-time data transfer frequently A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device Templateinfobox filesystem whilst covering all 3 file systems please make any style changes to both at the same time In Computer networking, Server Message Block ( SMB) operates as an application-level network protocol mainly used to provide Shared access

Homebrew programs can be launched directly from a Memory Card on un-modified consoles using the homebrew 'FreeMC Boot installer' to prepare the Memory Card^[25]

Homebrew emulators of older computer and gaming systems have been developed for the PS2^[26]. Using these homebrew programs the PS2 can emulate the; Atari 2600, Atari 5200, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Game boy, Sega genesis, Sega master system, MSX, Neo Geo, Nintendo Entertainment System, TurboGrafx-16, Super Nintendo. The Atari 2600 is a Video game console released in October 1977 The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, or simply the Atari 5200, is a Video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari Inc The is a handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based Video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s The Neo Geo is a cartridge -based arcade and home Video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was

Controversies

Disc read error

Owners of early PS2 models purchased from launch until July 2003 often reported faulty optical drives in their consoles. In Computing, an optical disc drive ( ODD) is a Disk drive that uses Laser light or electromagnetic waves near the Light spectrum ^[27] The earliest drives suffered from a constantly misaligning laser lens, which could also result in discs being scratched by the lens. A laser is a device that emits Light ( Electromagnetic radiation) through a process called Stimulated emission. ^[28] Later defects were the result of a shift in voltage to the laser. Electrical tension (or voltage after its SI unit, the Volt) is the difference of electrical potential between two points of an electrical The first problem was easily remedied by opening the console's casing and tweaking a cog that controlled the lens's distance from the disc; however, this action voided the console's warranty. In commercial and consumer transactions a warranty is an Obligation or guarantee that an article or service sold is as factually stated or legally The second problem could be fixed by using an oscillator. Oscillation is the repetitive variation typically in Time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of Equilibrium) or between two or more different states After many consoles had broken down, a class action lawsuit was filed against Sony. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with Sony agreed to provide free repair or replacement for the faulty consoles and continued to do so until February 2005.

Another problem that could cause a disc read error is wear on the coupling in the head assembly to the worm gear that moves the laser. A worm drive is a gear arrangement in which a worm (which is a gear in the form of a screw) meshes with a worm gear (which is A symptom of this is a loud repetitive clicking sound. This sound can also be heard on older systems when playing game format or PS1 disks. These problems rarely occur on newer consoles.

A class action lawsuit was launched in 2005 against Sony with regards to this issue. It was settled ^[29] by allowing those who purchased a defective console to receive $25, a free game, free repairs or a new console.

Capabilities

Before the PS2 was even released in Japan, there were controversies over the capabilities of the PS2. Japan initially imposed export restrictions on the PS2. The PS2 was even said to contain parts, especially its powerful graphics hardware, which could be used to simulate the effects of military ballistic missiles. ^[30]

Technical specifications

The specifications of the PlayStation 2 console are as follows, with hardware revisions:

Emotion Engine CPU

Graphics Synthesizer GPU

Older EE+GS that does not incorporate system memory (Found in Older Charcoal Black Slim PS2s. The Emotion Engine is a CPU developed and manufactured by Sony and Toshiba for use in the Sony PlayStation 2 Video game console (SCPH-70001).

ASIC that incorporates the EE, GS, and system memory (found in silver slim PS2s. Model SCPH-79000).

I/O Processor (PlayStation 1 CPU) I/O Bus

• CPU: 64-bit/128-bit "Emotion Engine" clocked at 294 MHz (299 MHz on newer versions), 10. The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console '64-bit' CPUs have existed in Supercomputers since the 1960s and in RISC -based workstations and servers since the early 1990s. The Emotion Engine is a CPU developed and manufactured by Sony and Toshiba for use in the Sony PlayStation 2 Video game console In Electronics and especially synchronous Digital circuits a clock signal is a signal used to coordinate the actions of two or more circuits The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. 5 million transistors
  • System Memory: 32 MB (MiB) Direct Rambus or RDRAM
  • Memory bus Bandwidth: 3. In Electronics, a transistor is a Semiconductor device commonly used to amplify or switch electronic signals Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to Computer components devices and recording media that retain digital A megabyte is a unit of Information or Computer storage equal to either 106 (1000000 Bytes or 220 (1048576 bytes depending on Rambus Incorporated ( founded in 1990, is a provider of high-speed interface technology most notably their Rambus Dynamic RAM memory technology, which Direct Rambus DRAM or DRDRAM (sometimes just called Rambus DRAM or RDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic RAM, designed by the Rambus In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. 2 gigabytes per second
  • Main processor: MIPS R5900 CPU core, 64 bit
  • Coprocessor: FPU (Floating Point Multiply Accumulator × 1, Floating Point Divider × 1)
  • Vector Units: VU0 and VU1 (Floating Point Multiply Accumulator × 9, Floating Point Divider × 1), 128 bit, at 150 MHz. In Telecommunications and Computing, bitrate (sometimes written bit rate, data rate or as a Variable R or f b MIPS (originally an acronym for Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages) is a RISC microprocessor architecture developed by MIPS Technologies A coprocessor is a Computer processor used to supplement the functions of the primary processor (the CPU A floating point unit (FPU is a part of a Computer system specially designed to carry out operations on Floating point numbers
    • VU0 typically used for polygon transformations, physics and other gameplay type things
    • VU1 typically used for polygon transformations, lighting and other visual based calculations
      • Texture matrix able for 2 units (UV/ST)^[31]
  • Floating Point Performance: 6. 2 gigaFLOPS (single precision 32-bit floating point)
    • FPU 0. Measuring performance In order for FLOPS to be useful as a measure of floating-point performance a standard benchmark must be available on all computers of interest 64 gigaFLOPS
    • VU0 2. 44 gigaFLOPS
    • VU1 3. 08 gigaFLOPS (with Internal 0. 64 gigaFLOP EFU)
  • 3D CG Geometric transformation(VU0+VU1 parallel): 66 million polygons per second
    • 3D CG Geometric transformations under curved surfaces: 16 million polygons per second
    • 3D CG Geometric transformations at peak bones/movements/effects(textures)/lights(VU0+VU1): 15-20 million polygons per second (dependent on if series or parallel T&L)
    • Actual real-world polygons (per frame):500-650k at 30fps, 250-325k at 60fps
  • Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG-2
  • I/O Processor interconnection: Remote Procedure Call over a serial link, DMA controller for bulk transfer
  • Cache memory: Instruction: 16 KB (KiB), Data: 8 KB + 16 KB (ScrP)

• GPU: "Graphics Synthesizer" clocked at 147 MHz
  • Pixel pipelines: 16
  • Video output resolution: variable from 256x224 to 1280x1024 pixels
  • 4 MB (MiB) Embedded DRAM video memory bandwidth at 48 gigabytes per second (main system 32 MB can be dedicated into VRAM for off-screen materials)
    • Texture buffer bandwidth: 9. In Geometry a polygon (ˈpɒlɨɡɒn ˈpɒliɡɒn is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path or circuit MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information" Remote procedure call ( RPC) is an Inter-process communication technology that allows a Computer program to cause a Subroutine or procedure to A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix Kilo -, meaning 1000 is a unit of Information or Computer storage equal to either 1024 Video memory is a term generally used in Computers to describe some form of writable memory usually RAM, dedicated to the purpose of holding the information necessary In Telecommunications and Computing, bitrate (sometimes written bit rate, data rate or as a Variable R or f b 6 GB/s
    • Frame buffer bandwidth: 38. A gigabyte (derived from the SI prefix Giga-) is a unit of Information or Computer 4 GB/s
  • DRAM Bus width: 2560-bit (composed of three independent buses: 1024-bit write, 1024-bit read, 512-bit read/write)
  • Pixel Configuration: RGB: Alpha:Z Buffer (24:8, 15:1 for RGB, 16, 24, or 32-bit Z buffer)
  • Dedicated connection to: Main CPU and VU1
  • Overall Pixel fillrate: 16x147 = 2. 352 Gpixel/s (rounded to 2. A gigapixel image is a Digital image Bitmap composed of one billion (109 Pixels (picture elements more than 150 times the information 4 Gpixel/s)
    • Pixel fillrate: with no texture, flat shaded 2. 4(75,000,000 32pixel raster triangles)
    • Pixel fillrate: with 1 full texture(Diffuse Map), Gouraud shaded 1. Gouraud shading, named after Henri Gouraud, is a method used in Computer graphics to simulate the differing effects of light and colour across the surface of 2 (37,750,000 32-bit pixel raster triangles)
    • Pixel fillrate: with 2 full textures(Diffuse map + specular or alpha or other), Gouraud shaded 0. 6 (18,750,000 32-bit pixel raster triangles)
  • GS effects: AAx2 (poly sorting required)^[32], Bilinear, Trilinear, Multi-pass, Palletizing (4-bit = 6:1 ratio, 8-bit = 4:1)
  • Multi-pass rendering ability
    • Four passes = 300 Mpixel/s (300 Mpixel/s divided by 32pixel = 9,375,000 triangle/sec lossed every four passes)^[33]
• Audio: "SPU1+SPU2" (SPU1 is actually the CPU clocked at 8 MHz)
  • Number of voices: 48 hardware channels of ADPCM on SPU2 plus software-mixed channels
  • Sampling Frequency: 44. In Digital imaging, a pixel ( pict ure el ement is the smallest piece of information in an image 1 kHz or 48 kHz (selectable)
  • Output: Dolby Digital 5. Dolby Digital is the marketing name for a series of lossy audio compression technologies developed by Dolby 1 Surround sound, DTS (Full motion video only), later games achieved analog 5. 51, Multichannel audio, Multichannel music Surround 3D Surround 5 DTS (also known as Digital Theater Systems) owned by DTS Inc ( is a multi-channel digital Surround sound format used for both commercial/theatrical Full motion video based games, usually abbreviated as FMV-based games, are Video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV -quality movie or 1 surround during gameplay through Dolby Pro Logic II
• I/O Processor
  • CPU Core: Original PlayStation CPU (MIPS R3000A clocked at 33. Dolby Pro Logic is a Surround sound processing technology designed to decode soundtracks encoded with Dolby Surround. 8688 MHz or 37. 5 MHz)
  • Sub Bus: 32 Bit
  • Connection to: SPU and CD/DVD controller.

• Interface Types:
  • 2 proprietary PlayStation controller ports (250 kHz clock for PS1 and 500 kHz for PS2 controllers)
  • 2 proprietary Memory Card slots using MagicGate encryption (250 kHz for PS1 cards, up to 2 MHz for PS2 cards)
  • Expansion Bay (PCMCIA on early models for PCMCIA Network Adaptor and External Hard Disk Drive) DEV9 port for Network Adaptor
  • Modem and Internal Hard Disk Drive
  • IEEE 1394 (only in SCPH 10xxx – 3xxxx)
  • Infrared remote control port (SCPH 5000x and newer) — IEEE 1394 port removed and Infrared port added in SCPH-50000 and later hardware versions. MagicGate is a copy-protection technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI Modem (from mo dulator- dem odulator is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode Digital information The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus Interface standard for high-speed communications and Isochronous real-time data transfer frequently Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of
  • 2 USB 1. 1 ports with an OHCI-compatible controller.

• Disc Drive type: 24x (PlayStation 2 format CD-ROM, PlayStation format CD-ROM), 4x (Supported DVD formats) — Region-locked with anti-copy protection. Can't read "Gold Discs" i. e. , normal CD-ROMs.

• Supported Disc Media: PlayStation 2 format CD-ROM, PlayStation format CD-ROM, Compact Disc Audio, PlayStation 2 format DVD-ROM (4. Red Book is the standard for audio CDs ( Compact Disc Digital Audio system or CDDA) 7 GB), DVD Video (4. A gigabyte (derived from the SI prefix Giga-) is a unit of Information or Computer DVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD (DVD-ROM discs and is currently the dominant form of consumer video formats in the United 7 GB). Later models are DVD-9 (8. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is 5 GB Dual-Layer), DVD+RW, and DVD-RW compatible. DVD+RW is the name of a standard for Optical discs one of several types of DVD, which hold up to about 4 A DVD-RW disc is a rewritable Optical disc with equal storage capacity to a DVD-R, typically 4

See also

• HDD Utility Disc
• PlayStation Broadband Navigator

References

External links

Official sites

• PlayStation official site
• Official PS2 Developer Site – only for registered developers

Directories

• PlayStation 2 at the Open Directory Project