2000 · Sony Computer Entertainment · Japan · console
Sony PlayStation 2
The reigning champion of video game history.
Essential Easy to run ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
The reigning champion of video game history. By including a built-in DVD movie player at a time when standalone DVD players cost $300+, the PS2 entered millions of living rooms as both an entertainment center and gaming titan.
The Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer produced atmospheric visual effects (depth of field, heat haze, particle smoke) that defined generation-defining cinematic narratives like Shadow of the Colossus and MGS3.
Under the hood
- CPU
- Emotion Engine (128-bit RISC processor) @ 294.9 MHz with 32 MB RDRAM
- Sound chip
- SPU2 (48 channels of 16-bit 48 kHz PCM audio with hardware Dolby Digital / DTS)
- Graphics
- Graphics Synthesizer (GS) @ 147 MHz with 4 MB embedded eDRAM capable of 48 GB/s fillrate
- Media
- DVD-ROM & CD-ROM discs (Backward compatible with original PS1 games & DVD movies)
Hardware revisions
| Model | Years | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| SCPH-10000PS2 launch (Japan)Japan-only | 2000 | GH-001 board, 8.5V PSU input |
| SCPH-15000PS2 (Japan)Japan-only | 2000-2001 | GH-003 board |
| SCPH-30000PS2 worldwide launch generation (Japan)Japan-only | 2000-2001 | Switched to a 12V power supply |
| SCPH-30001PS2 worldwide launch generation (North America)1 = US/Canada | 2000-2002 | Known issue: Widely reported 'Disc Read Error' failures from laser/lens wear on early units |
| SCPH-35000GTPS2 GT bundle (Japan)Japan-only | 2001 | Gran Turismo 3 bundle SKU, same hardware generation as SCPH-30000. |
| SCPH-70000PS2 Slim launch (North America)01 = North America | 2004 | First 'Slim' PS2 chassis; GH-032/GH-035 boards; Known issue: Incompatible with HDD-requiring titles (e.g. Final Fantasy XI) |
| SCPH-75000PS2 Slim | 2005-2006 | GH-036/037/040/041 boards; PPC405-based IOP with external 4MB DDR-SDRAM; Known issue: Some PS1 backward-compatibility regressions reported due to a different laser lens |
| SCPH-90000PS2 Slim (final revision) | 2007-2013 | GH-070/071/072 boards; internal PSU reintroduced (weight rose to 720g); Known issue: Slim line was criticized for overheating due to the lack of a built-in fan on earlier Slim revisions |
What it cost
only about 6% of a month’s pay in 2004 · about $247 today
| US launch list price ($299) |
$299 (2000)
only about 11% of a month’s pay · about $545 in today's money |
|---|---|
| PS2 Slim launch price ($149) |
$149 (2004)
Dropped to $99 in 2009. |
| Japan launch price (¥39,800) | ¥39,800 |
| Units sold | 155,000,000 Over 155 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling video game console in history. |
What it's worth now
Accessible $40–70 fat, $50–80 slim
The best-selling console ever made, so supply outpaces collector demand; a few limited-run games (Rule of Rose) are the real value spikes.
A guide to collectibility, not a valuation — real prices depend on condition, completeness and demand.
Why it mattered
The Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer produced atmospheric visual effects (depth of field, heat haze, particle smoke) that defined generation-defining cinematic narratives like Shadow of the Colossus and MGS3.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | PCSX2, AetherSX2 / NetherSX2, Play! |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Easy to run (3 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | A standard modern controller covers the ordinary controls, though unusual accessories may need custom mapping. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
Requires PS2 BIOS (`scph39001.bin` / `scph70012.bin`). Handled with extraordinary performance on standalone PCSX2 (and RetroArch LRPS2) with upscaling up to 4K. The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
PlayStation 2 BIOS (SCPH-39001 / SCPH-70012)
The Sony PlayStation 2 strictly requires a 4 MB BIOS ROM dump. The BIOS initializes the Emotion Engine CPU, Graphics Synthesizer, and Vector Units (VU0/VU1), and provides the OSDSYS browser interface. PCSX2 will not boot any game without a valid PS2 BIOS file in its bios folder.
How many files you need: 1. A single 4 MB PS2 BIOS file (e.g. SCPH-39001.bin or SCPH-70012.bin).
Where it stands legally: The PS2 BIOS is proprietary copyrighted code of Sony Interactive Entertainment. You can dump it legally from your own console using the homebrew PS2 Dumper tool.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see PCSX2 Official BIOS Setup Guide for the current list.
Where the software is
Preservation catalogues describe verified dumps; they do not grant permission to download commercial software. A curated, correctly matched set is easier to use than an undifferentiated archive.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Open World Action
Rockstar’s massive three-city 1990s sandbox that defined open-world freedom.
- Shadow of the Colossus Action Adventure
Fumito Ueda’s haunting, minimalist masterwork of climbing and toppling 16 colossal titans.
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Tactical Espionage Action
Jungle camouflage, surgical survival, and the legendary ladder climb in the Soviet wilderness.
- God of War II Action Hack & Slash
Cory Barlog pushed the PS2 hardware to its absolute apex with thunderous Greek mythology scale.
- Final Fantasy X JRPG
First fully voice-acted Final Fantasy, introducing the Sphere Grid and Spira’s pilgrimage.
- Silent Hill 2 Psychological Horror
James Sunderland’s exploration of guilt in foggy Silent Hill; a storytelling triumph.
- Resident Evil 4 Action Survival Horror
Invented the modern over-the-shoulder third-person shooting camera.
- Ōkami Action Adventure
Clover Studio’s breathtaking Japanese sumi-e watercolor celestial brush adventure.
- Persona 4 JRPG / Social Sim
Investigate murders in the foggy town of Inaba while building school friendships.
- Gran Turismo 4 Racing Simulation
Over 700 cars and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in native 1080i resolution.
- God of War 2005 Action-adventure game
- Final Fantasy X-2 2003 Role-playing
- Final Fantasy XI 2002 Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
The verdict
The commercially prominent console of all time (155+ million units). An inexhaustible library of all-time masterworks: GTA San Andreas, Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, God of War II,…
The strongest software can be rewarding, but original controls and setup assumptions may matter more than screenshots suggest.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about sony playstation and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 5/5 for fun today and 5/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 75% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.