Sony Playstation 2 (SCPH- [see below for version numbers])

The Playstation 2 was originally announced in 1998 to be a 64 bit backwards compatible unit with a 4x speed CDROM drive with DVD compatibility. This however, changed before it was released in 2000.

Released stateside on October 26, 2000 the Sony Playstation 2 was $299.99 USD. For that price the customer recieved a sleek new PS2 with the new Dual Shock 2 controller, AV cables, a power cord, and a reply card for a free demo disc. By the time the customer recieved the disc however, the games featured on it were already released. The PS2 has the capability to play DVDs right out of the box with the controller. Optional for purchase (but not necessary) was the DVD remote control. Also, the PS2 has backwards compatability. It can play the original Playstation discs, except for some of the early releases. It can also use the wide range of Playstation accessories. The price dropped to $199.99 USD on May 14, 2002, about a week before E3 2002. Microsoft was rumored to be dropping the price of the X-Box a week after Sony did, but followed suit and dropped the same day also. In May 2003, the price dropped again to $179.99 USD. One month later Sony released a Online package, that included the system, AV cables, power cord, Dual Shock 2 controller, and the Network adpater. The package retails for $199.99 and will be the set that Sony retails from now on. In October 2003, Sony made that deal a little sweeter and started including copies of ATV Off Road Fury 2 with the Network packs. They were not bundled in the same box, so customers please, if you are getting this set, make sure your store clerk/retailer gives you the disc.

The only other 'bundle' that Sony has made for the Playstation 2 was the Gran Turismo 3 bundle, released in June 2001. The bundle retailed for $329.99 USD (the plain system was $299.99 USD and the game by itself was $49.99 USD, so it saved you $20). The game and the system were bundled in the same spiffy red box. The case sleeve itself was red to match the box. The retail release of the game had a blue sleeve. There was also a selection of glossy systems dubbed the 'European Automobile Color Collection'. They were a series of limited color editions that came in (all metallics) Red, Yellow, Blue, White and Silver. There were supposedly 666 units of each color allocated to the US.

Versions for catalog number 30001 depend on the serial number. There are four revisions that depend on this, the first letters are u1 is verion 1, u0 is version 2, u2 is version 3. The preceding three have ten screw holes (they will be under 10 small square plates on the underside of the PS2). A version 4 will be shown as a u2 also, but will only have eight of these little plates and an electric warning. Version four can also be found with catalog numbers 30000, 30001, 35001, 30002, 35002, 30003, 35003, 30004, 35004. However, there is yet another trick to finding a version four. After you've done all this other stuff, on the roof of the expansion bay, directly under the serial number, if there is NO screw then you've got a version four. Versions five and six will not have the screw in the expansion bay and are usually 30000R, 30001R, 30002R, 30003R, 30004R, 30006R (but sometimes come without the R). If you really want to know what version it is, you have to open up the system (warning: this could void any and all warranties you currently have on your system so I don't recommend it). There will be two white blocks next to each other (one has a 'ribbon'). On the one without the ribbon, if the pins are near the board, then it's a version five but if the pins are away from the board, then it is a version six. Version six are the following catalog numbers: 39000, 39001, 39002, 39003, 39004, 37000. Version nines are the newest versions with the IR reciever (released holiday 2003)

Back of the PS 2: 1. Main Power On/Off 2. Power Output 3. Digital Optical Out 4. AV Output 5. Cooling Fan 6. Expansion Plug(PS 2 Network Adapter 7. Expansion Bay (Harddrive, etc.)	Front of the PS 2: 1. Controller Slots 1/2 2. Memory Card Slots 1/2 3. Disc Drive 4. Twistable PS Logo (accomidates vertical or horizontal PS2 with Feng Shui) 5. USB x 2, I-Link Port (Gran Turismo 3) 6. Soft Power/Reset (Red=Off, Green=On, Black=Turn on main power switch--see #1 in left diagram) 7. Eject Button

The universal DVD code for some Playstation 2 systems is 7444. This will work for some systems, but not all. If you are prompted to enter a code to play DVDs and you have forgotten your code or don't know what it is, simply try the universal number.

The Sony PS2 DVD remote that was released in 2002, came with a disc to update the PS2's DVD drivers. The data must be saved on a PS2 memory card and would allow access to certain functions of the DVDs not previously offered on the PS2 console. This data takes up about 2mB. The data can be erased and redownloaded later.

The memory card of the PS2 was to be only used for PS2 games and storage of Playstation data. The original PSX data could not be directly saved/accessed from the PS2 memory card. Playstation data could only immediately be retrieved/saved on a original PSX memory card on the PS2. PS2 game saves were too large for the tiny PSX cards, so that was out of the question.

Disc Read Error: This has been becoming a problem for some people's systems. There are seperate lenses to read DVD (silver disc) and CD-Roms (blue disc) which would explain why one might read and one might not. The simplist fix might work and here it is: Simply take a can of compressed air that you normally find at a computer store. Put the straw into the nozzle like you normally would (so you don't get the icy cold liquid on the PS2 parts--yech) and blow off the back fan. Open the disc tray and blow some air into the empty space. This way it should hit whatever dust or loose "junk" is on your lense and clean it off. There, a simple solution that works in about 50% of the cases and costs $4-8 USD rather than buying a new PS2 for $199.99 USD. Whatever you do, please don't put those "CD cleaning Kits" into your system, usually the brushes on them can be so abrasive it might end up scratching your lense besides cleaning it. As reported by some, Sony has started to fix these issues free of charge, but you will be without a system for a few weeks (please check with them on the current pricing to see if that offer still stands)

Since the Playstation 2 was backwards compatible, not only did the games from the original Playstation work on it, but so did the accessories. View the list here.

Official Playstation 2 Demo Kiosks

Dual Shock 2 Controller Keychain Controller Chun-Li Controller Akuma Controller Ken Controller Ryu Controller DVD Remote Multitap Guncon 2 Eyetoy

Network Adapter Front Network Adapter Back Network Adapter Software Network Adapter Package Memory Card Controller Accessories VGA Adapter Power Tip Game Sample Game Sample 2 Requirements Sample

	The new Dual Shock 2 controller for the PS2. The bottom image shows the back of the controller: L and R buttons. Also, to tell the Dual Shock 2 apart from the regular Dual Shock, the words 'Dual Shock 2' were written in blue on the top of the controller. SCPH-10010 Take me to the top!
	Playstation 2 Keychain controller. Take me to the top!
	Chun-Li Street Fighter 15th Anniversary controller from Nubytech. Take me to the top!
	Akuma Street Fighter 15th Anniversary controller from Nubytech. Blockbuster Video exclusive design. Take me to the top!
	Ken Street Fighter 15th Anniversary controller from Nubytech. Take me to the top!
	Ryu Street Fighter 15th Anniversary controller from Nubytech. Take me to the top!
	1st Party DVD remote kit. Optional. Comes with a driver disc that takes up 2 Mb of memory card space and updates the drivers on the PS 2. Remote: SCPH-10150 Reciever: SCPH-10160 Take me to the top!
	Sony Brand Multitap. SCPH-10090 Usually popular with sports game players, the multi tap allows for up to four players (eight if you have two multitaps) and four to eight memory cards set up similarly to the controller situations just described. Take me to the top!
	Namco Guncon2 for Playstation 2. The Guncon2 was a USB compatible light gun and also had to be plugged into the video port, with the video jack of the PS2 being piggy backed on it. If you didn't utilize AV cables, you had to purch ase the AV adapter. The gun came pre-packaged with Time Crisis 2, Time Crisis 3, Crisis Zone, Vampire Night, and Ninja Assault. Take me to the top!
	PS2 Eye Toy. $49.99 USD. Contained the game disc Play which had twelve games for the Eye Toy and the Eye Toy USB camera. Other eyetoy games were Groove, play 2, Antigrav, Kinetic, Operation Spy, Nicktoons Movin and Sega Superstars. There was a Ape Escape eyetoy game released in Europe. Other compatible eyetoy games include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and some of the Dance Dance revolution games. Take me to the top!
	Back (PS2 side) of the Sony Network Adapter: 1. Connector to PS 2 2. Harddrive connector (supplies power to the harddrive) 3. ATAPI (aka IDE or EIDE) interface for the harddrive -Thanks Andre for clarification SCPH-10281 Take me to the top!
	Front (Elements Side) of the PS2 Network Adapter shows the 56K phone modem and (underneath the warning sticker) is the broadband adapter. Take me to the top!
	PS2 Network adapter Setup disc came with demos and a product booklet. Take me to the top!
	Full packaging contents of the Network Adapter: Unit, Setup Disc, Reprint Info Card, Instructions, Rebate for Twisted Metal Black Online, and an AOL Customer Interest card. Take me to the top!
	PS2 Memory Card. Early in 2002 Sony had a batch go bad, so memory cards were scarce....from everyone. Later that rumor was in competition with another one: Sony went to court over licencing with Mad Catz, Interact, etc. so they would be prevented from making PS2 memory cards. *the later statement is the truth finally divulged by the Sony Rep. SCPH-10020 Take me to the top!
	Controller accessories. The skateboard from Yanya Caballista and the surf board from Surfing H30. The skateboard was a pack in while the surfboard was a promotional item. These snapped onto L3 and R3. Take me to the top!
	VGA Adapter by Innovation *Tip from Vidgame* Please do not buy this piece of crap. Sony makes their own VGA adapter that only utilizes synch-on-green monitors (most monitors are not) so that may be why the Innovation VGA adapter gives washed out, fuzzy images when used. There is no note on the packaging what type of moniter you need. I've tried this and promply returned it to the store where I purchased it. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. Take me to the top!
	Power cord for PS2. 7.5V AC120V~0.37A 60Hz. Output DC 7.5V 2.0 A. (27W) Take me to the top!
	Sample game: case, instructions, and game. Sony released two types of games: DVD and CD based. DVD games have silver bottoms. CD based games are blue on the bottom. Take me to the top!
	Yanya Caballista: Came in an oversized cardboard box and released with the Skateboard controller accessory. Take me to the top!
	Sample of the info you find on the back of games that tells what type of controllers may be used, number of players, the space used on memory cards and other information pertaining to the likes. Take me to the top!