When is it coming out?
US & Canada: October 26, 2000
England & Europe: November 24, 2000
Japan: March 4, 2000 (already out)
How much will it cost?
US & Canada: The PS2 will cost $299.99 (US dollars). While this seems quite expensive, it is actually the same price the Playstation 1 cost in 1995.
England: 299 pounds
France: 2,990 francs
Germany: 869 marks
Australia: $749 (Australian dollars)
Japan: 39,800 yen
Will it be backwards compatible with the Playstation 1?
Yes. With very few exceptions (see our list in the hardware section) all your Playstation 1 games will run on the PS2. You will also be able to use your existing controllers and memory cards. Please note that the Playstation 1 memory cards can not be used for PS2 games.
Will the Playstation 1 games look/load any different on the PS2?
Yes. The PS2 will load the games faster and it will smooth out the polygon graphics to remove all the ugly jagged edges found in Playstation 1 games. It does this through a process called anti aliasing.
What's the difference between Bleem for the Dreamcast and the PS2's ability to play Playstation 1 games?
Don't be fooled by the hype. Bleem will only play a select number of Playstation 1 games and it hasn't been proven that it can do that successfully. Each Bleem package will only be able to play a select number of games and they probably won't be any new releases. In the future there might be more Bleem versions but they will cost you extra money plus you also have to buy a special control pad for 100% compatibility.
Can you play Video CDs on the PS2?
No, only music CDs, DVDs, Playstation 1 and PS2 games.
Can it play all DVD movies?
Yes, as long as the DVDs are designed to run in your country. For example you can't play Japanese DVDs in the United States PS2.
What's the deal with Anti Aliasing and the jagged edges in some PS2 games?
Anti Aliasing is the process or technique used to smooth out the edges of polygons or 3D images. The PS2 is fully capable of doing this through either hardware or software. Early Japanese games have not used anti aliasing and that is why the graphics flicker a little and the edges look jagged. The reason why these games didn't use anti-aliasing is twofold. First the early Japanese games were rushed out the door and second, the programmers didn't have enough hands on experience with the system. This has been fixed for a lot of US releases. For example both Tekken Tag Tournament and Street Fighter EX3 will now use anti aliasing. As time goes by, you probably won't see any more PS2 games with jagged edges and flickering images.
What kind of media does the PS2 use?
It uses the DVD format for PS2 games, the black backed CDs for Playstation 1 games, regular CDs for music and DVDs for movies.
What is the speed of the DVD drive?
CD-ROM = 24x speed
DVD-ROM = 4x speed
Will it come with a modem?
No, Sony decided not to include a modem because they believe that normal 56K modems are not the wave of the future. Instead they will release a number of modems and PC interfaces to allow the people to choose. You can go with a normal 56K modem or use a fast Cable or DSL connection through a plug in PC "Ethernet" card.
What add-ons and hardware will be available for the PS2?
PS2 Analog Dual Shock Controller: looks very much like the Playstation 1 controller but has the added feature of analog control and buttons
PS2 8MB Memory Card: lots of space for your game saves, etc.
PS2 Multitap Adapter: allows you to connect up to 4 control pads to the system
PS2 Hard Drive: massive storage device
A/V Cable: standard cable to hook up the PS2 to a TV
S-Video Cable: higher quality cable only used for TVs which support this type of connection
Vertical Stand: used if you want your PS2 system to stand in a vertical position and conserve space
Various Driving Wheels, Arcade Joysticks, Fishing Controller "Rods" and Light Guns will be made by different manufacturers
