Every Sony PlayStation console is a titan of the era it was created in, but none were as devastatingly successful as the PlayStation 2. Selling 160 million units across its lifespan, the PS2 is the highest-selling console in video game history, and it came out 26 years ago today in North America. For people who grew up with the PS2, it’s hard to believe it’s over a quarter-century old, but its legacy still looms over every succeeding PlayStation.
The PlayStation 2 was the first video game console that made gaming a mainstream hobby. With a built-in DVD drive, giving consumers the ability to watch movies was a genius avenue to grab new fans who maybe had never played a game before. They buy the system to watch DVDs, and then they give video games a try.
And the games were excellent. Yes, there was a lot of shovelware on the PS2, as well. When you have over 4,000 published titles on the console, there’s going to be a lot of duds. But gems like Resident Evil 4, Grand Theft Auto 3, Shadow of the Colossus, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Metal Gear Solid 2 gave the system a plethora of incredible games that are still beloved by fans today.
The console’s staying power and relevance are also unmatched. It was still releasing new games in 2013, almost a decade and a half after it came out. The PlayStation 4 was about to come out during this time, meaning that PS2 was still going two generations after its release. This is now recurring with the PS4, as people are still playing that console 13 years after release.
PS2 was the console that cemented Sony as the dominant video game company of the 21st century. Nintendo is starting to take control again with the Switch and Switch 2, returning the industry to what it looked like in the ’90s. But the 2000s and 2010s will always belong to the PlayStation.
