Sony PlayStation 2 Console

Being lucky enough to own not only the PS2, but the Gamecube AND the Xbox, I can safely say that Sony's machine is easily the worst of the three, and my reasons are as follows...

1. Games. Yes, lots of games are available for the PS2, but unfortunately out of the hundreds available, only a mere handful of those are worth the money, and out of those, even fewer are not available on either of the other systems. With the Xbox and the Gamecube, both systems have a wide range of top quality exclusive titles, which make them much more appealing.

2. Poor DVD playback. blocky pixellated graphics, lipsync problems halfway through movies, no Dolby Digital support (surround only), and an incompatibility with over 800 dvds make this a bad choice for the movie buff. Also it's only 2 speed fast forward, plus no zoom feature, or A-B repeat. If you want a console to play DVDs, get an Xbox, which has 36 speed fast forward, 10x zoom magnification, A-B repeat, and Dolby Digital sound.

3. Loading times. OH MY GOD! I thought I gave up waiting 3 minutes for a game to load when I got rid of my Commodore 64!
It's so much slower than the Xbox (which takes about a minute), and MILES slower than the Gamecube (which takes about 15 seconds).

4. Design. PS2 has an annoying ability of ruining CDs if you stand the machine up on it's side, due to the poor manufacturing of the DVD lens... also the PS2 won't last you much more than 2 years before you have to buy a replacement.
Both Xbox and Gamecube are designed to last.

5. Cost of accessories. HOW MUCH FOR A PS2 MEMORY CARD!?! 30!!!
Gamecube memory costs a fraction of the price ( 12), and the Xbox has a built in hard disk to store data on ( nada, included in the machine.)

So, at the end of the day, the only good thing PS2 has going for it, is the ability to play PSone games...but then again, if you had an Xbox or Gamecube, would you really want to play old, crumby, ugly games? It'd be like owning a Ferrari, and taking a Skoda for a test drive.

So unless you're a Sony afficionado, or just plain stupid, DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE ON PLAYSTATION 2.
OK so it's the number 1 selling console on the market right now, but not for long....
Xbox and Gamecube are going to take over in less than a year, and the plastic brick from Sony will be no more than a nasty memory.


Good, but with mounting costs...   December 28, 2001
Andrew
159 out of 178 found this review helpful

First of all, let me make clear that the PS2 is a great console. It is the best you can get in the UK at the moment, and I am not disputing that. However, even though Sony have reduced the price..., you should be aware that ... is not all you'll have to pay. In order to get it to 'playable level', you will need some accessories, and Sony make sure you pay over the top for them. Eg, if you want to save games, you'll need a memory card, if you have a older TV you'll need an PS2 RF Unit just to get going, if you want to play 2-player, you'll need another controler, and to watch DVD's you'll need a DVD remote. Add to that that fact you'll need at least one game, and you're talking about ... more on top of the console price. Whilst it is a great console, be aware of these extra costs before you buy.


Each to their own!!   October 31, 2002
Spikey (North Kent, United Kingdom)
57 out of 69 found this review helpful

I'll make this brief. We have a PS2, a Gamecube and an Xbox (bought in that order).
The PS2 is great but poor DVD playback (green screen) very good games (FFX, Devil May Cry, Jak and Daxter etc)
The Gamecube is a fun little, yet powerful machine with games that you can just pick up after a stressful day but not wanting to play anything too deep or heavy like you get on the PS2 and Xbox.
The Xbox is bulky but has amazing graphics and sound, but a smallish selection of games. The DVD playback is great...

At the end of the day, all three consoles are great in their own right and should all be tested before buying if possible. People who stick to one and run down the other 2 are narrow minded and not willing to try new things. It depends on what you want out of a console and if your lucky enough to have all three, good on you, but if you only have one or two, dont run down the others just be thankful you are able to have a console to play on.

Happy Gaming

PS We also have a Gameboy Advance ;-)


As Bjork said...   February 20, 2004
54 out of 61 found this review helpful

"It's oh, so quiet ... shhh, shhh"

First and foremost, the most startling thing about this new silver version (like, what's wrong with black??) is that it runs almost silently.
And when I say silent, I mean, if you change channel or turn off your tv and don't notice that the lights on the front of the console are still on, it's easy to go to bed and leave the PS2 switched on.
The original black boxed PS2 was notoriously noisy, howling like a banshee, especially when compared to the Xbox and even the Dreamcast (R.I.P.).
Apparently the DVD drive - and a few other things, all of which are imperceptable to me - have been improved (see below).
Personally, I hate the colour but love the improved cooling mechanism.

Speaking as a seriously disgruntled owner of an original black PS2 which went beserk, wouldn't always boot up and chewed up game discs* I have to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that the newer silver model is bringing back memories of why I bought the damned thing in the first place.
Although the Xbox has stolen some of the market and is winning over a lot of the hearts and minds of people who wouldn't have bothered with the PS2's back catalogue previosly, the Sony console is still an awesome bit of kit, or, should I say, it's still the best supported console on the market.
The box is only as good as the game you put in it and the PS2, whatever the colour (Japan has red, yellow, blue...) is still the best supported platform on the market.

On the downside is the fact that you still have to fork out an extra 20 for a memory card before you can even start using the thing.
It would surely make life easier for gamers if Sony were to bundle the consle with one memory card and raise the price by, say, 10-15? Oh well...
Oh, and another thing: everyone I know who has their PS2 stood vertically has problems with it. So, if space allows, lay it horizontally and save yourself a lot of hassle with skipping discs etc.

(*In the end I took a hammer to the black PS2 - literally - and just bought a new console. Of course Sony would not accept that the problems were endemic to the early build of the console even though hundreds of gamers suffered the same problems. Must do better, Sony.)


PS@ is excellent .... but   March 6, 2001
48 out of 57 found this review helpful

I have had the PS2 since day 1. Some of the previous reviews are obviously written by Nintendo and Dreamcast fans without having committed their money to the PS2. OK. Most of the games at the moment are nothing to write home about, but the recent Moto GP, SSX, and Timesplitters are very worthy, with excellent graphics and gameplay..........

there are many many more titles to come which will keep the PS2 at the cutting edge for many years to come.

It is easy to operate, the controlers handle the same as with PS1 so there's nothing new to learn, and with a decent set of speakers and a wide screen tv this is a superb multimedia machine for the playing of CD's, PS1 titles, PS2 games and of course the DVD capability. Operating the DVD with the controller is a pain, but a small pain, playback is excellent for the average viwer of movies and only an expert would whinge about the lack of hook ups for the best DVD image and playback.

Basically for your 300.00 you get a cutting edge gaming machine that plays PS1, PS2,CD and DVD discs - what more do you want for goodness sake?