At one point, the PlayStation 2 was one of the most successful consoles of its time. Then it eventually went on to be the best-selling console of all time. There’s no doubt it was an excellent console; people loved it. And for the love that it got from the gaming community, there were numerous legit reasons.

Sony had put a lot of work into making that console a desirable piece of hardware, and they succeeded too. Here we list the top reasons for this console’s monumental success.

The DVD Player

At the time of its launch, the PlayStation 2 was the only console to boast a DVD player. The console was bought by many people as a DVD player and not a gaming console. All this because the PS2 was actually much cheaper than a conventional DVD player.

A Budget Console

The console, for all that it offered, was pretty cheap back then. While we get consoles for a much higher price nowadays—500 dollars for the PlayStation 5 and a similar price for Xbox consoles— Back then, people got a console as well as a fully functioning DVD player for the price of $299.

Backward Compatibility

This console was directly backward compatible with PlayStation 1. Whereas rival GameCube did not offer its users any such luxury. In fact, GameCube simply ruined the chances of that feature by introducing an entirely new media format.

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GameCube games were released on a mini-DVD, while the games for the N64 were released on carts. On the other hand, PS2 was fully capable of running PS1 CD drives.

New and Refined UI

While gamers do not remember such things and simply forget them too, a console’s UI is a pretty crucial part of its user experience. The PlayStation 2 featured an excellent UI; it was pretty much flawless. Its UI looked futuristic in its own twisted way and even featured a bunch of Easter eggs.

LAN and Couch Co-Op

The PlayStation 2 gave players access to some of the best couch co-op games of that generation. Of course, the Gamecube had Mario Kart and Smash Bros. Melee, and games like Twisted Metal and Gauntlet made Sony’s console stand on its own. On the other hand, this console even had an Ethernet port and gave many people their first taste of online multiplayer.

Memory Cards

Memory cards became the unsung heroes of that generation. Imagine being able to save your games on a small memory stick without any hassle, then carrying that stick to your friend’s house and continuing the game there. This was something very special at that time.

Grand Theft Auto 3

Nintendo had a bunch of popular IPs back then; what did PS2 have? It had GTA 3 to boot, one of the most revolutionary titles of its time. That game single-handedly made the PS2 the most wanted console of all time. That game also single-handedly changed gaming forever.

Imagine a game that brings something to the table that no one has ever thought of doing before or has tried only to fail. That’s what made that game so successful—it tried and it succeeded.

Metal Gear Solid 2

Hideo Kojima found a home on the PlayStation during the PS1 era; Metal Gear Solid launched on that console and was a success. Then came the sequel, a game that is still considered genre-defining. A game that everyone wanted to try at least once, a game that taught the industry what stealth action means. Over everything else, the visuals were something else; they looked pretty outstanding.

God of War

There’s a pattern here: the PlayStation 2 introduced gamers to the first installments of numerous games. The first God of War was released on this console too, and no doubt it was insanely successful. While the game started as an edgy Devil May Cry-type deal, it quickly became a thing of its own, for the better. It was so successful that a sequel was launched in just two years.

A long life cycle

Usually, consoles nowadays have a life cycle of seven to eight years. The PlayStation 2 launched in 2000 and was officially discontinued in 2013. Thanks to its success, it had a thirteen-year life cycle, and the best part is that until the end of its life, there were games launched on this platform.

This is just incredible. Sony created a rugged warrior in PlayStation 2, and in every sense, this console was a winner, and that’s why it won.

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