PS2 Celebrates 21st Anniversary of Release

Perhaps the most iconic PlayStation console of all-time, the PS2, has turned 21 years old today. [...]

Perhaps the most iconic PlayStation console of all-time, the PS2, has turned 21 years old today. The monumental anniversary for the system doesn't only now make it old enough to consume alcohol in the United States (if pieces of tech could even do such a thing) but it also serves as a reminder of how quickly time is passing.

The PS2 first released on this date 21 years ago, but unlike other console releases in recent years, those of us in western markets didn't end up seeing the hardware until later on in 2000. Today's anniversary is when the console first launched in Japan, as staggered releases were something that the company did up until the PS4. The console then arrived in North America on October 26, 2000, before then coming to Europe the following month on November 24th.

What remains most impressive about the PlayStation 2 all of these years later is that it remains the highest-selling video game console ever made. To date, over 155 million units were sold, which is just slightly more than the lifetime number of the Nintendo DS lineup. Even though Sony has been on fire with the PlayStation 4 within the past couple of years, the last-gen hardware is still roughly 40 million units behind its predecessor in terms of lifetime sales.

While sales for the PS2 were high because of the system's fantastic library, it also stands to reason that the true power of the console at the market was because it included a DVD player. At the time when the PS2 launched, DVD players were still often expensive in their own right. Sony's value proposition of giving potential customers not only a brand new gaming console, but also a DVD player, made sales of the hardware skyrocket. To this date, it stands as one of the savviest business moves that Sony has ever made.

It remains to be seen if Sony will ever be able to top its success with the PS2, but the PlayStation 5 is already off to an incredibly strong start. In fact, Sony has already said that its newest console is already off to the strongest start in the history of the PlayStation brand. Whether or not that trajectory continues we will see in the future.

What's your favorite PS2 memory from over the years? And do you have a favorite game from the console that you still adore to this day? Be sure to let me know your own thoughts either down in the comments or over on Twitter at @MooreMan12.

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