Vintage Game Consoles

Chapter 3.5

Sony PlayStation 2 (2000)

History

Sony’s PlayStation 2 might well be the last single console to truly dominate the industry. More commonly known as the PS2, this console sold over 150 million units, easily making it the best-selling console of all time. More importantly, it enjoyed the lion’s share of the market. Some reports show its market share reaching as high as 70 percent in 2005.¹ Shortly after its launch, it crushed its first serious competitor—the Sega Dreamcast. By the time Microsoft and Nintendo finally rolled out their Xbox and GameCube, respectively, the PS2 had built up such an enormous lead that neither console stood a chance of catching up. Indeed, the PS2 was such a successful machine that even Sony’s own PS3 had ...