Sony confirms redesigned PS2

By Games Industry.biz Published 6 November, 2007

On sale in the New Year.

Sony Europe has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that it will be introducing a new model PlayStation 2 to the market in the new year.

Already scheduled for release in Japan later this month, the new model comes with an integrated power supply and is lighter due to revised internal architecture.

The redesigned unit will come in three colours - Charcoal Black, Ceramic White and Satin Silver, with matching vertical stands sold separately.

Despite rumours, the new unit will not be any cheaper in Japan than the current model, retailing for JPY 16,000, and it looks likely the same business model will apply in the European market.

Last month Sony celebrated the seventh birthday of the 120 million-selling console, revealing that more than a billion units of software had been sold for the machine since it launched in 2000.

The PlayStation 2 currently has a recommended retail price of GBP 94.99 / EUR 129.99 in Europe.

Redesign fiction into fact over on GamesIndustry.biz.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • el_pollo_diablo #1 4 years ago

    Shouldn't they get it out before Christmas? Maybe stick a ps3 coupon in the box at the same time.

  • Killerbee #2 4 years ago

    Interesting.

    Will this have any impact upon the future availability of backwards compatibility in the PS3, do you think?

    It's been rumoured for a while that Sony were looking to combine the Emotion Engine and GPU of the PS2 onto one chip, so I wonder (if that is the case here) if that would enable them to put that into a PS3 'Premium' that might offer those who want it PS2 BC in their PS3.

  • quantumsheep #3 4 years ago

    So what does the thing look like???

  • Cylinder #4 4 years ago

    Gah! If the price drops I may pick one of these up. I've never owned a PS2 and there are a few games I'd like to try (namely Okami, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and Resident Evil 4.)

  • DB2k #5 4 years ago

    Cylinder - Okami and Resi 4 are both on the Wii too you know.

    I quite fancy a PS2 simply for the Singstar games.. however the console really needs to be 50 quid new for me to even contemplate it

  • DUFFMAN5 #6 4 years ago

    If it's white I'm buying, go with my 360 and Sumsung. My mk 1 ps2 still does the job and I have many games to play/complete.

  • Hench #7 4 years ago

    Well, from looking at the picture on Gamesindustry.biz (on the homepage), it looks like it has a new stand and thats about it.
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/07 @ 10:39

  • afghan_jones #8 4 years ago

    "I quite fancy a PS2 simply for the Singstar games.. however the console really needs to be 50 quid new for me to even contemplate it "

    "Gah! If the price drops I may pick one of these up."



    Sorry, but this is a super slinky redesigned version of what is arguably a 'classic' games console featuring quite possibly the most exhaustive back catalogue of quality games of any console ever for less than £100, and you two fuckwits 'might' stump up for it 'if' it somehow becomes even more of a bargain?!?!?!

    Get a job and join the real world kids, stuff thats worth having will cost you money. Fact. Plus even at the current price theres no excuse not to have one really.

  • huxathon #9 4 years ago

    alright, cheer up mate.

  • L42yB #10 4 years ago

    @afghan_jones - I don't have one... my excuse is I don't want one :) Seems like a good enough excuse to me... :p

  • Cylinder #11 4 years ago

    Afghan Jones, relax!

    I work very hard five days a week but that doesn't mean I have money to throw away frivolously. Buying a £100 console for just four or five budget priced games does not make economic sense to me, hence my desire for a cheaper price.

  • Killerbee #12 4 years ago

    I can't really see the price coming down any time while Sony are still selling plenty of PS2s at its current price point. These changes will most likely be about increasing current profit margins.

    The only other thing I can see pushing the PS2 price down will be if there's a reduction in the PS3 price which means the PS2 price needs to be adjusted to correspond.
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/07 @ 10:55

  • Olemak #13 4 years ago

    Some good games for the PS2. God of War, too, in addition to the ones Cylinder mentioned. There's also, I hear, a decent Noddy game and some other kids stuff that my son might enjoy, and then there's Buzz etc. of course.

    This new PS2 makes my decision in the "console war" very simple. You see, I picked up a PS3 on Friday - motivated by the introduction of the new, gimped version, actually. Fearing that BC would go the way of the Dodo, I rushed out to get one of the non-gimped 60 GB variety.

    Setting it up at home, I realized I'd gotten one of the noisy ones, the ones with a malfunction that makes the fan kick up speed every 5 minutes until it is going at the max level - which is too loud for a living room. As noise was the main reason for getting a PS3 rather than an Xbox 360, I was of course very dissapointed.

    So, my stance in the colsole war is this: return the PS3, get a shiny new PS2 post christmas and enjoy some old games while I wait for MS to hobble together a quiet version of the 360. Having been dissapointed by the noise level of the PS3 once, even if it is a malfunction, I feel my enthusiasm for the platform spent. Moving on.

    So - my point: the nice girl at the shop said they'd sold a LOT of the 60 GB version lately, and almost none of the new, non-BC version. Quite a few customers had mentioned BC as the main reason for choosing the more expensive model.

    BC seems to be the only thing the PS3 has going for it these days (the noise argument being killed for me, at least, after my experience). With BC removed while the old PS2 is given a make-over - at an excellent price point - the question is: why buy a PS3? Seriously?

  • moggsy #14 4 years ago

    @Olemak

    Because the PS2 looks shite on a HDTV?

    Why not just swap your PS3 for one that works properly?

  • BadBoyBonner #15 4 years ago

    The PS2 does look very poor on HDTV's.

    Yes Shadow of Colossus I am talking about you!

    Edit: double "ss" foolish boy!
    Edited by 2 at 06/11/07 @ 11:39

  • Olemak #16 4 years ago

    @ moggsy:

    "Because the PS2 looks shite on a HDTV?"

    Yes, but what to look at? Decent content is extremely thin on the ground...
    Do PS2 games played on a PS3 look any better on a HDTV, btw?

    "Why not just swap your PS3 for one that works properly?"

    If the people at the shop suggest this, and take the time to demo a model for me so that I am sure it is quiet (which will take about 10 minutes, as that's how long it takes for the fan to reach max speed), then I'll trade it in for a new one. If they don''t suggest that, I am just going to take my money and leave.

    I just felt all my enthusiasm for the PS3 leave me when I noticed the fan speed gearing up, and that made me disenchanted with the whole platform, and even more aware of the lack of good games for it. It was a "did I really pay /that much/ for /this/" kind of moment, and it is hard to bounce back from that.

    But we'll see. Maybe Sony will win me back :)

  • captainrentboy #17 4 years ago

    Does having a loud fan actually count as a console fault? If not, the retailer could refuse giving you a refund, infact if they were particularly twatty they could refuse an exchange.

  • Ceatlan #18 4 years ago

    Why can't they release it before Christmas. I was thinking about getting a PS2 with Buzz and a few other family games to play with my entire family over the Christmas hols. Now I definitely won't and I won't buy one after Christmas as the need will be over.

  • RexRunti #19 4 years ago

    @Olemak

    You may as well get them to demo an Elite or new premium at the same time so you can make an informed descision. They're really quite quiet now (or mine is in my opinion), and as for quality content most people are complaining about too much as opposed to not enough.

  • moggsy #20 4 years ago

    @ Olemak

    The PS3 upscales and smooths PS2 games which improves how they look on a HDTV.

    Even though I now own a PS3 I still feel it isn't quite there yet. If I'd have bought one over a 360 I would be disappointed. If I were you I'd swap the PS3 for a 360 and just live with the noise. It really isn't that bad and you soon get used to it.

  • dirigiblebill #21 4 years ago

    Where do people get the impression that the new PS3 model entirely lacks backwards compatability? As far as I understand it, the 40GB system has software BC on 70-odd% of PS2 titles.

  • el_pollo_diablo #22 4 years ago

    The 40 gig ps3 does lack BC I'm afraid.

  • RexRunti #23 4 years ago

    @dribbleball

    From sony saying their is no backwards compatibility in the 40GB model where did pull 70% from?

  • haowan #24 4 years ago

    pics or it never happened

  • paul_haine #25 4 years ago

    Mm, I'll join those people who'd buy one for £50 or so. Ok, maybe £70.

  • dirigiblebill #26 4 years ago

    Hmm, you're right el_pollo, now that I sit down and read through the press releases properly I see no mention of software BC. Though I can't see why they couldn't enable it for the 40GB SKU, providing the basic hardware is the same as the 60GB model. Anybody care to elaborate?

  • Ryze #27 4 years ago

    @dirigiblebill

    It's not the same, fella.

    The first, non EU PS3 had the PS2's EE+GS processors

    The 60Gb EU PS3 had only the GS, so the PS2 CPU was emulated in software.

    The 40Gb PS3 has neither chip, and plays only PSOne games through software.

  • moggsy #28 4 years ago

    @ dirigiblebill

    The hardware is different. There was still a bit of PS2 hardware left in the Euro 60Gb PS3 (the graphics chip but no Emotion Engine?) which meant they could emulate the rest in software.

    The 40Gb has had the PS2 chips completely removed and so they can't even do BC in software any more...

    Edit: like ryze said!
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/07 @ 13:09

  • dirigiblebill #29 4 years ago

    Ahhhh. What a bitch, eh?

  • VMerken #30 4 years ago

    In a nutshell:

    (1) US & JAP PS3 60Gb launch model: Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer on board (both signature PS2 chips) -> full hardware Backwards Compatibility

    (2) Europe PS3 60Gb launch model: EE gets chucked out, GS stays -> partial hardware BC, software emulation improves BC through firmware updates

    (3) Europe PS3 40Gb model: GS also goes out -> no more hardware BC, so software emulation that deals with this is the only way to get BC on these new models

    Unfortunately, SCE stated that they will focus on new PS3 games rather than further invest in BC updates, so there currently is no BC (not even software-based) for the new 40Gb model. And it doesn't look there will be in the future. Another consequence is that the 60Gb models won't receive any further BC support.

    Edit: must type faster.
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/07 @ 13:12

  • dirigiblebill #31 4 years ago

    Scumbags. Just as well I've played through 95% of the AAA titles on the PS2 (except for Valkyrie Profile Silmeria).

  • CrunchinJelly #32 4 years ago

    Sony need to stop farting around with the PS2 and concentrate on the PS3.

  • dirigiblebill #33 4 years ago

    Couldn't they do both?

  • Kami #34 4 years ago

    The PS2 is still selling well, I'd wager because the games at the end of its life have been of pretty good quality. If Sony aren't going to focus on BC for the PS3, then yes, they have to kind of make the PS2 appealing, to go with the Wii most people have in their homes.

    Thing is, will a redesign really help them at all? Talk about gilding the fucking lily! The PS2 has been an awesome system, it's still got life left in it... but isn't a redesign (it looks like a super-slimline from the image I saw) just wasting our time? Or, more importantly, their own time and resources?

    Pretty, but considering that Sony have been cutting shit off of the PS3 to cut costs... to spend it on a PS2 redesign? Umm... okay Sony... making no sense but whatever you say...

  • ruttyboy #35 4 years ago

    "Couldn't they do both?"

    To be honest I'm surprised they can do one thing at a time, never mind two...

    Oh and for those who are wondering why we're not getting this new one for Christmas, I can only imagine the answer is: "To run down and exit the stock in the market of the original slimline over the busy Christmas period."

  • onyxbox #36 4 years ago

    i wonder if this PS2 will be white and ship with motion control and a bowling game

  • DB2k #37 4 years ago

    afghan_jones:Sorry, but this is a super slinky redesigned version of what is arguably a 'classic' games console featuring quite possibly the most exhaustive back catalogue of quality games of any console ever for less than £100, and you two fuckwits 'might' stump up for it 'if' it somehow becomes even more of a bargain?!?!?!

    Get a job and join the real world kids, stuff thats worth having will cost you money. Fact. Plus even at the current price theres no excuse not to have one really.

    knob off shit brain.
    What the fuck is wrong with you?

  • zuljin #38 4 years ago

    @Olemak
    "Setting it up at home, I realized I'd gotten one of the noisy ones, the ones with a malfunction that makes the fan kick up speed every 5 minutes until it is going at the max level - which is too loud for a living room. As noise was the main reason for getting a PS3 rather than an Xbox 360, I was of course very dissapointed."

    I've got my PS3 "in the open" as it were, and it never kicks off. Putting it in a cabinet or so is what kicks off the fan for my brother, but I don't hear a peep out of mine - whether I'm using it for films or games.

    @Rexrunti
    New premium is just as loud as old. Well, I don't really know in all honesty, but if the old one is louder than the one I've got, then I hope they came with ear muffs.

  • spud71 #39 4 years ago

    Stop wasting our time and bring out the 20GB PS3 for Europe. Then we will have a bargain!!

  • philw #40 4 years ago

    Some pics

  • InternetRed #41 4 years ago

    It looks near enough the same as my slim-line. The same slim-line that people can get second hand from places like Game or Gamestation, for well under £100. With games.

    Yeah. Good luck with that Sony, i hope you sell more than one :p

  • zedzee #42 4 years ago

    The confusion shown by entries, such as those from "dirigiblebill", typically shows how Sony have screwed up all this backwards compatibility and confused consumers to the Nth degree. While I read from other posts here that 'people have been buying more of the 60GB model rather than the 40GB PS3, because of the backwards compatibility', when we all know very well that Sony is no longer supporting the backwards compatibility on any model. Sony won't win like this; alienating its PlayStation fanbase and telling them what they need, rather than giving them what they want.

    Some posts also suggest that Sony should stop tinkering about with the PS2 and focus purely on the PS3, leaving the PS2 as it is (the current small form factor model is good enough, thank you) and I agree with that and perhaps dropping its price every Xmas, to keep it selling up to its (I'm guessing) 10-year shelf life is all that Sony need to do.

    The fact of the new redesigned PS2 not being released for Xmas is because they don't want to dent the already poor sales of the PS3 and overshadow it and somehow (they think) confuse customers, when really, it's fairly obvious to people as they will most probably opt for a Wii or X360 and abandon Sony products altogether, considering most people already own a PS2, if not, then they will go for the 'old' slim PS2.

    These things are not rocket science: Give customers what they want (backwards compatibility) and stopping d*cking about with old consoles and confusing the purchase decisions.

    Surely even Sony can follow these simple rules...?
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/07 @ 23:11

  • Bulbatron #43 4 years ago

    At the birth of the current generation, it was pretty much a done deal that I would be getting a PlayStation 3. All the great games I loved on PlayStation 2 and PSone, plus all the new games of the future.

    But the endless stream of bad news from Sony finally put me off. Too expensive, no rumble and stunted backwards compatibility.

    Basically, I ended up getting an Xbox 360.

    In July, my house was completely flooded and I lost my PS2. At the time I thought that would be the perfect excuse to upgrade to PS3. Hopefully the PSone/2 games that didn't work yet, would do in the future.

    But now it seems they are no longer supporting backwards compatibility at all. So it looks as though I'll be replacing my launch PS2 with - another PS2. All I have to decide is whether to get a current one, or wait for one of these new ones.

    I'll probably wait for the new one since supposedly, some of the old slimline ones still have problems with a few PSone games and even a few PS2 games.

  • spookyzombie #44 4 years ago

    Be nice if they made it so that it was a bit more HDTV friendly. Perhaps a component with some kind of PS3 style smoothing option etc.