PS2 News

March2024

February2024

January2024

November2023

  • News Cancelled PS2 Game Daredevil: The Man Without Fear Surfaces Online

    Blast from the past

    It's not every day that you see an unreleased PS2 game emerge as playable almost two decades later, but that's precisely the case with 2004's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. The Hidden Palace, which is a community dedicated to the preservation of rare and retro games, have published a playable prototype on PC. A third-person...

August2023

  • News Is Sony Working on a New PS2 Emulator for PS5, PS4?

    Watch this space

    With the frankly flabbergasting PS Plus price increases announced overnight, Sony is in need of a win for its subscriptions – and a big one at that! One way it could curry favour with long-time members is by upgrading its PS2 emulator, allowing it to bring back classics from the early noughties alongside the PS1 and PSP titles...

  • News Fans Vote Clive the Second Best Final Fantasy Protagonist

    Guess the winner

    Wow, people really like Clive Rosfield. The main character of the recently released Final Fantasy 16, the leather-clad hero seems to have really struck a chord with players, as he was voted the second best protagonist in Square Enix's mainline series. That's according to several thousand Final Fantasy fans, all of whom voted in our...

July2023

  • Poll Who's the Best Final Fantasy Protagonist?

    There can only be one

    Now that we've all had time to settle into a reality where Final Fantasy 16 exists, this is our chance to revisit a question that's reverberated around the Final Fantasy fandom for decades: just who is the series' best protagonist? Now, for the sake of this poll, we're going to streamline things and focus on mainline Final...

June2023

May2023

  • Poll What's the Best PlayStation Startup Sequence?

    PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5?

    When you think of PlayStation, does a specific console startup come to mind? Sony's crafted some iconic system screens over the years — complete with some iconic sounds — but which one's the best? We know that's a potentially difficult question — and it might be wholly dependent on how old you are! — but it should...

April2023

March2023

February2023

January2023

December2022

November2022

  • Guide All Resident Evil Games Ranked and Best Places to Start

    A comprehensive guide to Resident Evil

    The Resident Evil series is one of gaming's most popular and recognisable franchises, dating back to the PlayStation 1 and encompassing more than 25 years of history. With a hardcore following across the globe that hotly anticipates all upcoming entries — no matter where it's a mainline instalment or spin-off...

October2022

July2022

June2022

May2022

April2022

March2022

February2022

January2022

October2021

September2021

  • Weirdness These PlayStation Sound Effect Acapellas Are Oddly Awesome

    Sounds good

    Each PlayStation startup sound has defined a generation, so it’s bizarre to see them performed acapella by YouTube group Maytree. From the bowel rumbling bass of the PS1’s intro all the way through to the PSP’s upbeat jingle, this is both spot-on and strange. It’s particularly amusing to see just how much energy is being invested...

August2021

  • Soapbox GTA: San Andreas Is Still an Open World Classic

    Aw sh*t, here we go again

    The rumour that Rockstar is remastering the PlayStation 2’s trilogy of Grand Theft Auto games for PlayStation 5 and PS4 last week had a profound impact on me: I simply had to return to the fictional state of San Andreas. My history with the 2004 open world is both fortuitous and a little bit embarrassing actually: despite...

  • News Metal Gear Solid 2 Looks Better Than Ever in 4K Upscaled Trailer

    Digital Foundry works its magic

    Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a special game, and part of what makes it so memorable is what came before fans could even play it. Prior to the big twist of Raiden actually being the main playable character, Konami introduced the PlayStation 2 sequel with the tanker mission starring Solid Snake. The game was...

  • News PS2, PS1 Wireless Pad Kickstarter Beats Pledge Goal with Time to Spare

    Pick one up for $34

    A Kickstarter for a wireless controller that hooks up to both a PlayStation 2 and PS1 console has flown past its pledge goal of $20,000 with one week to spare. Designed by a family-owned business named Retro Fighters, 1,875 backers have so far raised more than $125,000. Named the Wireless Defender, the pad connects to the two...

  • News This Portable PS2 Is the Handheld of Our Dreams

    Play, beyond

    Yeah, the Nintendo Switch is cool and all, but have you ever played a portable PlayStation 2? Probably not, because Sony never actually made one, and while both the PS Vita and PSP had plenty of PS2 ports on them – well, they couldn’t play GTA: San Andreas, could they? This hobby project named the PS2 Eclipse by GingerofOz can,...

July2021

  • Random PS2 Game Boxes Were Nearly Extremely Weird

    Look at this thing

    PlayStation games have always come in pretty ordinary boxes. The PS1 had its CD-like jewel cases, the PS2 kept things standard with a DVD box, PS3 shrunk things a little to match standard Blu-Ray releases, and it's been roughly the same since. Aside from its handheld machines, Sony's consoles have stuck to pretty regular game...

  • News The Still Excellent Persona 3 Is 15 Years Old Today

    Style is permanent

    Persona 3 celebrates its 15th anniversary today. It first released in Japan on the 13th July 2006 for the PlayStation 2, and its impact on the RPG landscape has been significant. With its supreme sense of style, outstanding soundtrack, and addictive gameplay mix of turn based dungeon crawling and social links, Persona 3 is really...

June2021

  • News Sony Celebrates the Evolution of Ratchet & Clank

    Stunning trailer goes back in time

    Sony’s released a stunning trailer celebrating the evolution of Ratchet & Clank across four generations. The clip, designed to promote the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, shows various different titles from the series and their associated console. It also focuses on some of the televisions from the...

May2021

April2021

  • Random Alabama Cornerback Patrick Surtain II Swags Out NFL Draft with PS2 Bling

    Play, beyond

    Former Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II swagged out the NFL Draft last night with custom PlayStation 2 bling, before being selected by the Denver Broncos with the ninth overall pick. The Rose Bowl defensive MVP – and son of a former Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs player – commissioned a custom DualShock 2 pendant, which...

March2021

  • News Ace Infographic Is the Master of Unlocking 25 Years of Resident Evil X PlayStation History

    As series celebrates 25 years

    We’ve spoken to some of the biggest developers in gaming about what 25 years of Resident Evil means to them, but for PlayStation the survival horror is symbiotic with its brand. An awesome infographic produced by Sony and shared on social media details the key moments from the two-and-a-half-decade relationship, and...

  • Talking Point Would You Buy a PS1, PS2, or PS3 Emulator for PS5?

    RetroStation

    The topic of game preservation on PlayStation is a pertinent one right now. Whatever its plans for PlayStation 3’s – and, of course, PS Vita and PSP’s – storefront, Sony doesn’t make it as easy as some of its immediate competitors to enjoy its back catalogue of games. While the platform holder will point to blockbuster remakes...

  • News Cory Barlog Admits He Had 'No Idea' What He Was Doing When Directing God of War 2

    Still one of the greatest ever games

    In news that’s sure to make you feel old, God of War II is celebrating its 14th anniversary this weekend. The game – which launched on the PlayStation 2 after the release of the PS3 – is widely regarded as a classic, with its larger-than-life set-pieces and overall mastery of Sony’s hardware. It also saw...

  • Soapbox Man, Remember Black?

    Criterion's first-person shooter turns 15

    Criterion Games was absolutely on fire in the early noughties. Having made an incredible arcade racing series — the brilliant Burnout, of course — it decided to turn its hand to a totally new genre. This is something that you don't see too much of; usually, a studio finds its comfort zone and sticks to...

January2021

November2020

  • News Xbox Series X|S Runs PS2 Games Better Than PS5

    A sad reality

    PlayStation 5 can, in fact, play a handful of PlayStation 2 titles – but only ones that were ported to the PlayStation 4, like Jak & Daxter and Grand Theft Auto 3. Bizarrely, the Xbox Series X|S can play retro PlayStation titles much better – at least, until the inevitable batch of cease and desist letters get posted out...

  • Poll Is the PS5 DualSense Sony's Best Controller Yet?

    It's time to Dual

    The PS5 has been out for at least a week now (depending on where you live), and we want to know what you think of the DualSense — the console's high-tech controller. Featuring advanced haptic feedback functionality, adaptive triggers, and a built-in microphone, it's a premium piece of kit, and a key PS5 selling point. Here at...

October2020

  • Talking Point Happy 20th Birthday, PlayStation 2

    A toast to the most popular console ever

    There's no other way to describe it: PlayStation 2 was an absolute beast. Sony followed up the popular (and industry-changing) PlayStation with a more capable console in the year 2000, and little did we know it would go on to become the best-selling gaming machine ever. It's a record the PS2 holds to this...

  • Feature The Joy of Painting PlayStation 2

    Hearts For Hardware

    Over the last few years US based artist Randy Gallegos has been painting his way through the history of video game hardware and has recently applied his brush to Sony's PlayStation 2. We interviewed Randy over on Nintendo Life back in 2016 about his Hearts For Hardware series but this time we'll be talking PlayStation. It's...

  • Quiz Can You Name These PlayStation Launch Games?

    Day one

    How well do you remember the launch of each PlayStation home console? The release of a brand new game-playing machine is always exciting, but at the same time, it can be easy to forget the software that arrived alongside the hardware. And so here we are, with a quiz that'll test your knowledge of PlayStation launch titles. Think you're a...

September2020

  • News The Dream Is Dead: PS5 Will Not Play PS3, PS2, or PS1 Games

    Sony confirms

    We’ve known all along that the PlayStation 5 won’t play PS3, PS2, and PS1 games – but apparently some needed it spelling out for them. So here we go: the PS5 won’t play PS3, PS2, and PS1 games. Confirmation comes courtesy of an interview with Sony chief Jim Ryan that was conducted by Japanese game bible

  • Random Here's Super Mario 64 Running on PS2

    And on PS Vita

    With the release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars looming large, we suppose a scrappy PlayStation 2 port of Super Mario 64 isn’t all that interesting in isolation. Except, from a pure curiosity perspective, it is. The gameplay footage embedded below is riddled with texture bugs that make the title almost unplayable, but the homemade port...

August2020

  • News PS5 Won't Play PS3, PS2, or PS1 Games

    According to Ubisoft, anyway

    In an unpredictable year, this is potentially the most expected article we’ll write in 2020, but the web is losing its collective mind all the same: the PlayStation 5 won’t play PS3, PS2, or PS1 games. The story comes courtesy of a Ubisoft FAQ page, and the information has since been removed. It’s unclear whether...

  • Quiz How Well Do You Know Naughty Dog?

    Good boy

    Naughty Dog is one of Sony's most prolific first-party studios, so much so that it can be considered one of the best game developers in the world right now. That's thanks to the likes of the Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises, but the team actually has a long history that stretches back more than 30 years. So, how well do you know the...

July2020

  • Quiz Can You Name These PS2 Games?

    Say what you see

    The PlayStation 2 -- what a machine. Sony's second gaming device was an absolute monster; it remains the best selling console in history, and has an absolutely gargantuan catalogue of software. Some of them are so iconic, you can tell which game they are by looking at a single image. But what about games that look kinda similar to...

  • Quiz How Well Do You Know Sony's First-Party Studios?

    PlayStation knowledge

    Sony's line-up of first-party developers consistently put out some of the very best experiences in the industry, to the point where it's sometimes tough to compete. Earlier this year, the Japanese giant brought every one of its teams under the same umbrella of PlayStation Studios, but how well do you know those developers? Have...

June2020

  • Feature Sony's Most Memorable E3 Moments

    Hype machine

    At this point in time, it looks as though Sony's relationship with E3 is over. The Electronic Entertainment Expo has been running since 1995, and PlayStation has been in attendance every year. That is, until 2019, when the Japanese giant broke its 24-year streak. It announced it would be absent at E3 2020 too, although it would later be...

May2020

  • Quiz How Well Do You Know Grand Theft Auto?

    Gangster's paradise

    Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest franchises in all of entertainment, spanning four different generations of consoles, five numbered entries, and a whole host of spin-offs. Its popularity is simply unmatched, but how well do you actually know the series? We've put this quiz together to test your knowledge of all things Grand...

April2020

  • Feature The Evolution of the PlayStation Controller

    How Sony's pad has changed through the years

    We're on the brink of the next generation, which will see PlayStation 5 step into the spotlight. Among other headline features such as a speedy SSD, 3D audio, and

  • Guide Best Resident Evil Games Ranked

    What're ya rankin?

    Resident Evil is one of those classic franchises which will more than likely keep on going until either Capcom or the video game industry is no more. Starting life on Sony's PSone, it has gone through a number of changes and refinements throughout the decades, drastically switching perspectives, characters, and locations. Each and...

March2020

  • News Sony Celebrates 15 Years of MLB The Show with Retrospective

    At bat

    MLB The Show 20 launches exclusively on the PlayStation 4 today, marking 15 years of baseball simulation from developer Sony San Diego. But how has the series evolved since its humble origins on the PlayStation 2? This celebratory retrospective trailer shows gameplay from every iteration thus far, leading up to the latest release. Home run!

  • Feature As PS2 Turns 20, These Classics Must Come to PS4

    Greatest hits

    The PlayStation 2 is celebrating its 20th anniversary today, and while Sony’s commitment to its PS2 Classics program has been awful, we've been pondering which last-last-gen titles deserve the upscale-and-Trophies treatment on the company's current console. While we had planned to put together a short list, the Japanese giant's...

January2020

December2019

November2019

October2019

August2019

  • News The Persona Series Hits 10 Million Copies Sold

    That's a lot of inner selves

    The Persona series, which began all the way back in 1996 on the original PlayStation, has reached ten million copies sold, no doubt much to the delight of Atlus. It's a big milestone for a franchise that started life as a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off title, and it's a property that has only recently found mainstream...

September2018

August2018

  • Guide Best Metal Gear Solid Games Ranked

    Solid, Snake

    Metal Gear Solid is one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, and so it’s a good job that it’s synonymous with PlayStation. With every single mainline release putting in an appearance on a Sony system, it’s hard not to associate the famous Solid Snake with the family of consoles, despite only one entry remaining an...

July2018

May2018

  • News Gran Turismo Sales Top 80 Million Units Across 20 Years

    Va va voom

    Racing games are nowhere near as popular as they once were, but Gran Turismo has managed to remain relevant over a 20 year period. Once the biggest brand in Sony’s stable – it’s probably been eclipsed by the likes of Uncharted, The Last of Us, and even Horizon in recent times – the series continues to be a steady seller, with the...

  • News PS2 Classics Join PlayStation Now Subscription Service

    Retro revival

    PlayStation Now was always billed as on-demand access to Sony’s archives, and while it has made great strides towards that goal in recent years, it’s still a long way off achieving what we suspect the platform holder envisions for it. Nevertheless, the company has added the first batch of PlayStation 2 Classics to the streaming...

April2018

  • Guide Best God of War Games Ranked

    War games

    In the pantheon of popular PlayStation intellectual properties, God of War occupies the throne room alongside other household names like Uncharted and Gran Turismo. But which is the best of Kratos’ bloody escapades to date? Ahead of the release of this year’s reimagining, we’ve returned to Ancient Greece in order to, er, order each...

February2018

  • Feature The Best and Worst Run Animations on PlayStation

    Jog on

    Animation is something we sort of take for granted in games, these days. Most of it is now pretty good, but do you remember a time in PlayStation's history when even a simple run animation was laughable? We certainly do. Not everyone can be Naughty Dog, but that's the beauty of it; games old and new have wildly different animation, some of it...

December2017

  • News The European Version of Jak II Looks Like a Disaster on PS4

    But a fix is fortunately coming

    As if being subjected to the downright dismal Jak II wasn’t punishment enough, the PAL version has launched in a sorry state. As has become infuriatingly frequent with these PS2 Classics emulations, Sony has opted to release the European edition in the Old World, which has resulted in some kind of weird slowdown...

  • Hands On Jak X Helps Plug a Hole in PS4's Library

    Has it really come to this?

    Jak X: Combat Racing has released on the PlayStation 4 as a PS2 Classic and it’s made us realise just how rubbish Sony’s new-gen console is for good ol’ arcade racers. They exist, of course: Trackmania Turbo’s fine; DriveClub’s decent (although it’s more simcade than, say, SEGA Rally). But where are the...

  • News Jak & Daxter's PS4 Re-Releases Will Delight Trophy Fans

    Pricing's pretty decent, too

    The trio of Jak & Daxter titles set to release on the PlayStation 4 this week as PS2 Classics will come with 118 Trophies in tow – and that’s ignoring Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, which launched earlier in the year. All of the titles include Platinum Trophies, with Jak X: Combat Racing receiving...

  • News Retro PS2 Clock Theme Releases on PS4 Next Week

    Wump

    After the awesome PSone Anniversary Theme, we’re surprised that Sony hasn’t capitalised on its legacy with more throwback backgrounds. Fortunately, it’s announced this humdinger inspired by the PS2’s legendary clock. If you’re not sure what we’re referring to, here’s the last-last-gen console’s timepiece in all of its glory:...

  • News Trio of Jak & Daxter Titles Launch on PS4 Next Week

    Jak's back

    They were spotted on the PlayStation Store a few days ago, and now they’ve been dated: Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X: Combat Racing will complete the Jak & Daxter series on the PlayStation 4 from 6th December – well, assuming you ignore the handful of PSP spin-offs anyway. A

November2017

  • News Jak & Daxter's PS4 Re-Releases Can't Be Too Far Away Now

    Team eco

    There’s no way around it: Sony’s PS2 Classics initiative has been embarrassing. While the ports are generally pretty good – complete with Trophy functionality, upscaling, and integration with the PlayStation 4’s operating system – they’ve been slow to release, and so many essentials from the last-last-gen console’s catalogue...

October2017

September2017

August2017

  • News Licensed PlayStation Hoodies Celebrate Two Iconic Consoles

    Live in your world

    If flaunting your PlayStation fandom is something you like to do, then Merchoid have a couple of new licensed hoodies designed for you. Inspired by the PSone and PlayStation 2, the £44.99 pullovers celebrate Sony’s classic consoles by reflecting their colour schemes and designs. The PSone top, for example, has a large circular...

  • Poll Is Persona 5 the Best Persona Game?

    Now it's personal

    Now that Persona 5 has been out for a good few months, we thought it was about time to ask the ultimate question: is it the best Persona game? Atlus' latest entry in the role-playing series was met with universal critical acclaim and it's safe to say that gamers went absolutely nuts for it. It quickly became the best selling title...

  • News Jak & Daxter's PS4 Trophies Go Live Ahead of Launch

    Free with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy pre-orders

    Jak & Daxter’s coming to the PlayStation 4 next week as a PS2 Classic, and its Trophies have hit Sony’s servers in preparation for the platformer’s release. This is the same list as on the PlayStation 3, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble gobbling up that Platinum in a single...

July2017

  • News Jak & Daxter Tetralogy Nearing PS4 Release

    Jak box party pack

    Jak & Daxter will make the leap of faith to the PlayStation 4 imminently it seems, as all four of Naughty Dog’s classic PlayStation 2 titles have been rated by American ratings board, the ESRB. The titles were confirmed for Sony’s new-gen console some time back – with the Precursor Legacy becoming a pre-order bonus for

May2017

  • News One More PS2 Classic Confirmed for PS4 Next Week

    Eternal Ring by From Software lined up

    From Software wasn’t always a household name behind some of the biggest action role-playing games in the industry, y’know? Prior to the surprise success of Demon’s Souls, the Japanese developer was making niche titles like the King’s Field series and Eternal Ring. Speaking of which, the latter is set to...

  • Video How Does Resident Evil: Code Veronica X Look on PS4?

    Claire almighty

    A true classic has arrived as, er, a PS2 Classic on the PlayStation 4 today: Resident Evil: Code Veronica X. This is the first Capcom title to take advantage of Sony’s emulation technology, and it’ll hopefully pave the way for more in the future. In terms of features, it’s packing a Platinum Trophy and is compatible with all of...

April2017