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4 March 2000 (Japan)Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

The PlayStation 2 turns a game console into a DVD player

Sony's second console becomes the best-selling gaming hardware ever made

On the timeline · around 4 March 2000 (Japan) · 3D, CDs, and the Console Wars3D, CDs, and the Console WarsGoing Online and EverywhereThe PlayStation 2 turns a game console into a DVD player1997199819992000200120022003

Quick facts

Manufacturer
Sony
Japan launch
4 March 2000
Key feature
Built-in DVD playback
Lifetime sales
Over 155 million units

What happened

Sony released the PlayStation 2 in Japan on 4 March 2000, drawing more than 10,000 people to queue across Tokyo, some for four days beforehand, and selling out its one million launch units within the first weekend. The console played DVD movies as well as games, undercutting the price of many standalone DVD players at the time and pulling many households into the format through a game console rather than dedicated home theater equipment. It launched in North America that October at 299 dollars, again selling out within hours, and remained in production until 2013, eventually selling more than 155 million units worldwide, a figure no console has since surpassed.

Why it matters

By doubling as an affordable DVD player, the PS2 pulled in customers who might never have bought a dedicated game console, and its record-setting sales entrenched Sony as the dominant force in console gaming through most of the 2000s.

How we know

The Computer History Museum's own timeline entry documents the DVD-playback business rationale and total sales figures; Time Extension's feature on the console's history adds detail on the Japan launch-day crowds from contemporaneous reporting and industry accounts.

Sources

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