The Playstation 2 is the successor to Sony’s first Playstation. The platform, which currently enjoys the largest share of the market, launched for the price of $299 on October 26, 2000.

The launch package consisted of the console, a wired controller, and video cables. Over the course of the PS2’s life span it has seen a large amount of software support. It's recently been redesigned to create a much smaller yet identical piece of hardware. Compared to the Xbox 360, it's clear that the PS2’s only advantage is a larger library of titles, but that is only due to the Xbox 360 having just launched.


PS2 specs

• CPU -- 128-bit "Emotion Engine"
• System clock frequency -- 294.912 MHz
• Memory size -- 32MB
• Co-processor -- FPU (Floating Point Unit)
• Floating point performance -- 6.2 gigaflops
• 3D CG geometric transformation -- 66 million polygons per second
• Graphics -- "Graphics Synthesizer"
• Clock frequency -- 150 MHz
• Maximum polygon rate -- 75 million polygons per second
• Sound -- "SPU2+CPU"
• IOP -- I/O processor
• CPU core -- PlayStation (current) CPU
• Clock frequency -- 33.8 MHz or 37.5 MHz (selectable)
• Interface types -- IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Universal Serial Bus (USB)
• Communication -- PC-Card (PCMCIA)
• Media Types Supported -- 24x CD-ROM and 4x DVD-ROM

System comparison

Graphics:

• Xbox 360’s triple core 3.2 GHz processor crunches numbers not only faster, but in much larger amounts then the older PS2 hardware.
• Xbox 360’s video card is currently more advanced then anything available on the market for purchase. It makes old generation graphic cards like those featured in the PS2 obsolete.
• Xbox 360 supports 480p, 1080i, and 720p HD resolution standards in all software titles, unlike the PS2 which supports standard television display images.

Winner: Everything from its custom designed cpu/video card to its hardware enabled rendering features makes Xbox 360 games appear next gen by all standards.

Sound:

• Xbox 360 titles are all designed with the 5.1 surround sound standard delivering the most crisp and lifelike sounds available.
• Xbox 360 supports custom soundtracks that you design with your own music and that music can then be played in place of the game music in all titles which is an option exclusive to the platform.

Winner:The Xbox 360 is again the benefactor of more advanced technology like the 5.1 surround sound format.


Capabilities:

• Xbox 360 premium packs ship with a wireless controller as a pack in and offers the same performance as the older PS2 wired controllers without the mess for up to four controllers simultaneously.
• Xbox 360 is home to Xbox Live, a unified online gaming service which offers many more features and far greater stability then competing open services.
• Xbox 360 integrates with your home Windows Media Center PC and enables you to stream music and movies for viewing on your television off of your PC hard drive.

Winner: The Xbox 360 offers many more capabilities outside of being a gaming platform, whereas the PS2 is more of a dedicated gaming machine.


Games:

• Xbox 360 features a far smaller library of titles due to a shorter lifespan
• Xbox 360 lacks the variety of genres compared to the ps2 also due to shorter lifespan
• Xbox 360 games have the potential for higher quality as developers integrate the next gen advantages into the software

Winner: The PS2 has a rather large advantage over the Xbox 360 currently as the 360’s library is small and developers are just learning the hardware.

Overall:
There are a couple ways to approach picking the winner of your hard-earned cash. If you want the most powerful system with a lifespan of many years -- and if you understand that it takes time for a console to build a software library -- then the Xbox 360 is a clear winner for you. If you want a cheaper console that has a much more varied library, then you will find the better choice is the PS2.


See also

• X360 vs. Atari 2600
• X360 vs. PCs
• X360 vs. PS3
• X360 vs. Xbox