PlayStation 2 is a home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the first PlayStation console (1994 - 2000) and part of the sixth generation of video game consoles. It was first released in 2000. As a sixth-generation console, it competed with Sega's Dreamcast, Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's original Xbox.
Early development on the PlayStation 2 began as early as the launch of the original PlayStation in 1994, and was secretive in nature. It was developed with focus on backward compatibility with its predecessor and a built-in DVD player. While it was also backwards-compatible with the PlayStation's DualShock, the PlayStation 2 introduced a revision, the DualShock 2. Throughout its lifespan, the PlayStation 2 saw several revisions with slimmer designs and lower price points. Over that time, the PS2 saw over 3800 titles releasing on its hardware, including multiple first-party and third-party titles. Notable first-party releases included Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and Gran Turismo 4, the Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper trilogies, the Ratchet & Clank games, God of War and God of War II, the SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs series, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.
The PlayStation 2 was widely acclaimed by gaming publications for its hardware, inclusion of a DVD player, backwards compatibility and library of video games, though it also received some criticism later in its lifespan for being the weakest console of its generation. It is the best selling home console of all time, with over 155 million units and 1.5 billion games sold. Sony maintained support for the PlayStation well into its successor's shelf life, with the console continuing production until 2013. Its successor, the PlayStation 3, was released in 2006.