Which is better -- the PS2 or the PSTwo?

[Squall]

Which is better -- the PS2 or the PSTwo?

In other words, is the PS2 as originally designed, or the new, slimmer "PSTwo" the superior model? Sure, both versions of the PlayStation 2 do the exact same thing (with the exception of the HDD, which I don't own, and never planned to purchase), but which version of this console has less mechanical problems? Electrical problems? Problems reading CDs or DVDs? Does the redesigned PSTwo fix any and all design problems the original PS2 had? Does its smaller size and more compact design lead to any new design problems?

I'm wondering because, despite my taking great care of it, my current PS2 is just about worn out. When I buy a new PlayStation 2 next year, should I try to locate another PS2, or buy the new PSTwo?

:confused:

[Chad Bonin]

I don't know what the benefits of owning a PS2 are now, outside of HDD support and the ability to press eject and not have the disc... spinner... thing... quickly stop.

[Peter Paltridge]

Is the menu screen of the PSTwo different from the PS2, like the PSOne menu was different from the original PS1 menu?

[Invader_Spooch]

Is the menu screen of the PSTwo different from the PS2, like the PSOne menu was different from the original PS1 menu?
No. They are exactly the same.

[Master Moron]

I personally, just like the look of the PS2 better. It looks kind of like an Atari. I hate the thin look. It looks malnourished.

Also, I've had my PS2 since the year it came out and it still works fine, though it every once in a while stumbles while playing a DVD.

[Opaque]

I traded in my PS2 towards a PWTwo and I'm pleased with it.

The fact that it came with a built in Network adaptor was a nice bonus (which saves you 25 bucks if you don't already have one), also it has a built in sensor for the DVD remote, which means if I'm lying in bed and don't want to get up I can turn it off remotely, which is also nice. Also it is nearly silent and doesn't have any of the over heating issues some PS2s still experience. I would say if you are getting a new system anyway, there is no reason not to get the PSTwo; unless of course you like wasting money on less visually appealing models.

[Squall]

I don't know what the benefits of owning a PS2 are now, outside of HDD support and the ability to press eject and not have the disc... spinner... thing... quickly stop.
Does stopping the spinner manually (like we used to have to do with the PS1 & PSOne, and apparently must do again if you own a PSTwo) damage it over time? If you just let it stop itself, how long does the disk typically spin after you open the case?

One thing that concerns me about the new PSTwo is that the CPU apparently doesn't have a fan to keep it cool, because the new design didn't allow room for it. Does this significantly increase the chance of the PSTwo's CPU literally melting under certain situations -- i.e., after playing all afternoon in the middle of a hot Summer day in a house with poor AC?

Once I get confirmation that the PS3 will be double backward compatible, and play PS2 and PS1 games, my worrying about which PS2 I own will cease. But until then, I need to make sure I have a system that can play my entire PS1 & PS2 collections! :eek:

[Ickis]

One thing that concerns me about the new PSTwo is that the CPU apparently doesn't have a fan to keep it cool, because the new design didn't allow room for it. Does this significantly increase the chance of the PSTwo's CPU literally melting under certain situations -- i.e., after playing all afternoon in the middle of a hot Summer day in a house with poor AC?
Aside from that I heard on Xplay that Crash Twinsanity crashes on the new PS2 (Skinny,small one),I rather just get a new plain, bulky PS2 cus' its cheaper and it dosen't have those 2 problems.

[Opaque]

Aside from that I heard on Xplay that Crash Twinsanity crashes on the new PS2 (Skinny,small one),I rather just get a new plain, bulky PS2 cus' its cheaper and it dosen't have those 2 problems.
Yeah, because one crappy game crashing is a problem.

Also, the PSTwo doesn't have any problems with over heating because there are less chips that heat up.

[Kryptonian]

Does stopping the spinner manually (like we used to have to do with the PS1 & PSOne, and apparently must do again if you own a PSTwo) damage it over time? If you just let it stop itself, how long does the disk typically spin after you open the case?

One thing that concerns me about the new PSTwo is that the CPU apparently doesn't have a fan to keep it cool, because the new design didn't allow room for it. Does this significantly increase the chance of the PSTwo's CPU literally melting under certain situations -- i.e., after playing all afternoon in the middle of a hot Summer day in a house with poor AC?

Once I get confirmation that the PS3 will be double backward compatible, and play PS2 and PS1 games, my worrying about which PS2 I own will cease. But until then, I need to make sure I have a system that can play my entire PS1 & PS2 collections! :eek:I don't really know how durable the hardware is on the redesigned PlayStation 2, but yeah, if you keep stopping the disc while it's spinning, it will wear out
faster.

I remember when I first got the original PlayStation, I didn't read the instructions, and I would always take the disc out right away.

Eventually the games I played would just start skipping for no reason, and sometimes I would have to reset the system for it to start working.

I've never had any problems with it over heating, but if played for too long without the fan, it might just start smoking maybe. ._.;;;;

A rumor going around about the cell processor that's going to be used for the PlayStation 3, is that the maximum speed for it would be 4.6GHz, and if the final processors do clock in to be that fast, it would easily be able to handle PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, and that would be remarkable.

[Master Moron]

I traded in my PS2 towards a PWTwo and I'm pleased with it.

The fact that it came with a built in Network adaptor was a nice bonus (which saves you 25 bucks if you don't already have one), also it has a built in sensor for the DVD remote, which means if I'm lying in bed and don't want to get up I can turn it off remotely, which is also nice. Also it is nearly silent and doesn't have any of the over heating issues some PS2s still experience. I would say if you are getting a new system anyway, there is no reason not to get the PSTwo; unless of course you like wasting money on less visually appealing models.

But, the PS2 looks more visually appealing. Bigger is better.

[Opaque]

But, the PS2 looks more visually appealing. Bigger is better.
Neither of those two sentences have any truth to them.

[Master Moron]

Neither of those two sentences have any truth to them.

Well, which looks better a 10 inch TV or a 30 inch TV? A beetle or a muscle car? A microve oven or a stove? A George Foreman grill or a big ass outdoor grill? A labtop or a big ass PC? A walkman or a stereo? A cooler or a fridge? I personally think the bigger things look nicer.

[Chad Bonin]

I like how 2 of those descriptions include the adjective "Big Ass".

By opposite, what looks better? A big NES cartridge or a DS card? A clunky old '80s Gameboy or the mid-'90s Gameboy Pocket? The XBox original controller or the Gamecube pad? A VHS tape or a DVD?

[Opaque]

Well, which looks better a 10 inch TV or a 30 inch TV? A beetle or a muscle car? A microve oven or a stove? A George Foreman grill or a big ass outdoor grill? A labtop or a big ass PC? A walkman or a stereo? A cooler or a fridge? I personally think the bigger things look nicer.
A Tape Walkman or an iPod? A BWM or a VW Bus? 25 inch LCD flat screen or a 30 inch woodframed black and white set?

It appears that the only real truth so far in any of these arguments is that new looks better than old.

[Peter Paltridge]

Well, which looks better a 10 inch TV or a 30 inch TV? A beetle or a muscle car? A microve oven or a stove? A George Foreman grill or a big ass outdoor grill? A labtop or a big ass PC? A walkman or a stereo? A cooler or a fridge? I personally think the bigger things look nicer.This is an American Culture thing; we tend to associate larger objects with greater power. Not all objects are good as huge, though. No one has wanted a cell phone bigger than your leg since 1985.
I'm proud to have my bulky PS2 but I do wish it was as quiet as the PSTwo is, especially since I play a lot of DVDs on it.

[Sampo]

I lucked out and got a Slim PS2 at the local Walmart a few days ago. So...


Does stopping the spinner manually (like we used to have to do with the PS1 & PSOne, and apparently must do again if you own a PSTwo) damage it over time? If you just let it stop itself, how long does the disk typically spin after you open the case?
...
If you open the cover, it appears to have a braking/stopping feature so that the disc spins down in about 2 seconds.

PSTwo's menu looks identical to the PS2, although with added feature of turning the Remote Control feature on or off.


http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/pstwomenu.jpg


My own opinons about it. It looks sleak, amazingly light, and so small! Heck the manual that it came with is the same size as the base of the unit.

Pros:
-It is quiet. No fans to create noise and when the PStwo accesses the disc, I can't hear the disc speeding up/down.
-The flip up cover style, in my case, its better. My old PS2's tray got stuck once and it wouldn't eject. So I had to open it with force... After numerous tries, I got it to work again. Although the tray got a little damaged.

Cons:
-Because it's so slim, my Logitech wireless controller's receiver is a little too big (about 1 cm or so). So when I lay it flat, it doesn't sit level to the surface. My temporary solution was to place the manual underneath the PStwo. :sweat:
-The stand is not included with the system... Even though it is on the box cover. No biggie, but I am not sure if I want to stand the unit up without the stand.
-Because of the flip cover style and it's so slim, it feels a little flimsy. It is still amazingly light and so small though..
-My old third party cable (I think it is) that I bought for the PS2 which allowed me to use the S-video had some connection problems. I had to wiggle the connector into the slot to make the S-Video work... Which spooked me a bit, so I just used the regular composite video included with the system.



...
But, the PS2 looks more visually appealing. Bigger is better.
*Sampo glances at his XBox and remembers how heavy that thing was to lug around and how much space it takes up*

Uh, not really...

[Conan-san]

-My old third party cable (I think it is) that I bought for the PS2 which allowed me to use the S-video had some connection problems. I had to wiggle the connector into the slot to make the S-Video work... Which spooked me a bit, so I just used the regular composite video included with the system.
That happened with me and my 3rd party Scart Cable for my second hand PSONE Coninidinky?

[Opaque]

I had a third party S-Video cable for my PS2 and it worked fine with my PSTwo.

I swear, I'm the only person who never has these weird problems.

[Lightwave]

Right now, I'm not partial to either system, but I'd like to clear up something I heard. Is it true that the first batch of PSTwo's are basically region free, opening the option to play imported games instantly?

[Master Moron]

I like how 2 of those descriptions include the adjective "Big Ass".

For some reason, that made me laugh out loud.



By opposite, what looks better? A big NES cartridge or a DS card? A clunky old '80s Gameboy or the mid-'90s Gameboy Pocket? The XBox original controller or the Gamecube pad? A VHS tape or a DVD?

Never seen a DS card. And the best Gameboy would be the see through one that came out...oh, was it early 90s? Did they ever make a see through Gameboy Pocket? And I'm not too familiar with the X-Box controller, but I do like that shiny X logo in the middle of it, very aesthetically appealing. I have to say though, Gamecube controllers never looked very attractive to me, too many weird shapes and the buttons seem to be all over the place, not enough balance. And it's not the DVDs that look nicer, it's the nice shiny DVD cases that look nice.

[Master Moron]

A Tape Walkman or an iPod? A BWM or a VW Bus? 25 inch LCD flat screen or a 30 inch woodframed black and white set?

It appears that the only real truth so far in any of these arguments is that new looks better than old.

Out of all those things you've mentioned I only know what a tape walkman and a LCD flat screen look like. And to be honest, I never found flat screens to be that attractive. I like a nice big TV that I can cuddle with...

[Chad Bonin]

And the best Gameboy would be the see through one that came out...oh, was it early 90s? Did they ever make a see through Gameboy Pocket?Yes, they made a clear Gameboy Pocket in the early '90s. Hence the "mid-'90s Gameboy Pocket"


Out of all those things you've mentioned I only know what a tape walkman and a LCD flat screen look like. You don't know what an iPod, BMW, VW Beetle, or a 30-inch woodframe TV look like?


Is it true that the first batch of PSTwo's are basically region free, opening the option to play imported games instantly?Where'd you hear this? I might be able to try it; I'm assuming I have one of the "first batch" ones, considering most places are now out of stock.

[Lightwave]

I heard it on a few different gaming sites. I'll see if I can pull up some links. Reason I was asking was because I wasn't sure if it was true or not. That'd be the deciding factor if I bought one, really.

[Chad Bonin]

I can see if any friends have import games (chances are someone does), throw it in my PStwo, and see if I get any results.

[Sampo]

Out of all those things you've mentioned I only know what a tape walkman and a LCD flat screen look like. And to be honest, I never found flat screens to be that attractive. I like a nice big TV that I can cuddle with... I don't have a regular iPod, but here is a pic of my iPod mini compared to an unwraped 90 minute cassette tape.

Here is a shot from behind. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/ipodminiback.jpg)
Here is a side shot. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/ipodminiside.jpg)
And finally the front. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/ipodminifront.jpg)


I heard it on a few different gaming sites. I'll see if I can pull up some links. Reason I was asking was because I wasn't sure if it was true or not. That'd be the deciding factor if I bought one, really. Dang, I would like to help. But I don't have any Import games to try them out :(.

[Master Moron]

Okay, maybe we shouldn't compare really new things to really old things(though, personally, that ipod doesn't look all that attractive to me). So, which do you guys think looks better, the normal size PS2 discs, or the little dinky Gamecube discs? Personally, I can't stand those tiny Gamecube discs.

[Artimus Gigan]

The PSTwo can't play FFXI because the HD won't fit


so if you wan to play FFXI get an older system

other than that there arn't any major differences in performance...

[Opaque]

The PSTwo can't play FFXI because the HD won't fit


so if you wan to play FFXI get an older system

other than that there arn't any major differences in performance...
Sony is in the process of making a special memory card that is capably of housing all the data you would need to play FFXI, download maps for Socom 2 (and whatever ever else might offer that service) and still keep all the save files you would ever need... it's basically a hard drive in memory card form. Since it won't retail for more than the hard drive does, there is still no reason to find a PS2 over a PSTwo.

[Artimus Gigan]

Sony is in the process of making a special memory card that is capably of housing all the data you would need to play FFXI, download maps for Socom 2 (and whatever ever else might offer that service) and still keep all the save files you would ever need... it's basically a hard drive in memory card form. Since it won't retail for more than the hard drive does, there is still no reason to find a PS2 over a PSTwo.I'm not talking about further down the road

I was talking about now

However the Memory Drive won't be out until 2005(probably mid 2nd quarter)

and suppsoedly 2005 is the last big year for the Ps2 because when 2006 comes around the PS3 will be out...

[Invader_Spooch]

I can see if any friends have import games (chances are someone does), throw it in my PStwo, and see if I get any results.Please do so, because I've been putting off getting... stuff.... to play import games on my new PSTwo (so I can play my Saiyuki fighting game I ordered).

Thanks. :sweat:

[Chad Bonin]

Well, my friend who has an import disc and/or game didn't bring it. Should be seeing her next week, so I'll test it then.

[Van Fleihight]

I don't have a regular iPod, but here is a pic of my iPod mini compared to an unwraped 90 minute cassette tape.

Here is a shot from behind. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/ipodminiback.jpg)
Here is a side shot. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/ipodminiside.jpg)
And finally the front. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/data/ipodminifront.jpg)

You have the same exact DVD/VHS player as me lol.