Supporting both the audio CD and DVD-Video formats, PlayStation2 offers consumers a wide range of music and video entertainment options. The new system is backwards compatible with the original PlayStation, bridging the gap between the two systems while legitimizing consumers‘ investment in their existing PlayStation software libraries. 

Technical Specifications 
The Hard Disc Drive Unit (HDD) for PlayStation2 to be made available early next year, includes a high-speed network interface (Ethernet) for connection to broadband network infrastructure and a large capacity hard disc. The unit will connect to PlayStation2 via the PC Card terminal interface for the Japanese model of PlayStation2. Using this device, it will be possible to form a high-speed, high bandwidth connection with networks such as CATV or DSL for the direct download of digital content (e-Distribution).

In future, software titles can be a fusion of disc-based content and network entertainment - with additional data accessed over the network and stored on the HDD. Examples of this might be extra tracks in driving games, new adventures and characters for RPG titles or participation in leagues for sports titles and other real time multiplayer games.

The addition of the HDD allows for certain aspects of the system to perform at even higher data rates, overcoming some of the conventional constraints of existing disc-based media, such as swapping discs in a multiple disc set - since all the data can be pre-loaded on the HDD. The broadband network connection and HDD will allow for new forms of software and will radically change the way we enjoy interactive content. Titles can have extra content available in regular episodes stored on the HDD, with perhaps the most popular series continuing for many years.

Because of the powerful digital media interfaces on PlayStation 2, it is possible to store and manipulate still pictures from digital cameras, video from digital camcorders, and high quality digital broadcast. The firmware control program of the HDD can be upgraded to further expand functionality in the future.