Jim, Can you get on the net with a Playstation2? Can you plug in a HD?
Short answers: 1) Online strategy will not be implemented at release, but is anticipated to include web browsing, online gaming, etc.; and 2) I don't believe it will include a hard drive, there will be however, memory cards. Correction...I see below that the article states you can plug in a pccard hard drive. I would, however, distinguish the PS2 from the MSFT X-Box in that the X-Box will have a built-in HD.
Here's some detailed info:
gamecenter.com
PlayStation2 FAQ Japan
USA and Europe
Release date:
March 4, 2000
Fall 2000
Price:
39,800 yen
$400 (est.)
Tech Specs
CPU:
U128-bit RISC chip running at 300 MHz
RAM:
32MB DRAM
Graphics Processor:
150 MHz, 4MB integrated VRAM
Sound:
SPU2, 2MB RAM (AC3, Dolby Digital, DTS support)
Drive:
4X DVD, 24X CD read speeds (PlayStation, DVD, audio CD support)
Dimensions:
178mm by 301mm by 78mm (12 inches by 7 inches by 3 inches)
Weight:
2.1 kg (4 lbs. 10 oz.)
Ports:
2 Controller ports
2 Memory card slots
2 USB ports
1 iLink (IEEE1394)
1 PC card (PCMCIA Type III) card slot
1 AV multicable output
1 Optical digital output Included Accessories:
PlayStation2 demo disc
Dual Shock 2 analog controller
8MB memory card
AV video/audio cable
AC power cord
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Hardware Details
CPU
The PS2's central processing unit, dubbed the "Emotion Engine," is based on technology from MIPS, and is being manufactured by Toshiba. It is a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Chip), which is capable of powering any modern desktop computer. RISC chips have excellent floating-point capabilities making them ideal for performing geometry calculations and rendering detailed graphics. In fact, Apple's PowerPC CPUs are RISC chips, manufactured by IBM. IBM will also provide Nintendo with a version of the PowerPC for its upcoming Dolphin system. The PS2's CPU is technically clocked at 300 MHz, but it actually works in the system at 294.912 MHz so it can coordinate data transfers between all the components.
Graphics Synthesizer
The official spec for the graphics chip is 150 MHz, but like the CPU, the clock speed needs to be coordinated with the rest of the PS2 system, so the actual real-world clock frequency is 147.456MHz. The graphics subsystem has 4MB of integrated VRAM. Graphics effects supported by the synthesizer include surface and edge anti-aliasing to eliminate jagged edges and textures, 3D fog, and alpha blending for transparent textures. Multipass textures are also supported, which essentially allows two textures to be combined into one. For instance, a programmer could add a lighting texture under a semitransparent texture to make an object glow. Other features that are supported in the PS2 hardware are MIP mapping and perspective correction, which are now standard on most PC video cards.
Sound Chip
The SPU2 sound chip can crank out up to 48 channels of simultaneous sound. Backed by 2MB of dedicated RAM, the chip can pump out CD-quality sampling rates of 44.1 kHz at 16 bits. Higher-quality sampling of 48 kHz at up to 24 bit sound is also supported for viewing DVDs in DTS (Digital Theater Sound) quality. In addition, the SPU2 can produce Dolby Digital Sound which uses the same data rates (48 kHz at up to 24 bits).
DVD Drive
Media Supported: PlayStation2 CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, PlayStation CD-ROM, CD Audio. The PlayStation2's DVD drive can play music CDs and PlayStation games, in addition to DVD movies from the same region (DVDs have specific region codes to prevent piracy). The PlayStation2 supports MPEG 2 decompression, which is the video format with which DVD movies are encoded. The PS2 will automatically detect what kind of disc has been inserted into the drive and switch to the appropriate mode. For DVD movies, the PlayStation2 needs to load a special driver file stored on a PS2 memory card. The system will do this automatically, but the card with the driver file needs to be in memory card slot 1. The file will come pre-installed on the memory card that ships with the PS2, and will also be on the PS2 utility disc, in case owners accidentally delete it. The PlayStation2 will have all the viewing capabilities of a typical consumer DVD player, including chapter selection; removable subtitles; aspect ratio (16:9, 4:3 letterbox, 4:3 pan-scan); parental lockout; and additional extras. Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony Computer Entertainment has said, "The image definition [of the PS2] is as good as those of high-dollar DVD players."
USB Ports:
For a video game console, the PlayStation2 sports a lot of PC-type interfaces. Among them are two USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports. The two USB ports on the PlayStation2 open up the many possibilities of connecting PC peripherals such as joysticks, modems, mice, hard drives, scanners cameras, printers, and a host of other gadgets. However, companies will still have to write unique drivers to ensure that their products will work on the PS2. Although there are only two dedicated PS2 controller ports, the two additional USB ports will allow up to four gamers play at the same time. Adding a USB hub would increase that number if the game supports more than four players. Perhaps the biggest boon would be that PS2 owners could use high-quality PC gaming peripherals such as driving wheels; joysticks for flight sims; and mice and keyboards for first-person shooters, RPGs, and real-time strategy games. In addition, external USB hard drives would let gamers store game updates that are too big for the memory card, such as team rosters and player stats from professional sports leagues, new levels, or new characters. Scanners and cameras would let gamers put their own artwork into games--for instance, adding their own faces to characters.
iLink Port
Sony calls the IEEE1394 port iLink, while Apple and other computer makers call it FireWire. Whatever you call it, iLink is a higher speed connection than USB, making it ideal for hard drives and digital video cameras. Because the PS2 is being positioned as "more than just a gaming machine" owners will most likely be able to do video editing on their PS2s.
PC Card Slot
The PC Card slot on the PlayStation2 is another standard PC connection. Formerly known as PCMCIA, the PC card slot is standard on notebook computers. It will allow connections for modems, hard drives, and the like.
Memory Card Ports:
The two memory card ports have the same physical interface as the old memory slots on the original PlayStation. This is so that gamers can use their original PlayStation memory cards in the PS2. The new PS2 memory cards can store 8MB of data, and they have very fast transfer rate: 250 times faster than the original PlayStation cards. In addition, the cards will store information in standard bytes, not blocks as the current PlayStation does. The PS2 memory cards also have a security system dubbed MagicGate, built in to make sure that they work only on official PS2 games. This is apparently to combat software piracy, which has been a worldwide problem on the PlayStation.
Video Output Port:
The AV Multi Cable port on the PS2 will let gamers hook up to their TV via RCA (composite) cable or S-Video. Although there is no official announced support for VGA output, displaying VGA resolution is certainly within the technical specs of the PlayStation2. PS2 owners will most likely be able to connect to high-definition TVs and PC monitors through a Sony or third-party peripheral.
Optical Digital Port:
This neat port is the same as the one found on consumer DVD players. PS2 owners can plug in a fiber optic cable that will send PCM (uncompressed CD), Dolby Digital AC3, or DTS (Digital Theater Systems) Digital Surround audio to an audio receiver equipped with a compatible port and decoder. The home version of DTS is a 5.1 multichannel digital audio format used in DVD movies (theater DTS can handle more channels). Modern high-end receivers have this optical port, and because the signal is digital, PS2 owners can be assured that they're getting the highest quality audio out of the system.
Dual Shock 2
Sony's new gamepad for the PS2 is based on the current Dual Shock controller, with one main difference: all of the buttons support analog output. Unlike the current PlayStation Dual Shock buttons, which can only send on/off signals, the PS2's Dual Shock 2 controller buttons can sense degrees of pressure. This is ideal for driving games in which gas and brake buttons require precision. The Dual Shock 2 will not work in the original PlayStation even though the controller ports look the same.
Q&A
Q: How many polygons can the PlayStation2 render?
A: Sony has released the following "ideal world" numbers on the PlayStation2 performance. Obviously, the real-world performance will be significantly different, but these number should give gamers a general idea of what to expect:
75 million polygons per second (small polygons, no effects)
50 million polygons per second (48-pixel quads, 24-bit color, Z-buffering, alpha blending)
30 million polygons per second (50-pixel triangles, Z-buffering, alpha blending)
25 million polygons per second (48-pixel quads, Z-buffering, alpha blending, and MIP mapping)
Other "ideal world" numbers for the PS2's rendering capabilities include a particle drawing rate of 150 million per second (particles can be used for effects such as rain and fire). The PS2's can also render 8 by 8 pixel sprites at a rate of 18.75 million per second.
Q: Will the PS2 ship with a modem like the Dreamcast did?
A: No, Sony's online model will be implemented later, after launch, and is currently scheduled to include network gaming, in addition to chat, email, Web browsing, and shopping. Support for high-speed network access is being developed by RTIME. The RTIME Interactive Networking Engine software offers developers real-time, multi-way streaming of voice, audio, music, video, characters, and textures into the gameplay. This means that a live video feed in a multiplayer game will let gamers see who they're playing with and against. In addition, gamers with microphones will be able to chat over an audio connection or issue orders in a game to coordinate strategy. Check out the full story in Gamecenter News.
Q: Since the memory card and controller ports look the same, can I plug the new Dual Shock 2 or 8MB Memory Card into the original PlayStation and use them?
A: Essentially, no. However, Sony designed the PS2 with backward compatibility in mind. Not only will you be able to play old PlayStation games on the PS2, but you will be able to use the original Dual Shock gamepad and memory cards. There is one caveat: count on only officially licensed third-party peripherals to work with the PS2. Unlicensed third-party controllers often have problems working with the original PlayStation, probably because they weren't designed to official PlayStation specs.
Q: How does the PS2 play old PlayStation games?
A: In effect, the PS2 has an original PlayStation inside. The controller chip for the I/O functions as the good old PlayStation CPU chip (my, how far we've come!). When a PlayStation game is put into the PS2 drive, the system will switch to PlayStation mode, with the drive operating at 2X CD-ROM speed and the I/O chip taking over as the CPU. Some original PlayStation software won't run on the PS2; Sony claims that this is because the software wasn't designed to official PlayStation specs. Gamers will not see improved load times or improved graphics when playing PlayStation games in a PS2. However, they will be able to use old Dual Shock gamepads and PlayStation memory cards. The PS2 will not be compatible with the link cable.
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