Sony’s PlayStation 2 has been around for quite a while. In fact, it was released so long ago that it’s kind of bizarre to think about how much the gaming industry has changed in the nearly twenty years since it first hit the scene. Before the PS2, games were largely offline single-player experiences, 3D graphics were still in their infancy, and games boasting mature or provocative themes were still few and far between due to the fact that most consumers still believed gaming to be a pastime mainly intended for children.
We owe a lot to Sony’s second console, and gaming as a hobby is now taken much more seriously thanks to their early-2000’s games machine. Tech was advancing at an incredibly rapid rate at the time, and the difference between the graphical capabilities of the first and second PlayStation consoles was nothing short of staggering. No longer were game worlds universally jagged and polygonal. Suddenly the medium was capable of an unprecedented level of verisimilitude.
Of course, now that we’re pretty far removed from the console’s launch, it almost seems quaint in how rudimentary it was. What’s more, the black, VHS-player aesthetic of the first PlayStation 2 is downright ugly these days. Fortunately, dedicated console modders and artists have taken to customizing their consoles to varying degrees of success. Some are definite works of art, and others leave something to be desired.
So, with that in mind, here are fifteen super lame custom PS2 consoles (and fifteen that we think are dope).
Lame: The Jolly Green Giant
2008 must have been a pretty big time for PS2 modding; the console had been outdated a few years prior, and creative console owners probably felt like they had nothing to lose by customizing their old machines. Most PS3 models still supported PS2 backwards compatibility at the time, so those who owned both wouldn’t have lost much had they accidentally destroyed their old systems during the customization process. That said, it also gave rise to a lot of underwhelming renovations that, for whatever reason, people were eager to share online. Not to cast any undue shade at this decade old post, but… well, it’s a green PS2—it isn’t exactly the most earth-shattering console modification.
Dope: Aku Aku
Now this is an absolute work of art! Contact the Louvre! Sell it in a fancy New York art auction! Or, better yet, sit around and play Crash Bandicoot on it. Featuring the mysterious yet ever-helpful spirit Aku Aku from just about every Crash game ever released on the front, the level of detail here is insane… or should we say N. sane? Modder Vadu Amka even went so far as to modify a Dualshock 2 controller as well, which is equally well-done. This looks like something that should have come with the collector’s edition of 2017’s Crash N. Sane Trilogy, and this console looks leagues better than the blocky, polygonal plank of wood everyone knows from the first game.
Lame: Xbox Wannabe
Some may have forgotten about this gross trend, but tech in the early 2000s was absolutely rife with colored semi-translucent plastic. Apple’s iMac is probably to blame, but everything from gaming consoles to Hit Clips came packaged in these cheap, eyesore-manifest cases. Some will remember that, while Microsoft’s original Xbox was primarily all black, they did release a green translucent console that made the already-bulky thing look even more tacky. The same principle follows with this modded see-through green PS2. Sure, some people, for whatever reason, are still fascinated with this look. But, well, it was sold in eBay just last year for $160, and it’s tough to imagine paying for a console which ostensibly looks worse than a regular PlayStation 2.
Dope: Vice City
Ah, here we go, that’s more like it! Take notes, metalviperx, though we would assume they probably don’t care about critiques regarding their eleven year old PS2 modification. This Grand Theft Auto: Vice City inspired system is a work of art that pays homage to a great game that was actually on Sony’s second PlayStation console. This thing would probably fetch a pretty penny on eBay, though most console modders aren’t in it for the profit. While the aforementioned San Andreas is usually heavily favored over its predecessor, it’s nice to see that there is still a lot of love out there for any of the older Grand Theft Auto titles—you know, the ones that didn’t involve buying virtual currency from the PSN Store.
Lame: Wii Would Like to Play
So, the NES mod was pretty cool, but that’s largely due to the fact that it’s pretty hard to dislike Nintendo’s first console. Regardless of allegiance or fandom, gamers have to respect that pioneer of a system. The same does not have to be said about the Nintendo Wii, as, in the eyes of many gaming enthusiasts, it casualized their hobby and popularized gimmicky motion control mechanics. With that in mind, why would anyone want to customize their PlayStation 2 so that it looks like a Nintendo Wii? Unless it was intended as a joke—and that seems like a lot of work to put in for a simple gag—this custom PS2 seems like a major waste of time… and it still isn’t going to be able to play Wii Sports.
Dope: Dragon Ball
Anime fans often credit the late-90’s Toonami program Dragon Ball Z as having introduced them to the world of Japanese animation. Of course, networks and availability would have changed depending on region, but the fact remains that there are a ton of 18-30-year-olds out there who absolutely love the show. There were also a good number of quality gaming titles based on the property released on the PS2, most of which were fighters. To complement this, Twitter user and console modder Paandraff coated his old console in an awesome DBZ-themed paint job. This definitely isn’t something that would come as a factory standard, and most old-school anime fans would shell out a nice chunk of change to add this system to their collections.
Lame: PlayStation 2 Unify
Though the world of emulation is constantly evolving, it will be quite a while before the masses are able to accurately emulate PlayStation 2 games on their smartphones. As it stands, there really isn’t a good way to take PS2 games on the go, though the PlayStation 2 Unify is a clear attempt to remedy that issue. Unfortunately, though a spirited attempt, this thing looks beyond awkward to play. There’s no way anyone would be able to get a firm grip on this thing, and lugging it around would just be beyond inconvenient. It may be a test kit or a prototype, and, if that’s the case, it looks really polished. We can definitely appreciate the modder’s dedication, but, at the end of the day, this probably isn’t the best way to experience PS2 gaming.
Dope: Tomb Raider
By the time the series hit the PlayStation 2, things were already a bit out of control. Series developer Core Design, a team which initially started things out on the original PlayStation, had grown tired of the property, and Lara Croft’s adventures began to flatline once she entered the sixth console generation. 2003’s Angel of Darkness is often considered to be the franchise’s lowest point, though that’s not to say that there weren’t a few passable Tomb Raider games on the PS2. To commemorate the series yester-years, modder Vadu Amka constructed this elaborate Tomb Raider console which looks to be as detailed and engaging as the original PS1 trilogy.
Lame: Pink Mirror
Gamer girl alert! For anyone who happens to have two X chromosomes and an old PlayStation 2 slim lying around, this skins is a must-buy. We’re kidding, of course—this thing is more than a little gaudy, and there are plenty of better custom skins to apply to a PS2. The bland black console design may be a bit tiresome to look at, but that doesn’t mean it needs a giant pink mirror sticker stuck to the top of it. Sony fans criticized the PlayStation Pro’s weird three-tiered look when it was officially unveiled back in 2016, but it would have been even more negatively-received if it came draped in an ugly pink skin.
Dope: Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist is another older anime which tons of fans credit as having been a major reason for their anime addiction in the modern day. It wasn’t perhaps as visible as something like DBZ, but there certainly isn’t a shortage of old school Alchemist fans out there. Plus, there were a handful of games based on the property released on the PlayStation 2, some of which were developed by famous RPG developer Square Enix. In fact, games based on this anime faded out soon after the end of the sixth console generation, so this custom Fullmetal Alchemist PS2 paint job is extra cool and definitely relevant to the console.
Lame: RGB Nightmare
Anyone with experience building PCs knows that RGB is the in-thing these days. While factory-new consoles are all fairly generic and plain in appearances, custom personal computers can vary greatly in size, shape, power, and lighting options. That said, it’s pretty rare to see something as old as a PlayStation 2 come decked out in customizable illumination schemes, but such is the case with this particular homemade lightshow. Unfortunately, the modder behind this thing went a little too far, as it’s much too bright and would probably be a bit of a distraction during gameplay. It’s still cool to some extent, but, with such a small form factor, less would probably be more when it comes to the PS2.
Dope: Final Fantasy X
While most fans will argue that Final Fantasy VII, which came out on the original PlayStation, was the best in the series, there is certainly a case to be made for Final Fantasy X, XI, and XII, though the tenth installment is probably the best RPG the console would ever receive. In reverence to that great title, PS2 modder Anark Grafik created this awesome custom art piece inspired by the game’s chimeras. It’s definitely a handmade custom that absolutely couldn’t have come from a factory. Most people today remember FF X for Tidus’ incredibly terrible laughing scene, but this labor of love proves that there’s so much more than that to these games.
Lame: Blue and Yellow
The standard PS2 memory card came with a whopping 8 mb of storage space; a total pittance today, but it was enough to store enough memory to ensure that nobody had to play an entire game through in one sitting. The idea that a gaming console wouldn’t come with onboard memory is unthinkable today, but so is the idea of adding an entire 320 GBs worth of storage space to a PS2 (unless the user plans on storing game roms on there). Yet, surely someone will find a use for all of that storage space included with this blue and yellow PS2 on eBay. The paint job is a little unsightly here, but that could be pretty easily covered up by a reflective pink console skin… or not.
Dope: Silver and Neon
Yes, the PlayStation 2 did indeed come in silver, but that flat color scheme wasn’t quite as attention-grabbing as what YouTube uploader I Love My Console showed off back in 2012. Sure, there hasn’t been much in the way of actual modification, but the addition of a blue accent makes this a much more attractive console to look at than the standard all-black variant. It may not be the absolute best mod to ever make it to YouTube, but the uploader was clearly pretty proud of it, so much so that he apparently named his channel based on his complete love for the PS2.
Lame: Fire and Brimstone
According to YouTube uploader Ben Brown, this heavily modified PS2 was intended to be an art project. By the look of things, though, it got a little out of hand. Some hardcore abstract art fans may find something appealing about this design, but most people are probably going to assume that this unfortunate PlayStation was thrown out the back of a moving van. It does have a certain steampunk appeal, but we mostly just feel bad for the poor console—does it even run anymore? The disk tray doesn’t appear to close all the way, and it looks like there’s actually a small hole on top of the console. Heavily modifying a PS2 is always a difficult task, and this project may have gone a few steps too far.
Dope: IntheLittleWood
This custom PlayStation 2, made for gaming YouTuber IntheLittleWood, was made a few years ago and looks about as slick as a PS2 possibly could. A ton of time, effort, and creative planning clearly went into this project, and curious Sony fans can watch every step of the process on crater AllMattJazz’s YouTube channel. Though he’s definitely got his hands on an awesome piece of gaming memorabilia, IntheLittleWood seems to have abandoned his PS2 ambitions in favor of (what else but) Fortnite. This custom job was commissioned back in 2015, so it’s hard to know what became of this awesome little console, but it hopefully sees at least some use.
Lame: K’nex PlayStation 2
Remember K’nex? They were a slightly more complicated version of Lego with which young builders could assemble all manner of contraptions. Analogous to the erector sets of the 80’s, K’nex could take the form of anything from toy tricycles to miniature roller coasters. In fact, there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to the construction of custom K’nex coasters, which is pretty cool. What isn’t all that neat, unfortunately, is this DIY PlayStation 2 K’nex stand. This schematic must be relatively old—it’s tough to imagine a kid wanting to build a custom PS2 case these days. These plastic joints and rods weren’t all that durable either, so this whole setup comes across as unnecessary.
Dope: Han Solo
This is exactly what Etsy is for; where else is anyone going to find a PS2 modeled after that famous scene from The Empire Strikes Back in which Han Solo is frozen into a carbonite block? This would be such a great conversational piece for any fan of Star Wars, and Etsy user MakoMod will custom-make one of these sci-fi gems for $200. That may sound excessively expensive for a console which came out in 2000, but this concept is so one-of-a-kind that it would be pretty tough to pass on it. Who needs 2017’s Battlefront II when they could play the PS2 original on a Star Wars-themed console?
Dope: Set System Time
Early video game consoles were so primitive that they really weren’t capable of doing anything aside from playing games, and, while that may seem a little too bare-bones today, it’s a welcome feature to those exhausted by Sony and Microsoft’s push to turn their systems in to all-in-one entertainment machines. Twenty years ago, gamers were shocked to see that home consoles could tell time, and that concept has been taken to new heights by Etsy user CreativeFunny who made a functioning clock out of an old PlayStation 2. This would make for an excellent conversation piece in a gaming den, and it brings a whole new meaning to the term “set system time.”
Dope: God of War
The PlayStation 2’s God of War duology stands among some of the best titles available on the console. A series so good that it went on to spawn one of 2018’s Game of the Year contenders, there’s no shortage of respect among gamers for the demigod Kratos and his visceral exploits. To commemorate the series, Etsy user MakoMod returns with this absolutely stunning Olympus-themed God of War PlayStation 2. At an asking price of nearly $300, this is definitely for God of War superfans. Anyone seriously into Sony and what they’ve contributed to the world of gaming over the past two decades would do anything to get their hands on this fantastic fan creation.
