The PlayStation 2 has garnered quite a list of accomplishments since its release, most notably, becoming the best-selling video game console of all time. As of February 2024, over 158 million units have been sold. Now, a new accolade has been added to the list. The PlayStation 2 is the first console to be added to Japan’s Future Technology Heritage Registry.
The Registry was created back in 2008 and is maintained by the National Museum of Nature and Science. The list has more than 380 items that were created in Japan and “have a significant impact on the state of people’s lives, economy, society, and culture.”
The VHS format, the Sony Walkman, the first LCD calculator, the PC-9801 computer, the first CD player, the first DVD player, and the CD-R format are just some of the notable items that have made it to the Registry.
The PlayStation 2 is one of 18 new additions to the Registry including the Seiko Chariot Quartz watch, MIDI-equipped synthesisers, the Opus 8 computer sewing machine, and the Trinilight light-emitting element used in Jumbotrons.
The National Museum of Nature and Science says that the PlayStation 2 was added to the Registry because “its beautiful graphics were on par with those of arcade game consoles at the time, and allowed for realistic expressions.” The Museum notes that the evolution of video game graphics were led by home consoles rather than arcades after the release of the PS2.
The museum also credits the PS2 with contributing to the popularity of the DVD format because it was priced lower than most other DVD players at the time, making it “important as a product that realised practical use of multimedia.”
The entry on the Register contains two reasons why the PS2 was selected. “Those that demonstrate important aspects and stages of the development of science and technology,” and “those that have played an outstanding role in the development of people’s lives and the creation of new lifestyles.”