PlayStation in a Mac

- 2000.08.24

Reasoning that if you can't beat 'em you should join 'em, Sony has decided to attack Connectix on their own turf: the PlayStation emulator market.

As you may know, Sony tried to block Connectix's Virtual Game Station, a software PlayStation emulator, in court. Sony lost.

Before anyone gets the chance to create PlayStation2 emulators, Sony will unveil something even better: a PlayStation2 card for Macs and PCs. This stunning product puts almost an entire PlayStation2 on a single card, which supports both PCI and AGP.

The only thing the user needs is a DVD drive; Sony takes care of the rest. In fact, Sony engineers have included an Ultra/66 controller on the card, making it easy for owners of older PCI Power Macs to add a DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM drive to their systems. For that matter, Sony is expected to offer bundle deals containing the PS2 card and either a DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM drive. (For Mac owners dependent on software DVD players, there's an extra bonus - the PS2 card does all the DVD decoding in hardware for top quality full speed output.)

No FireWire or USB in your computer? Sony's got you covered.

No extra slots? Sony may even help there, since the card can also replace any existing PCI or AGP video card, or any third-party USB or FireWire card you may have added to your system.

No memory card slot? Not necessary; you can save your games to the computer's hard drive.

Unlike software emulators, the PlayStation2 card doesn't take a toll on your CPU. Except for a driver that lets you run PlayStation games either in a window or full-screen, your computer mostly sits by while the PS2 card does its thing.

That's right: You get the full Emotion Engine inside your computer!

Best of all, the 3D video performance is absolutely stunning. Sony has had a crack team optimizing Mac, Windows, and Linux drivers for almost a year now - this ain't no beta software!

Because this is a genuine Sony product, there's no need to worry about software updates or game incompatibilities. Sony has been working with all major DVD makers to assure that the card works with any DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM drive built in the past two years.

For serious gamers, this card is a case of having their cake and eating it, too, although you'll have to wait until April 1, 2001. After all, Sony doesn't want to steal sales from the initial U.S. PlayStation2 rollout.

Drawbacks? Well, it looks like the card may end up costing more than the PlayStation2 console itself, probably somewhere around US$400 for the card - and more if you want the DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM bundle. This is so Sony can recoup its investment in designing the system and assuring compatibility. Besides, it's a great opportunity for Sony to make up for the fact that most game consoles are sold below cost just to create a market for the games.

On the other hand, what serious gamer wouldn't rather have everything inside the computer instead of adding yet another console to their collection?

- Anne Onymus

Join us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Recent Rumor Mills

Driver Cell Phone Ban Only the Beginning, 2011.12.14. The NTSB wants states to ban texting and talking on the phone while driving, but what about the other 90% of traffic fatalities?
Buffalo Mouse Runs with Rumor Mill Concept, 2010.08.24. We thought the idea of a clickwheel mouse was off the wall when we presented it in 2004, but Buffalo Japan just introduced its own clickwheel mouse.
Microsoft Announces Cash for Clunker PCs, 2009.07.29. Beleaguered Microsoft, with declines in profits and market share, is offering cash for old computers to boost sales of new PCs with Windows Vista installed.
More in the Rumor Mill index.

Links for the Day

Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, introduced 1990.03.19. This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
February 14 in LEM history: 98: A perfect compact Mac - 00: Extended computer warranties worth the cost? - Making your PC work with your Mac - 01: Customize Microsoft Word - 02: Quadra revives a passion for computing - 03: Real world performance - DIY Pismo screen replacement - Best Mac for writing - 03: Fastest browser on the Mac - 06: 15" MacBook Pro - Impressions of a newly acquired Lisa - Finding and using free WiFi - Apple should liberate OS 9 - 07: New Mac mini cheaper than upgrading a Power Mac - 08: Falling in love with OS X
Support Low End Mac

Recent Deals

About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact

Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2012 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPad iPhone, iMac, iPod, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
Advice is presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
Email may be published at our discretion unless marked "not for publication"; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.

Custom Search

Follow Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac on Facebook

Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct from Strider Software.

Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.

Affiliates

Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay