In brief: It's more than likely that either you or someone you knew owned a PlayStation 2. The best-selling games console of all time sold over 150 million units during its run, and now, despite being out of production for almost six-years, Sony’s PS2 aftercare service in Japan is finally coming to an end.
Such was the popularity of the PlayStation 2, manufacture of the system continued for six years after the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, meaning the PS2 had been in production for nearly 13 years in total.
Sony Interactive Entertainment continued to support the PlayStation 2 after it was discontinued through its aftercare service, which allowed owners to send in their broken consoles for repairs carried out by the company’s technicians. But that will finally be coming to an end this Friday when Sony closes it down.
Those who managed to register online by the August 31 cutoff date now have until September 7 to get their consoles to the PlayStation Clinic repair depot in Iwate Prefecture.
The company said that it is simply running out of replacement parts for the PlayStation 2, so even those who did register in time might find that Sony can’t fix their machines, leaving owners with the option of unofficial, third-party services or trying some do-it-yourself repairs.
If you're a PlayStation 4-owning fan of the old console, there are several PS2 games available on the PlayStation Store and the PS Now streaming service, though it’s not an extensive collection.
With this announcement, the PlayStation 2 will soon be officially 100 percent dead in all respects, but owners will always have fond memories of games such as GTA: Vice City, Final Fantasy X, and many more. Sony has thanked its customers for their "continued patronage."
Image credit: Deni Williams / Flickr
https://www.techspot.com/news/76275-sony-finally-ends-playstation-2-repair-service-japan.html
