Backwards Compatibility
Backwards compatibility has turned in to a bit of a joke this generation, but for the PS2 it was a selling point. Not only would it play your Playstation games, it would make them prettier. This is a big deal because this was unprecedented. I don’t know about you, but deciding to upgrade to new hardware makes sense if you can play all those games you have lying around the house.
It was and still is brilliant. Not only did the PS2 launch with SSX, but it also launched with the entire back catalog of Sony Playstation software. Many scoffed at how expensive the PS2 was, but it had so many features that the argument finally went out the window. With Sony being the first one out the gate, they couldn’t idle around waiting for a system seller, so they didn’t. They gave you access to your library and that was an amazing feature in and of itself.