Sony selling HDTV with built-in PlayStation 2
The 22-inch HDTV comes with a PS2 controller and retails for $300. However, for now, it's only available in the U.K.
Here is something you don't see everyday.
U.K. electronics retailer Richer Sounds is now selling a 22-inch Sony HDTV with a PlayStation 2 built in. According to its Twitter feed, the retailer started offering the product to its customers last week. It sells for 200 pounds, or about $300.
Dubbed the Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300, the set sits atop the built-in PlayStation 2. The HDTV boasts 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports (although two of them are USB 1.1), and two Ethernet connections. The set itself features a 1,366x768 resolution, meaning no 1080p for full HD fans.
But it's the PlayStation 2 integration that makes this product so interesting. Not only can gamers play PS2 titles on the device, but since the PlayStation 2 was backward-compatible with original PlayStation titles, users can also play the oldies on the television.
Sony's set looks to be available only in the U.K. for now. A company spokesperson said that Sony has no "plans to bring anything like the [KDL-22PX300] to market [in the U.S.]"
Although the KDL-22PX300 isn't the first set to feature a built-in console--a device called the Divers 2000 featured a built-in Sega Dreamcast--it's certainly on a short list. And Sony's decision to offer the PlayStation 2 in a set speaks to the longevity of the console.
The PlayStation 2 launched in 2000. And more than 10 years later, it's still available for purchase as a standalone console for $100. According to Sony's Web site, the console boasts more than 1,800 games in its library. And it has easily lived up to the company's hope of following a 10-year life cycle with its consoles.
(Via Engadget)
Updated at 9:48 a.m. PSTto include Sony comment.