The PlayStation 1 and 2 are undoubtedly some of Sony’s best consoles of all time. With over 100 million PlayStation 1 sales and the PS2 still holding the record for the best-selling console of all time, the player base for both machines is still high even today. Unfortunately with both systems being discontinued ages ago, new players entering the scene typically have to rely on well-loved accessories that might not be as reliable as they were back in the day.
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Thankfully, A number of new replacement accessories are still being made to this day which blows away the options of yesteryear! New controllers, adapters, memory cards, and video output options help bring Sony’s classics into the modern era. So whether new to the scene or still rocking that 1995 PS1, chances are these upgrades are worth looking into!
HD Retrovision Component Cable For PS2
Retro Fighters Defender For PS1/2/3
The Retro Fighters Defender is a modern controller for PlayStation 1/2/3 that features enhanced ergonomics and function. All features of the original DualShock 2 are present ensuring full compatibility with the PlayStation 1/2 library.
The Retro Fighters Defender is a wireless controller for the PlayStation 1, 2, and 3 and brings a number of welcome changes over Sony’s first-party offerings. The design is more ergonomic,real triggers have been implemented into the design, and there is turbo functionality. The symmetrical thumb stick layout PlayStation fans have come to adore is also present making the defender feel like a better version of what has come before.
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Best yet, every pressure-sensitive function found on the original DualShock 2 is perfectly implemented with the Defender. Yes, even the pressure-sensitive D-pad is a thing! The home button on the controller even acts as a digital/analog toggle button for digital-onlyPS1 games. Because of this, the Defender theoretically boasts perfect compatibility with the entire PS1 and 2 libraries of games. One downside to the Defender is that its new triggers activate very easily resulting in unintentional actions.
Brook Wingman PS2 Converter
The Brook Wingman PS2 Converter lets players use modern Bluetooth-equipped controllers on the PlayStation 1 and 2!
Sometimes having a ton of controllers around is overwhelming. Sometimes using a favorite controller on multiple platforms is preferred. Sometimes DualShock controllers can just suck to use. If any of these sound familiar then it is worth looking into a Brook Wingman adapter for the PS1 and 2. With this adapter, players can connect any Bluetooth controller and use them onSony’s classic consoles.
Whether the Xbox Series X controller or DualSense, they pair with ease with the adapter and provide solid performance. The only downside to using non-standard Sony controllers or options like the Retro Fighters Defender comes from games that make heavy use of pressure-sensitive face and shoulder buttons. These functions are not present on hardly any Bluetooth controller and as such, make these games lose out on the functionality.
Old Skool PS1 Memory Card
The Old Skool PS1 Memory Card is a cost-effective way to save game progress on Sony’s classic system.
The PS1 being a disc-based system relied on the use of memory cards to save its game’s progress. PS1 memory cards are an essential purchase to get the most out of the system. The PS1 Memory Card from Old Skool fits the role perfectly allowing up to 15 games to be saved per card.
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With the PS2 being backward compatible, the cards are also supported on it while playingPS1 titles. Thanks to it not using a multi-page design like other third-party options, the Old Skool card isn’t prone to self-corruption and loss of precious saves.
8BitMods
The MemCard Pro from 8BitMods is the last PlayStation memory card any player will ever need!
ThePS1 has a huge library of gamesand a player’s moderate-size collection likely houses more than 15 games that can be saved to a single memory card. Buying additional cards is a valid option and one players have been using for decades. In the present though, this option is no longer required thanks to the release of the MemCard Pro from 8BitMods! The MemCard Pro is the last PS1 memory card any player will ever need.
It is driven by an internal FPGA that perfectly replicates an official memory card. For storage the MemCard Pro utilizes a Micro SD card providing essentially unlimited save capacity. Unfortunately, a PS1 memory card can only hold up to 15 saves so the MemCard Pro utilizes page swapping to achieve its unlimited space. Thanks to its design, it won’t self-corrupt like other third-party options making it one of the most reliable cards around.
Trenro 128 MB PS2 Memory Card
Give the PlayStation 2 extra save capacity with a large 128 MB card from Trenro!
The PlayStation 2 continued Sony’s tradition of using memory cards for its game storage with 8-megabyte cards being the norm. As the system’s life progressed anumber of gamesbegan to eat up the available space on a card quickly resulting in players needing additional cards or to delete precious saves. For players getting into the scene today, a number of higher capacity options exist that work perfectly as a secondary storage card to the official 8-megabyte option.
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The PS2 Memory Card from Trenro is one such option with its massive 128 megabytes of storage capacity. When the official Sony card gets full, just offload dormant saves over to the Trenro card and enjoy the massive capacity it brings. While the card can also be used as a primary memory card, some PS2 titles can have compatibility issues with any cards over 8 megabytes. The larger size also makes writing saves take slightly longer than official cards.
LevelHike HDMI Adapter For PlayStation 1, 2
Hook up a PlayStation 1 or 2 to a modern display with ease using the LevelHike HDMI Adapter!
The PlayStation 1 and 2 relied heavily on composite video output during their lifetime, but today the older analog output is becoming increasingly rare. Many modern displays lack the inputs entirely leaving the systems unable to connect at all. For the ones that do still include composite input, chances are they screw up the 240P input from a PS1 system resulting in heavy input lag and image quality. The best solution to this problem is to pick up an HDMI adapter or upscaler like the RetroTink 5X. For players not as interested in spending that level of cash for a couple ofPS1 or 2 game nights, cheaper options like the HDMI Adapter from LevelHike are perfectly serviceable.
With this adapter, players get native HDMI output that can be displayed on a modern screen. LevelHike’s adapter even pulls from the system’s RGB output lines resulting in cleaner video output than what composite could ever hope to achieve. Due to its included scaler, there are chances players could experience input lag but as always, it comes down to the individual player’s tolerance to such things if it is even noticeable. The aspect switch on the adapter also ensures proper 4:3 and 16:9 ratios depending on the game.
HD Retrovision Component Cables give the PS2 its best possible output quality for use with CRTs, HDTVs, and external scalers!
Forfans of the PS2that want the best possible video output option, there is nothing that comes close to the HD Retrovision PS2 Component Cables! Whether connecting them to an HD CRT, RetroTink 5X, or a modern 4K display the signal is unmatched. HD Retrovision puts a ton of care into the cables provided ensuring they are optimally shielded to provide the best clarity possible.
The cables do only output the PS2’s native video resolutions however making them incompatible on some displays. For full compatibility, a display has to accept 240P signals over component video or be combined with a scaler like the RetroTink. The cables are also not compatible with the PS1 system despite using the same multi-out connector (PS1 uses RGB output instead of YPbPr). Regardless, players with the proper equipment are in for a visual treat after upgrading to HD Retrovision!
FAQ
What’s the difference between PlayStation 1 and 2?
As the generation console following the PlayStation 1, the PlayStation 2 had a stronger processor and a wider variety of overall games in its library.
How old is the PlayStation 1?
The PlayStation 1 was released in Japan in December 1994, and then was released nearly one year later in the United States on June 20, 2025.
