Although external USB 2.0 enclosures are affordable the lack of internal hard disk has implicated a problem for users with perhaps little knowledge of the software required to enable the external disk functionality.
The new V12 model was first released in black.
In September of that year, in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (the best-selling game during the 2004 Holiday season), Sony revealed a new, smaller PS2 (see Hardware revisions).
When the PlayStation 2 launched in Japan in March 2000, Sony sold 980,000 units over the opening weekend.
To this day, the PS2 holds the record for the most consoles sold in a single day as well as the record for most consoles sold in launch day in America.
This allowed the PS2 to tap the large install base established by the PlayStation.
V7 and V8 are also similar, and V9 (model number SCPH-50000/SCPH-50001) added the Infrared port for the optional DVD Remote Control, removed the widely unused FireWire port, added the capability to read DVD-RW discs, and a quieter fan.
Developers also complained that it was difficult to develop for the system, with little in the way of reference material from Sony for its exotic architecture.
However the New Slim Silver Models have more issues with playing PlayStation games than the first PS2 revisions.
In preparation for the launch of a new, slimmer PlayStation 2 model (SCPH-70000), Sony had stopped making the older PS2 model (SCPH-5000x) sometime during the summer of 2004 to let the distribution channel empty out stock of the units.
This allowed the PS2 to tap the large install base established by the PlayStation.
