Just as the Playstation 2 celebrates its first successful year in North America, Sony has finally released its first party Playstation 2 DVD remote. When the PS2 launched, many people were disappointed that they had to use the Dual Shock 2 in order to utilize the new DVD functions. While the DVD player worked, the use of the Dual Shock 2 proved quite awkward. In addition, the player seemed to be watered down in terms of extra playability features found in many popular DVD movies. In addition, people soon found out that some DVD titles were incompatible with the PS2. Third party peripheral manufacturers jumped on the band wagon and released a number of DVD remotes. Initially most had functions reversed because they had based their designs on the Japanese PS2 models. That was quickly remedied but none of the available remotes looked our functioned like a true DVD remote. The official remote from Sony is now available in stores nationwide. It does the job that we had expected from the launch a year ago but still could utilize a few more features.

The official remote comes with new drivers (Version 2.10) which must be loaded onto a PS2 memory card. You will need 2,220 KB in order to save the new version and that particular memory card must be plugged in every time you watch DVD movies. This method is required for all PS2 models except the newest model (SCPH-30001R) which already has Version 2.10 loaded into the hardware. Like many other people, when the PS2 was announced it was assumed that upgrades to firmware would be loaded into the hardware and not on the memory. Apparently this is not the case.

The new driver takes all of the functions from the on-screen display that you had to muddle with before, and maps them to the new remote. Now you can easily access title menus, angle options, audio channels, subtitles, shuffles, repeat options and scan modes from anywhere in your room. The new version also fixes a number of compatibility problems, so that now every single DVD movie for your particular region will work flawlessly. New features include the ability to perform three-speed scans and a multiple repeat function.

Gripes: the IR receiver unit has no pass through to accommodate a controller, a step by step function would have been nice, compatibility with Sony televisions is missing and you still cannot turn off your PS2 with a remote. Despite these nuances, the remote itself is a sleek design that mirrors the PS2 look. The unit has a fair working distance between 25 to 30 feet, enough to satisfy even the most demanding couch potato.

The official Sony PS2 DVD remote is easily the top choice for remotes. At a suggested retail price of $19.99 U.S. and $29.99 Canadian, the official remote is a great value with more than enough upgrade features to warrant a purchase.

Functionality: 8
Value: 8
Features: 7
Overall Score: 8

By Mike Weatherup.