The Sony PlayStation 2, or PS2 for short, is a sixth generation (1998–2013) home video game console developed and distributed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released on March 4, 2000 in Japan at a retail price of ¥45,000. The console was later released in North America (2000), Europe (2000), and Australia (2000). The PlayStation 2 was the first PlayStation console to offer backwards compatibility for its predecessor’s DualShock controller, as well as for its games. The console was discontinued on January 4, 2013.