i.LINK lets you connect multiple PS2 consoles together for multiplayer, with each console using its own TV and copy of the game. It's supported by a small number of games including Gran Turismo 3, Time Crisis II and several Armored Core titles.
The i.LINK port is found on 3XXXX Fat PS2s. Sony removed it from the later 5XXXX models.
If you've ever looked closely at an early PlayStation 2, you may have noticed a tiny port on the front labelled S400 i.LINK.
It's one of the PS2's more obscure features, and one that many owners never used (hence its removal). But with the right game and a couple of consoles, i.LINK could turn the PS2 into a proper multi-screen multiplayer system.
What is i.LINK?
i.LINK is Sony's name for IEEE 1394, the connection better known as FireWire.
On the PS2, it allowed multiple consoles to talk with each other. Instead of four players sharing one TV using a Multitap, you could connect PS2s together and have each console running its own copy of the game on its own TV. No more screen peeking!
Think of it as the PS2 equivalent of a LAN party.
Depending on the game, you could even connect more than two consoles together.
Which PS2 models have i.LINK?
Here at RetroQuest, we divide Fat PS2s into the 3XXXX and 5XXXX families. i.LINK is one of the meaningful differences between them.
3XXXX Fat PS2s have an i.LINK port. 5XXXX models do not.
Sony removed the port when it introduced the 5XXXX revision. The later PS2 Slim doesn't have one either.
So if you're specifically building an i.LINK setup, you'll need compatible earlier Fat consoles.
Which PS2 games support i.LINK?
i.LINK support was never particularly widespread, but there are some excellent games that use it.
Some of the most notable include:
| Game | i.LINK use |
|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | Multi-console racing |
| Gran Turismo Concept | Multi-console racing |
| Time Crisis II | Two-console multiplayer |
| Time Crisis 3 | Two-console multiplayer |
| Vampire Night | Two-console multiplayer |
| Armored Core 2 | Head-to-head multiplayer |
| Armored Core 2: Another Age | Head-to-head multiplayer |
| Armored Core 3 | Head-to-head multiplayer |
| Silent Line: Armored Core | Head-to-head multiplayer |
| Unreal Tournament | Networked multiplayer |
There are also regional differences, so support can vary depending on the exact version of a game.
Gran Turismo is where i.LINK gets awesome
The standout use of i.LINK is Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec.
GT3 can link multiple PS2 consoles together, giving each player their own screen rather than forcing everyone into split-screen.
With enough consoles, televisions and copies of the game, you can create something resembling a miniature arcade racing setup.
It's pretty excessive by modern standards. You need multiple PS2s, multiple copies of the same game, multiple displays and a collection of cables just to play together.
But that's also exactly what makes it interesting today.
Time Crisis is another great use
i.LINK also solves a problem with games such as Time Crisis II.
The arcade version was designed around two players having their own screens. A normal home conversion has to compromise by putting both players onto one display.
With two PS2s connected through i.LINK, each player can instead have their own console and television.
Add two GunCon 2 light guns and a pair of CRT televisions and you've got an impressively authentic home recreation of the arcade setup.
It's worth remembering that traditional GunCon light guns require a compatible CRT television, so this particular setup isn't quite as straightforward on a modern TV.
What do you need?
For a basic two-console setup you'll generally need:
- Two 3XXXX PS2 Fat consoles plus controllers
- Two copies of the same i.LINK-capable game
- Two TVs or monitors
- A 4-pin IEEE 1394 / FireWire cable
The exact requirements vary by game, particularly when connecting more than two consoles.
Why did Sony remove it?
The simplest explanation is that hardly anybody needed it.
Building an i.LINK setup was expensive. Most households didn't have multiple PS2s and televisions sitting next to each other, and relatively few games supported the feature.
Meanwhile, online gaming and Ethernet connectivity were becoming increasingly important.
When Sony introduced the 5XXXX PS2, i.LINK disappeared. The later PS2 Slim then included an Ethernet port as standard.
Its time had passed.
Is PS2 i.LINK worth trying today?
For everyday multiplayer? Probably not.
As a retro gaming project? Absolutely.
There's something wonderful about connecting several enormous PS2s and CRT televisions together just to play a racing game, at least to us.
It's also one of those features that shows just how ambitious the PS2 could be. The little i.LINK port sitting unnoticed on millions of consoles wasn't just an obscure connector.
With the right equipment, it could turn a collection of PS2s into a miniature arcade network.
