Some PS2 games have blue discs because they're CDs rather than DVDs.
Early and smaller PS2 games didn't always need the extra space of a DVD, so Sony allowed games to be released on standard CDs instead.
There's nothing wrong with them, and a normal PS2 can play both blue CDs and the more common silver DVD games.
Why Did the PS2 Use CDs and DVDs?
When the PS2 launched, one of its big features was its DVD drive.
A standard CD could hold around 700MB, while the DVDs used for PS2 games could hold several gigabytes. That gave developers much more room for larger games, better quality audio, video and other assets.
But not every game needed all that space.
If a game was small enough to fit onto a CD, it could be released that way instead. These CD-ROM PS2 games are the ones you'll see with the distinctive blue underside.
Does a Blue PS2 Disc Mean It's a PS1 Game?
No.
PS1 games famously have black undersides, while PS2 CD-ROM games are blue.
So, as a quick guide:
- Black: PS1 CD-ROM
- Blue: PS2 CD-ROM
- Silver: PS2 DVD-ROM
All three can be read by a backwards-compatible PS2, although PS1 and PS2 games are still treated as completely different software.
Which PS2 Games Have Blue Discs?
Quite a few PS2 games were released on CD-ROM, especially earlier in the console's life.
Some examples include:
- Tekken Tag Tournament
- TimeSplitters
- Crazy Taxi
- Half-Life
- The Simpsons: Road Rage
- Virtua Tennis 2
- Unreal Tournament
- Quake III Revolution
Whether a game came on CD or DVD can also vary between regions and releases, so don't assume every version of a particular game uses the same type of disc.
Are Blue PS2 Discs Worse?
No.
The disc being blue doesn't mean it's a cheaper or lower-quality version of the game. It just means the game is stored on a CD-ROM rather than a DVD-ROM.
Once the game is running, there's no inherent difference in graphical quality or performance because of the colour of the disc.
The smaller capacity simply meant developers had less storage space available.
Why Are Blue Discs Sometimes Noisier?
This is something you might notice when playing one.
PS2 CD-ROM games can make the console sound noticeably louder than DVD games.
That's because the PS2 reads CDs and DVDs differently. When reading a CD, the drive can spin the disc at higher speeds, which creates more noise and vibration.
If you've put a blue disc into your PS2 and suddenly wondered why your console sounds much angrier than usual, there's probably nothing wrong with it!
What if My PS2 Won't Read Blue Discs?
This is where blue discs can actually be useful for diagnosing an old PS2.
The console uses different laser wavelengths and operating modes to read CDs and DVDs. As the optical drive ages, it can start struggling with one format before the other.
So you might find a PS2 that:
- Plays DVD-based PS2 games but won't read blue CD games
- Reads CDs but struggles with DVDs
- Takes much longer to recognise one type of disc
If your PS2 happily plays silver DVD games but refuses to recognise blue ones, that can be a sign of a weakening or failing laser.
The same principle applies to PS1 games, since those are CDs too.
Here at RetroQuest, this is why testing a PS2 with just one game isn't enough. A console successfully reading a DVD doesn't tell you that its CD reading is working properly too.
Are Blue PS2 Discs Rare?
Not as a format.
There were plenty of PS2 games released on CD-ROM, so a blue disc isn't automatically rare or valuable.
Some individual blue-disc games can of course be rare, but that's down to the game itself rather than the fact it came on a CD.
So if you open a PS2 case and find a bright blue disc inside, don't worry.
It's not a strange bootleg or a damaged DVD. It's just a PS2 game on a CD.
