PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is the sixth-generation video game console released by Sony. With the exception of the On Tour series and Guitar Hero mobile games, it is be the only console which every Guitar Hero game up to Guitar Hero: Van Halen has been released, as well as the only system that the original Guitar Hero was released.

Hero games on the PlayStation 2

• Guitar Hero (2005)
• Guitar Hero II (2006)
• Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (2007)
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007)
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (2008)
• Guitar Hero World Tour (2008)
• Guitar Hero: Metallica (2009)
• Guitar Hero: Smash Hits (2009)
• Guitar Hero 5 (2009)
• DJ Hero (2009)
• Band Hero (2009)
• Guitar Hero: Van Halen (2009)

PlayStation 2 ports' receptions

Despite most console Guitar Hero titles being available on the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 2 ports of 7th generation titles (especially from Guitar Hero World Tour and onwards) ported by Budcat Creations were often criticized to be the "worst" port of the 7th generation titles by fans. The PlayStation 2 ports are infamous for having low-quality, compressed audio (especially the sound effects), along with other features that they lacked.

Lack of online support

While the PlayStation 2 home console was capable of connecting to an online service dubbed "PS2 Network Play", "PS2 Network Gaming", or "PS2 Online" through Internet connection via Ethernet cable on the PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor in the original model's "Expansion Bay", the PlayStation 2 versions of all Guitar Hero titles lacked online support for both multiplayer and downloadable content.

In regards with downloadable content, due to lack of storage space in most official memory cards as most official memory cards had 8 MB of storage, downloadable content could have theoretically worked with a proprietary Hard Disk Drive installed in the original PlayStation 2 model's "Expansion Bay" along with the Network Adapter. The PS2 HDD was often used to download data for PlayStation 2 games such as the online game Final Fantasy IX and install games' data such as RPG Maker 3 or The Sims 3 to reduce load times).

Lack of custom songs

Guitar Hero World Tour was the first Guitar Hero video with official custom songs support via Music Studio and its editors, Recording Studio and GHMix. Players could make custom songs and upload them to the GHTunes online music service as well as downloading custom songs by other creators from the GHTunes online music service. While the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero World Tour lacked online features including the GHTunes online music service, the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero World Tour still had the Music Studio and its editors, Recording Studio and GHMix, as well as the official, on-disc custom songs like "Amazing", "Bee", "FurElise", "StarSpangled", and more. The only minor difference besides compressed audio is the lack of custom art as the PlayStation 2 versions use is the "Horror Monkey" graphic art on all on-disc custom songs instead of unique graphic arts for each song that the 7th generation console do. The PlayStation 2 version (as well as the Wii version, which does have online support and Music Studio) did not have custom art creation.

However, while the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero World Tour had the Music Studio feature, all other Guitar Hero World Tour-styled video games, including Guitar Hero: Metallica, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, and Guitar Hero: Van Halen lacked the Music Studios, its features, and no GHTunes example songs were included in the PlayStation 2 versions of these expansive titles.

GHStudio, an updated version of the Music Studio introduced in Guitar Hero 5 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii (with Recording Studio updated to GHJam and GHMix updated to GHMix 2.0) was not featured in the PlayStation 2 versions of Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero either, nor their GHTunes example songs.

World Tour-styled Guitar Hero 5 & Band Hero

While Guitar Hero 5 was a "new generation" for the band-styled Guitar Hero games on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii with its new, updated aesthetics, presentation, and gameplay changes (such as a unified Career mode with Bonus Challenges for a specific instrument on each song), Guitar Hero 5 (and Band Hero) appeared more like the PlayStation 2 versions of Guitar Hero World Tour and not like their 7th generation counterparts, but they do have the new gameplay elements such as HOPO chords on Guitar and Bass and more.

Gameplay graphics in Guitar Hero 5 on PlayStation 3.		Gameplay graphics in Guitar Hero 5 on PlayStation 2.

The PlayStation 2 versions of Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero were criticized for its low-quality graphics for stages, character models, note gems, and animation. As for the in-game HUDs, while Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero on next generation consoles have updated the HUDs (like the Rock Meter on the left edge of the highway), the PlayStation 2 versions of these games use in-game HUDs similar to Guitar Hero World Tour.

Song selection in Guitar Hero 5's Quickplay on PlayStation 3.		Song selection in Guitar Hero 5's Quickplay on PlayStation 2.

The song selection menu of Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero on PlayStation 2 also appears similar to the song selection screens used in Guitar Hero World Tour and its expansive titles, lacking information about songs' instrumental intensity rating and other information.

As for gameplay, while the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero has carried over gameplay element from the 7th generation versions such as HOPO chords for Guitar and Bass, the new Career mode style was not carried over. Career mode on next generation consoles featured a single Career setlist progressible on any instrument interchangeably and had Bonus Challenges for each song. The PlayStation 2 instead uses Guitar Hero World Tour's Career style of having five Career sets, one for each instrument (plus Band) with different setlists based on instrumental difficulty, making the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero a classic band experience that can give the player(s) more gameplay time to complete all Career setlists on PlayStation 2 than on next generation consoles, which can either be praised or criticized that Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero on PlayStation 2 did not evolve with the next generation versions depending on the player(s)' gameplay preference.