Key phrases to listen for and judge for yourself.
Top Left, 1999 - Playstation 2 Revealed:
"What's ten times more powerful than any console out there now?"
"What plays DVD movies?"
"And what works with your current Playstation games, and lets you use your existing controller, memory cards, and other licensed Sony peripherals?"
"Check out the fire!" "And the Spraying Water!"
"They're made up of thousands of particles. Never before could so many particles be on screen at once."
Top Right, Game Wars: Playstation vs Xbox documentary (2000):
"My favorite phrase about Playstation recently someone described it as the fastest growing religion in Europe. And it has that, sort of, feel to it."
Here was my reaction from the time. Caution, scary words that will offend the sensibilities of many today. Also please note, humans are mutable. Unlike the anti-social media mob, actual humans can change their views over time when new information becomes available. Nevertheless, these were my thoughts at the time, truthfully stated.
http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/PS2success.htm
http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/PS2DClaunch.htm
http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Consolehistory.htm#DCvsworld
The spec sheet sources were cited and should be viewed as an annotated bibliography more than a starter's manual for actual programmers.