Audiovox was showing off their in-car Playstation 2 setups at CES this past weekend.  I got a few minutes to try it out and what more can I say, it was like playing a Playstation 2 on a monitor mounted on the back of a headrest…  okay, I kid, it was nicer than that.

Read on for more impressions…

Audiovox have a couple different models to offer with one including a display and one intended to use an existing display.  With the plummeting prices of portable in-car DVD systems (that often include auxiliary inputs) it’s no surprise that they would want to offer something to leverage existing displays.

The first thing that caught my eye was the controller on display.  It appeared to be an official Playstation 2 controller yet it was unlike any controller I’d seen before, particularly in terms of the buttons in the middle.  It has the traditional Select and Start buttons but is joined by a Vibration button and a Mode button in addition to a light labeled FORCE LINK.  That sounds a bit brutal to me… if the PS2 doesn’t voluntarily link, simply push the MODE button until you force link it to the controller?  I have no idea… it doesn’t sound pleasant.

Okay, the Playstation 2 isn’t exactly cutting edge technology but it does offer hundreds of great games at reasonable prices and when you’re on a long road trip, having distractions to keep the kids from going stir crazy are worth their weight in gold.  The base model offered from Audiovox starts at $200.  Considering a retail Playstation 2 is still $129, that seems a fair markup for making the thing work (well) in the car.  In my hands-on time with Ratchet & Clank, it took about 3.4 seconds for me to forget I was playing the game on a headrest and get fully absorbed into the game.

If this unit proves reliable in the car, this looks like a low-cost no-brainer for in-car entertainment for the kids (or me if you’d like to take me on your family vacations, email me at rothbart [at] sarcasticgamer [dot] com.)