In September 2004, Sony introduced the third major version of the set-top box (V12, model SCPH-70000) - much smaller, thinner, quieter than the old version. In addition, the new model has an integrated Ethernet port. In some regions, the model also had a built-in modem. Due to the small size, the expansion slot was excluded from the new model; thereby, compatibility with the internal hard drive from the previous model was lost, but this did not stop soldering the IDE 70xxx cable to the CXD9731AGP / CXD9731GP microcircuit. The power supply from the internal has become external. This edition went on sale in November 2004.
The appearance of incompatibility with the hard drive has been criticized because there were several games (such as Final Fantasy XI) that required a hard drive; it was also required by the official PS2 Linux package. The MultiTap extension for SCPH-70000 has also undergone changes. Currently, Sony is only selling the new MultiTap model, which means that the owners of the old PlayStation 2, if they want to play with four or even a larger company, must find a used MultiTap or take a MultiTap from another manufacturer. It was also possible to purchase adapters from third-party manufacturers for connecting a hard drive, but the ability to connect to the IDE was completely removed in the V14 edition.
In 2006, Sony released the V15 (SCPH-77001a and SCPH-77001b), the first time they went on sale in Japan on September 15, 2006, then in North America and other parts of the world.
Since July 2007, Sony has begun to deliver a new edition of the thin PlayStation 2 Slim - V16 (SCPH-79000) weighing 600 grams (compared to 900 grams in the SCPH-77001 model); the weight of the power supply was also reduced to 250 grams (350 grams in the previous edition). The next edition of the V17 (SCPH-90000) was announced for sale in Japan on November 22, 2007, with a revised interior design, which this time included the power supply, resulting in a total console weight of 720 grams