PlayStation2 (PS2) enthusiast Martyn Brook has found that it is possible to change the net address the PlayStation first looks for, allowing players to view almost any website.
"It's a bit of a hack really," he said.
"I noticed there was a way you can put an IP address into the network adapter and from there realised I could put in an address of a webpage and create your own browser," he said.
The webpage found at
www.brookfresh.co.uk has been designed for PS2 browsing. It inserts an address bar across the top of every page to help people navigate back and forth.
The surrogate browser should be able to cope with almost any website, said Mr Brook.
Users can type in addresses using a joypad or, much more easily, with a USB keyboard.
Soon Mr Brook will add a way for users of the site to bookmark favourite sites so they can revisit them quickly. Once this has been done he said that he would start work on an e-mail service.
Web browsing via the PS2 is quick because the UK service can only be joined via a broadband link.
Mr Brook said that the software for the US version of the online service was different, making it difficult for Americans to browse the net via their console.
So far the PS2 browsing page has only been mentioned on the discussion forums for early testers of the service. Despite this the site is already getting up to 100 visitors per day.
