PS2 Component Cable on Xbox: Not Compatible—Technical Differences and Correct Solution

You cannot use a PS2 component video cable on an Xbox (original). The connectors and signal encoding differ.

Technical Differences

Aspect	PS2 Component Cable	Xbox Component Cable
Connector (Console End)	Proprietary multi-AV (flat, 21-pin)	Proprietary multi-AV (rectangular, 18-pin)
Connector (TV End)	3× RCA (Y, Pb, Pr)	3× RCA (Y, Pb, Pr)
Video Signal	YPbPr (480i/480p)	YPbPr (480i/480p/720p/1080i)
Sync Method	Sync-on-Green or separate	Sync-on-Green (typically)
EDID/Handshake	None	Xbox detects cable via pin 14/15

Why It Won't Work

Physical plug shape/keying differs—PS2 cable won't seat in Xbox AV port.
Xbox expects specific cable ID resistors on pins 14/15 to enable HD modes; PS2 cable lacks these.
Forcing connection risks damaging the Xbox AV port.

Correct Solution

Buy an official Xbox Component HD AV Cable (or Monster/3rd-party equivalent). They're widely available used ($10–20). Ensure it's labeled for Xbox (original), not Xbox 360 (different connector).

Note on Xbox 360

Xbox 360 uses a different AV connector entirely. PS2 cables don't work there either. Each console generation requires its own component cable.

Xbox 360