Sony needed special export permits from the Japanese government for the export of PlayStation 2s. The PS2 was so good at processing high-quality images quickly that the Japanese government believed it was possible to adapt it for use in missile guidance systems. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/20-years-later-how-concerns-about-weaponized-consoles-almost-sunk-the-ps2
I think NASA or some agency in the States bought a lot of them to make a supercomputer. It was cheaper than the custom-built supercomputer they wanted and did the same job.