PS1/2 Need some info on chips and Swap Disks

[ThoD]

Since the vast majority of games just suck in this day and age, I felt like getting out my PS2 and trying to make it able to run backups once again. Since it's the last model (or one of the latest) FreeMCBoot doesn't quite support it because of the different drivers for the disk reader apparently, so looked for alternatives. My model is SCPH-90004 for reference. Now, I found two things that are available and I can buy from someplace that's not ebay or something similar.

First one is a chip named "Mars Pro GM-816HD". It seems to offer some nice things like region-free, is the cheapest option and supports homebrew, so I have a few questions...
- Is this one chip reliable or it's just a knock-off or something? No experience whatsoever on this, so just trying to make sure.
- How do I go about installing it? I have a guide for installing a different chip, but do all chips install the exact same way? This one is the soldering-kind.
- How much better is it compared to Swap Magic Disks?

Which brings me to the other option, SMDs. I found three different ones, all being version 3.8, so here are the things I wanna ask about...
- Does version 3.8 support my model?
- Do SMDs only allow you to play backups instead of homebrew as well?
- How do you actually use them past the just swapping part? I see there are two disks and all...
- Does it let you bypass region-lock without any exceptions? There are some Japan-only games I'm interested in...
- Can you actually play PS2 games from a CD or it has to be DVD?
- Does it also allow playing backups of PS1 games?
- What's the "slide tool" and is it required? I see it stated as mandatory to either have that or the Magic Swap Pro, but seeing how the MSP is, it's the same as the old trick with the toothpicks...

Any help on this is appreciated, hope someone can answer these for me sometime soon, really wanna get back into playing PS2 games!

PS: The three different SMDs I found are these three 1, 2, 3, which one should I be getting out of the three?

 

[henkp]

If your soldering skills are up to par, go for the mars. I installed a couple back in the days and the benefit of RF and nót having to swap (which is why you need the slide tool as well, to force the tray open without having the ps2 'know' the tray is open) is absolutely worth it. Find a guide specific for your Mars ánd PS2 revision though, because the soldering points aren't always the same.

 

[ThoD]

If your soldering skills are up to par, go for the mars. I installed a couple back in the days and the benefit of RF and nót having to swap (which is why you need the slide tool as well, to force the tray open without having the ps2 'know' the tray is open) is absolutely worth it. Find a guide specific for your Mars ánd PS2 revision though, because the soldering points aren't always the same.

It's not a matter of skills whatsoever, I'm an electronics engineer, of course I'm well above average at soldering skills and the like, just need some answers to what I asked so I can decide because I don't want to get something only to regret it. The guide is available on that page I listed, so it's not an issue really. However, I honestly don't mind just using the old toothpick trick to make the system think the lid is closed, it's literally two points you have to make sure are pressed and that's all...

 

[Armadillo]

Since the vast majority of games just suck in this day and age, I felt like getting out my PS2 and trying to make it able to run backups once again. Since it's the last model (or one of the latest) FreeMCBoot doesn't quite support it because of the different drivers for the disk reader apparently, so looked for alternatives. My model is SCPH-90004 for reference. Now, I found two things that are available and I can buy from someplace that's not ebay or something similar.

First one is a chip named "Mars Pro GM-816HD". It seems to offer some nice things like region-free, is the cheapest option and supports homebrew, so I have a few questions...
- Is this one chip reliable or it's just a knock-off or something? No experience whatsoever on this, so just trying to make sure.
- How do I go about installing it? I have a guide for installing a different chip, but do all chips install the exact same way? This one is the soldering-kind.
- How much better is it compared to Swap Magic Disks?

- Reliable chip.
- Need guide for that specific chip and board.
- You don't have to swap, can play ps1 games & can boot the few dual layer games that are on ps2, that's basically the only advantages, so depends how much you want ps1, how much the few dual layer games mean to you and if you mind swapping or not

Which brings me to the other option, SMDs. I found three different ones, all being version 3.8, so here are the things I wanna ask about...
- Does version 3.8 support my model?
- Do SMDs only allow you to play backups instead of homebrew as well?
- How do you actually use them past the just swapping part? I see there are two disks and all...
- Does it let you bypass region-lock without any exceptions? There are some Japan-only games I'm interested in...
- Can you actually play PS2 games from a CD or it has to be DVD?
- Does it also allow playing backups of PS1 games?
- What's the "slide tool" and is it required? I see it stated as mandatory to either have that or the Magic Swap Pro, but seeing how the MSP is, it's the same as the old trick with the toothpicks...

- As far as I aware, yes.
- Can play homebrew as well. Swap magic can launch an .elf file from usb.
- You don't use them once you swap. One disc is for cd games, one is for dvd.
- Swap magic can't play dual layer games, so unless it's one of the few dual layer games on ps2, should be fine.
- Both, one disc is for cd games, other for dvd.
- No, no ps1.
- Slide tool is for fat ps2's. It's to let you hook the release bar and pop the tray open to swap without the ps2 knowing. It's not needed, you can use anything to open the tray, just slide tools make it a little easier.

PS: The three different SMDs I found are these three 1, 2, 3, which one should I be getting out of the three?

1. Comes with plastic things to block the lid sensors on slim ps2.
2. Comes with slide tool for fat ps2's
3. Discs only.

 

[ThoD]

- Reliable chip.
- Need guide for that specific chip and board.
- You don't have to swap, can play ps1 games & can boot the few dual layer games that are on ps2, that's basically the only advantages, so depends how much you want ps1, how much the few dual layer games mean to you and if you mind swapping or not


- As far as I aware, yes.
- Can play homebrew as well. Swap magic can launch an .elf file from usb.
- You don't use them once you swap. One disc is for cd games, one is for dvd.
- Swap magic can't play dual layer games, so unless it's one of the few dual layer games on ps2, should be fine.
- Both, one disc is for cd games, other for dvd.
- No, no ps1.
- Slide tool is for fat ps2's. It's to let you hook the release bar and pop the tray open to swap without the ps2 knowing. It's not needed, you can use anything to open the tray, just slide tools make it a little easier.




1. Comes with plastic things to block the lid sensors on slim ps2.
2. Comes with slide tool for fat ps2's
3. Discs only.

Thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards SMD since I can just use my PSP to play PSx or just emulate them on PC, so besides that I don't lose much by not having a chip, but what exactly are the dual-layer games you are talking about? If it's just 10 or so games, I can just find those retail, but if it's more I may go for the chip... just it's been very humid here lately and would rather not work with sensitive boards and soldering when it's like this...

 

[Armadillo]

Thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards SMD since I can just use my PSP to play PSx or just emulate them on PC, so besides that I don't lose much by not having a chip, but what exactly are the dual-layer games you are talking about? If it's just 10 or so games, I can just find those retail, but if it's more I may go for the chip... just it's been very humid here lately and would rather not work with sensitive boards and soldering when it's like this...

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3Wkn...o/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_2_DVD-9_games.html

That's about the only list that still exists showing dvd9 games, not sure how up to date it is anymore as wikipedia took the original list down .

Some can be worked around as some games have dvd5 conversions (downsampled moves, languages removed or split to two discs). God of war 2 for example has a kit to split it across two dvd5, so swap magic would play it. You would have to search/check that on a game to game basis though, don't think there is a list anywhere showing if the game has an available dvd5 conversion.

 

[ThoD]

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3Wkn...o/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_2_DVD-9_games.html

That's about the only list that still exists showing dvd9 games, not sure how up to date it is anymore as wikipedia took the original list down .

Some can be worked around as some games have dvd5 conversions (downsampled moves, languages removed or split to two discs). God of war 2 for example has a kit to split it across two dvd5, so swap magic would play it. You would have to search/check that on a game to game basis though, don't think there is a list anywhere showing if the game has an available dvd5 conversion.

Welp, main game I want is on that list (GT4)... Where can I find said kit to try and split it?

EDIT: Yakuza 2 too and plenty others...

 

[Armadillo]

http://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=367

GT4 you lose the movies iirc. Seems no one ever made a split across two discs for that one.

 

[ThoD]

http://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=367

GT4 you lose the movies iirc. Seems no one ever made a split across two discs for that one.

No movies I can handle since I just want the fun racing and great music, just tired of emulating it because it's a weird game that spikes or plummets randomly every so often out of nowhere and my PS2 disk of it broke, so yeah...

Thanks for all the help! Will look into things myself from here on out going with what you linked.