Hardware PS1/2 Looking to mod my PS2, feedback needed

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

so it's looking like free mcboot is the way i intend to go, i have an HDD intsalled as it came with my ps2 but i heard you need to convert the HDD port with an adapter of sort for full compatibility via OPL, and that usb drives tend to have alot of issues and the memcard pro 2 is the best way to go

i have no idea if any of this or true or not i just decided to make a post here seeking feedback on how i should go about this and the best tips for a beginner such as myself links to other helpful sources is appreciated

 

[cearp]

Summoning @SylverReZ - since I know you have pretty up to date advice.
(I'll leave out the strange grunting summoning noises)

 

[jkm81]

the adapter mod is for changing from IDE type hard drives to SATA hard drives
in my opinion best is hdd----->disc/mc2sio-mx4sio------->usb
this and this i used the last one a long time ago
good luck

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

the adapter mod is for changing from IDE type hard drives to SATA hard drives
in my opinion best is hdd----->disc/mc2sio-mx4sio------->usb
this and this i used the last one a long time ago
good luck

so can i literally just use my HDD without converting to SATA drive? as i imagine SATA drives is only for bigger storage spaces, if i have this all twisted and it's mandatory to change to SATA then i may lean towards memcard2 method

 

[SylverReZ]

i have an HDD intsalled as it came with my ps2 but i heard you need to convert the HDD port with an adapter of sorts

It's not an adapter, it's a conversion kit for the official network adapter by upgrading it to include a SATA connector to adapt modern hard drives or SSDs. Kaico Labs used to sell them (not sure what happened) but you can find them practically elsewhere. You can fit just about any drive to it, even up to 2TB, but you must partition it first using APA-Jail.

https://kaicolabs.com/product/playstation-2-network-adapter-sata-upgrade-kit/

i heard you need to convert the HDD port with an adapter of sort for full compatibility via OPL

You also forgot that this exists, too. https://github.com/CosmicScale/PSBBN-Definitive-English-Patch

PSBBN is the official Sony "Broadband Navigator" software, but overtime, folks like CosmicScale and the PS2 modding community has made it possible to work under modded consoles; such as the ability to launch your PS2 games from the game launcher of your choice (i.e. OPL or Neutrino), larger HDD support so it's no longer limited to 128GB drives, PS1 games support under POPS, custom cover art for your library, and much more.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

It's not an adapter, it's a conversion kit for the official network adapter by upgrading it to include a SATA connector to adapt modern hard drives or SSDs. Kaico Labs used to sell them (not sure what happened) but you can find them practically elsewhere. You can fit just about any drive to it, even up to 2TB, but you must partition it first using APA-Jail.

So can i not just get a seagate 500GB 5400RPM HDD, format it and call it there? as i'm not looking to get into the realm of TB i feel like that's much to big for someone who won't have like over 30 or more backups of games

 

[SylverReZ]

So can i not just get a seagate 500GB 5400RPM HDD, format it and call it there?

You can use a Seagate mechanical HDD if you wish, but for better performance and speeds, it's best to have an SSD installed. This is all on you if you're going to use that console often.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

You can use a Seagate mechanical HDD if you wish, but for better performance and speeds, it's best to have an SSD installed. This is all on you if you're going to use that console often.

alright then, so would an HDD cause titles to lag, or is it only loading times that will be an issue?

 

[SylverReZ]

alright then, so would an HDD cause titles to lag, or is it only loading times that will be an issue?

Loading times would be the only thing holding it back because a HDD would have to keep constantly seeking for the data which can take quite a while. And if your HDD hasn't had a SMART test, which should be done to determine how reliable it is of writing then reading back, then failure rates is to be expected at the highest if it's been heavily used.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

Loading times would be the only thing holding it back because a HDD would have to keep constantly seeking for the data which can take quite a while. And if your HDD hasn't had a SMART test, which should be done to determine how reliable it is of writing then reading back, then failure rates is to be expected at the highest if it's been heavily used.

okay then i understand now, thank you sm for the support! i'm most likely gonna go with PSBBN, despite being a bit extra i don't think the command prompt stuff looks all too bad tbh it kinda reminds me of using modmii

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

there was one more thing i wanted to ask as at this point i wanna go with the most sure fire method possible therefore

i'm looking at a PNY 250GB SATA SDD
and as for the IDE to SATA conversion kit, there seems to be quite a bit of listings present
so i am a bit unsure of which to go with

i decided with the conversion kit as PSBBN from what i hear doesn't work with third party adapters

in a nutshell i want to make sure i have the right idea here before making any purchases.

 

[ssjkakaroto]

If you already have the HDD, just hook it up to the network adapter, load a recent version of wlaunchelf and format it there.
I like to use hdl-dumb to transfer my games using the network (just run hdl_svr_093.elf on the PS2).
Try a few games and see how they run. IIRC, even 5400 RPM drives were much faster than the PS2's DVD drive, so speed should not be an issue. Also, most games I run need compatibility modes that limit the read speed, otherwise they won't even boot on my console.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

If you already have the HDD

i do not, and even then the Seagate drive is SATA not IDE (i know that sounds really dumb but blame friend and thank my partner for clearing that up), i had those mixed up and am settling on a SATA conversion kit along with an SDD and despite this the Seagate HDD according to reviews did not past the S.M.A.R.T test.

please refer to the post right above yours, as I'm certain on what method i wish to do i just want to know if I'm on the right page, where i should get a SATA conversion kit, and if there's a different brand of an SDD someone would recommend instead.

i wanna stay on course with were i am at as much as possible because I'm not gonna lie this was a nightmare to research.

 

[ssjkakaroto]

i do not, and even then the Seagate drive is SATA not IDE (i know that sounds really dumb but blame friend and thank my partner for clearing that up), i had those mixed up and am settling on a SATA conversion kit along with an SDD and despite this the Seagate HDD according to reviews did not past the S.M.A.R.T test.

please refer to the post right above yours, as I'm certain on what method i wish to do i just want to know if I'm on the right page, where i should get a SATA conversion kit, and if there's a different brand of an SDD someone would recommend instead.

i wanna stay on course with were i am at as much as possible because I'm not gonna lie this was a nightmare to research.

I've used the conversion kit with my adapter as well, and I've added an SSD to it too, but not for speed reasons. I just got a great deal on one. As I've mentioned before, slow HDD speeds have never been an issue on the PS2. In fact, many compatibility problems actually come from storage being too fast, which is why there are modes designed to emulate the original DVD drive's slower speeds more closely.

The only real hurdle is getting wLaunchELF to launch first. Once you're in there, you can do as much (or as little) modding as you want.

In my case, I've had a Matrix Infinity mod chip in my PS2 for over 20 years. It can load any .elf file saved on the memory card at boot. So back in the day, I simply burned a CD to boot an old version of uLaunchELF (old name of wlaunchelf), then copied the .elf to the memory card.

I've never installed anything permanently on the console itself. Whenever I want to run something like OPL or nhddl, I just copy the relevant .elf file to a USB thumb drive, plug it into the PS2, boot into wLaunchELF, and launch the file from there.

 

[tech3475]

Be careful with the conversion kits, I suspect I accidentally blew the 12v rail on my PS2 with one due to a short.

If you do go down this route, at a minimum put some kapton or electrical tape on the adapter.

Also be careful with drive sizes, make sure the size of drive you use is also compatible with the software you want to use otherwise it could cause issues.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

Be careful with the conversion kits, I suspect I accidentally blew the 12v rail on my PS2 with one due to a short.

If you do go down this route, at a minimum put some kapton or electrical tape on the adapter.

Also be careful with drive sizes, make sure the size of drive you use is also compatible with the software you want to use otherwise it could cause issues.

i have to be honest everything you're saying here and some of what the person above you is honestly just news to me and at this rate i'm not even sure if i wanna go through with this anymore, as i'm finding out more risks and or problems as well as more steps that don't seem to see in other places, it's undoubtedly becoming alot to unpack lmao. maybe i'm over thinking all of this but my head is kinda spinning rn

 

[Lumstar]

i have to be honest everything you're saying here and some of what the person above you is honestly just news to me and at this rate i'm not even sure if i wanna go through with this anymore, as i'm finding out more risks and or problems as well as more steps that don't seem to see in other places, it's undoubtedly becoming alot to unpack lmao. maybe i'm over thinking all of this but my head is kinda spinning rn

Even an IDE drive is going to load much faster than running games from DVD. The main limitation is very small capacity by today's standards.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

Even an IDE drive is going to load much faster than running games from DVD. The main limitation is very small capacity by today's standards.

the main issue with IDE i've heard is that they're hard to come by in good condition, though i personally cannot confirm this as i have yet to look into it

 

[ssjkakaroto]

the main issue with IDE i've heard is that they're hard to come by in good condition, though i personally cannot confirm this as i have yet to look into it

Forget about IDE drives, you won't find a new one anyway. The key point we're trying to make is that any modern hard drive (HDD or SSD) will be significantly faster than the original PS2 DVD drive. Games were developed and tested around that slower DVD speed, which is why running them from faster storage can sometimes introduce compatibility issues.

First things first, can you launch wlaunchelf on your PS2?

 

[tech3475]

i have to be honest everything you're saying here and some of what the person above you is honestly just news to me and at this rate i'm not even sure if i wanna go through with this anymore, as i'm finding out more risks and or problems as well as more steps that don't seem to see in other places, it's undoubtedly becoming alot to unpack lmao. maybe i'm over thinking all of this but my head is kinda spinning rn

Just remembered this hack for PSBBN, although I haven't used it myself:
https://github.com/CosmicScale/PSBBN-Definitive-English-Patch

The issue to look out for is 48bit lba support, software like OPL has this by default. Without it you're limited to 127GB.