PS1/2 History of PS2 Modding?

[Fudge]

Can someone give me a brief history of how PlayStation 2 modding/hacking started?

 

[Bloodgod]

Chip
Wires
Solder
Teh end

I don't know, But IIRC the first mod chip was Messiah chip or something.

 

[Joe88]

soft mods came later on

 

[Kayot]

Mod Chips were first. I have no clue which was first since it's a little before my scene entrance.

Then there was Swap Magic that sort of worked. Again before my scene entrance.

Then Softmoding, which changed the game entirely as anyone can do it so long as your ps2 was made before 2009. In 2009 Sony removed the exploit from the PS2. I can't confirm this, but remember reading it somewhere. The best system to exploit is the Fat for the internal drive bay, but this requires a network adapter which can be bought a GameStop for 12$ or eBay for ~45$. HDLoader/OPS2L 0.7 turns a perfect system into a Master Piece. USBLoader, not so much due to the USB 1.1 port's low transfer rate. OPS2L 0.7 supports loading games over a network so people with slim models can still have high speed load, not on par with a HD, but much better than USB.

Now there is homebrew for a ps1 loader on the ps2 that will allow playing ps1 games off the hard drive. HDloader isn't developed anymore but has the highest compatibility. Open PS2 Loader 0.7 is being actively developed, but must be compiled weekly to keep up to date. uLanunchelf is rarely updated, but it is a good idea to update as it's always adding new functions.

It's possible to buy a Fat PS2, Network Adapter, and Memcard for about 70$, then yank a EIDE form an old computer and have access to every PS2 and PS1 game ever made. Kind of gives you a warm toasty feeling doesn't it?

 

[dilav]

im not too sure either, that was before I started following the scene. modchip was most likely first. then Swap magic/breaker pro. After that all the exploits and swap tricks (tricks not involving the original pressed swap magic disc) came out. Independence exploit which was another memory card exploit requiring swapping disk (Removed on slims). I also remember certain dongle like things that required swap magic (not sure what they were for).

DMS released their EZI series, the first and only(?) solderless modchip for the ps2 using clips like the wiiclips but either the legs were smaller or they were of cheaper material. (I never really saw how big the wii legs are) They even have them older slims including a one side of a slightly bigger case and metal shelding.

The PS2 linux that came out may help in finding some of the exploits..

network adapters are around 30$ shipped on eBay, when i checked last week (price dropped)

yes the Freevast/mcboot exploit is fixed on certain newer ps2 (check the date codes)

Slim V12 and V13 can use IDE HDD also this hack was discovered by automan. Soldering is required obviously. products named HDConnect and HDCombo were available to aid in installing it but not necessary. (Not sure if FMB will work on these as before Indep exploit was the only available and was blocked on slim and chips were the only way at that time)

I installed a lot of chips and I personally like the chip better than softmod. Maybe Im ust used to it. idk. but it seems to boot up faster than a memory card mod and has more compatibility with disc. (Multi disc, cheat devices, ps1, certain ps2...) But homebrew is about the same. I'm getting off topic but i donno what else to say...

 

[fogbank]

Chip
Wires
Solder
Teh end

I don't know, But IIRC the first mod chip was Messiah chip or something.

Messiah came later. First were the chips that required a swap with GameShark or ActionReplay (Neo, NeoKey) You could solder one internally (Neo), and there was a USB version that still required a single wire to be soldered (NeoKey). Then there were all sorts of "tray eject" chips (DVDKey etc...) that allowed you to swap with GameShark/ActionReplay. Fliptops and slide tools came around that time too.

I still have a bunch of those things around somewhere.

Messiah was the first widely available "no swap" chip, but others were probably developed around the same time (origa, no-swap Neo chip). Each successive generation required fewer wires and had more features.

This is a pretty "loose" timeline...may not be 100% accurate, but the Messiah chip definitely came later, after the "swap" chips.

 

[dilav]

Hmm, swap chips. so thats what they were. i remembering seeing them and wonder what they were for.

 

[quinterrya]

Messiah came later. First were the chips that required a swap with GameShark or ActionReplay (Neo, NeoKey) You could solder one internally (Neo), and there was a USB version that still required a single wire to be soldered (NeoKey). Then there were all sorts of "tray eject" chips (DVDKey etc...) that allowed you to swap with GameShark/ActionReplay. Fliptops and slide tools came around that time too.

I still have a bunch of those things around somewhere.

Messiah was the first widely available "no swap" chip, but others were probably developed around the same time (origa, no-swap Neo chip). Each successive generation required fewer wires and had more features.

This is a pretty "loose" timeline...may not be 100% accurate, but the Messiah chip definitely came later, after the "swap" chips.

You hit the nail on the head with the hammer, Fogbank. I remember the NeoKey and using a GameShark to the do swap trick. The bad thing with the NeoKey was that you had to hold the eject button while navigating to a screen to do the swap. It usually took about 45 seconds, but was a pain in the butt holding that button that long. Also, you could only swap cd-r games, so alot of dvd based games were ripped to fit on cd. Some would have the intro or sound ripped from it.

The Messiah was the first non-swap modchip and it worked absolutely perfect. I can still remember people saying "Messiah! Save us from this swapping!" before it was released. Yep, those were the days. The Messiah chip came right after NeoKey, and then Messiah clones followed. I had a NeoKey, Messiah, Infinity and Crystal chip in my systems.

 

[pyromaniac123]

You hit the nail on the head with the hammer, Fogbank. I remember the NeoKey and using a GameShark to the do swap trick. The bad thing with the NeoKey was that you had to hold the eject button while navigating to a screen to do the swap. It usually took about 45 seconds, but was a pain in the butt holding that button that long. Also, you could only swap cd-r games, so alot of dvd based games were ripped to fit on cd. Some would have the intro or sound ripped from it.

The Messiah was the first non-swap modchip and it worked absolutely perfect. I can still remember people saying "Messiah! Save us from this swapping!" before it was released. Yep, those were the days. The Messiah chip came right after NeoKey, and then Messiah clones followed. I had a NeoKey, Messiah, Infinity and Crystal chip in my systems.

Think you left this behind somewhere.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Not only is OP banned, but this is a topic that's been dead since 2010.

You take gravedigging to a whole new level.