PS1/2 Ps2 softmod?

[kirbymaster101]

So, I heard about swapmagic and does it work for all ps2s? I'm considering buying one after I learned my local video game store is selling ps2s for $50.

Also, would it just be easier to buy a pre mcboot memory card to hack the ps2 to play backups?

I don't know if anyone can help me, but is a certain softmod kit for $15 to hack the ps2 a good deal? Also after hacking the ps2 can I buy a bigger memory card or have to be using the hacked one at all times.

 

[deshayzilla]

Best way to do it is find someone who is willing to put free mcboot on your memory card. Usually you can find someone who will do it for free you just have to pay for shipping. Some memory cards don't work with it but from my memory official ones work and so do madcatz.
McBoot can load lots of backup options without modifying the ps2 in anyway.

You can play backups from an external usb drive (you may need a Y cable to power it) or by using the network adapter and a pata hard drive.
The internal hard drive method is much better than the external usb.

Another method with mcboot is called ESR. It patchs your backup iso and then you can burn it to a disc and I believe it tricks the ps2 into thinking it's normal movie dvd and then it loads up the game instead. You would need to use verbatim discs as they work the best for that method, other discs don't read as well and make load times much longer than the originally were and cause some audio problems as well. Also you don't want to wear down the disc drive laser.

Swap magic does work but have to do some modifying to get it to work properly (youtube it)

Each method has it's benefits and it's flaws, it all comes down to what hassles you want to deal with.

Also this makes some ps2 games more enjoyable. here

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

I have yet to see a memory card that doesn't work with free mcboot even my chinese 64mb ones do

 

[kirbymaster101]

So, if I order a memory card that already has mcboot installed what do I do from there? Is there like a usbloader like for the wii, or would I have to play with burned discs.

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

So, if I order a memory card that already has mcboot installed what do I do from there? Is there like a usbloader like for the wii, or would I have to play with burned discs.

Then you put it in the ps2 and it should hijack the loader and boot itself.

Iso's ran through the ESR patcher then burned should work perfectly from there

Note: CD Based games do not work with this method, you can if you really want too try to make it a DVD iso but its hit and miss...

 

[kirbymaster101]

So, when my ps2 is hacked, can I use a bigger memory card or do I still have to use the hacked memory card.

 

[pyromaniac123]

Once you get the fmcb card just use it to install fmcb onto another card.

 

[kirbymaster101]

Once you get the fmcb card just use it to install fmcb onto another card.

Okay. Thanks. I was surprised to see my store sell $50 ps2s ,the other day. Now specs wise does it matter too much about what ps2 I get? Like ram,cpu,gpu stuff like that?

 

[duffmmann]

I'm interested in this too, my friend envies my hacked wii, but he only has an Xbox 360 (which died not long ago due to the red ring of death), and a dusty old PS2 which still works great to this day (I was playing San Andreas on it the other night).

what I want to know is what does a softmodded PS2 allow? Are there emulators like the Wii has? If so what kind, I imagine if it does, all systems through the 16 bit era would be supported, does it support the N64 though? And if so, to what extent?

How can homebrew be loaded? Would it have to be burned to DVDs, or can you use an external hard drive? I know the PS2 has USB ports, I just don't know to what extent those are accessible. Thanks for any insight.

 

[deshayzilla]

I have yet to see a memory card that doesn't work with free mcboot even my chinese 64mb ones do

I got one of the 64mb ones and I wasn't able to install it onto it. I even tried reformatting and everything.

 

[deshayzilla]

I'm interested in this too, my friend envies my hacked wii, but he only has an Xbox 360 (which died not long ago due to the red ring of death), and a dusty old PS2 which still works great to this day (I was playing San Andreas on it the other night).

what I want to know is what does a softmodded PS2 allow? Are there emulators like the Wii has? If so what kind, I imagine if it does, all systems through the 16 bit era would be supported, does it support the N64 though? And if so, to what extent?

How can homebrew be loaded? Would it have to be burned to DVDs, or can you use an external hard drive? I know the PS2 has USB ports, I just don't know to what extent those are accessible. Thanks for any insight.

Softmodding a ps2 is extremely easy. Just get a memory card and have someone else install free mcboot or get one that has it pre installed. There are lots of emulators for ps2. Some of them don't work as well as the wii emulators but they get the job done. There isn't any N64 emulators but there is a psone emulator that works surprisingly well.

You can even modify a games elf file and makes games widescreen that didn't initially have it. I love playing final fantasy X in widescreen.

You can run games off a usb hard drive, loading takes a little longer because the usb port on the ps2 is 1.1 not 2.0. If you have the phat ps2 the quickest way to run games is using the network adapter with an internal hard drive. I just found a network adapter at gamestop for 6 dollars and I can't wait to run games from it.

 

[kirbymaster101]

Not sure if allowed, but if allowed anyone know any site that sells these memory cards.

 

[tiduscrying]

Meh. I suppose I will share my PS2 softmodding knowledge. (I did a lot of research before softmodding a PS2 back in august and just recently when modding my friend's PS2).

Okay, so how I installed Free McBoot was by doing the "swap-trick". I didn't know anyone who had a modded PS2 and really didn't feel like shelling out money for a swap-magic or pre-made memory card. It just seemed stupid to me when I could just do it myself.

SO. I looked online (google is your friend, man) and found out that certain games were exploitable with the swap method. This aforementioned swap method is the act of blocking the sensors in your PS2 Slim (Slim only!) so that the disc spins freely with the lid open. By allowing the disc to spin freely, you can switch out a normal retail disc for a bootleg disc of the same game (this is often used by people who have a messed up disc and want to play the game without buying it again). How does this allow me to install the mod? you may be asking yourself... Well, the bootleg image of the disc has an exploited iso of the game burned to it. This iso will boot into a file-browser that allows you to launch .elf files (PS2 executables) from memory cards and USB devices. To install FMCB, you place the install files a USB and then launch the installer from the exploited disc's file browser.

*Huff huff*

It sounds difficult, but I though it was really easy to do and only cost me about 7 bucks (5 for the memory card, 2 for the game you need to exploit). And before you ask, yes you can only use certain games for the exploit. I personally used James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire, but the interwebs says you can use Metal Gear Solid 3 and some other games I am totally blanking out on right now.

As for emulators, I don't personally use them on my PS2. I use a softmodded XBOX original for all my emulation and media needs. But from what I have seen, there are only so many emulators available for the PS2. Pretty sure there are NES and SNES emus, but that is all I have looked into.

And it might also be worth pointing out, you cannot buy just any old PS2. Certain PS2 slims made after a certain date have a patched BIOS and therefore cannot be modded. I had to be careful about this when giving my friend a FMCB memory card.

This website has some really good information on PS2 softmods and you should definetly check it out. It also has the places you need to go to download Free McBoot and your emulators.

Happy Modding!

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

With Free MCBoot Make sure its not a slim 9000 series you want the 7000 one

if its a fat PS2 you will have to google that too but the last version of that also blocks free mcboot

 

[kirbymaster101]

With Free MCBoot Make sure its not a slim 9000 series you want the 7000 one

if its a fat PS2 you will have to google that too but the last version of that also blocks free mcboot

Wait, so not all ps2's are hackable? If so how different does the ps2 slim look compared to the ps2 normal, since I'm pretty sure the store was selling the original ps2's/

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

last line of slims and fats (afaik) are not capable of loading free mcboot as sony closed the exploit it uses.

and you would know a slim ps2 if you saw it

*taken from wikipedia*

A more recent development (May 2008) called Free McBoot allows homebrew programs to be launched without a trigger disc required by the older exploit. This also allows use of homebrew on unmodded systems without a functional disc drive. However, installation of the exploit to each individual memory card requires an already exploited/modded system in order to launch the installer. Copying from one memory card to another will not work. This newer exploit will not work on the very newest PS2s (SCPH-9000x model with BIOS 2.30 and up) but will work on all models prior to that.

this i have found to be true in the wild

 

[AngryGeek416]

So if i buy a memory card with mcboot preinstalled on it will it work with a slim model scph 75001? and will that allow external usb loading? or just burned discs?...sorry to jump in im interested in this also.

 

[kirbymaster101]

so the ps2 fat is basically the one thats bigger and has the big ps2 logo with blue letters and the ps2 slim doesnt have the blue letters. At least, thats according to the wikipedia image.

 

[player594]

Any idea how to fix a non-working usb port on a PS2? It never recognizes any flash drive i put in it. So I can't even install fmcboot!

 

[kirbymaster101]

So exactly how do i copy apps? Is it like the wii where I can just drag files to the sd card?