/vr/ - Retro Games

I don't understand the appeal of spending money on tools and supplies and risking possible physical damage on your device when you could just plop a piece of software on your device instead.
I actually do to be honest but I'm just pointing out that you're a huge faggot and there are benefits to both.

>free
>no soldering required
simple as

in free mcboot's case there's practically no reason to physically mod your ps2, it does everything 99.999% of users would ever care about

of course you also have stuff like tony haxx and its spinoffs which are more work than they're worth

>>10340665
dumbest post i have ever read =(
i have a slim with FreeMcBoot / OPL on an ethernet cable and it works absolutely flawlessly. no chip required. granted it was a bit of a pain to set up but once that's done you're good
> hacky ass softmods
as opposed to opening your console and putting in a questionable foreign object?
> when you could just get a chip
what chip? is your dumbass soldering that?
> and never have to deal with the preflight checklist
ok it ain't your dumbass soldering that
> some of them still require hardware
then it's not a softmod dumbass
> memory cards or a special cart
You can use a memory card or a...USB thumb drive?
> ready to roll whenever you are.
If you think your chinese modchip installed by god knows who will work flawlessly the rest of your life you got another thing comin....

>>10340683
>spending money on tools and supplies
Literally all you need is the chip, how the hell does anyone not have a soldering iron in the year 2023.
>damaging the device
Actual skill issue, don't be a retard and it's pretty much impossible to damage one of these.
>>10340694
Actual retard I have had a modded PSX, PS2, Saturd, and Xbox all of which are 20+ years old by now and the only issue I've had was the xbox's disc drive failing and the saturds laser failing both of which have nothing to do with the modchips that still function perfectly fine.
They are superior in every single way to any softmod.

>open up your retro hardware and risk damaging it by soldering in a bunch of wires and a 3rd party chip produced god knows where with no QA
or
>download a few files and transfer them to a memory card

>>10340720
> They are superior in every single way to any softmod.
Being that the post was specifically about the PS2 that's not true anymore grandpa. it's not 2004. FreeMcBoot / OPL / Ethernet cable work 100% flawlessly with every game i've thrown at it, what else could i possibly want?
> PSX
you're right, and i installed an ODE. picrel. it was not easy at all, and i'm sure as fuck glad i had a proper iron tip, magnifying glass and a multimeter. if there was a good softmod solution i would have done that in a second; but with PSX there probably won't be the way the system is.
> Saturd / Xbox
can't speak for those.

>>10340694
>questionable foreign object
What are the chinese going to do on my PS2? Steal my Jak & Daxter saves?

>>10340763
if you don't understand how additional power consumption from a dodgy ass chink chip can strain your console over time i can't help you

>>10340683
Fpbp

>>10340720
Hard mods for Xbox are completely pointless in 2023. Even if you have a dead HDD in one you can just get the eeprom and use XboxHDM to make a new drive from scratch.

>>10340683
You are right anon. OP is indeed a massive faggot.

>>10340665
Ever tried installing a PS2 modchip?
It ain't something you're gonna do as a baby's first soldering project.

>>10340797
Or something anyone would ever want to do for any reason regardless of experience.

I use OPL and the only game that hasn't worked for me is Star Wars Racer Revenge, stuttering FMVs suck yes but I'll take that over having to burn DVDs.

>everyone knows how to solder and is willing to risk damaging their shit, or is willing to pay someone to do the same

>softmod fags will never experience this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVGHlo1Hk2g

>>10340797
a lot of people watch a yt video and think they can solder, then they either brick their console or it "works" for a couple weeks to a couple years then mysteriously dies

>>10340665
Soldering ugly trash to retro hardware is for niggers too impatient to wait for something you can just plug in
Imagine all the consoles that got rekt just because people wanted to play burned fucking burned discs, pathetic
>>10341134
What does this do that a softmod can't, turn le orange?

personally I just emulate these days, it's easier and better than real hardware

>>10341213
A xecuter3 modded xbox is vastly superior to any softmod since you can swapout the HDD and DVD drive, it also lets you upgrade the RAM

>>10341230
Not for PS2. And Xbox.

>>10341236
Swapping the HDD can be done without hard mods.

>>10341236
Swapping the HDD and DVD drive can be done without hard mods.

>>10340665
FreeMCBoot is the simplest, most brain dead easy softmod out there. If you are getting filtered by it, thats a major issue on your part.

>>10341271
Maybe it can nowadays but that wasn't the case for a long ass time, not to mention there's no way it's as easy as it is with a real chip, with any good chip you just build a drive as big as you want on your PC and throw that bitch in you can even use compact flash carts. Plus you can't do the ram upgrade or run a custom bios. Softmodding is hacky bullshit for people too technically inept to do it the right way

It's like masturbation, yeah sure it accomplishes the same thing, but it sure as shit isn't as good as the real thing.

>>10341302
>Maybe it can nowadays but that wasn't the case for a long ass time
Xbox DVD drives are not locked in any way and can be freely swapped. XboxHDM has been around since before the 360 was out.

>>10341262
Sounds like you haven't emulated PS2 in a while. And xbox has no exclusives worth playing.

>>10341262
PS2 emulation has gotten better now.

>>10341309
>Xbox DVD drives are not locked in any way

Yeah you're right, I got it mixed up with the 360 in that case, it's been awhile.

I know about XboxHDM. Im telling you it's shit dude. All this stuff is easier with a chip and if you had experience with both you'd know this already.

>>10341331
>burn XboxHDM disc with xbox eeprom key (key is only required if you didn't flash it to be all zeros previously)
>put HDD in PC and use clear on screen instructions to make XboxHDD
Wow so hard dude.

>>10341340
You don't need to do any of this with a chipped system. It's not hard to understand and nobody in the xbox modding community would agree that a softmod is just as good at doing anything except flashing your TSOP. Stop trying to argue with me just because you're ignorant you retard.

>>10340782
>Hard mods for Xbox are completely pointless in 2023
Higher UDMA modes for faster load times aren't pointless. You'd also need a VGA patched BIOS to use VGA monitors.

>>10340782
>Hard mods for Xbox are completely pointless in 2023.
Oh fuck no. Xbox modchips are far more convenient than any softmod in the long run. For starters, they offer better brickproofing such as letting you disable HDD key and DVD drive checks so your Xbox won't be a comically large paperweight when it's DVD drive inevitably fucks up one day, and being able to throw any 1TB hard drive at your Xbox is just so much better than having to fuck around with CHIMP cloning and track down some specific lockable IDE HDDs that are 160GB at best and as old as the Xbox itself. Not to mention cool shit like custom BIOSes, changing the Boot animation, and 128mb RAM upgrades to play Sega Chihiro games.
Softmodding is only worth it if you have the shitty 1.6 Xboxes that can't be TSOP-flashed.

>>10341351
I'm not buying a dodgy chip from some thirdworld country. Replacing hard drives is already easily done.
>>10341359
You can easily replace Xbox hard drives and disc drives without hardmods. Also the only Chihiro games playable are Virtua Cop 3 and a beta build of Outrun 2.

>>10341302
>literally ripping open your hardware and installing a chip never designed to be put inside it using a hot iron is somehow not "hacky bullshit".

>>10341365
>I'm not buying a dodgy chip from some thirdworld country.

BWHAHAHHAHAHA! Have you purchased PC parts in the last 20 years my dude? Where do you think all of this stuff comes from?

>>10341351
Both options literally take the same amount of time to do, you fucknugget.

>>10341372
Still not buying whatever crap you're selling.

>>10341351
Are you circumcised?

>>10340683
>>10340686
>>10340694
>>10340747
>>10340757
>>10340770
>>10340802
>>10340843
>>10341189
>>10341367
MASSIVE SKILL ISSUE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbhoP-ytu0E

My slim's got a crystal modchip. I still use FCMB. It's just that good.

hello anons, what PS2 set would you recommend from archive.org etc? I'm looking for a decent mix of eng/jp only games. Doesn't have to be complete.

>>10340770
Oh no a chink ship strains my console. Well, too bad I tossed my PS2 away before it did. I own consoles to play game, not to collect and preserve some electronic toys made in China. Already cleared my PS2 backlog and tossed it away since they weren’t worth the effort of selling unlike some older consoles.

Whats even the point of a mod chip when softmods now do literally everything you could possibly want on a ps2? What more do you possibly need beyond having a way to load from an external drive and playing bootlegs/foreign releases?

>>10341738
It's usually legit old boomer or useless zoomer cope as they are too dumb to figure out how to use them

>>10341738
Because it's /vr/ I think some of it is just oldheads that don't care to be in the loop and maybe one or two chip sellers but after Mechapwn there's LITERALLY nothing left, yeah. You can play PS1 backups, PS2 backups, PS2 from the hard drive, ethernet, the memory card, a USB drive. We had a similar Xbox thread a while back of people claiming hardmod superiority but that's the same shit, there's just no advantage anymore. You can pick it up as a project if you just REALLY like soldering I guess lol

>>10340665
You get similar or worse results from something that changes your console from stock compared to something that can return to stock by just removing a memory card
How can you not think that’s better, also it’s not even a mod, it’s an exploit

>>10340665
Because Free McBoot is so painless, you put it in the memory card and you're good to go.

>>10341754
I mean. Soldering *is* fun.

>>10341497
> SKILL ISSUE
> anyway here's a video of Voultar
Man, i bought a multimeter and practiced a bunch before installing the xStation, doing an NES sound and toploader composite mod (much easier) before attempting it. It went well, but, if there was a softmod solution that didn't involve glitching Tony Hawk and burning CDs i absolutely would have done it instead.
That said, xStation is absolutely wonderful. If you're gonna install chips / recap / etc your console, at least prepare to the point where you feel comfortable and don't care too much if ya fry it.

i have xstation
you don't need to mod ps2 slim anymore
you jus patch a game file and burn it and put it in the game system
the free mcboot crap never worked when I tried it

i have a xstation too 128gb of ps1 games is crazy zee when you consider i only have 128gb of dreamcast and gamecube games

not interested in modding ps2, it would be nice tho because the dvd drive WILL fail eventually

I'm sorry your ps2 mod business went bankrupt op

learn to code (soft mods)

Why is this even an argument

Freemcboot, mechapwn, an hdd. There, now you can play all PS2 and PSX games legit and burned without any trouble.

>>10341796
>the free mcboot crap never worked when I tried it
I'm pretty sure a child with basic reading comprehension could set up free mcboot. That's a bit embarrassing anon.

>>10341958
Most likely he had a non compatible model

Modchips are still better and easier to use than any softmod solutions.
If you have the option, buy a modded console and you're done, no need to use a silly memory card to run software.
Softmods are in no way superior, just more convenient for those who dont have a modded console, and even then requires alot of work compared to what a good chip does effortlessly. Also, I'm sure only chips can still run burned discs.

a modchip only plays pirated games
a softmod lets you do much more, like playing PS2 games in 1080i.

>>10341973
what are you talking about?
how is a modchip easier to use than plug n play, it's not a soft mod ffs, it's an exploit

>>10341973
Goddamn dude you literally have no argument at all, you're just plugging your ears screaming about all the make believe work you've convinced yourself softmodders have to do and if you think "only chips can still run burned discs" you must'nt have read a single post in the fucking thread so far. Good fucking lord.

Most people are interested in softmods on disc consoles as a means to avoid using the parts most likely to fail, the disk drive, or to revive consoles where that's already failed.

Having a PS2 that can play games burned to DVDs is nice but it won't do you any good when the laser burns out.

>>10341975
Just insert a disc of any region in the console, be it an original copy or burned, and it plays. It's as simple as that.
Hold R1/R2/L1 buttons during the startup to execute any .ELF file stored in your MC or HDD. Simple.

>>10341979
Not an argument, show us how you can run burned discs on a softmodded console. Even Voultar says so:
https://youtu.be/TbhoP-ytu0E?si=3iii-qh98zkkX8XY&t=1488

>>10341987
>show us how you can run burned discs on a softmodded console
What do you think MechaPWN is?
>Just insert a disc of any region in the console, be it an original copy or burned
MechaPWN
>old R1/R2/L1 buttons during the startup to execute any .ELF file stored in your MC or HDD. Simple.
plug in a Memory card and turn on your console, simple

>>10341987
>>10341885
Did you not see my post you stupid faggot. These are the people I share /vr/ with. Fucking hell.

>>10341987
That video is from before the mechapwn exploit existed smartass, that's why he says that. Try listening to what people are trying to tell you before spewing your misinformed bullshit everywhere.

>>10341980
Same goes for Xbox. I got one with a dead dvd drive and soft modded it then out a new hdd in it. Works great. The GameCube doesn’t really need a soft mod option because the Wii is a GameCube and easily soft modded. Gif a knock off gd emu in a DC and eventually I’ll get a phoebe/rhea for my Saturn but it’s fine with a pseudo Saturn for now. The only real culprit is ps1, which I do have a mod chip in, but the options available are less than savory compared to its contemporaries options for sd card plug n play, I hear x station isn’t actually that great, is it worth it?

>>10342010
Wait for m station

>>10341189
Kek, I bought a sega Saturn that had a chip in it, it fried and they sold the console as broken. All I had to do was in hook the chip and desolder their mess of a duck grounding job, no wonder it fried. Worked great after that.

>>10342014
Ah, that looks awesome. I will be waiting thanks for the heads up anon

>>10341973
Lolwut? I bought an 8 dollar memory card from a chink on ebay and now the compatibility of my ps2 is far beyond what it could do before. In what fucking dimension is a literal plug n play solution that costs under 10 burgerbux a more costly and complicated option compared to soldering in a chip or paying more for a pre modded system?

>>10341236
swapped out my hdd fine on softmod. i think the main reason to ever bother with hardmod is to upgrade the ram and/or cpu.
>>10341302
>that last bit
i've seen that as someone's forum signature before, are you the same guy?
>>10341310
>no exclusives worth playing
t. doesn't have an xbox
>>10341354
>vga monitors
extremely niche use case. the UDMA mode thing seems nice though.
>>10341359
>hdd key check
do you not back up your hdd key? i set mine to all 1s and i can just swap in another drive locked to all 1s.
>track down some specific lockable IDE HDD
you can just get an ide to sata adapter, mine has a 500gb sata drive in it with no issues.
>custom bios
iirc theres a hacky way to get custom bioses on softmod, but that probably doesn't work as well as hardmod.
>RAM upgrades to play Sega Chihiro games
cool, but only like 4 games are supported.
>>10341973
reading for a bit and pressing some buttons is easier than opening a console and soldering. i was able to softmod my friend's xbox in like 10 mins with a usb stick and a copy of splinter cell.

tldr
softmods do everything a normal user wants to do with their console, and they're dead simple as long as you have basic reading comprehension.
modchips are nice for specific use cases and reviving dead consoles, but for the average end user who just wants to play halo or gran tourismo, there isn't much of a reason to go with a hardmod.

>>10342318
>i've seen that as someone's forum signature before, are you the same guy?
Oh fuck now that you point it out I remember there being some guy on I think ngemu or someplace who had that sig and his ENTIRE posting history was just this. I literally had to just phase him out as whenever he'd open his mouth he'd always be jumping down some dude's throat for some simple softmod query. Borderline schizo for sure.

>>10341973
>Also, I'm sure only chips can still run burned discs.
FMCB and ESR have been a thing since 2008.

>>10340665
The massive set of additional features/functionality they offer?

>>10340665
I don't mind hardmods and I will use them if they have superior features but I prefer softmods because they leave the original hardware untouched