/vr/ - Retro Games

>>8233632
PS2 is fine, just use the hard drive for it.
PS1 is terrible. Only reliable way to play is through official discs or burned. Have fun ruining your disk drive.

>>8233719
wat is best model ps2

>>8234310
PS2 fat 50000 series

>>8234310
Get a fat ps2 and a harddrive. Load games off the hdd with freemcboot. For ps1 either get a psio or a ps2 slim.

I traded in my fat PS2 to get a slim PS2
I also gave my normal PSX to a friend after I got a PS1 with LCD screen

Really hope ps2 gets a ode and memcard pro. I know the install is gonna suck since you'll basically need to put in a mod chip in along with the ode but the HD launching options are so jank in comparison compared to the x station

>>8235308
Doubt it will happen, the disc drive is too attached to the systems function

>>8234328
dumb anime poster

>>8235325
I dunno, with a fpga and the right programing I'm sure it can work.

>>8233632
the best way to pirate PS2 games is to use open PS2 loader and a hard drive connected via the network adapter.
buy an official network adapter and a SATA mod kit for it rather than a chink clone "network" adapter that comes with SATA to begin with, since those can't do actual networking.
the best way to pirate PS1 games on PS2 is to burn them to CDs and use mechapwn to spoof the PS2 to an equivalent model debug kit so it reads them. if the games are a different region than your PS2 you may need to patch them to your region before burning them, at least for some PS2 models.

>>8235332
Why bother when hd loading is brain dead easy!

>>8235412
Not that anon but compatibility is still spotty in some games and ps1 is tied to disc drive so an ode would essentially fix all compat and make it able to use both systems off disk without issue
But as I said, ps2 drive is much more complex then just a drive

>>8235412
Compatability is not great and it's just janky and takes fiddling. Something like the x station is so simple

>>8234320
>>8233719
I play PS1 games on my PS3 so it doesn't really matter to me but I didn't know PS1 discs were hard on a 2.

>>8235390
>buy an official network adapter and a SATA mod kit for it rather than a chink clone "network" adapter that comes with SATA to begin with, since those can't do actual networking
but the chink sata clones are better because taking the drive out and loading games over sata is much faster than loading games over network

>>8236821
your reading comprehension isn't good.

>>8236832
sorry I'm busy sucking your mom's cock, but the chink clones are still cheaper and easier than oem adapter with mod kit so the point still stands

>>8234310
SCPH-3900x

>>8236837
Retard

>>8236837
no, it doesn't. there are uses for networking besides loading games over the network and you would lose that option.

>>8236842
I have the official Sony one. So what other things can I do, besides loading games?

>>8236928
Play games online with other people through a private server.

>>8236821

>>8234314
I thought the 5000x series had overheating issues? I can definitely tell a difference in loudness between my two 39000s and my 50000

is the ps2 slim the better way to play ps1 games? I ask because I just replaced the laser on my slim and I'd imagine it's trickier on the fat

>>8233719
I understand it's a bit of a stretch, but is there any documentation on what ps1 isos have trouble running off an internal hdd in fat models?

>>8237369
if you're running PS1 games from HDD you're playing them through popstarter, which is a PS1 emulator for the PS2 that has a lot of issues. Google compatibility lists for it. You're better off using something like a TonyHax PS1 memory card and burned CDs but that comes with its own set of issues.

>>8237389
Well I was hoping I'd be able to wait longer before having to buy an xstation and import a ps1 scart cable, since my ps2 scart cable just came in. Seems compatibility is pretty fucking abysmal. Oh well.

>>8237146
They might, I've never experienced issues with them personally. You have to understand that with the PS2 generation a lot of people were very ignorant with their consoles and would stuff them in CRT entertainment centers, or worse, just sit them on the carpet.
The 30000 series definitely has a louder fan, but that's why I prefer the 50000s. In my experience they're perfectly reliable and the quietest performing.

>>8237391
You really might want to give TonyHax a shot unless optical media is just completely out of the question for you. I understand ODEs are a lot more convenient but I mean if you're just interested in playing the games it's perfectly possible with what you have. But yeah absolutely steer clear of popstarter.

>>8237401
It isn't completely out of the question, but looking through the popstarter compatibility list, I don't see anything that I either don't already have officially or desperately need to play. Just hurts me a bit to watch my disc drive lasers kick the bucket. Might be nice to mess around with before I'm ready to make an autism-perfect ps1 setup.
Not OP but thanks for the help.

>>8234314
>>8237146
50k, also known as the dragon, is the worst fat. sony purposely left bugs in the disc controller that would overwork the laser if you used burned media, eventually killing the drive.
the bugs got worse with each new revision, culminating in the dragon model (50k and very first slim). it's so bad that even scratched discs can kill the laser. but that's not the worst part.
sony used a lower voltage fan to make dragons quieter. it was a huge selling point at the time. normally that wouldn't be a problem, but the controller is so buggy that it overheats the board, killing not only the laser but the chips containing the mechacon firmware itself.
sony also used low quality resistors that often overheat as well, and then the ps2 won't even boot. and you can't use the hdd port if the firmware chips are shot.
which is not to say that every 50k is doomed to fail, unlike fat PS3s and launch X360s. just that older revisions are more reliable. people often say that the 39k is the best but that's a wives tale started by third world repair shops because it comes with a 400C laser, which is a lot more durable than its predecessors (A and B won't last a year if all you play are burned discs)
39k also has the loudest fan because sony initially used a tiny, cube-shaped heatsink to cut costs, before going back to the old finned model. it's pretty noticeable if you use the hdd as the fan automatically shifts to the highest speed. you can safely replace it with an older fan if you have a finned heatsink.
the 39k mechacon can also damage the firmware chips but it's nowhere near as bad as the dragon. plus the loud fan keeps it cool enough.

>>8237450
Thank you for your detailed and informative post anon, I appreciate it. I always took it that the 50ks were considered the best and I've never had issues out of them personally, but this is good information to have, and makes me a little more comfortable in owning the 30k series I have that's been the workhorse for a few years now.

>>8237450
Source? Not saying you're full of shit, I just can't find anything you're talking about with cursory searches.

>>8237484
it's been thoroughly documented throughout the ps2 lifecycle. I guess most websites and forums with relevant information are dead though.
https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6958
lists some of the stuff I mentioned. I googles myself and there's really barely any information left on heastsinks, fans, etc.

>>8237331
no

>>8237331
Only if you have a 70000. Its the last model with the PS1 CPU

Between the MiSTer getting PS1 support and learning about HDD loading for PS2 games via a network adapter, I'm getting back into the PlayStation as a platform.
Picked up a could of the best DS2 revision, but is the guy above right about the 3000x series units being the best?

>>8238034
*couple of the best Dualshock 2 revision (for clarity and sans the spelling mistake)

Also while I'm asking, is there any store that stocks those HD retrovision cables who can ship to Oceania without paying 50 USD just for the shipping? Because apparently only DHL/Fedex are carrying mail here at the moment from the US/EU/UK, and it's more than doubling the fucking cost.

>>8238034
I'm the same guy so make of it what you will. there are different 30k revisions. launch and v3, v4, v5 and v6.
launch and v3 have multiple daughter boards and parts are hard to source. launch specifically has a really neat laser assembly that's hell to replace.
v4 streamlined the motherboard and parts are generally interchangeable with later models. v5 and 6 are mostly the same and run a bit cooler.
it's hard to differentiate between them bar the number of screws at the bottom and the manufacture date.
the later your revision, the worse the bugs on the mechacon. making the very first japanese model the "best", although it's useless for homebrew. so you gotta weight the cons and pros.
generally speaking, if you're not playing discs, all fats are safe. although I personally dislike dragons. if you are playing discs however, I'd recommend getting a later slim. people say get the very first one because it has the ps1 cpu, but it's also the least reliable model of all.
sony was sued shortly after and starting with the next revision there are no bugs in the firmware.

>>8238062
Interesting. Thank you for elaborating.
Guess I'll try to pick up a 3x00x unit then. My childhood console is a 50002, and I had a lot of fun with it, but I had to rip the disc tray cover off to install Free McBoot (back in the early 2010s no one was just selling memory cards with it on) and since then I've misplaced the cover, and ironically it's cheaper to get a whole new console than replace that one part so lol.

>>8238062
It seems that a lot of your advice stems from mod work or repair experience. Which motherboard revision would you recommend the most in a very general, practical use sense? It seems by that metric that a lot of the revisions aren't worth worrying about or noting, they all tend to do a lot of the same things if you don't plan on installing any sort of modchip or playing burned media.
I have a v5/6 mobo and I use it a lot for OPL and streaming games from HDD. Occasionally I use it for TonyHax support and playing PS1 CD-R backups. What sorts of issues do these late motherboards have with the mechacon? With what I use it for, should I expect issues out of it in the future?

>>8238882
personally my favorite is the v4 because of the large heatsink and coin battery slot next to the disc drive. the connectors are sturdier too (less flat ribbon cables) and the firmware is obviously older.
but I'd say v5/6 is the best. the mechacon isn't buggy enough to damage the motherboard and they usually comes with a C laser by default, so it's easier to replace. they also have a smaller die and run cooler than the v4.
v1-3 are hard to service and incompatible with some homebrew. v7/8 is loud and the mechacon may damage the board (very rarely). v9/10 has all the issues I mentioned before.
but if you're not installing a modchip and loading games exclusively off the hdd, any model is fine. even v9/10, despite the cheap components. which does not mean it's guaranteed to fail.
>I have a v5/6
>Occasionally I use it for TonyHax support and playing PS1 CD-R backups
worst case scenario you'll have to replace the laser. 400B is crap and may give out at any time. but if you're lucky you have a 400C instead.

How are the kits that replace the IDE network board with SATA? I got one a couple of months ago and haven't gotten around to working on my old PS2 yet. (Still gotta tweak the fucking white gear again so it can read disks.)

>>8239021
I haven't fiddled with those "GAMESTAR" adapters so I can't comment on their compatibility with loaders. but the sata modkits work fine.
the ones from maxdiypower use a better chipset and are faster than the generic ones from aliexpress and ebay. but the guy seems to have closed shop, so.

>>8237450
>sony purposely left bugs in the disc controller that would overwork the laser if you used burned media,
Fucking sony, thank fuck for OPL. I have a 50000 midnight blue console and I'm glad someone told me this before I tried booting games on burned dvds.

>>8239030
this is the one I got:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PP5RSDV

>>8239003
thanks anon

>>8239036
you don't hear about it nowadays but back then repair shops were littered with dead 50k units unable to read discs or boot, because the controllers on the board were dead. earlier units failed a lot too, but it was usually just the laser, so not a big deal.

>>8239037
that's the generic one. it works fine. plus I don't think you can get one from maxdiypower anymore.

>>8234310
I agree with the other poster who said SCPH-3900X. I have a SCPH-39003. You'll never hear a totally settled argument though SCPH-3900X is, generally, a sweet spot when it comes to PS2.
For PS1, get a PS1 or a PSone. Don't play them on a PS2. Too many games have issues which makes me wonder if way more than are reported also have issues.

>>8239051
Another thing to note is that PS2 slims have sound issues with certain PS2 games. I couldn't get sound effects to play correctly in Marc Ecko's Getting Up on any PS2 slim I tried it on, for example, but it works fine on every fat I've tried it on. Stuff like punch and kick sound effects just wouldn't play. I've heard reports of other games having the same kind of issue on slims but I couldn't tell you what they are. Curious to know if anyone else would know. It's strange to me that Sony would release a PS2 that doesn't play PS2 games correctly.

>>8239056
That's a known issue with PS2 models after the SCPH-7500x. Beyond Good and Evil is an example of a game that has really bad audio glitches. PS1 games fare even worse sine the PS1 CPU is (sorta) emulated.

>>8235571
>I play PS1 games on my PS3
Disgusting.

wait I thought that the 50k was the best now because it could load ps1 from the hdd?

>>8239353
Per half the thread, HDD loaded PS1 games have pretty terrible compatibility.
[google "official popstarter hdd compatibility list" because it wont let me post the cancerous google drive link]
I would suggest either a chipped PS1 with burned CDs if you don't mind killing the laser eventually, or an xstation.

>>8239364
I thought there was some new stuff lately that let people flash 50ks to be devmode

>>8239426
yeah, mechapwn, I think. I have no experience with it but apparently it's really good.

>>8239567
So it's just a region unlock? I don't quite remember since I did free mcboot in 2015, but couldn't I play anything I wanted region free through ESR or whatever?

>>8239364
>HDD loaded PS1 games have pretty terrible compatibility.
Are network-loaded PS2 games significantly more stable/compatible than HDD loaded ones?

I've been interested in building a Pi-hole for a while (all the fucking ads on the internet nowadays make using my phone browser a pain, whether it's when I'm in my living room and wanting to check a walkthrough- or just out and about in the city) and figured if I'm already buying a Raspberry Pi I could plug in a cheap 1-2TB external HDD to store a PS2 ISO archive.

>>8239763
>Are network-loaded PS2 games significantly more stable/compatible than HDD loaded ones?
No, they all use popstarter, to my knowledge. Only way around that is through actual disc backups through mechapwn or TonyHax.

>>8239839
Ah okay. Thanks.
Since I've already got a HD loader setup that means I'm basically fine, and could order a cheaper Pi board if I go ahead with the Pi-hole plan.

>>8238062
>making the very first japanese model the "best", although it's useless for homebrew.

Why is that? Does the external Jap only HDD not work with OPL or something?

>>8240072
the bios is too old. but if memory serves they updated freemcboot to work with it. it has compatibility issue with lots of homebrew either way.

>>8240072
>>8240083
10k also has a problem with the clock chip that could brick the console. not sure on the specifics, might affect the 15k as well.
best pcmia model is probably the 18k as it has a complete bios.

>>8240083
>it has compatibility issue with lots of homebrew either way.

That sucks. I love it when accessories match the console design. Guess I'll have to deal. I'm also not sure if a SATA drive could be made to work in that enclosure.

>>8240161
18k (should) be ok. no clock brick that I know of, plus the bios is similar to the v3. it's essentially a launch us model with a pcmia port.
>I'm also not sure if a SATA drive could be made to work in that enclosure.
I think you can fit a generic ide to sata or ide to sd adapter and use a 2.5' hdd or an sd card.
>I love it when accessories match the console design.
I spent way too much importing an older bb unit specifically because of the metal brackets that come with the hdd. newer brackets like pic related only fit slim drives which are impossible to find nowadays. the old ones don't have that metal fin on top.
worth it because I'm an autistic fuck

This seems to be basically a playstation general thread at this point.

Thoughts on this?
https://willsconsolemodifications.co.uk/ps_unoretro.php

>>8239364
>Per half the thread, HDD loaded PS1 games have pretty terrible compatibility.
Yes, "HDD PS1 games" are just ISOs running off of a terrible PS1 software emulator made for one simple 2D title, hacked to allow any game to be loaded and with palliative fixes to the emulation. There's no way to have the HDD or USB ports working when the console is in PS1 mode as many functionalities of the PS2 are switched hard off, aside from what you can usually pass to it before pulling the PS1 mode reset line up (full drive speed, smooth renderer). Late slim ps2s work in a different way so who knows if we'll ever see some elaborate hack for native PS1 loading in the future.

One curious thing I've found is that Tekken 5 MIGHT have System 11 emulation for the built-in Tekken 2 mode, I wonder if that could be hacked for a better software PS1 emulator? After all it's the same hardware and IIRC the PS1 BIOS will boot on a System 11 board.

As for now, I'd look into the XStation ODE to play PS1 games off a SD card on an actual PS1 console. Way better solution than suffering with popstarter, and there's no shame in paying someone else to install it if you don't give a fuck about soldering.

>>8240276
>Tekken 5 MIGHT have System 11 emulation

I believe Namco also had PS1 emulation n in native PS2 mode with the Guncon collection they did with Point Blank and Time Crisis. I would imagine those emulators are better than what're POPs is, but I'm sure it's difficult to extract.

>>8239662
It's a partial region unlock but it also lets you run backups of PS1 and PS2 games.

I may as well ask here, even if it's really specific, but anyone know if Simple Media System can handle playing 1080p 10bit video from an internal HDD? I have a fat model on the way, and I can't test with my current slim model, but I'm wondering if I'm going to have to manually downscale a ton of stuff or if it should play alright. It's all going to end up in 480i on my set, I'm just wondering if it can even handle playing it.

>>8241453
On PS2? No way.
The maximum supported is 1024 x 920.

>>8241549
shhhit alright, thanks

>>8241453
do yourself a favor and don't bother using a PS2 as a media player, SMS is really not that good

>>8243550
What would you recommend instead for watching video files on my crt in rgb? No crtemudriver, please. I was previously recommended the ps2 specifically for that, and it made enough sense to me. The main thing is just needing to convert and scale all the shit I have so it can actually play in SMS.

>>8237407
The XStation is extremely easy to install if you have any amount of soldering skills.

>>8244472
PS3? You can watch DVD/BD and stream using a media server. If you have a CFW I think you can force it to output PAL/NTSC regardless of the console's region.
I'm in Europe and don't have a CFW, so I'm locked to 576i/p unless I play a Japanese DVD (Japan is also region 2), only then it switches to 480i/p.

>>8244472
>What would you recommend instead for watching video files on my crt in rgb?
Raspberry Pi with RGB-Pi, via OSMC

>>8244620
Hadn't even considered that, and I can even use the same cable. Will give it a shot!
>>8244646
Will note this down.

>>8244472
What's wrong with the OG Xbox and xbmc4xbox?

>>8239037
I got some china one on Ebay. Probably exactly the same as that. It just werks.

>>8244472
modded PS3 or Wii

>>8234320
Get a chinese SATA HDD adapter and SATA HDD for this - the official ethernet/IDE HDD adapter (and the USB ports) don't provide enough bandwidth and you will get stuttering FMVs if they're above a certain bitrate etc. SATA will work perfectly.