Here's Why The PS2 Is Even Better In 2022

The PlayStation 2 is over 20 years old and with the advancements made in homebrew and the hardware scene it's still a great pickup today. In this video we're checking out a basic well known mod that anyone can do to take the PS2 to the next level.
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#PS2 #Sony #PlayStation

[@speedwaynutt]

To me the ps2 generation is the ultimate generation of gaming. No pay walls, No long patches,No Internet needed. The games are some of the greatest of all time 5 gta games, plenty of nfs,Burnout,Split screen multiplayer

[@ralfkhoo2164]

Agreed. Just pure gaming. Nothing else. Best console imo

[@KotCR]

Yeh. i've said this before. PS2/GC/XB was the final generation of games that were pure. They were at the most advanced and ambitious before ugly practices like microtransactions made their way into video games. We'll never get that kind of excitement and joy from video games ever again.

[@cheetahluv210]

@@KotCR idk ps3 was pretty good as well but yeah it led to the sad directions of the next generation

[@GameTimeWhy]

@@KotCR fat ps3 is numba 1

[@IamJay02]

@@GameTimeWhy fr having a ps2 with a PS3 was fucking sick

[@dynastymusou8906]

Sony was on top of their game during the PlayStation 2 era. To me, it remains as the best console of all time and will always find enjoyment in it. And while my parents are no longer around, the PlayStation 2 they gifted 11 year-old me is still kicking. Thanks mom and dad, for the amazing memories I made because of it and will continue to make! 😄

[@alanlee67]

You're like 30 and for parents already passed away. Too bad man

[@RealziesCuts]

Stay Blessed 🛋🦍

[@KuuchWizard]

@@alanlee67 hey man get that negativity out of here. If and when your parents pass, I’m sure you’ll feel sorrow and pain over it if they were good to you. And while I would never wish those emotions onto someone else, I understand it’s part of life; but you can be better than what you said.

[@SUPERMQD]

Sorry for your loss of your mom and dad

[@dynastymusou8906]

I am 33 and not being negative at all. Death is part of life. And since they passed, a lot of good things happened as well. I will forever treasure what they taught and gave me. Trust me! 😁

[@Superbad22]

I miss the early 2000s everything was so much better back then. We really appreciated things more (also I’m not talking about the world as a whole necessarily, I’m talking more about the video game industry)

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Found My PS2 mini yesterday.

[@InFinZible]

The internet ruined us and has made everyone so picky 😢

[@andreadawson7194]

Amen to that

[@RickMyBalls]

@@InFinZible ugh, such bullshit

[@Vor_Tex_Sun]

Very true. I have an old Ps2 Fat and use discs only. No Internet connection at all. I even use the old scart video output

[@tiptonite4317]

ah the expansion bay was a great hiding spot for "party items" when I was a teenager.

[@hundun5604]

😁

[@Kentokorp]

I wish I could go back to the days when the ps2, xbox, and gamecube came out. There was so much awesome content and video game news from G4TV back when they were good.

[@johnnysalazar5399]

I loved watching digital playground on g4 😎

[@GameTimeWhy]

G4tv is not what it was. Or maybe I'm just too old now.

[@slamshift6927]

You could just... play them. Xboxes are dirt cheap, Gamecube's emulator is god tier, and the PS2 is right there as well.

[@Kentokorp]

@@slamshift6927 Yeah my guy I have all those consoles modded, I was explaining how those times were the best times for new awesome content. Trailers and commercials that actually had effort in them.

[@peteallyn412]

G4 was the bomb back then.

[@josephsantoy1107]

I remember purchasing the ps2 internet accessory to play nba live online, it blew my mind….no pay subscription, no dlc, just free and open gaming…ahhh the good old days

[@Istaly17]

i think i got it to play socom

[@shanenice5380]

​@Istaly17 I beat the first one.great game I never played 2 and 3

[@toddburgess5056]

I don't have that version of the PS2 anymore, I have the slimline silver colored PS2. Been playing Gradius III and IV, Baldurs Gate, and the Armored Core series.

[@johnmiller3394]

I had HD Loader back in 2004. Used to love renting games from Blockbuster, ripping them to my installed internal hard drive and playing them. Load time was cut way down and I didn't have to go broke buying games!! Good memories

[@1tokeover]

Nice! I never got HD loader, always used the DVD's. I was able to rip and inject the DNAS ID onto the disc so I could still play online.

[@cemsengul16]

I had the same experience except with a Slayers Xbox.

[@mattb9664]

Same here! I spent an entire weekend going back and forth to Blockbuster when they had unlimited games for $10 per month or so.

[@killathadontv9603]

i had it too back in college then i would borrow games from my buddies and download them lol

[@TheKickboxingCommunity]

Wow John I wish I knew this back then lol

[@brianchambers7070]

This is my favorite kind of content. I love watching soft/hard modding and restoration of old systems.

[@BioGenx2b]

Something important to note, the USB ports on the front are 1.1 only, so there are speed issues with some games and FMVs/load times, but the memory card slot runs MUCH faster, so the memory card SD loader is the desired workaround. It's also much easier to set up multiple libraries and swap them since they're always exposed in the front. You can also just copy the Free McBoot files to a regular memory card so you can use it for saves as well, since your second slot will be occupied.

[@gogereaver349]

thats largly been fixed.

[@miregoji2959]

Freehdloader and sata has compatibility issues

[@BioGenx2b]

​@@gogereaver349 The USB speeds haven't been "fixed" because you can't fix them. You'd have to replace the controller on the motherboard. USB 1.1 is just plain slow. Use the MC slot instead, unless you HAVE to use the USB port.

[@gogereaver349]

@@BioGenx2b no but you can optimize for it

[@BioGenx2b]

@@gogereaver349 You can try to, sure, but it's far simpler to just invest in the MC reader and not have to worry about it. But like I said, for those that can't, where USB is a MUST, go nuts.

[@agoodballet]

Ps2 was a huge leap in gaming tech. I remember being extremely impressed with it.

[@tinytimbo456]

my favourite feature of the ps2 is that the front little PlayStation symbol can spin, they were thinking ahead knowing some people would stand their system upright. I guess its the little things that make a difference sometimes

[@youmukonpaku3168]

it has rubber feet on both potential bottoms as well, it was designed to be able to be used in tower configuration in general.

[@replynotificationsdisabled]

Didn't the 3 have the same also?

[@tinytimbo456]

Imagine getting a ps5 or series x that lack these simple features just sayin.. it's the little things

[@HansensUniverseT-A]

Even the clock battery inside has the PS symbol, really cool.

[@dragomilosevic4823]

I remember they sold a stand for it that cost 50 bux

[@Curtaku]

I remember getting my PS2 back in 2005 from my dad (he had it since launch day) and all of my games were on an IDE HDD with HDadvance 2.0. The system is still in use today and I have great memories with playing that thing.

[@olevet75]

amazing, I even had gt4 played online form HDD through Kai-link

[@dabrab6324]

Me too! I remember blockbuster having unlimited rental plans and I literally would rent copy and return up to 3 times a day.

[@theshield1613]

I got my mine in 2000 thank God I was born in the early 90s and got to experience the amazing library games for the Playstation 2 2000-2006

[@zeroa69]

@@dabrab6324 i did that with my xbox twas dope!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

You were late, I got My PS2 mini around 2004 or 2005, was yours the mini?

[@dookie_12]

Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex had brutal load times on the PS2. It was 40+ seconds going into a level, and a similar load time exiting the level.

[@spiral7041]

It got reduced in the platinum version apparently

[@Manic_Panic]

@@spiral7041 And it's like 6 seconds if you load the Platinum/Greatest Hits version through the internal hard drive. As fast as the original Xbox port.

[@spiral7041]

@@Manic_Panic Yeah, its probably the best possible way to play the game other than emulation. Xbox had better loading but inferior effects and a ton of bugs.

[@Ninetails2000]

That's actually not a problem of the loading itself but because of dummied out programming. The loading screen was originally going to be a mini-game where you could collect fruit but shortly before the game released it was discovered that Namco IIRC had a patent on loading screen mini-games and they had to hastily remove the mini-game. The loading screen in the first edition takes so long because it's still timed as if the mini-game was there and re-releases after that were able to remove that leftover code.

[@shhteeeve]

It was agony...

[@Humongous420]

A little over a year ago I found a PS2 in the dumpster at my local dump! Still had the power cord and controllers. I wondered what the black box on the back of it was...well now I know! I guess it was a little better of a find than I thought it was. I use the PS2 to watch movies and occasionally play Grand Theft Auto Vice City. Thanks for solving the mystery of the Black Box on the back of my PS2

[@xJasonHatx]

when i was like 14 my friend bought a used ps2, and we heard something ratteling around in it. we opened that hd port and found a crack pipe in it. from then on that was the stash spot for all our weed. this was in the 2000s when you had to hide your weed. so it was a wonderful little place no one would ever look. guess thats why the crack pipe was in there in the first place.

[@bobndomleonardi]

​@@xJasonHatxlol

[@culdad]

1:34 I come home after school and check your channel every day. I love you bro

[@Animedogfingamer]

PS2 stuff is crazy and is always expanding with new stuff. I remember some months back I learned about MechaPwn and it allowed me to play any region disc for Ps1 & 2 without the hassle of swap magic stuff

[@Harerazer]

Swap magic...nectar of the gods back then

[@Animedogfingamer]

@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket That’s not the point though. The Ps2 is behind the Xbox tech wise but can still do all these amazing things it shouldn’t be able to do, especially in 2022

[@SilverSpireZ]

Free McBoot remains one of the best names of a homebrew program ever.

[@pietrmuffei8874]

Boaty McBoatface

[@namtrof01]

can't be the only one who has both a ps2 and a better graphical system and still chooses ps2 due to actual game quality right?

[@Droopy95mkDS]

The PS2 was the future. But I never imagined we could put a 2TB SATA HDD inside it. That's crazy lol

[@jonnyturtleneck7153]

The graphics upgrade from the ps1 to ps2 was the last upgrade you really needed. From ps2 to ps3 was the last one you really wanted.

[@ksolo614]

You can thank the Sega Dreamcast for that. Ps2 might have been a 64 bit system

[@aliaulman]

Funny I just bought PS2 like couple months ago and thinking what was the difference to PS3. And even if you said PS3 wasn't that much different it got me thinking the difference to PS4 and PS5 as well

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

@@aliaulman PS2 = SD PS3 = HD

[@GoogleDoesEvil]

@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 Xbox/PS2: SD Xbox 360/PS3: 720p Xbox One/PS4: 1080p Xbox Series X/PS5: 1440p

[@gamelard1963]

@@GoogleDoesEvil ps2 was able to do 480p with the composite cable.

[@TurboExpress007]

I bought a white Japanese Ps2. Modded it with a 1tb hdd. Added in 289 games.

[@316whatupz]

I'm currently adding games atm. I'm at 164 games so far. Is your 1tb hard drive filled up or do you have some free space left?

[@TheOriginalVersatile]

Great video from someone where PS2 made me love modding and doing tutorials online

[@dmoehling]

A few tips your ps2 community may find helpful. 1) you can now buy 3rd party ps2 sata network adapters. No having to modify old ones to get sata support. 2) OPL is still being developed for. HDLoader hasn’t been developed for in quite some time. If your going to use an hd loader OPL is where’s its at, plus it offers full cover art and theme support. It’s quite slick. 3) ps2 does allow for games to be played via usb… however the older usb 1.1 ports don’t offer the bandwidth needed. Cutscenes will skip and buffer. I don’t feel usb is “playable” but it depends on what game your choosing. 4) there are memory card devices that offer sd card support as well, as you mentioned. They are “okay” for some games, but again… like usb, don’t offer enough bandwidth for game titles heavy with cutscenes. A phat softmodded ps2 is great for anyones collection! Thanks for taking the time to post!

[@slydweis]

I remember finding a copy of HD advanced at a flea market. I use that to rip a CD that I burned in a PSX format that contained the FTP program which let me access my memory card over the network. It was all downhill from there. I bought a Maxtor 200 GB hard drive that cost more than the PlayStation 2 itself. I bought a 64 MB memory card and had it boot a custom menu full of elf files that would Auto boot HD advance. I customized the menus and backgrounds. I ended up modding my friends ps2s. They had either 40 or 60 GB hard drives in them. It was great playing online multiplayer, the load times were almost non-existent. Especially on socom, we would load into the map before any of the other players, we couldn't move until everyone loaded in but at least we could see our starting positions and strategize. I also worked at GameStop at the time, back when we could take home new releases day one and pretty much any other game to try them out. I would just take home a different game every night and loaded onto my PS2 and bring it back the next day. Then I could test the games at my leisure. It was also convenient to just copy games from my hard drive to my friend's hard drives using my PC. Then you didn't have to wait for the disc to rip each time. I still have all of that original hardware and it all still works.

[@jorgevespucci9878]

This guy bangs! He casually admits to massive piracy for fun and profit on YT and gives 0 ducks.

[@common_c3nts]

I bought the HD loader CD back in like 2002 or 2003 and it worked perfectly to copy games to the HD and play off them for the PS2. It was so much faster.

[@chouchoue]

@@jorgevespucci9878 I had mine fixed by a welder to be multi region. But I did pay for my games. :B

[@jorexthox4330]

I had a PS1 and PS2... the PS2 was seriously THE NEXT BIG THING in 2000s

[@yankees29]

It was the most groundbreaking system ever produced

[@dugger0]

Come on, guy. You're putting a hdd in your weed storage bay?

[@simm1790]

Lmao I used hide my weed in there too

[@kingeshuzthefirst8002]

I love my ps2. I actually started buying some of my old games back that I have lost or accidentally broken over the years. I can't stop playing nfs underground 2!

[@flipflop8989]

I did to I had no ps2 or any games a year ago cause I sold them all years ago and now have one and 50 games I play more than my ps5

[@greedo2660]

Me too, I play mine all the time. Although I've collected hundreds of excellent games cheap at thrift stores over the years, I can't stop playing Mercenaries Playground of Destruction and Dragon Quest 8!

[@gazster]

it brings back memories, i used to love ffx and ffx2 and star ocean til end of time. i remember playing the godfather aswel and the getaway and getaway black monday. i remember gta san andreas aswel that was good fun. me and my friend used to play the tony hawk pro skater games, those were good times, there's so many good games like onimusha games, wwe games, i nearly feel like getting a ps2 again now and get the games back again just for fun lol

[@MebbIraq]

Lol why buy them?? Just downlaod them from the internet for free and transfer them to your hard drive🤷‍♂️

[@greedo2660]

@@MebbIraq Because having a physical copy is best. If you haven't learned that lesson yet, you will.

[@Fulthrotle73]

Still have an og ps2 with the hd adapter on the back. I Should try this.

[@barebarekun161]

Try it! Best way to retro gaming on the cheap while still owning the real thing.

[@homerthompson416]

You can also share roms from your PC over the network adapter or even better share games from a Raspberry Pi connected via an ethernet cable.

[@tommj4365]

You don't need to buy the free mcboot card, you can load it onto an existing memory card

[@homerthompson416]

@@tommj4365 If he uses a hard drive and installs FreeHDBoot on it first then yeah he can make his own Free McBoot memory card. But if he's going to share roms from his PC via the ethernet connection without installing a hard drive I think he'll need to buy a Free McBoot card.

[@tommj4365]

@@homerthompson416 it's been a few years but I recall getting free mcboot onto the memory card via usb thumbdrive.

[@skaviouz]

The bi-directional sata ide has been around awhile, but back in 2010 I drilled a hole-window in the side of the chasis, because the adapter was too bulky to allow even a 3.5" laptop sata drive to fit so I had the cables sticking out of the system. This would also allow me to easily switch my drive into my vertical hdd bay reading station connected with my computer. However, it's very cool you don't need to solder anything, I remember I had to take my ps2 apart, following a tutorial to solder what I think was a modbo 4.0, and I even burned a trace pads off the ps2's mother board lol... luckily I was able to trace the line to an alternative location with a help of a friend, I was a teenager back then and only had an elementary electrical knowledge.

[@wybuchowyukomendant]

I'm pretty happy with the hdmi dongle for ps2. It works especially good for fat, since you can disassembly quite a lot of the case, 3d print a piece with a hdmi hole and put it in there instead of destroying the original part to drill a hole, or let it just hang outside

[@That_Handle]

✏️✏️👍

[@KuuchWizard]

I did this at the beginning of the year and had so much fun playing the PS2 again. I got a Brook adapter to use the DualSense controller with it and the Kaico HDMI adapter and it’s just added even more charm to the setup.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

You can play and buy many ps2 games on Android tablet.

[@anthonyvigil4549]

@@HOLLASOUNDS how???

[@Harerazer]

Ah, the days you would buy a game, read the manual on the way home, pop in a cart with no loading times, and play a complete, working game. Truly the good old days. It's funny and sad that we're in a time when loading times and patches are just a normal part of a game like a knob on a door. I don't think there's another hobby where you buy something that's incomplete and accept it as normal.

[@winlover37]

There definitely aren't any that I can think of. Even worse when bootlickers step up to the plate and make you out as the bad guy. Interesting times

[@bryanfrye8770]

More data equals longer load times. Sness games were only 32mb new games are over 200gb

[@bryangooden1505]

You guys have clearly never been into car restoration lol

[@christiankettlewell]

@@bryanfrye8770 they don’t need to be 200gb, the industry has just decided that games need to rival movies for some reason

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@christiankettlewell Agreed, just look how well smaller titles like TMNT Shredder's Revenge have done on systems like the Switch, not all games need to be huge 200GB + sized epics.

[@cman422]

I've been collecting my favorite titles for ps2 for a couple years now. Also been finding so many unique and creative games for this awesome console.

[@Babyboy_Matt]

Same

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

The only game you should get is Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. I have kept My ps2 mini however did actually get alot of the game on My android tablet but it broke 5 years ago and I haven't bothered to get then again.

[@Babyboy_Matt]

Try Gun

[@dragonflye4561]

you should try steambot chronicles

[@johnsampson6387]

Do you have "Space Fisherman"?

[@jsb1944]

Getting all your ps2 isos prepared on your pc, then transferring them over using OPL (you can also scrub for art) is much faster than ripping the disc's with HDL. Recently setup my old ps2 and I highly recommend it.

[@adamsteelproducer]

Also a great way to use a PS2 where the optical drive has gone, which will happen to all these older machines in time…

[@northlanedarko771]

Hi man . Any chance you could run me through what I need to do same mod . Recently just was given a ps2

[@jsb1944]

@@northlanedarko771 tons of video guides on KZbin. Search terms "ps2, opl, hdd, iso" watch and learn. Blaine locklair has a newish one that's easy to follow

[@StageRight123]

@@adamsteelproducer Yeah, two of my PS2's have a shot optical drive. I still need to get those repaired.

[@Matt-dp7ze]

Unless you have trustworthy sites to download ISO’s without getting a crypto miner installed on your PC, ripping your own discs is probably the better option

[@Rickardt0]

Places in South America were getting new PS2s until 2014, so there are definitely a lot of them out there. Been considering doing this to my PS2.

[@banguseater]

PS2 still holds dear to my heart, socially its still one of the best consoles to play with a friend. I've always seen that piracy (mostly with older games that arent sold anymore) and homebrew will always keep a console revelant. I remember around 2014 when the PS2 was really starting to die out, people were selling them for dirt cheap, and most used games on Gamestop were just in really bad condition. Nobody really wanted to keep or play their PS2 anymore, I remember getting FMCB card for 25 bucks on ebay, and then conviencing my friends to keep theirs, I would make copies on their on memory cards and it was special to see my friends have another reason to keep their PS2 and try out games they never really had the chance to play.

[@Toxic2T]

you spoke the truth. Same happened here in latin america.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I have a PS2 mini, I kept it because it is small, I would never of kept a full size original.

[@LG-ro5le]

2014? Bro the ps2 had already died out by 2008 when everybody got a ps3

[@honeybadgerwrx]

These are amazing developments! I can't wait to see it in its final form.

[@scottevensen2615]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

[@climax90hero]

The Brook converter is a must for the PS2. You can use all sorts of controllers with it like the Dualshock 3 and 8bitdo. Even has Bluetooth support so you don't have to worry about cables

[@Ali_Andreea1646]

👆👆👆📩👆👆 Congratulations Claim your package...

[@therealfodder]

You can get a SATA 'network adaptor' (with the network part disabled!) for about £15 (< $18) on ebay. I've been running one for about a year now. Top video though!

[@Kenpachi-q3q]

Gamestar make one

[@timsmyth7942]

yupp

[@316whatupz]

Don't get the cheap Chinese Gamestar adapters. They corrupt easily and hard drive compatibility sucks.

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@316whatupz Agreed, I tried a random one I found off eBay a few years back, and it borked a 500GB 2.5in WD blue drive I put in my PS2, and then a 250GB 2.5in Seagate I had laying around from a laptop salvage job that showed in good health according to the SMART data, so after that I broke down and spent the money on an OG network adapter, and a board like shown here in the video, and have had no issues sense, with another 500GB WD Blue 2.5in HDD, and I just use a piece of memory foam from an old mattress topper I was getting rid of(yes I sprayed it with lysol first), to fill in the space, along with a clear sheet of plastic between the 2 for antistatic reasons.

[@Lownamebrand]

Not to mention the network adapter can be used for even more homebrew

[@csimonth3s33ker]

Where has this information been all my days lololol and me being such a nostalgic gamer, thanks dude!!!

[@dcikaruga]

This brings back memories, I modded my PS2 with a DMS3 mod-chip, was using an early version of HDLoader, which didn't support all games, and only had a 120GB HD limit.

[@eastwoodrufus3763]

Ps2 Greatest Console of ALL TIME in my humble opinion 😅 ! The Best Gaming Library of all-time !

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

There is not "best", ps nintendo and sega all got their own offerings.

[@quewuzhere7341]

For what he is trying to do, I must say the PS3 is the best console of all time. It plays PS3, PS2, PS1 and PSP games. Plus plays DVDs and Bluray. And it had a HDMI slot. Supports 1TB internally and 2TB externally.

[@lyianx]

I can see why you would hold that opinion. And best gaming library? I guess that depends on what you mean. Either way i think the DS/3ds can rival that. PS2 is a good system though. (certainly the best Sony has put out thus far. I have not been impressed with anything after).

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

@@quewuzhere7341 the ones that do play ps2 games are far from best hardware wise tho

[@quewuzhere7341]

@@user-yk1cw8im4h True. But that's usually always the case.

[@dominic.cellini]

I got into homebrew on the PS2 a couple years ago and it's been great. With the FreeDVDBoot exploit I was able to get FreeMcBoot onto my existing memory card using just a blank DVD with an ISO burned to it. Since I have a slim model, I opted for the SMB method of loading games in OPL, which is a bit cumbersome to set up, but works a heck of a lot better than USB loading. Aside from the ability to load games from a hard drive though, I think one of the coolest things homebrew brings to the PS2 is the ability to use a DualShock 3 wirelessly with just a generic USB Bluetooth adapter. That honestly kind of blew my mind.

[@PottyGirlEndo]

Thank you Mr. SpawnWave, I had no idea this was a thing. I now have my Nov. project all set up. 1 month to find a clean fat PS2. 🎉🎉🎉

[@leoFrom407]

Good stuff my guy. Love your videos

[@andrefrierson]

Awesome video, thanks. Damn those were days during the PS2 Era, Onimusha and Tekken Tag kept me glued to the tv

[@toshineon]

I have a modded PS2 set up this way. Along with my RGH'd 360 it's one of my faves.

[@that_tofu_fox7519]

I used “ps2 to hdmi” it’s pretty good too but I look forward to the hardware mod soon. Be careful with those quieter fan “upgrades” I’ve heard a few people say it’s caused overheating beyond repair.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I have My ps2 but the games I liked on there are on google play anyway and I can connect a Hdmi from tablet to a TV if I want.

[@andrewluty5657]

A very informative video, it`s got my brain ticking over this, many thanks.

[@DOFIXERR]

I still have my modded PS2s with HD Advanced 2.0 installed. Great memories. Love that system.

[@damascus6480]

Love these kinds of videos for the ps2, I have a 39001 model fat and 5 slims. My favorite console from every generation, this would be nice considering I own over 100 physical games for it.

[@barebarekun161]

My 39000 just died no stanby light at all when I flip the power switch. Still my most favorite console of all so far.

[@CommodoreFan64]

My original 39000 had it's laser die last year, so got another at my local flea market, dropped my 500GB HDD in it, and so far so good(🤞it holds up), and I came across a silver slim earlier this year for cheap at a local Goodwill hoping I found a gem, as it looked in very good shape, but seems the video output was borked sadly.

[@rugan0723]

This looks like a fun project and playing on original equipment is pretty cool. I play my library using PCSX2. I converted my games into ISOs and run them on my home theater PC. It would be hard to go back to running games in the original hardware resolution.

[@TheGunmanChannel]

Absolutely, I couldn't go back to the original resolution. Hard to believe anyone can after playing on 5K

[@DennyBalance]

My pc isn’t too bad, i7 3770, gtx 1660, 16gb ram but pretty much everything runs like ass on pcsx2 except dbz games, any tips?

[@jimstrauser3304]

Flipped my PS2 to help pay a semester of college when it came out. All my friends were playing theirs that same morning. Bought one again a few months later :)

[@Dw7freak]

3:00 That adapter was also the LAN adapter that allowed games, like the EA Sports games, to play online via a LAN connection. I played a lot of SSX3 online back in the day.

[@jeremyharshe2337]

From what I’ve seen, Using winhiip and OPL with a SATA hdd, and Retrotink5x Pro is the way to go for now. PS2-HOME seems to be the source for everything OPL, and Blaine Locklair has videos on hdd stuff using winhiip. Thanks John for bringing it into the spotlight again, and have fun everyone!

[@Stefan_Payne]

while RT5 PRO is good, a CRT is even better...

[@AZJayjohn]

@@Stefan_Payne depends on the user, 1440p out from the tink5x is arguably better than a crt.

[@Stefan_Payne]

@@AZJayjohn No, not for PS2. Or at least some Games. The Endboss in God of War 2 on PS2 on a CRT looks almost like its on PS4/the new God of War. Its really THAT good and impressive what they could do with the Tech at the time. You really need to take a look at it. And it also makes sense to get a smaller screen (well, not necessarily PS2 generation but SNES, maybe PS1), a 13" is all you need, if you are rather close. a 26" is just too big. but getting a good quality 20" Screen is not easy (I had one once but we didn't take good care of it and stored in the Garage where it got wet)...

[@12pandemon]

@@Stefan_Payne Sourcing a decent CRT nowadays is crazy expensive in some cases, though I found a golden Sony Trinitron WEGA 32 inch for $100 at a local game/arcade repair shop, just needed a simple cable replacement and some cleaning and it's probs the best CRT I've ever seen. Even has the OG HDMI input that some models at the end had.

[@jeremyharshe2337]

@@Stefan_Payne oh of course! I have a 32” RCA and a newer 19” Fuji as well, love it!

[@rphntw1n]

Thank you for matching with the shirt. It’s the little things ya know.

[@JLMtime]

you did it the right way where you keep your network ability ! I did notice its a little bit slower IMO but worth it being able to manage my SSD from FTP

[@blackheart_1852]

I still have my old PS2 and I think it still runs. This is great stuff to know, maybe I can fire it back up and even get the games I never got to buy as a kid

[@TazarZero]

Since its sata, could you use SSD's with this rather than a HDD? WDBlue 1TB drives are pretty cheap and it would eliminate any noise and vibration concerns.

[@evoelias6035]

Not sure if your hdmi adapter uses the RGB output. Regarding the footage I saw I’d say it uses the composite output. I remember very well using an rgb adapter on my ps2 and enjoyed sweet high definition graphics with great color saturation on my full hd tv back then

[@DoCKathos]

I love my ps2 and I play it somewhat regularly. This seems pretty easy to do, maybe in the future I'll look for a fat ps2 and see if I can get this setup going.

[@legice]

That Crash load time was freaking insane!!! Loading used to take so long on that game

[@silverian]

It was nice how you showed all the basic things required to do this! I just wonder if there is something else needed if you want to play Japanese import PS2 games?

[@Just.A.T-Rex]

No

[@Confruggy]

10:16 While you can use the USB port to run games, it's generally not recommended as the USB port is really slow. Any FMV will have choppy playback. Also one method which you haven't mentionend is the ability to play games from a samba network drive through the network port. That's a pretty cool solution.

[@Crono454]

Yeah should mention it's USB 1.1 so it's hella slow.

[@hfhxshjc4045]

fastet method is the memorycardSd Adapter

[@andreamitchell4758]

@@hfhxshjc4045 I wonder if it will be possible to make a memory card to USB adapter now that the MC2SIO method has been released , how much more difficult and how much more $$ worth of hardware would it take to get USB loading through the memory card slot instead of SD

[@mirtaabreu7124]

​@@hfhxshjc4045 A lot of people don't talk about the SD card method. I wish people did because it seems better than using a hard drive.

[@lomkokpinargasoiltlmm]

Huge video. Thx for sharing .

[@qnorsten]

The best way I have found to connect the PS2 to a newer TV is the retrotink 5x (yes it is pricey but worth it). It handles the input as well as upscale and deinterlacing.

[@Zenocide]

3:04 There were a handful of games that used it, mainly for quick loading. More games were supported in Japan as opposed to North America (at least.) Only game I can think of where they removed the feature coming to the US is Kingdom Hearts.

[@spacepilgrim3023]

Had Free McBoot set up for maybe a year now. It really is worth putting together if the interest is there, but I will say that I've personally had a couple small anomalies. 1. Certain games just didn't work for me, notably Tony Hawk's Underground ( I think 2, if memory serves correctly). But they were very rare, and might have workarounds. 2. I think I actually had trouble making more space on the drive I had. I would remove games, but it always said I had the same amount of space. Again, could be a me problem and I just never figured it why. 3. As far as I remember, there is no way to actuality switch discs. So if you get halfway through a long RPG, you might be out of luck. Worth researching further, but again, I did not find a solution when I was messing around with it. But overall I think it's worth it for removing load times alone.

[@That_Handle]

✏️✏️👍

[@7795Dakota]

Ps2 is by far my favorite console. I modded a fast ps2 with a glass cut out and leds light. I also added a computer cooling fan to push air into the console to help keep it cool from having to leave it on when I didn't have a memory card. One time the power blinked and I lost weeks worth of game time. I got a memory card shortly after that. I wish they would remake the classic games from back then for new consoles. Underground 2, most wanted, crash, San Andreas would be awesome on newer consoles with better graphics, game play. Awesome video wish I could have done something like this when I was a kid.

[@aliaulman]

This is literally me. I bought brand new refurbished PS2 back in April 2022 with internal hardisk and it works like charm till today

[@DeathCult696]

i really hope someone mentioned this already but just in case: Those memory cards you get from amazon are meant to be your initial exploit to get homebrew on your console. Not to keep and use. Sure, lately theyve started including all the homebrew youd need to run from it all the time and ya, its not gonna hurt anything. However, the ps2 scene moves fast and updates frequently. So youre running out-of-date homebrew. Another (in my opinion, big) thing is that there are 2 ways of installing OPL onto your memory card. The first option locks the card to the console and makes it so OPL doesnt launch on another console (not a security feature, its something to do with the nand and other internals.) The second (less stable) option give the memory card the freedom to be used on other consoles. As in the one you bought from amazon. Basically the idea is that you get the amazon memory card, then you download all the updated versions of the homebrew you will be using. Place them all on a flash drive and use the amazon memory card to mod a second (first party) memory card with the current version of OPL. Profit. I have a whole lot of other little things i wanted to bring up but id have to rewatch the video and im tired lol let me know if any of this helped you.

[@nickdude07]

Recently did this mod and it's a nice upgrade. Of note, if you put the Free McBoot memory card in the P2 memory card slot you won't have to worry about game saves going to it. It boots from the P2 slot.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I still have My PS2 mini and a memory card, haven't used it in 16 years. About 5 years ago I had most of My favourite games that where on PS2 and PS1 on Android tablet, games like GTA San Andreas. I did not feel the need to use the PS2, and still dont.

[@bradfieldflood3804]

@@HOLLASOUNDS Cool story

[@chvIry]

⁠@@HOLLASOUNDSanybody who is everybody, would prefer to rock the original emulation.

[@chvIry]

@@HOLLASOUNDSrelax child, adults are speaking

[@Herowebcomics]

Wow! This could be a great way to catch up on games they missed!

[@donbmansfield9861]

Thank you for sharing this knowledge!

[@donbmansfield9861]

With the installation of the hdd one should be able to play games off of an emulator, correct?

[@oblivieon1567]

The PS2 scene has evolved quite a bit. OPL is amazing and even supports artwork. Using an old IDE drive works fine. As far as HDMI, Retrotink of course would be the best but if you're on a budget using one of the cheap HDMI adapters work fine as long as you use it in 4:3.

[@GhostOnTheFreeway]

Just chiming in here to mention that Everquest Online Adventures also used the network adapter! I have fond memories of playing that one.

[@joshuamahon260]

Great to see some love for FreeMcBoot. I've been using it since 2012 and at least with my experience, the best way to run it is still off of a hard drive or SSD from the "Network Adaptor". The USB external option is too slow as it only uses USB version 1 (At least on the Phat, not sure about the slim) If you only have a slim you can get away with it and If you want to play things like NES emulation USB is fine as it doesn't need as much throughput for load times.

[@SNKNostalgia]

You really should try out the Retrotink 5x for its de-interlace function. Better than an HDMI mod to be honest.

[@angelorusso3219]

There is an HDL installer on the pc so you can download PS2 game images and "rip" them to the hard drive. A lot faster if you have a library of games using PCSX2.

[@stephenmac23]

still got my original family ps2 we got for christmas and all the games, thing still works flawlessly til this day. never getting rid of it lol

[@Zachary_Sweis]

This is pretty cool. I was wondering how this would work on a slim PS2. Good to know that USB drives will work.

[@oblivieon1567]

It doesn't really. The USB ports are too slow. It's better to find a Phat with a bad Disc Drive.

[@Stefan_Payne]

Some things: a) the desired program is OPL b) YOu don't want to start PS2 Games from USB as its very slow. though for PS1 Games its viable. c) newer PS2 Consoles (50k and later) can be modified with a Program that allows you to start Backup PS1 Games without modifications. Though PAL 50k PS2 only support PAL PS1 Games, 75k didn't work for me.

[@316whatupz]

Good tips here. Also install FreeMcBoot onto hard drive instead to free up memory card slot

[@hackwrench5583]

@@316whatupz FreeHDBoot! An alternative to that tip is to install FreeMcBoot on memory card slot 2 as most games default to slot 1 anyway.

[@316whatupz]

@@hackwrench5583 yeah but you lose a memory card slot so I installed it on the hard drive instead. I hate how FreeMcBoot and FreeHDBoot are the same thing but with one being loaded to a memory card and the other to a hard drive. lol

[@Stefan_Payne]

@@316whatupz you can get up to 64MB Cards for less than 10bucks shipped, but I wouldn't recommend them for daily use. Backups, sure. But daily driving I'd go for 16, maybe 32MB (don't have a 32MB). 8MB doesn't work well for FMCB, 16MB is minimum recommended. But then again, you can backup your Savegames to a USB Stick, even though its a bit annoying and slow....

[@316whatupz]

@@Stefan_Payne I got a 128mbs card as well as 2 8mbs card (backup). Haven't had any issues with the games I usually play on the 128mbs one.

[@Fredrick2003]

I actually got the PS2 Hard Drive for Resident Evil Outbreak, without the HD Install feature the load times were terrible. Wasn't worth it (at the time) probably considering hardly anybody else you played online with also had a hard drive so you were stuck with the DVD load times anyway. At least single player was fast. It was definitely worth it later when I learned how to load isos from the hard drive.

[@conpa18dany]

The addition of an HDD adapter just for mainly one video game back then, is amazing and it shows the dedication of developers and SONY

[@killahill88]

I just bought a PS2 off of eBay this past summer. A few months later, I ordered the Modded Consolez OPL (Fully loaded 2TB HDD with 638 games). I've been having a blast woth it since.

[@TheAdventuresOfJimiJaden]

I made the right decision getting mine this morning. Fucking amazing! One of Sony's best consoles ever made. I'm only 15 but I really enjoy retro life. I got some best seller games with it along the first Rayman game from 1995. I'm having the time of my life with this console.

[@hugoclarke3284]

You have a bright future

[@greatwavefan397]

I'm in my early twenties and know where you're coming from. Modern aesthetics seldom cut it for me; I prefer the cozy late 90s - early 2010s look and have always wanted to enjoy it a bit like the millennials did 😌

[@TheLarryburns84]

smart kid. get any of the Tony Hawk games? regardless of if you're a skater or not, they're addictive all time classics

[@retrobear9367]

I went the cheap route for HDMI. I was already using PS3 Component cables on my PS2. So I just bought a comp to hdmi converter so I can run my PS2 to the hdmi switcher my mClassic is on.

[@Helltanz98]

Huh, and I just found my old PS2s in my storage building... might have to try this at some point.

[@bboymaguiar]

Great video and always helpful, enjoyable content. Do you buy chance have anything similar (in regards to downloading to tge console/no disk) for the PS3? I have a Bacwards compatible one I'm about to fix for the yellow light and would like this option.

[@Fireshot844]

I’ve only seen the brackets for the SSDs since they are smaller and can wiggle out with all the side to side sway. I also added FreeHDBoot so I don’t need the memory card to make things smoother and have access to all my ports.

[@Eyes-Scream0213]

10:47 This is so true. I really want to go back on time when games are complete with inserts and manuals that you can read. Now even Collector's Edition of a game doesn't have a physical disc which is kind of annoying.

[@fairandfree9824]

Back before I could drive, I used to love reading the manual of a game in the car on the ride home after I bought it at the store. Then excitedly would run to play it as soon as I got home. Good times.

[@therealist2000]

I'm definitely going to go back and play soooo many titles I didn't get to play as a kid

[@yumri4]

I think someone could try putting multiple logic boards into a single case so your not limited to only the PS2. The main issue would be heat. As the emulator scene evolves having the actual hardware is becoming less and less of an issue too. So hooking up a Raspberry pi that is an emulator of the PS1, N64 and a few other older systems would be cool. As you could have it hooked into the same circuit board as the PS2 is via a ribbon cable to the controller part. The issue would be selection of which system to run or having to shut down one to use the other for the selection process.

[@EdgeAlterNation]

I'm surprised you didn't get a FreeMcBoot card with GSM installed on it too. GSM seems to be the most interesting program for PS2 homebrew because it can let you boot games in forced higher resolutions.

[@hackwrench5583]

I use that, though 480p is the only one that really works all around.

[@mauricefromyt]

PS2 is amazing the PS2 will always be the greatest game system of all time

[@ajk_]

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal was one of the first ps2 online multiplayer shooters available in 2004.

[@anomalix]

Killzone was such a great game, it was different enough to stand out among the fps games, had a great atmoshpere, fun weapons, and the splitscreen multiplayer was a lot of fun, didn't have internet at the time so i never tried it online but it was fun even just playing with bots

[@aetheralmeowstic2392]

The manual's lack of justified margins is driving me nuts!

[@lemming9984]

LOL!