Playing JP games on my US PS2- best options?

[HoshiChiri]

Having opened my Secret Santa presents this morning, I find myself very much in need of an import solution for my PS2- I'm hoping someone here can get me pointed the right way!

 

I want to run the original discs, not backups or rom/isos (just how I roll). I'm VERY willing to mod- I have a spare PS2 slim just waiting for something to do- but I have no soldering ability of my own, so if that's a factor I'd need someone who does installations to help. I'd prefer not to use 'lifehack'-style fixes that could strain the motor/laser (you know, 'use a paper clip to force the door open & switch discs while it's spinning!' kind of things.) If that's my only option though, I could try it... anybody got any thoughts?

[RARusk]

It has been years since I played the softmod scene but you might want to look into that and see if there is a softmod (via Free McBoot or other alternatives) that will allow for this. Will save you (or someone else) from opening up the unit and possibly blowing it up.

[HoshiChiri]

3 hours ago, RARusk said:

It has been years since I played the softmod scene but you might want to look into that and see if there is a softmod (via Free McBoot or other alternatives) that will allow for this. Will save you (or someone else) from opening up the unit and possibly blowing it up.

I already did some googling on Free McBoot... it seems that it allows for backups/homebrews, but not imports.

 

I certainly don't want to kill a console, but between me & my fiance we have 3 PS2s & only one of them sees any use- so I definitely have an 'experimental system', so to speak.

 

I honestly half-wonder if it'd just be better to get an import console- guarantees I could play import PS1 too. The only reason I'm kinda holding back on that is, quite simply, then I'd have 4 PS2s... and that's really kind of excessive!

Edited December 25, 2020 by HoshiChiri

[RARusk]

I'm a little surprised that no one has managed to figure out a way to do import games with FMCB by now. Or maybe it isn't possible.

[Steven Pendleton]

Swap Magic is an option. Not sure if it works on the slim PS2, but that used to be a popular solution to it ~15 years ago or so. Not sure if Swap Magic is still obtainable, but it's probably out there somewhere.

[HoshiChiri]

17 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Swap Magic is an option. Not sure if it works on the slim PS2, but that used to be a popular solution to it ~15 years ago or so. Not sure if Swap Magic is still obtainable, but it's probably out there somewhere.

Doesn't appear to be made anymore- there's a few copies on Ebay, but anything that isn't $100 or more is disc only- meaning on top of making sure the version is correct to my console, I need to find the appropriate sensor covers to allow the swapping to occur.

 

Also stumbled onto a scph-7500 satin silver Japanese PS2 on ebay... notable largely becuase it has the screw holes to accommodate my joytech LCD, and matches it in color- that's a mighty tempting find, to be honest! ?

[phoenixdownita]

That's a bad thing about PS2s, it's easier to have them play backups than imports ... it is totally demented, one would think that all else being equal defeating the cross-region check should be easier than the original check but in the end, here we are, softmod and all and we can't play import originals .... go figure.

 

I have laying around an US PS2 with DMS3 (very old modchip) that works as it should, but also a JP 18000 with external PCMCIA HDD (of all things) and FreeMC/FreeHD installed and yet I can't play non-JP games on it unless I "install" them ... dafuq is that?

I do have a clone mars-II 303 modchip that should work on it (very few modchips work on earlier JP 10000/15000/18000), but in the last 5 years I had no time to solder it on ... and to be fair PS2 starts to get fine-pitch enough and wire-count high enough that it is indeed quite a chore.

 

Edit: long, long long ago I used to have an US PS4 with EZI DMS4 on it, I installed it myself and it was an all clip-on solution, no soldering (as far as I can remember) .... I believe it may be quite hard to find these days. I use to run ToxicBIOS on it (didn't buy the extended mem version EZI DMS4 "Pro" so couldn't run ToxicOS ... that was long long long time ago) ... for a trip down memory lane you can read about it here https://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/tm.asp?m=123882, at any rate if you feel adventurous https://playstationdev.wiki/ps2devwiki/index.php?title=Modchips

[DJ Clae]

In my PS2 days I originally had a Japanese console, then later replaced with a chipped US slim console, which I bought on ebay pre-modded new in the box. A chipped console can't cost that much now, can it?

Edited December 26, 2020 by DJ Clae

[HoshiChiri]

7 hours ago, DJ Clae said:

In my PS2 days I originally had a Japanese console, then later replaced with a chipped US slim console, which I bought on ebay pre-modded new in the box. A chipped console can't cost that much now, can it?

Interestingly, they seem to be similar in cost to a Japanese console- and given the choice between a system from Serbia that I have to hope will work, or a stock console from Japan that will almost certainly work, I'd get the Japanese one.

[Austin]

Since you're not willing to do ISOs, unfortunately your best option is to buy a Japanese PS2.

 

I'd go Fat if possible. I picked up a Japanese Slim and years back and it put a ton of circular scratches in my discs (apparently the ribbon cables are prone to popping up and hitting the discs when they are spinning).

[RARusk]

And going Fat will also give you the option of using hard drives and SSDs if you want to go that route.

[HoshiChiri]

On 12/29/2020 at 6:42 AM, Austin said:

Since you're not willing to do ISOs, unfortunately your best option is to buy a Japanese PS2.

 

I'd go Fat if possible. I picked up a Japanese Slim and years back and it put a ton of circular scratches in my discs (apparently the ribbon cables are prone to popping up and hitting the discs when they are spinning).

Yeah, I came to the same conclusion- except I did pick up a slim 75000 model. Reason being, I have one of the Joytech LCDs, but it's only compatible with a slim (and doesn't lock properly on models newer than the 75000.) This way I don't have to futz around with hooking it to my bloated entertainment center for a quick play session. Plus, I'll be able to play PS1 imports too!

 

Well, I shouldn't say I picked one up yet- turns out Japan's turned off most out of country shipping due to "super-covid" concerns ? So while I have an order in with Amazon Japan, I don't actually know when it'll ship! It's ok though- they won't bill me until it ships, so I have time to poke around more local sources for a comparable deal. Gonna be hard to beat though- at least I think so. Silver 75000 model, black oem controller & memory card, hookups, & copies of Ico & Final Fantasy 12- $92 shipped. Most appropriate slims I can find are more expensive and/or lack the extras.

[Rhomaios]

On 12/26/2020 at 1:23 AM, phoenixdownita said:

That's a bad thing about PS2s, it's easier to have them play backups than imports ... it is totally demented, one would think that all else being equal defeating the cross-region check should be easier than the original check but in the end, here we are, softmod and all and we can't play import originals .... go figure.

It gets worse when it comes to PS1 games, too.

 

Region locking is the biggest scam these companies pull.

[phoenixdownita]

On 12/30/2020 at 8:34 PM, Rhomaios said:

It gets worse when it comes to PS1 games, too.

 

Region locking is the biggest scam these companies pull.

I understand why they do it mind you, I just think that it should be easier for legit originals to be played on out-of-region consoles than backups ... so that people that want to do the right thing can.

I believe PS3 enabled that, I remember purchasing a non US version game in my case it was Saint Seyia: Sanctuary Battle ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Seiya:_Sanctuary_Battle ) PAL version and it worked, alas if memory serves anything related to on-line did not ... but at least I could play it in its original glory

Not sure where the current crops stands? Are Switch, PS4, PS5, XB One and XB One "seriously whatever" still region locked?

And yes, now I remember PS1 is also so weird on PS2, and pretty much supporting backups easier than originals out-of-region .... totally demented.  Then again it was the same for the actual PS1, meaning those modchip of old would defeat both original check protection AND regional lock-out .... so not surprising PS2 did the same.

[HoshiChiri]

23 hours ago, phoenixdownita said:

Not sure where the current crops stands? Are Switch, PS4, PS5, XB One and XB One "seriously whatever" still region locked?

I'm not sure for Xbox, but PS4 & Switch are very much NOT region locked. I've got European games for both & Japanese/Asian releases on Switch, zero issues. In fact, many games on Switch will see your system's language info & automatically run the English version of the game for you! Online is still locked though- I was disappointed to learn my import copy of Taiko no Taisujin couldn't use DLC from my US account. Luckily the US digital release went on sale for like, 10 bucks shortly after & that fixed things ?

[Atariboy]

Xbox went region free with the Xbox One. Both PS5 and the Series S/X retain the lack of videogame region locking that Sony first introduced the console world to in the modern era with the PS3.

 

DVD's and Blu-Ray's of course respect whatever region lock they've been encoded with.

[ClassicGMR]

So, aside from shipping hassles, why not just buy a Japanese PS2 and then sell one of your extras? I haven't seen that mentioned yet and it was my first thought honestly.

[HoshiChiri]

1 hour ago, ClassicGMR said:

So, aside from shipping hassles, why not just buy a Japanese PS2 and then sell one of your extras? I haven't seen that mentioned yet and it was my first thought honestly.

Oh, that's basically what I've done! The set from Amazon Japan with 2 games & memory card is bought, they just can't mail it. Once they can- or once I find a local deal & cancel the order- my current slim will go to my sister (she's been getting back into gaming lately.) The second slim is technically my fiance's, so it's boxed up in his stuff- and the fat I've got hooked up is my original from 2001, & it ain't going nowhere! ?

[NinjaWarrior]

I have a Fat PS2 with FMCB with OPL/Popstarter works Great

 

I updated to Version 9 of FMCB, Now it's talking to load 30 Seconds to load OPL

Edited February 19, 2021 by NinjaWarrior