While all my PS2s are mod compatible, because it requires no soldering I leave it as an add-on, and as such all systems will have a functioning laser. Note that these lasers are also aging, and if the laser works through my thorough testing, I will leave it as is without replacement, even if game boot times are slower. This is because while there are replacement lasers, they are generally fairly cheap and unreliable when compared to even the dying OEM counterparts. If the laser does not work, I will replace it with one of these reproductions. If for some reason your laser dies shortly after purchase, please DM me and I can work with you to get a replacement.
If you do not have a modded system, there is nothing more to read. It is a PS2 🙂
If your system is modded, you will receive a FreeMcBoot memory card, and either a MX4ISO and an SD card, or a SATA adapter and a 2.5” hard drive.
For the Phat and Slim, I have two different mod packages that ultimately achieve the same thing; allowing most games to be played via external storage. Each system will utilize a FreeMcBoot Memory card to boot into the respective home brew. Note that the memory card should be in slot 1, and must be inserted for the exploit to work. If successful you will see a screen like below:
You will see many options, which you are free to research, however the option you will mostly use is OPL.
OPL is what you will use to play your backup games. I have already configured the settings, so you shouldn't need to change anything. Assuming your storage solution is connected to the console, you should immediately see a list of games to select. You can change per game settings by hovering a title and selecting the correct button on screen. While OPL has made great improvements, it still does not have 100% game compatibility. If you run into issues loading a game, I recommend you check the compatibility list. This is not a perfect list, and I encourage you to try the game even if the list says it won’t work. One great troubleshooting step is to try a different “mode” for the game, which is under the per game options. You can read about those here. If the game still doesn't load, you may need a disk, unfortunately. OPL is constantly changing and I suggest keeping an eye on the project page for any major updates.
OPL does support loading games from network storage as well, if that is something that interests you, but I will not cover that process here.
OPL requires games to be placed within either the DVD or CD folder on your storage medium. Please place games smaller than 800MB in the CD folder, and larger games within the DVD folder.
<aside> <img src="/icons/video-game-classic_red.svg" alt="/icons/video-game-classic_red.svg" width="40px" /> Games should be in .ISO format. Games can be acquired from anywhere you get your ROMs. Here is a great place to start.
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