This is normal with the PS2 logo. For DVD-based PS2 games, the logo on the disc is the region lock and the logo with the encryption in the BIOS does not match that on the disc, the disc will not boot. But since a Debug PS2 ignores this query, the logo is so incorrectly displayed, at least for PAL games on an NTSC device.
This is absolutely massive! I remember reading forum posts that swore that this could never be done, and years later, here we are! Massive props to the creator of this software!!!
@@will11690 It was retro after all of that console, consider is not 10th years old anymore. But to be fair i still love PS2, and i even like PS Vita which wasn't retro handheld even that handheld was 10th years. And i'll say, the retro gaming community is 4 life.
Excuse Me MrMario have you thought of doing a follow up on this video? because the NEWER versions have changed the process quite a bit now you dont NEED the version of your console written down. Now it can be set to Rgion (Multi 7) meaning it will patch it safely and detect the console number automatically. The Browser will still say its your original model number but it still works flawlessly the creators of the exploit did this to minimize accidents in the patching process. its very important to know because people are getting confused why THEIR patch screen is different than pictured
PSA for anyone with a PAL console: you will get the best results if you change your console's region to be a US debug system. I have an SCPH-90004 and applied MechaPwn to make it into a DTL-H90004, but that didn't allow me to run any NTSC-U/C or NTSC-J games. It would detect the CD or DVD, but any attempt to run a game would boot me right back to the browser screen. Launching PS2 games with uLaunchELF did work but that kinda defeats the point of using MechaPwn in the first place. I then reapplied MechaPwn and changed my console to be a DTL-H90001 instead. Now it starts up in NTSC mode and it works just as demonstrated in this video. American, Japanese and European PS2 games all work perfectly, as do Japanese and American PS1 games. The only downside is that PAL PS1 games will be forced into NTSC which causes some issues, so you kind of lose that option. I suppose it can be worked around with by using PS1VModeNeg and/or patching the games, but personally I already have other consoles that allow me to run PAL PS1 games so it's no big loss.
Thanks for the tip here, it really helped me out with my PAL console ! I feel like I need to give another tip for people who want to keep playing PAL PS1 games using this method. You need the GSM 0.23x version (since GSM 0.38 removed some options for PS1 games) and select " PAL NI to PAL Field" option. You will be able to play your PAL PS1 games on 50Hz and 288p resolution !
@@krazyattitude I did find the PAL NI to PAL field option but I’m not sure how to save those settings ? Or do I just restart ps2 after I set pal ni to pal field? , I pressed l2+r2 and it saved atleast something but my pal ps1 games still display incorrectly. I guess I did it wrong way but have not tried again . And thanks for answering !
I want to thank you sir. Thanks to you my original Xbox is softmodded. All 3 slims are and now can also play PSONE backups without modchip! Also softmodded my fat PS2 thanks to you. Seriously, thank you for all you do Mr. Mario.
So i figured it out if anyone wants to know how to still be able to play burned ps2 games that boot up right from the get go just like the ps1 games, u need free mcboot with fast boot on, and then u need a program called ps2 disc patcher, and patch your ps2 iso with it with the "master disc" option checked on. After patching, burn the game with imgburn at 4x or slower (recommended). Have your mcboot memory card in the console, pop the ps2 game in and turn it on... Boom! U can now play ps2 and ps1 burned games with the mechapwn.elf installed. Just dont do the force step when u initially install mechapwn hack.
I was trying so hard years ago (around 2005-ish) to get PS1 games to run from the internal HDD when I was running HDAdvance back in the day, but it just seemed impossible, I did however get PS2 games working in conjunction with Action Replay by essentially merging the games and the Action Replay disc together, t’was a fun time 😁
IMPORTANT! I tried it July 2023 with the "Force Unlock, Mexico" Version and PS1 games did not start! You have to use the MechaPwn RC4, which is found among the previously named version in the Releases section. Once I arrived in the Retail-DEX->[your version] tab, I went with restore factory defaults and then keep current patches, although I do not know if the first one is really necessary. After that nothing visually changed in the system information but PS1 games loaded like a charm.
- Hey there, I'm about to go for this, and the only reason is because I want to be able to play burned copies of PS1 games I don't really care for region free. I have a PS2 SCPH-75001 and I'm confused with the warning message "Force unlock will break PS1 games" is this only talking about Force unlock, Mexico (Apr 5, 2021)? or is this also a thing for MechaPwn 3.0 Release Candidate 4 (RC4)? You know?
@denbarkco Hi, for your purpose, just use the latest RC. Force unlock is something you only want for PS2 backups. Force unlock is an option, not a necessity when applying MechaPwn. For playing PS1 burns, you don't want force unlock.
This is amazing! I wonder if it could evolve into a PS2 softmod that can allow the system to play both PS1 and PS2 backups without having to go through the trouble of enabling or disabling the force unlock or patching the disk as master.
This video is the reason why I bought a 50001 on eBay with its warranty sticker in tact, but a stuck disc drive, hopefully an easy fix during my complete restoration of it. My day one 39001 doesn't work with any of my 3 multitaps, two used and one brand new. In a way, the 50001 is like the ultimate version to get, with this mod, HDD compatibility, and quieter fan. I can't wait to receive it!
Just did it with my US SCPH-5001N and it worked like a charm. Tested my newly region-free console with PAL and JPN imports of FF7DoC and both games were playing without issues. Thank you for the tutorial and Thank You for the MechaPwn Team 😎🤘
FreeDVDBoot discs still work on 7500x and newer (unless you enable force unlock), according to the readme and my testing with a 77001 after converting to debug. It also seems like you can revert a FMCB multi-install back to standard after using MechaPwn. (I don't like the idea of intentionally corrupting my memory card) Also I really like how the installer has images for each model of PS2, for me it showed the barrel jack since my model has an external power supply
I have the SCPH-77004 PAL console, I did everything by the video. I have a rare GT4 first preview demo disc which was only released in Japan. The browser sees the disc but upon starting it nothing happens, I get a black screen fro a few seconds then it goes back to the browser. I don't have any other game from a different region as of right now, but a NTSC-J GT3 is on it's way.
I used this to fix a 90001 that has a bad clone Infinity modchip; I could play all PS2, but PS1 was broken -- with MechaPwn I can now use all PS1 & PS2.
After forgetting about FMCB and doing MechaPwn first I broke my PS2 and I also selected yes on the Force unblock. Luckily this video fixed my issues and gave me the correct procedure and it worked! Thanks so much!
I got a J 3500 and found your video in the search of region unlocking it. I guess it won't work but maybe I'll try to find some Japanese games for it. Great video. Very informative. 👍
@@MrMario2011 what will this mean for burned ps2 discs? I mean like if I burn and iso to a DVD-R or DVD+R. Would you ever make a tutorial if it were possible? P.S. Love your channel 😁
It's a good think I like the 5000x series because of booting ps1 antimod games with a modchip. If only this was around in 2012, that being said I still prefer the modchips.
@bierhoff6421 the mechacon is a little different with the 5000x series. Something changed that allowed for modchips to boot antimod ps1 games on a ps2 console. For example if I attempted booting a antimod game such as Spyro 3 on a PS2 the backup would display the software Terminated screen even a legitimate disc with the modchip running say on a 39001 revision. If I attempted the same, running a legitimate copy on a 50001 console it should load. One little thing I've found is that the option for PSX Multidisc games must be toggled off. I've tested that on Modbo 4.0 and Modbo 5.0 chips, I recently got some matrix infinity 2.0 clone chips where the points are in a line on both sides of the chip and no CX point. Those are said to be more reliable clones of the original matrix infinity modchip. I also have a matrix infinity green dot chip but I'd prefer to keep that sealed in its antistatic packaging. Cheers!
Thanks for the guide. Regarding "Force Unlock" and PS1 games, the legit titles from my region booted, only imports and copies did not work. Perhaps one day they'll allow you to boot PS2 discs without "Force Unlock" in the future.
This release is straight up nutty! Modchip is still king but not by much anymore. Being able to force NTSC for Pal games via the matrix menu and natively booting Ps2 backups is all it really has going over Mechapwn though. Ps1 backup support is probably better with Mechapwn though as sometimes Ps1 games fail to boot with Modbos (Clock sync issues I believe like an MM3 chip fail on OG Ps1s)
Yeah, my opinion right now is if you already have a modchip installed you don't need MechaPwn for that console. However if you don't have a chip in it, MechaPwn would be the way to go for most users.
@@MrMario2011 I tested this out on a 9000x Ps2 and it doesn't support Ps1 backups unfortunately. For People with 5000x and 700xx consoles this exploit is amazing. For later slims if you want ps1 backup support then modchip is the way to go. I'm kind of leaning on the ideal setup for this would be mechapwn on a 5000x or 7000x without dvd unlock and using freedvdboot games for Ps2 titles. With that setup you'd have everything booting natively.
@@ModzvilleUSA hey did you try that method and see if it works? I would love to be able to play backups of both ps1 and ps2 games on my 7000 series slim without having to mod it.
Latest mechapwn breaks FREEDVDBOOT support I believe... I read something about the latest version making the PS2 read ALL discs as "PS2 discs". So DVD movies will no longer work. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Unless you enable force unlock, DVD playback (and thus FreeDVDBoot) still works on 7500x and newer since the DVD player binary isn't region locked on those models.
Hi MrMario - great video by the way. Your delivery, pacing and explanations are really on point! What I wanted to ask was the following: This seems like a "one-time" mod... Is that right? For instance, if I use Free McBoot and MechaPwn to change my region settings to "debugged," this will allow me to play any-region PS2 and PS1 games, as well as PS1 backup discs (burned ISOs to CDs), correct? And once I've changed the settings using this method, I never have to fiddle with modding again (if this is all I want to do), yes? Follow-up: Will this make the DVD player on the PS2 region-free as well?
Well, many limitations are present such as playing only ps1 or ps2 games , Since a modchip plays it all and FMCB plays it all i think this is the option i would not go for. Modchip in my opinion is still the best way.
Yes, I think the only advantage right now is if you have a Chinese console like mine, the language bios only has two options: Chinese and English and changing to a American code you can use the bios with more languages available (English, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian and Spanish). It is not a big deal, the bios is not hard to figure it out to use and the only game that I played that took advantage of the language settings of the console is F1 2006, but I still think it is cool. It is mentioned that not all PS2s change the available languages changing the region code, only those with "universal bios" which are all of the later Slim models.
Hi MrMario , i tried MechaPwn on my SCPH-500004 EU and set region on DTL-500004 EU with FORCE UNLOCK ON... Ps2 games backup of any region and media works perfectly through PS2DISC of ulauncher but it work also with ESR apps without disc is patched (and work also patched disc) But I discover a method to boot PS1 disc with force unlock ON. I have Action Replay v2 (1.9) disc 2 for codes of ps1 games. When i put it on console , it detect into PS1 disc (is only disc that detect ps1 disc, i tried other original ps1 disc but detected all into ps2 disc) from osdsys and if i click icon i got black screen but if i swap the disc with other ps1 disc backup or original it show icon PS1 and load it! But only for PAL region disc... for other region i discover another trick . If i swap it with backup of AR2 PS1 disc 2.20 it will boot it and re-swap with other region games disc backup and load it! (with Y-pos issue). I don't know why with this disc it detect it on PS1 disc but work! (disc in my psx has Sony computer INC. logo) I tried to burn this disc but it will detect as PS2 disc this is my disc (english version) DISC 2 www.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/pict/393129496483_/PLAYSTATION-PS2-AR2-Action-Replay-2.jpg With this trick i can boot all ps2 disc and all ps1 disc with swaps without to set different regions! :) So not is exact: Every CD and DVD will be detected as a PS2 disc, meaning it breaks PS1 games! My question and doubt is: Anyone that have JAP/USA psx original disc can test if on PAL console with force unlock ON on DTL-europe flag , detect disc as PSX? thanks (If anyone can try this, we know if it's only for my disc (AR2 psx) or is for all disc import original in PAL console. )
For some reason ps1 backups don't work for me, instead the ps2 will make a weird clicking sound and say the disc couldn't be read. This sucks because this is the whole reason I installed mechapwn.
try enabling "Diagnosis" before putting the disc in (main menu -> press triangle -> hover over the model number -> press triangle again), it worked for me
At writing used MechaPwn RC4 and the MENU HAS CHANGED somewhat. After Picking Retail, I chose USA Multi 7 from the new selections, After I chose Factory patches, after turning off and on the ps2 did not change under version number or anything. I thought it didn't work BUT popped in a ps1 Japanese disc and it WORKS! its very discreet now,
I just recently started looking into this, but would it be possible to install a hard drive loader on a fat PS2 to play PS2 isos using freeMcboot and then use mechapwn just to play PS1 backups? To experience users I'm sure this is an idiotic question, but I'm being 100% serious.
I thought they were going to kill all the PS2s in the world when I read "Endgame for PS2". That would make me devastated even though I no longer own a Playstation 2, probably because it was my first ever console.
@@Timic83tc my PS2 with dead BIOS battery worked just fine albeit with some caveats: the saves are from 1st January 2000 at 00:00, and Gran Turismo 4 photos is at that same time
So just to clarify: This will not region unlock a PAL or NTSC-J PS2 if it’s a SCPH-70000 or lower? Therefore, I CAN region unlock both my PAL and NTSC-J SCPH-90000 consoles? Or any PAL/J console higher than a 70000? This is fkn awesome work by the way. Exciting times ahead.
Hi, did you ever find the answer to this? I'm seeing some people say it worked on their 7000x series but the official FAQ says it shouldn't. Really want to know if I should give it a shot or just go find a newer model first
@@Addictivemeh As of today I downloaded the version of Mechapwn where it unlocked Mexico, i.e the most recent non "pre-release" build, and successfully changed my region from 70k JP to USA. This video is a little confusing, but just dont select the DTL thing like he does, choose CEX, then your model, then the region you want to switch to (the video makes it sound like you're selecting your own region on that screen)
So what i am understanding is that before the MechaPwn install, the console was already homebrewed with Opentuna? So i need to homebrew it first and then do the MechaPwn, right?
One thing I noticed is that after doing this mod, even with Force Unlock disabled, Free DVD Boot (and I guess DVD Video playback) is broken. So one can play either PS or ESR modded PS2 games seamlessly.
@@MrMario2011 Well, after playing a bit more with it, I figured it out: I am using a PAL SCPH-90004 system, and I initially flashed it to DEX-H90004. It seems European DEX systems didn't have DVD-Video playback to begin with as I was getting a "DVD-VIDEO player is not set-up" message. Now I reflashed it to DEX-H90001 and my PAL ESR-modded Freedvdboot games work fine, just like original PAL games. Only PAL movies (obviously) don't work anymore (I don't have NTSC stuff to test). Only thing I haven't tested yet is whether PAL games will be sped up to the annoying 60Hz refresh rate, or be squished to 480i instead of the normal 576i, though they seem normal. Maybe I weren't clear in my original comment, but ALL testing was done with Force Unlock off.
It turns out, using ALL PAL model numbers causes DVD-Video to break, and All NTSC model numbers cause PAL PSX games to break (both original and backups, only the first 480 lines display and refresh rate and colours are off). So, one would have to either change regions depending on the desired game, or use only NTSC PSX games and compromise with 60Hz and the lower resolution and colour fidelity.
@@DMDaskalakis When it comes to games, PS2 games should automatically switch to the correct display mode. PS1 PAL games tough will run at the incorrect frame rate and get cropped (not squished). You can circumvent this if you force the PS2 into PAL video mode. You can do this using GS Mode Selector.
Wow, the PS2 is getting quite the attention lately, Freedvdboot, now Mechapwn? This is some crazy stuff, imagine having these tools back when modchips were relevant.
Hi, I've accidentaly lost my nvm file, to which I don't have the backup. When I tried to restore back to SCPH-90004, it instead restored to DTH-90004 which i had previously (before restore DTH-90001). I tried setting it up multiple times, because the ps1 backups didn't work. Now freeDVDboot doesn't work at all too. Is there any way please to provide me the SCPH-90004 nvm file? I can't find a way to install dvd update for freeDVDboot to work, every tutorial shows how to do it with freemcboot, not funtuna. Thank you for any help!
Installing this on an scph-70012 broke the dvd functionality on my console. Not a big deal since watching movies isn’t something I usually do on my ps2, but it also killed the dvd boot backups I had for some games too. Just something to note. They note in the read me that running a DVD player as an elf from the hard drive or from the memory card should fix this. But I could not get it to work even with the memory card DVD player
Breaking of DVD Player functionality was definitely noted on the project and video! As for the DVD Player update, I'm not all too sure on that as I've never attempted to install it on my memory card.
Really cool. Now all we need is for some crazy engineer associated with RetroRGB to come up with an Optical Drive Emulator and then the PS2 is officially pwn'd. :)
Yeah, opl covers most games very well.I think the only advantage is for a very small portion of games that dont work on it. What I do think breaking the bios security with mechacon can lead to a hybrid firmware of sorts for 90000 models for people who wanted to use FMCB. Personally I am satisfied using Fortuna to load apps and opl, it takes a lot less space than FMCB, but still, many people wanted to customize the PS2 OSD and couldnt with this model. Modifying the BIOS for it to expect memory card updates like old models can restore and make FMCB on 90000 possible.
@@nicholasbartkiw6002 Slim PS2s basically. Most have no HDD support under any circumstance, Network is slowish, and USB is VERY slow. But an ODE with say, a 400gb UHS1 uSD card will boot as fast or faster than the native disc drive, putting both of the other options to shame.
@@KiraSlith the PS2 SDK team are working on the software for a SD adapter that goes through the Memory Card slot and OPL support is getting committed now, ODE won't be necessary
Woah! Finally able to play a backup copy of Final Fantasy Tactics (USA) on my UK PAL SCHP-79003, although I had to select the SCHP-79001 (US) model after selecting model DTL-H79xxx in Retail DEX (debug) menu - which was a bit confusing since I thought that in this debug mode, even if I selected my own UK model (schp-79003) it would allow NTSC games from USA to work? Anyway, great mod this, now I can pretty much put my original PS1 into storage.
Hi sorry could I just ask... As your PS2 is pal 790003, are you able to play real US games or just backups? I'm not sure if the above 70xxx prerequisite is inclusive of 79xxx
@@frostycomedy-man9985 I can play backups, but the discs are not always recognised . However with psxlauncher it works 100% even for backups of imports (So I can use an original UK PAL PS1 disc in psxlauncher and then swap with FF Tactics USA backup for example, which would never work on my original 79003 console) edit: Actually just checked, and FF Tactics (USA) launches fine directly on my DTL-H79001 (modded using mechapwn from original UK 79003 model) but some other USA discs do not and I need to use pslauncher (from free mcboot menu). (pslauncher is easy to use with these 7900x slim consoles)
@@mrIceblink Okay thank you so much for the info, that's great that you can launch straight from the disc, interesting that some work and some don't. Do all NTSC PS2 Original games boot and function properly from your experience? Thanks so much again 🙏
@@frostycomedy-man9985 I don't actually have any NTSC PS2 originals to test (I have some in storage somewhere), but it's pretty certain they would boot on a DTL-H79001 modded console, it certainly boots all my PAL PS2 originals no issues. I can boot PS2 NTSC and PAL backups using esr patcher before burning (or the more recent freedvd patch). The DTL-H79001 model seems much more tolerant of various types of discs than a UK version (79003), I can often boot both NTSC and PAL PS1 backups directly for example, and when this struggles (eg I have a USA RayCrisis backup which only boots 20% of the time) I can always boot first time using psxlauncher. Some of my issues might just be due to an old laser (both CD infra-red and DVD red), I only keep my PS2 slim around with an old CRT TV just to relive memories from back in the day, I don't have so much time compared to last year for this though!
Had a question about playing the PS1 Backups, do .cue and .bins need to be burned into an .iso on a CD or DVD. Do you happen to have any videos on how to make a proper PS1 backup?
only downside to this development is that most playstation 2 laser are faulty when reading discs or well on there way thats why i think my phat ps2 39003 using hdd is the best option
@@cemsengul16 If you enable force unlock ESR disc continue to work and work also ps2 backup without ESR patch. But you can't play DVD-Video and psx games because was detect all as PS2 disc but i discover this trick: if you insert psx disc original with different region with force unlock ON , ps2 detect it as PSX disc and you can simple swap it with your backups of all region (after screen will black)
You can play NTSC (U/J) Ps1 backups with MechaPwn and PAL/Japan console but it is a little troublesome. You have to change ISO region of game from NTSC to PAL with some homebrew (forgot the name but it is very old homebrew). Then you need to burn modified ISO as normal (verify in emulator if you have SCEE logo on boot and then 60fps instead of usual 50fps). Then, boot up homebrew called PS1VModeNeg, then just boot up the ps1 game and you somehow will have 480i60 game with SCEE logo but it will play in NTSC. FYI before MechaPwn I just needed to change GSM (or run PS1VModeNeg) to NTSC (PS2 SD mode) and I could play FF7 PAL in NTSC mode. They were so lazy converting game from NTSC to PAL that you literally have to change the video mode only. However after MechaPwn the video mode somehow was reversed and only patched ISO work that way. Go figure. So in other words, the Pal console does have 480i ps1 mode but you cannot (as of today) disable the region check for SCEE logo. It has to be Europe in the end. But it is not enforcing 576i mode. PS. If you have a game that is originally PAL region, then you cannot force it into NTSC mode with PS1VModeNeg but you can somehow do it with GSM.
I had a similar issue, but I used GS Mode Switcher to essentially force the PS2 to use standard 50Hz PAL as the video mode and then boot into a PS1 game. A bit annoying, since you have to do that every single time you boot a PAL game, but it works.
if you are changing the chip on the motherboard could you not run ps1 games from a hard drive or usb stick using a combination of freemcboot and mechapwn ?
Hey man, I have SCPH-50000 NTSC/J you stated in the video Japanese Consoles could not work with MechaPwn, is this only for 70000 and earlier, or Japanese consoles on general ? Another question if i can actually install MechaPwn on my Japanese ps2 (SCPH-50000) for force unlock do i need opentuna ? And what is it for ? I already have freemcboot i can LaunchELF via the mc. Thanks in advance
Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "running through RGB scart" at 18:55? Will I not be able to use my component cables when running PAL games?
IMO still needs a little time to cook if you wanna do anything outside of play games from other regions but yeah ps2 is now on og xbox tsop flash kinda level but better as you don't even need to open the console soo yeah good stuff, decently keeping an eye on this.
You dont need to use ulaunch or wlaunch elf to launch burnt ps2 games. 1. install force unlock 2. leave the freemcboot memory card inserted into the system 3. put your burnt unpatched iso into the disk tray 4. turn the system on with the disk inserted will boot right into the game no issues
@@MrMario2011 In my case it just worked, on several burnt games I had non patched. However the freemcboot memory card must be inserted for this to work. Without it you'll get the annoying red screen saying insert ps2 format disk. odd behavior but i was able to verify it
Hi Mrmario, i bought a ps2 slim model 70001 on a garage sale, i opened it and it has very old outdated modchip mars pro gm-805SL, what do you recommend me to do in my situation? remove the chip? and use free mcboot?
Is it unhealthy for the console to constantly install and then revert? Like if I wanted to play some PS1 backups one day, then some PS2 backups the next, then back to PS1, is that possibly degrading or negatively effecting the console? Beyond the obvious increased chance of doing something wrong the more you do it, if I were to go through the steps of force unlocking, reverting, force unlocking, reverting enough would that be a problem?
I doubt you're going to destroy the console (unless you flash it improperly or unplug it at an important step) but constantly flashing it also isn't helpful. Probably much easier to get yourself a second console so you can keep them in whichever configuration you want.
ive done this and it worked 100% perfectly but the ps1 backup discs need to be PAL for me or they dont load further NTSC are seen by the system but the ps1 logo is not showing. but with pal games they boot and just work perfectly. its odd but ill take it as long as i can play region free games
I don't know why, but I have another Mechaversion. Version 3.06. And it says MechaCon isn't supported. I've tried all the mechapwn builds but with no success...
Have you thought to try DVD movies with the Force Unlock enabled? This homebrew sounds like a great feature and makes the PS2 essentially a Swiss army knife of games.
@@MrMario2011 FreeDVDBoot still seems to work on 7500x and newer (it did for me after converting to debug). The issue here is that force unlock makes all discs appear as PS2 discs so the BIOS wouldn't launch the DVD player.
I just bought a pink NTSC-J PS2, so you're saying that I cannot use this DEX version to play "imported" USA region games on it?? I bought it solely for region unlocking it
The disc shows up but it doesn't continue. What is the problem? EDIT: I just changed my region which is originally in Europe, and I changed it to USA so that it can read ntsc
That's pretty great I can live without Force Unlock and use FreeMcBoot for booting homebrews and PS2 back ups if that's possible. I know I could with the memory card but how about DVD back ups with FreeMcBoot?
I am having issues with loading PS1 imports on my console. It loads JP and US ps2, and US ps1, but when it comes to JP ps1...it gives me the insert a playstation or playstation 2 format disc...is there something wrong that I did?
MrMario maybe have a trick to launch ps1 games on force unlock, maybe because you have modchip, maybe because you put a copy before force unlock only people test we can now be sure for what reason play ps1 games on force unlock.
Hey Mario, I bought a European slim (75004) and I want to use it only for my PS1 backups since the original discs are very scratched. I have games from multiple regions and I would like to know if there are any problems or anything I should know before jumping into the mod. In theory, I install mechapwn on the USA (or Europe?) DEX and all PS1 backups from all regions should work? Is there a timing problem or are they going at the speeds they should? Do PS1 memory cards work? Thank you very much for making this type of videos, there is no one who explains it like you do 👌
Hey, I know I am commenting late but I have a question. If I were to install mechapwn onto a 50001 fat ps2 without force unlock, would I still be able to watch DVD videos? Thanks for all your great work
DO NOT convert a pal scph-90004 to a dtl-90004, u will lock out yourself from your console. No FreeDVD Boot, no Funtuna nor any other option to boot an *.elf. And on top of that, the console remains region locked. Use dtl-90001 as an option instead. If you messed up your system, upgrade your dvd player via memcard (2nd PS2 or pre-formatted memcard needed) or use a swapmagic disc (3.6), as using one of theese allows you to boot an *.elf file from USB.
Yeah don’t try this on PAL PS2’s. I’ve tried 5 different systems and non of them take the exploit correctly. They change the name for the version but won’t play any official discs other than it’s original region.
Damn, PAL region really seems to be locked down hard. Shame, there's some good games I'd love to add to my collection but I'd only want them if I can play them
While using this method to play backups and imported ps1 and ps2 games, are save towers (that appear duirng startup) created? You didnt have a memory card inserted during the demonstration so im wondering if it happens.
There should be but hey you can test it I haven't gotten the chance to do it yet but when I do I can let u know but still it's just save data there's no reason why it wouldn't
Checked everything from software, versions and everything, it's version 1.953 of free mcbooth but it won't load japanese imports (It shows a black screen, the disk is spinning but then it boots me back to the memory card menu.). Is it cause it ain't multi region? How can I check?
I followed your tutorial and it worked great! Though, dummy me didn't realize that freedvdboot was what let me play burned games. is there an alternative to play burned games since mechapwn breaks freedvdboot?
Mr. Mario, for PS2 backups, say I was running fmcb and assign a hot key to that ps2disc in the misc file using fmcb configurator, for example L2. I boot up with the back up disc inserted while holding L2, wouldn't it boot into the back up?
its very very good stuff and easy to install but, I tried to get my russian ps1 bootleg copies to work but no luck here, it recognises the games and you can launch but nothing showsup, i have 77004 ps2 slim.
Hello, I have a fully unlocked Japanese PS2 FAT SCPH50000 (FHDB v1.966) whit Internal Hard Disk (No Memory Card), the only problem I have is that multilanguage games (PAL) start in English. The system language has only english and japanese. with MechaPwn I changed the region of the console to Europe SCPH50004 and DTLH50004 but the system keeps showing me only English and Japanese. Does anyone know how to start my games in Spanish?
It is not that isnt recommended yo use the retail option, it is that it just changes regions and nothing else, so for many people it is not that useful, it just converts an American console to play Japanese games for example (but in the process the console should stop running American games since the bios is programmed to be Japanese). The retail to DEX removes all region locking. I used the first option and it is safe, granted, I already have a modded system with modbo 5 and I just did this because in some forums people were posting that changing the region coding alters the languages available of the console. It is not a big deal, I dont recommend trying to do this if you dont know what modchip you have, but it worked fine for me. I dont care about unlocking all regions because as mentioned, I already have a chipped console and I dont like using discs anyway, prefer to use OPL instead.
For sure, there's nothing wrong with only a region change as long as you're fully aware of what you're doing, such as someone like yourself who understood and researched it.
This is normal with the PS2 logo.
For DVD-based PS2 games, the logo on the disc is the region lock and the logo with the encryption in the BIOS does not match that on the disc, the disc will not boot.
But since a Debug PS2 ignores this query, the logo is so incorrectly displayed, at least for PAL games on an NTSC device.
Good explanation, thanks!
It seems you all only understood PART of how it actually works...
I love all the love the ps2 has been getting in the past year.
PS2 and Vita scenes are getting some amazing stuff released lately. Love it.
This is absolutely massive! I remember reading forum posts that swore that this could never be done, and years later, here we are! Massive props to the creator of this software!!!
Never say never!
the retro gaming community is UNSTOPPABLE.... and OMG I LOVE THAT!
Please don't call PS2 retro. Makes me feel old man lol
@@will11690 It was retro after all of that console, consider is not 10th years old anymore. But to be fair i still love PS2, and i even like PS Vita which wasn't retro handheld even that handheld was 10th years. And i'll say, the retro gaming community is 4 life.
Excuse Me MrMario have you thought of doing a follow up on this video?
because the NEWER versions have changed the process quite a bit
now you dont NEED the version of your console written down.
Now it can be set to Rgion (Multi 7) meaning it will patch it safely and detect the console number automatically.
The Browser will still say its your original model number but it still works flawlessly
the creators of the exploit did this to minimize accidents in the patching process.
its very important to know because people are getting confused why THEIR patch screen is different than pictured
Me personally I can't get past the MechaPwn setup, the USB is formatted but when I'm on the ELF file it does not show up in mass:/
@@maratnahimana thats odd :( im so sorry to hear
Mr mario can help though
@@AxlTheScourge Oh I simply used another USB and now its working haha, I feel much better now thanks !
Every time a mr Mario vid comes u know ur console is in danger
it's in danger of changing yes, but in the end it's always gonna be for the better
The moment when you realize that PS2 scene is much more active than PS4 scene 😂
Far easier to hack a PS2 and no need to worry about Sony cracking down on it these days.
Also the PS2 modding scene has had twice the amount of time to work on it since the systems launch
I see a bunch of m0r0ns babbling about sh1t they have no clue of...
Thats why i bought one
PSA for anyone with a PAL console: you will get the best results if you change your console's region to be a US debug system. I have an SCPH-90004 and applied MechaPwn to make it into a DTL-H90004, but that didn't allow me to run any NTSC-U/C or NTSC-J games. It would detect the CD or DVD, but any attempt to run a game would boot me right back to the browser screen. Launching PS2 games with uLaunchELF did work but that kinda defeats the point of using MechaPwn in the first place.
I then reapplied MechaPwn and changed my console to be a DTL-H90001 instead. Now it starts up in NTSC mode and it works just as demonstrated in this video. American, Japanese and European PS2 games all work perfectly, as do Japanese and American PS1 games. The only downside is that PAL PS1 games will be forced into NTSC which causes some issues, so you kind of lose that option. I suppose it can be worked around with by using PS1VModeNeg and/or patching the games, but personally I already have other consoles that allow me to run PAL PS1 games so it's no big loss.
Thanks for the tip here, it really helped me out with my PAL console ! I feel like I need to give another tip for people who want to keep playing PAL PS1 games using this method. You need the GSM 0.23x version (since GSM 0.38 removed some options for PS1 games) and select " PAL NI to PAL Field" option. You will be able to play your PAL PS1 games on 50Hz and 288p resolution !
What problems do ps1 games have when they are forced into ntsc.
@@krazyattitude thanks , do i have to launch PAL games through freemcboot to display them correctly ?
@@kamamat530 Yeah once you applied Mechapwn on your PS2 system, just launch Freemcboot with GSM 0.23x version and select "PAL NI to PAL Field" option.
@@krazyattitude I did find the PAL NI to PAL field option but I’m not sure how to save those settings ? Or do I just restart ps2 after I set pal ni to pal field? , I pressed l2+r2 and it saved atleast something but my pal ps1 games still display incorrectly. I guess I did it wrong way but have not tried again . And thanks for answering !
This may be better for slims as opposed to slow USB speeds on OPL.
I want to thank you sir. Thanks to you my original Xbox is softmodded. All 3 slims are and now can also play PSONE backups without modchip! Also softmodded my fat PS2 thanks to you. Seriously, thank you for all you do Mr. Mario.
So i figured it out if anyone wants to know how to still be able to play burned ps2 games that boot up right from the get go just like the ps1 games, u need free mcboot with fast boot on, and then u need a program called ps2 disc patcher, and patch your ps2 iso with it with the "master disc" option checked on. After patching, burn the game with imgburn at 4x or slower (recommended). Have your mcboot memory card in the console, pop the ps2 game in and turn it on... Boom! U can now play ps2 and ps1 burned games with the mechapwn.elf installed. Just dont do the force step when u initially install mechapwn hack.
How did you get PS1 backups working? I'm using CD-Rs on a 79001 Slim set to Debug with Force Unlock disabled and none of them are working.
Endgame for me would be running PS1 games off a hard drive natively (not popsloader).
That'd be a dream come true. Pops is no bueno.
That'd be awesome, but consdering the IO processor of the PS2 doubles as the PS1 CPU in backwards compatibility, I'm not sure how that'd work...
I was trying so hard years ago (around 2005-ish) to get PS1 games to run from the internal HDD when I was running HDAdvance back in the day, but it just seemed impossible, I did however get PS2 games working in conjunction with Action Replay by essentially merging the games and the Action Replay disc together, t’was a fun time 😁
So does Popsloader/Popstarter not use the PS1 hardware on a PS2? Im not familiar with PS2 modding, tho am with other consoles (hard modding mostly)
Nah, I think it's should be ODE for PS2. This can do PS1 easily no emulation.
PS2 = immense gaming
IMPORTANT! I tried it July 2023 with the "Force Unlock, Mexico" Version and PS1 games did not start! You have to use the MechaPwn RC4, which is found among the previously named version in the Releases section. Once I arrived in the Retail-DEX->[your version] tab, I went with restore factory defaults and then keep current patches, although I do not know if the first one is really necessary. After that nothing visually changed in the system information but PS1 games loaded like a charm.
- Hey there, I'm about to go for this, and the only reason is because I want to be able to play burned copies of PS1 games I don't really care for region free. I have a PS2 SCPH-75001 and I'm confused with the warning message "Force unlock will break PS1 games" is this only talking about Force unlock, Mexico (Apr 5, 2021)? or is this also a thing for MechaPwn 3.0 Release Candidate 4 (RC4)? You know?
@denbarkco Hi, for your purpose, just use the latest RC. Force unlock is something you only want for PS2 backups. Force unlock is an option, not a necessity when applying MechaPwn. For playing PS1 burns, you don't want force unlock.
@@dmxf, I just did it! My PS1 backup copies are running flawlessly!
This is amazing! I wonder if it could evolve into a PS2 softmod that can allow the system to play both PS1 and PS2 backups without having to go through the trouble of enabling or disabling the force unlock or patching the disk as master.
Right now it's great, we'll see what the future holds though 😀
You can! Read my comment i just put on this channel.
@@siahfishin5295???
wow, that's so cool! there is a lot of steps to going through, but it is very nice that there is a community that still wants to mod PS2!
It really is!
This video is the reason why I bought a 50001 on eBay with its warranty sticker in tact, but a stuck disc drive, hopefully an easy fix during my complete restoration of it. My day one 39001 doesn't work with any of my 3 multitaps, two used and one brand new.
In a way, the 50001 is like the ultimate version to get, with this mod, HDD compatibility, and quieter fan. I can't wait to receive it!
5000x can't be the ultimate without that firewire port - required by some games to play with 2 ps2s :P
Just did it with my US SCPH-5001N and it worked like a charm. Tested my newly region-free console with PAL and JPN imports of FF7DoC and both games were playing without issues. Thank you for the tutorial and Thank You for the MechaPwn Team 😎🤘
Your videos are amazing. Recently got some imports and this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much
Woo!
FreeDVDBoot discs still work on 7500x and newer (unless you enable force unlock), according to the readme and my testing with a 77001 after converting to debug.
It also seems like you can revert a FMCB multi-install back to standard after using MechaPwn. (I don't like the idea of intentionally corrupting my memory card)
Also I really like how the installer has images for each model of PS2, for me it showed the barrel jack since my model has an external power supply
I have the SCPH-77004 PAL console, I did everything by the video. I have a rare GT4 first preview demo disc which was only released in Japan. The browser sees the disc but upon starting it nothing happens, I get a black screen fro a few seconds then it goes back to the browser. I don't have any other game from a different region as of right now, but a NTSC-J GT3 is on it's way.
I used this to fix a 90001 that has a bad clone Infinity modchip; I could play all PS2, but PS1 was broken -- with MechaPwn I can now use all PS1 & PS2.
At that point if the chip is that bad I'd just remove it LOL
@@MrMario2011 works 100% for PS2. A lot of sellers sold these clones without soldering the rest of it.
After forgetting about FMCB and doing MechaPwn first I broke my PS2 and I also selected yes on the Force unblock.
Luckily this video fixed my issues and gave me the correct procedure and it worked! Thanks so much!
Nice work!
I got a J 3500 and found your video in the search of region unlocking it. I guess it won't work but maybe I'll try to find some Japanese games for it. Great video. Very informative. 👍
Im probably never going to use this but its super interesting. The ps2 hacking scene has been amazing lately
Truly!!!
@@MrMario2011 what will this mean for burned ps2 discs? I mean like if I burn and iso to a DVD-R or DVD+R. Would you ever make a tutorial if it were possible? P.S. Love your channel 😁
I think it's impossible to do but I'm still holding out for a homebrew app to run that just let's you switch discs to play imports and burned games.
It's a good think I like the 5000x series because of booting ps1 antimod games with a modchip.
If only this was around in 2012, that being said I still prefer the modchips.
@bierhoff6421 the mechacon is a little different with the 5000x series. Something changed that allowed for modchips to boot antimod ps1 games on a ps2 console.
For example if I attempted booting a antimod game such as Spyro 3 on a PS2 the backup would display the software Terminated screen even a legitimate disc with the modchip running say on a 39001 revision.
If I attempted the same, running a legitimate copy on a 50001 console it should load.
One little thing I've found is that the option for PSX Multidisc games must be toggled off.
I've tested that on Modbo 4.0 and Modbo 5.0 chips, I recently got some matrix infinity 2.0 clone chips where the points are in a line on both sides of the chip and no CX point.
Those are said to be more reliable clones of the original matrix infinity modchip.
I also have a matrix infinity green dot chip but I'd prefer to keep that sealed in its antistatic packaging.
Cheers!
Looks like my PS2 sitting in a Japanese warehouse I won needs to be shipped lol. Been putting it off, but soon...
Thanks for the guide. Regarding "Force Unlock" and PS1 games, the legit titles from my region booted, only imports and copies did not work. Perhaps one day they'll allow you to boot PS2 discs without "Force Unlock" in the future.
19:40 I was so excited seeing this game. Such a masterpiece!
I have never been more exited just by a title from a video alone lmao
It's hype!
AS EXPRECTED THIS SHIT IS WILD
I just buy every region ps2. Believe it or not you just put the disc in and it works. As small as ps2s are I prefer to use different machines.
This release is straight up nutty! Modchip is still king but not by much anymore. Being able to force NTSC for Pal games via the matrix menu and natively booting Ps2 backups is all it really has going over Mechapwn though. Ps1 backup support is probably better with Mechapwn though as sometimes Ps1 games fail to boot with Modbos (Clock sync issues I believe like an MM3 chip fail on OG Ps1s)
Yeah, my opinion right now is if you already have a modchip installed you don't need MechaPwn for that console. However if you don't have a chip in it, MechaPwn would be the way to go for most users.
@@MrMario2011 I tested this out on a 9000x Ps2 and it doesn't support Ps1 backups unfortunately. For People with 5000x and 700xx consoles this exploit is amazing. For later slims if you want ps1 backup support then modchip is the way to go. I'm kind of leaning on the ideal setup for this would be mechapwn on a 5000x or 7000x without dvd unlock and using freedvdboot games for Ps2 titles. With that setup you'd have everything booting natively.
@@ModzvilleUSA hey did you try that method and see if it works? I would love to be able to play backups of both ps1 and ps2 games on my 7000 series slim without having to mod it.
this is one of the greatest things in the ps2 modding scene (after freedvdboot, but that's impossible to beat)
Region unlocking and backing up games is why I got me a PS2 to mod.
Latest mechapwn breaks FREEDVDBOOT support I believe...
I read something about the latest version making the PS2 read ALL discs as "PS2 discs". So DVD movies will no longer work.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Yes, it is mentioned on the original page, but changing the region code is ok
Unless you enable force unlock, DVD playback (and thus FreeDVDBoot) still works on 7500x and newer since the DVD player binary isn't region locked on those models.
Hi MrMario - great video by the way. Your delivery, pacing and explanations are really on point! What I wanted to ask was the following: This seems like a "one-time" mod... Is that right? For instance, if I use Free McBoot and MechaPwn to change my region settings to "debugged," this will allow me to play any-region PS2 and PS1 games, as well as PS1 backup discs (burned ISOs to CDs), correct? And once I've changed the settings using this method, I never have to fiddle with modding again (if this is all I want to do), yes? Follow-up: Will this make the DVD player on the PS2 region-free as well?
Well, many limitations are present such as playing only ps1 or ps2 games , Since a modchip plays it all and FMCB plays it all i think this is the option i would not go for. Modchip in my opinion is still the best way.
I'd say anyone who has a chip installed should stick with that. Anyone without a chip installed might want to look into this!
Yes, I think the only advantage right now is if you have a Chinese console like mine, the language bios only has two options: Chinese and English and changing to a American code you can use the bios with more languages available (English, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian and Spanish). It is not a big deal, the bios is not hard to figure it out to use and the only game that I played that took advantage of the language settings of the console is F1 2006, but I still think it is cool. It is mentioned that not all PS2s change the available languages changing the region code, only those with "universal bios" which are all of the later Slim models.
Hi MrMario , i tried MechaPwn on my SCPH-500004 EU and set region on DTL-500004 EU with FORCE UNLOCK ON... Ps2 games backup of any region and media works perfectly through PS2DISC of ulauncher but it work also with ESR apps without disc is patched (and work also patched disc) But I discover a method to boot PS1 disc with force unlock ON. I have Action Replay v2 (1.9) disc 2 for codes of ps1 games. When i put it on console , it detect into PS1 disc (is only disc that detect ps1 disc, i tried other original ps1 disc but detected all into ps2 disc) from osdsys and if i click icon i got black screen but if i swap the disc with other ps1 disc backup or original it show icon PS1 and load it! But only for PAL region disc... for other region i discover another trick . If i swap it with backup of AR2 PS1 disc 2.20 it will boot it and re-swap with other region games disc backup and load it! (with Y-pos issue).
I don't know why with this disc it detect it on PS1 disc but work! (disc in my psx has Sony computer INC. logo) I tried to burn this disc but it will detect as PS2 disc
this is my disc (english version) DISC 2 www.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/pict/393129496483_/PLAYSTATION-PS2-AR2-Action-Replay-2.jpg
With this trick i can boot all ps2 disc and all ps1 disc with swaps without to set different regions! :)
So not is exact: Every CD and DVD will be detected as a PS2 disc, meaning it breaks PS1 games!
My question and doubt is:
Anyone that have JAP/USA psx original disc can test if on PAL console with force unlock ON on DTL-europe flag , detect disc as PSX? thanks
(If anyone can try this, we know if it's only for my disc (AR2 psx) or is for all disc import original in PAL console. )
We need this on PS3 with how Sony is treating that console
Yeah, and that would be call MechaPwn: Endgame 2.
So if I get a PAL PS2 that is a 7500x or higher model. Can I play NTSC-U/NTSC-J backups on it?
Sure can
For some reason ps1 backups don't work for me, instead the ps2 will make a weird clicking sound and say the disc couldn't be read. This sucks because this is the whole reason I installed mechapwn.
try enabling "Diagnosis" before putting the disc in (main menu -> press triangle -> hover over the model number -> press triangle again), it worked for me
At writing used MechaPwn RC4 and the MENU HAS CHANGED somewhat. After Picking Retail, I chose USA Multi 7 from the new selections, After I chose Factory patches, after turning off and on the ps2 did not change under version number or anything. I thought it didn't work BUT popped in a ps1 Japanese disc and it WORKS! its very discreet now,
Yeah i noticed that too thats for easier and safer unlocking
I just recently started looking into this, but would it be possible to install a hard drive loader on a fat PS2 to play PS2 isos using freeMcboot and then use mechapwn just to play PS1 backups?
To experience users I'm sure this is an idiotic question, but I'm being 100% serious.
I thought they were going to kill all the PS2s in the world when I read "Endgame for PS2".
That would make me devastated even though I no longer own a Playstation 2, probably because it was my first ever console.
Nah, Sony's only CMOS killing PS3s, Vitas, and PS4s. PS1, PS2 and PSP are more future proof than those consoles LUL
@@Timic83tc Not PS4 argh wtf's wrong with them?
@@Timic83tc my PS2 with dead BIOS battery worked just fine albeit with some caveats: the saves are from 1st January 2000 at 00:00, and Gran Turismo 4 photos is at that same time
this video was a godsend, thank you so much lol
You're welcome!
So just to clarify:
This will not region unlock a PAL or NTSC-J PS2 if it’s a SCPH-70000 or lower? Therefore, I CAN region unlock both my PAL and NTSC-J SCPH-90000 consoles? Or any PAL/J console higher than a 70000?
This is fkn awesome work by the way. Exciting times ahead.
Hi, did you ever find the answer to this? I'm seeing some people say it worked on their 7000x series but the official FAQ says it shouldn't.
Really want to know if I should give it a shot or just go find a newer model first
@@Addictivemeh As of today I downloaded the version of Mechapwn where it unlocked Mexico, i.e the most recent non "pre-release" build, and successfully changed my region from 70k JP to USA. This video is a little confusing, but just dont select the DTL thing like he does, choose CEX, then your model, then the region you want to switch to (the video makes it sound like you're selecting your own region on that screen)
We'll be golden once there work on earlier models, if it's even possible.
Love to use this on my SCPH-18000.
So what i am understanding is that before the MechaPwn install, the console was already homebrewed with Opentuna? So i need to homebrew it first and then do the MechaPwn, right?
You just use homebrew to launch Mechapwn through ulaunchelf, doesn’t matter if your homebrew is FMCB, Opentuna, FreeDVDBoot, etc…
One thing I noticed is that after doing this mod, even with Force Unlock disabled, Free DVD Boot (and I guess DVD Video playback) is broken. So one can play either PS or ESR modded PS2 games seamlessly.
Yep, very clearly mentioned how and why that happens.
@@MrMario2011 Well, after playing a bit more with it, I figured it out: I am using a PAL SCPH-90004 system, and I initially flashed it to DEX-H90004. It seems European DEX systems didn't have DVD-Video playback to begin with as I was getting a "DVD-VIDEO player is not set-up" message. Now I reflashed it to DEX-H90001 and my PAL ESR-modded Freedvdboot games work fine, just like original PAL games. Only PAL movies (obviously) don't work anymore (I don't have NTSC stuff to test). Only thing I haven't tested yet is whether PAL games will be sped up to the annoying 60Hz refresh rate, or be squished to 480i instead of the normal 576i, though they seem normal. Maybe I weren't clear in my original comment, but ALL testing was done with Force Unlock off.
It turns out, using ALL PAL model numbers causes DVD-Video to break, and All NTSC model numbers cause PAL PSX games to break (both original and backups, only the first 480 lines display and refresh rate and colours are off). So, one would have to either change regions depending on the desired game, or use only NTSC PSX games and compromise with 60Hz and the lower resolution and colour fidelity.
@@DMDaskalakis When it comes to games, PS2 games should automatically switch to the correct display mode. PS1 PAL games tough will run at the incorrect frame rate and get cropped (not squished). You can circumvent this if you force the PS2 into PAL video mode. You can do this using GS Mode Selector.
Wow, the PS2 is getting quite the attention lately, Freedvdboot, now Mechapwn? This is some crazy stuff, imagine having these tools back when modchips were relevant.
So is the ps1 lol. Tonyhax and freepsxboot now
Oh the modchip market would have crashed incredibly hard if these were around back then. Although I don't think any end-users would have complained!
@@MrMario2011 If these were around back then Sony would have fixed them, so I'm not too upset about it.
Hi, I've accidentaly lost my nvm file, to which I don't have the backup. When I tried to restore back to SCPH-90004, it instead restored to DTH-90004 which i had previously (before restore DTH-90001). I tried setting it up multiple times, because the ps1 backups didn't work. Now freeDVDboot doesn't work at all too. Is there any way please to provide me the SCPH-90004 nvm file? I can't find a way to install dvd update for freeDVDboot to work, every tutorial shows how to do it with freemcboot, not funtuna. Thank you for any help!
Installing this on an scph-70012 broke the dvd functionality on my console. Not a big deal since watching movies isn’t something I usually do on my ps2, but it also killed the dvd boot backups I had for some games too. Just something to note.
They note in the read me that running a DVD player as an elf from the hard drive or from the memory card should fix this. But I could not get it to work even with the memory card DVD player
Breaking of DVD Player functionality was definitely noted on the project and video! As for the DVD Player update, I'm not all too sure on that as I've never attempted to install it on my memory card.
Really cool. Now all we need is for some crazy engineer associated with RetroRGB to come up with an Optical Drive Emulator and then the PS2 is officially pwn'd. :)
Is there any need for one? I thought PS2 homebrew could already load games from USB/HDD..?
Yeah, opl covers most games very well.I think the only advantage is for a very small portion of games that dont work on it. What I do think breaking the bios security with mechacon can lead to a hybrid firmware of sorts for 90000 models for people who wanted to use FMCB. Personally I am satisfied using Fortuna to load apps and opl, it takes a lot less space than FMCB, but still, many people wanted to customize the PS2 OSD and couldnt with this model. Modifying the BIOS for it to expect memory card updates like old models can restore and make FMCB on 90000 possible.
@@nicholasbartkiw6002 Slim PS2s basically. Most have no HDD support under any circumstance, Network is slowish, and USB is VERY slow. But an ODE with say, a 400gb UHS1 uSD card will boot as fast or faster than the native disc drive, putting both of the other options to shame.
@@KiraSlith the PS2 SDK team are working on the software for a SD adapter that goes through the Memory Card slot and OPL support is getting committed now, ODE won't be necessary
@@KiraSlith the first PS2 Slim has all the HDD support, you need to mod it to take an HDD like the fat ones
This is absolutly exciting!!!!
ps2 😎I got a couple for cheap in the flea market a few years ago the og fats.
good pointing out that port I'm safe 👍
Woah! Finally able to play a backup copy of Final Fantasy Tactics (USA) on my UK PAL SCHP-79003, although I had to select the SCHP-79001 (US) model after selecting model DTL-H79xxx in Retail DEX (debug) menu - which was a bit confusing since I thought that in this debug mode, even if I selected my own UK model (schp-79003) it would allow NTSC games from USA to work?
Anyway, great mod this, now I can pretty much put my original PS1 into storage.
Hi sorry could I just ask... As your PS2 is pal 790003, are you able to play real US games or just backups?
I'm not sure if the above 70xxx prerequisite is inclusive of 79xxx
@@frostycomedy-man9985 I can play backups, but the discs are not always recognised . However with psxlauncher it works 100% even for backups of imports (So I can use an original UK PAL PS1 disc in psxlauncher and then swap with FF Tactics USA backup for example, which would never work on my original 79003 console)
edit: Actually just checked, and FF Tactics (USA) launches fine directly on my DTL-H79001 (modded using mechapwn from original UK 79003 model) but some other USA discs do not and I need to use pslauncher (from free mcboot menu). (pslauncher is easy to use with these 7900x slim consoles)
@@mrIceblink Okay thank you so much for the info, that's great that you can launch straight from the disc, interesting that some work and some don't. Do all NTSC PS2 Original games boot and function properly from your experience? Thanks so much again 🙏
@@frostycomedy-man9985 I don't actually have any NTSC PS2 originals to test (I have some in storage somewhere), but it's pretty certain they would boot on a DTL-H79001 modded console, it certainly boots all my PAL PS2 originals no issues. I can boot PS2 NTSC and PAL backups using esr patcher before burning (or the more recent freedvd patch).
The DTL-H79001 model seems much more tolerant of various types of discs than a UK version (79003), I can often boot both NTSC and PAL PS1 backups directly for example, and when this struggles (eg I have a USA RayCrisis backup which only boots 20% of the time) I can always boot first time using psxlauncher.
Some of my issues might just be due to an old laser (both CD infra-red and DVD red), I only keep my PS2 slim around with an old CRT TV just to relive memories from back in the day, I don't have so much time compared to last year for this though!
Had a question about playing the PS1 Backups, do .cue and .bins need to be burned into an .iso on a CD or DVD. Do you happen to have any videos on how to make a proper PS1 backup?
only downside to this development is that most playstation 2 laser are faulty when reading discs or well on there way thats why i think my phat ps2 39003 using hdd is the best option
After i do this mechapwn thing can i play my esr disc patched games?
yes you can
@@cemsengul16 If you enable force unlock ESR disc continue to work and work also ps2 backup without ESR patch. But you can't play DVD-Video and psx games because was detect all as PS2 disc but i discover this trick: if you insert psx disc original with different region with force unlock ON , ps2 detect it as PSX disc and you can simple swap it with your backups of all region (after screen will black)
You can play NTSC (U/J) Ps1 backups with MechaPwn and PAL/Japan console but it is a little troublesome. You have to change ISO region of game from NTSC to PAL with some homebrew (forgot the name but it is very old homebrew). Then you need to burn modified ISO as normal (verify in emulator if you have SCEE logo on boot and then 60fps instead of usual 50fps). Then, boot up homebrew called PS1VModeNeg, then just boot up the ps1 game and you somehow will have 480i60 game with SCEE logo but it will play in NTSC.
FYI before MechaPwn I just needed to change GSM (or run PS1VModeNeg) to NTSC (PS2 SD mode) and I could play FF7 PAL in NTSC mode. They were so lazy converting game from NTSC to PAL that you literally have to change the video mode only. However after MechaPwn the video mode somehow was reversed and only patched ISO work that way. Go figure.
So in other words, the Pal console does have 480i ps1 mode but you cannot (as of today) disable the region check for SCEE logo. It has to be Europe in the end. But it is not enforcing 576i mode.
PS. If you have a game that is originally PAL region, then you cannot force it into NTSC mode with PS1VModeNeg but you can somehow do it with GSM.
ps1 pal backups on ntsc console boot on some sort of odd ntsc50 or pal60 mode which cuts part of the screen so not perfect in that aspect
I had a similar issue, but I used GS Mode Switcher to essentially force the PS2 to use standard 50Hz PAL as the video mode and then boot into a PS1 game. A bit annoying, since you have to do that every single time you boot a PAL game, but it works.
if you are changing the chip on the motherboard could you not run ps1 games from a hard drive or usb stick using a combination of freemcboot and mechapwn ?
Amazing info, thank you.
Hey man, I have SCPH-50000 NTSC/J you stated in the video Japanese Consoles could not work with MechaPwn, is this only for 70000 and earlier, or Japanese consoles on general ? Another question if i can actually install MechaPwn on my Japanese ps2 (SCPH-50000) for force unlock do i need opentuna ? And what is it for ? I already have freemcboot i can LaunchELF via the mc. Thanks in advance
Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "running through RGB scart" at 18:55? Will I not be able to use my component cables when running PAL games?
26:27 - once the original PS2 disc reads, it verifies the game ID before swapping.
IMO still needs a little time to cook if you wanna do anything outside of play games from other regions but yeah ps2 is now on og xbox tsop flash kinda level but better as you don't even need to open the console soo yeah good stuff, decently keeping an eye on this.
I think it's all pretty ready to rock, although I look forward to seeing what else comes from the PS2 collective :)
You dont need to use ulaunch or wlaunch elf to launch burnt ps2 games.
1. install force unlock
2. leave the freemcboot memory card inserted into the system
3. put your burnt unpatched iso into the disk tray
4. turn the system on with the disk inserted
will boot right into the game no issues
Unless things changed, that's not how that works? PS2 games must be master disc patched.
@@MrMario2011 In my case it just worked, on several burnt games I had non patched.
However the freemcboot memory card must be inserted for this to work. Without it you'll get the annoying red screen saying insert ps2 format disk.
odd behavior but i was able to verify it
Hi Mrmario, i bought a ps2 slim model 70001 on a garage sale, i opened it and it has very old outdated modchip mars pro gm-805SL, what do you recommend me to do in my situation? remove the chip? and use free mcboot?
Is it unhealthy for the console to constantly install and then revert? Like if I wanted to play some PS1 backups one day, then some PS2 backups the next, then back to PS1, is that possibly degrading or negatively effecting the console? Beyond the obvious increased chance of doing something wrong the more you do it, if I were to go through the steps of force unlocking, reverting, force unlocking, reverting enough would that be a problem?
I doubt you're going to destroy the console (unless you flash it improperly or unplug it at an important step) but constantly flashing it also isn't helpful. Probably much easier to get yourself a second console so you can keep them in whichever configuration you want.
ive done this and it worked 100% perfectly but the ps1 backup discs need to be PAL for me or they dont load further NTSC are seen by the system but the ps1 logo is not showing. but with pal games they boot and just work perfectly. its odd but ill take it as long as i can play region free games
I don't know why, but I have another Mechaversion. Version 3.06. And it says MechaCon isn't supported. I've tried all the mechapwn builds but with no success...
Have you thought to try DVD movies with the Force Unlock enabled? This homebrew sounds like a great feature and makes the PS2 essentially a Swiss army knife of games.
DVD Video playback would not work as I understand it, since debug units don't play DVD Video discs. That's why the FAQ cites that for FDVDB breaking.
@@MrMario2011 Right but that's also what the FAQ said about PS1 discs and look what happened.
@@MrMario2011 FreeDVDBoot still seems to work on 7500x and newer (it did for me after converting to debug). The issue here is that force unlock makes all discs appear as PS2 discs so the BIOS wouldn't launch the DVD player.
@@Siknik64what happened?
@@borizzle1 Haven't tried DVD movies but it did work for PS1 and PS2 so I'm happy with that for now.
If I understood the limitations correctly the MechaPwn will NOT help me play original NTSC-J games on my PAL SCPH-70004 console?
I just bought a pink NTSC-J PS2, so you're saying that I cannot use this DEX version to play "imported" USA region games on it?? I bought it solely for region unlocking it
The disc shows up but it doesn't continue. What is the problem?
EDIT:
I just changed my region which is originally in Europe, and I changed it to USA so that it can read ntsc
I wonder if we can ever flash a custom firmware that adds the capability to switch on and off the force unlock...
That's pretty great I can live without Force Unlock and use FreeMcBoot for booting homebrews and PS2 back ups if that's possible. I know I could with the memory card but how about DVD back ups with FreeMcBoot?
With other software other then UHLE
I am having issues with loading PS1 imports on my console. It loads JP and US ps2, and US ps1, but when it comes to JP ps1...it gives me the insert a playstation or playstation 2 format disc...is there something wrong that I did?
Next video: how to run cyberpunk 2077 on your ps2
We're not trying to kill the thing!
MrMario maybe have a trick to launch ps1 games on force unlock, maybe because you have modchip, maybe because you put a copy before force unlock only people test we can now be sure for what reason play ps1 games on force unlock.
Hey Mario, I bought a European slim (75004) and I want to use it only for my PS1 backups since the original discs are very scratched. I have games from multiple regions and I would like to know if there are any problems or anything I should know before jumping into the mod. In theory, I install mechapwn on the USA (or Europe?) DEX and all PS1 backups from all regions should work? Is there a timing problem or are they going at the speeds they should? Do PS1 memory cards work? Thank you very much for making this type of videos, there is no one who explains it like you do 👌
Hey, I know I am commenting late but I have a question. If I were to install mechapwn onto a 50001 fat ps2 without force unlock, would I still be able to watch DVD videos? Thanks for all your great work
amazing tutorial as always :)
I have a 79003 model slim ps2 and i cant seem to get mechapwn working. It freezes at waiting for usb drive in the beginning.
DO NOT convert a pal scph-90004 to a dtl-90004, u will lock out yourself from your console. No FreeDVD Boot, no Funtuna nor any other option to boot an *.elf. And on top of that, the console remains region locked. Use dtl-90001 as an option instead. If you messed up your system, upgrade your dvd player via memcard (2nd PS2 or pre-formatted memcard needed) or use a swapmagic disc (3.6), as using one of theese allows you to boot an *.elf file from USB.
Yeah don’t try this on PAL PS2’s. I’ve tried 5 different systems and non of them take the exploit correctly. They change the name for the version but won’t play any official discs other than it’s original region.
And yes I’m doing it on the versions listed which work.
I tried to do it on a 77003 console, but it happened exactly as you said... Sucks that I won't be able to play japanese games on my console :(
if you have for example SCPH-90004 (PAL) you have to install DTLH-90001 (USA) for it to work correctly.
Damn, PAL region really seems to be locked down hard. Shame, there's some good games I'd love to add to my collection but I'd only want them if I can play them
@@Addictivemeh Yeah, ive resorted to the new hard drive mod with OPL
While using this method to play backups and imported ps1 and ps2 games, are save towers (that appear duirng startup) created? You didnt have a memory card inserted during the demonstration so im wondering if it happens.
There should be but hey you can test it I haven't gotten the chance to do it yet but when I do I can let u know but still it's just save data there's no reason why it wouldn't
Checked everything from software, versions and everything, it's version 1.953 of free mcbooth but it won't load japanese imports (It shows a black screen, the disk is spinning but then it boots me back to the memory card menu.). Is it cause it ain't multi region? How can I check?
I followed your tutorial and it worked great! Though, dummy me didn't realize that freedvdboot was what let me play burned games. is there an alternative to play burned games since mechapwn breaks freedvdboot?
mechacon is way to cool of a name for a ps2 DRM chip
Mr. Mario, for PS2 backups, say I was running fmcb and assign a hot key to that ps2disc in the misc file using fmcb configurator, for example L2. I boot up with the back up disc inserted while holding L2, wouldn't it boot into the back up?
Or does the disc have to be inserted after you launch uLE?
thanks its works! now i can play silent hill 2 (jpn)
when one of ur favorite youtubers is also a drainer
For a minute 😁
@@MrMario2011 once a drainer always a drainer ❤
SCPH-7700 to DTL-H77XXX isnt booting NTSC-U PS1 games (J console). Know why?
its very very good stuff and easy to install but, I tried to get my russian ps1 bootleg copies to work but no luck here, it recognises the games and you can launch but nothing showsup, i have 77004 ps2 slim.
PAL and NTSC-J consoles will have more limitations compared to NTSC-U.
Artifact logo is normal
On PAL console I have the same bug
This is because logo protection as explained on Git
Hello, I have a fully unlocked Japanese PS2 FAT SCPH50000 (FHDB v1.966) whit Internal Hard Disk (No Memory Card), the only problem I have is that multilanguage games (PAL) start in English.
The system language has only english and japanese.
with MechaPwn I changed the region of the console to Europe SCPH50004 and DTLH50004 but the system keeps showing me only English and Japanese.
Does anyone know how to start my games in Spanish?
It is not that isnt recommended yo use the retail option, it is that it just changes regions and nothing else, so for many people it is not that useful, it just converts an American console to play Japanese games for example (but in the process the console should stop running American games since the bios is programmed to be Japanese). The retail to DEX removes all region locking. I used the first option and it is safe, granted, I already have a modded system with modbo 5 and I just did this because in some forums people were posting that changing the region coding alters the languages available of the console. It is not a big deal, I dont recommend trying to do this if you dont know what modchip you have, but it worked fine for me. I dont care about unlocking all regions because as mentioned, I already have a chipped console and I dont like using discs anyway, prefer to use OPL instead.
For sure, there's nothing wrong with only a region change as long as you're fully aware of what you're doing, such as someone like yourself who understood and researched it.