PS1 UniROM Gameshark Installation Question

Dear all:

Hi, my name is Rich - just joined the forums here due to a question I had regarding the UniROM installation on an Eeprom device.

The device I am using for this is a GameShark cartridge, V. 1.92. Hooked up to my PS1 parallel port.

The issue I am having is, after doing the disc swap trick and putting in the UniROM CD-R (X-Flash), it doesn't recognize my GameShark cartridge. It reads it as: Unknown - 08 01. If I attempt to flash a ROM on it, it will say Eeprom undetected.

Just wondering if I was unlucky, and picked up a version of GameShark that is unable to be flashed? Or if anyone may have any ideas of some steps I may be doing wrong, or any alternatives.

Ultimately, I want to be able to play my backed-up versions of my game without doing a disc-swap trick. I'd prefer the "soft-mod" method over a PS1 with a modded chip.

For clarification, the steps I have taken are as followed:

- Downloaded UniROM, opened up the PSX folder and burned the .cue file to a CD-R (JVC Taiyo Yuden). I tried the newest version of UniROM 0.6, as well as 0.44.
- Taped down the lid button to perform the disc swap trick. Successfully can get X-Flash screen to boot up.
- Hit R2 to detect the Eeprom - then thats when the text changes from Unknown FF FF - to Unknown 08 01.
- Also tried it where I start the PS1 with the GameShark, go in the GameShark and click start game - then perform the disc swap from here, same thing happens except now it automatically detects the Eeprom as Unknown 08 01 without me having to hit R2
- The switch on the GameShark is flicked "up" - I believe this is just the power on/off (?) I tried both ways though



Any help - greatly appreciated - thanks in advance !

Yeah I think you may be out of luck with flashing it with that method

The cart is being detected by the looks of it but the chip is not recognised

The switch has nothing to do with power, it's an active/inactive switch but the device is still powered and should detect the chip either way 08 01

P.S. just so you know that the basic swap trick has limits and will not allow games like Metal Gear Solid to be fully played (games on more than 1 CD that may only use in-game disc changes) and games with CDDA tracks will have issues also

Games like Final Fantasy VII and up over will let you save at the end of each disc that be loaded by the next disc without having to change disc while in-game

Thanks for the reply. Yeah that's no problem, there really isn't many multi-disc games I play besides MGS - so I'd just play the originals of those.

I guess for anyone reading this attempting this method - do not use GameShark V 1.92.

I also tried downloading an X-Flash Overburn Mod - but that GameShark version also wasn't featured in the list.

Games Shark Software Version is not the issue it's the chip it uses that is the issue

I have a few carts including Action Replay that is the UK version of the GameShark that is also by Interact and flashed that just fine with the exact same software though it will have a different flash chip in it I also have other carts that are exactly the same shape but are chinese clones with different software flashed to the chip, but all are flashable though with the same software or even the gameshark software if I felt the need

They all use different flash chips some are recognised as unknown but they flashed fine, but flash chips may not work at all for flashing with the software, they kind of left the flashing software open so useres can atleast try and flash there cart with it

The same issue applies to other flash chip cart on oither systems like the Sega Saturn and the new mod for it that allows CD's to be booted directly with it (Not 100% though some games still do not work) anyway point is that not all cheat carts are flashable even those of the same brand and even name and version because some of the flash chips used are not flashable in the same way as other flash chips so writing to those will fail resulting in nothing flashed to them or worst cases a bricked cart, those with the correct hardware and flash software can still be restored though.

Ah that figures - so its really a guessing game as to which carts will flash. I wonder what the percentage is, any idea? I wish it was as easy as buying a gameshark already soft-modded online haha

Thanks again for the replies

No idea I just got lucky I guess

If it is an older cart though it is worth trying to clean the contacts on it, with rubbing alcohol or even nail varnish remover if you don't have rubbing alcohol around and try again

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zorlon

No idea I just got lucky I guess

If it is an older cart though it is worth trying to clean the contacts on it, with rubbing alcohol or even nail varnish remover if you don't have rubbing alcohol around and try again

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Opened up the GameShark cartridge, where specifically are the contacts?

On the outside of the cart and the PSX

The contacts are what connect the cart to the PSX and the PSX to the cart

They are called contacts because they er contact

Forget about nail varnish remover I forgot how the contacts are (Nail varnish remover will melt the plastic that is almost unavoidable when cleaning that thing, stick to rubbing alcohol)

P.S. I am using a PSTV to play my PSX games fix as well as PSP and PSVita it was only £39.99 where I got it from and was quick and easy to hack (It's a TV box not an actual TV lol but you do need a PS3 or PS4 control pad, you will also want a memcard but those are not cheap as it is a vita memcard is uses, cost more for the large memcard than it did for the console, not looked at pad prices but bet official pads for PS4 will cost the same if not more than that console also)

Yeah best to use either isopropyl alcohol (purest you can find but you should be able to get very close to 100% quite easily, I never have any trouble getting good stuff. Avoid anything like 70% though as some of those contain fragrance as well as around 30% water), or quality contact cleaner from an electronics parts store.

Went to a local game shop and picked up two loose PS1 GameShark cartridges for $5 each. I was able to successfully upload "UniROM Standalone" on both of them. However UniROM v.6 would not load the games, it would just be stuck at the blue "wait, now loading" screen.

So then I downloaded UniROM V.0.44 and uploaded "UniROM Standalone" on both of the same GameSharks again. This time I was able to hit R1 and R2 and get the games to load up, however the discs freeze early in the game, even though they play perfect if I do the disc swap trick.

Burning back-ups of my originals on CD-R Taiyo Yuden at x8 speed (lowest I can get). Gonna mess around with the burn speeds (high and low) as I read conflicting theories on this. I am ripping them to PC at the lowest speed possible as well.

Update: I can get a game called Tetris Plus to work, but other games I tried, Crash Bandicoot 3, Frogger, and Silent Hill are unable to get past the intro videos/screens and they just re-run in a loop.

Edit* Reburned UniROM V.6 -- then re-uploaded on my GameShark, didn't realize you could scroll down to "fastboot" and hit X to load the games. Now just about of my games play as backed up burned versions except Crash Bandicoot 3 for some reason (the real game runs fine, and the burned games run fine doing the swap trick too)...

Any thoughts? Thanks !

I don't think I ever used UniRom myself as there are tons of roms you can flash to those carts

I used a few from https://xianaix.net/museum.htm though

I also used AR Stop at some point but that is for an Action Replay v3 or GameShark v3 that is a different type of cart to the older action Replay/Gameshark carts and clones