Playing Burnt Games (Backups) With Action Replay

[grandta13]

I have found that I am able to play burnt copies of PS1 games on my newer model PS2 by using a PS1 Action Replay. As a discalmer I will note that I had to disable the disc cover sensor for this to work, but that was relatively simple and reversible. I have used DVD Decryptor and Alcohol120% to burn the images without any issues.
I've posted this here both to inform others that this is possible as well as to inquire if this bypass works with other systems. I don't have a PS2 cheat disc, so I am unable to try it, but if anyone else knows or would like to try, then by all means post your finding here.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that this also bypasses region locks. There are some display issues with PAL games on a NTSC console, since PAL has a higher resolution, but even PAL games still render correctly, but with a cropped image.

[Zorlon]

You know what the funny thing is, that NTSC games are over sized on a PAL display and PAL games have slight black borders on the upper and lower portions of the TV set, unless you have a full NTSC compatable TV set (aka multi regional TV) with a PAL console playing NTSC games then NTSC games will still fill the screen but not over sized so part of the image is missing it will just fit, must the same as PAL 60 does but PAL 50 will still use a slight border top and bottom

The Action Replay is a very very very olde method though you are better off using the Action Replay to install ESR if your console is not too new and just has the thin stripe that is glossy

Just a few notes for you but you are very limited to what you can run with the Action Replay both PSX and PS2 CD's because of the initial toc, there are ways round that though to some extent

there is some homebrew out there called PSX Loader that you could try to burn to a CD (never tested that as it was designed to be launched from a Memcard that the new PS2 can't do)

Anyway what you do with that is boot PSXLauncher then insert an original disc preferably one that has a high TOC (is a full disc as close to the 700MB mark as possible) press whatever key it states the disc should then stop allowing the burned CD to be inserted in a safe manor, or that is how I remember that, myself I have a mod chipped PSone, not sure how well CDDA will work but you may have issues with those and some games don't work if the CDDA is not detected

For info only I know you don't have the PS2 AR

PS2 DVD games and CD games may also need a TOC refresh to be able to be read fully, that can be done via CD Loader (homebrew) that is burned to a CD, originally made to fix some of the older Swap Magic boot CD issues, it also lets you swap to an original DVD game temp to change the mode from CD to DVD then swap again for a DVD-R or DVD+R, recommend the later

Lid censors would be blocked all the time for both of those if I remember correctly, it is a very very very long time since I used my Action Replay for that in-fact not used it for anything for years now, last time I used that was with the original PS2.

P.P.S. you can also use the PS2 Action Replay to load other homebrew from CD including things that can launch PS2 software from USB or a home network (i.e. stream game data via a network connection)

P.P.P.S. don't bother with 2 or more CD PSX games like Metal Gear Solid as you will not be able to get onto CD2 due to it only letting you change CD in game, but game like Final Fantasy 7 let you boot CD2 and load and end of disc save that you created on CD1 that can be played fine.

[grandta13]

Unfortunately my console is too new (SCPH-90001). I tried to install FreeMCBoot in the past before realising that the model was too new. This is why I've fallen back on the Action Replay method.
If you know of any way that I could mod a new model PS2 without buying any hardware, then I would be appreciative; though I haven't found any methods yet.

P.S. I am completely fine with dissasembling and reassembling my PS2, the only thing that I can't do is buy a specalised piece of hardware to mod my system. I also have an older PS2 with a damaged laser unit which could potentially be used for spare parts; I am thinking about switching out the laser unit of the newer model with the older one, so that I can softmod the older one, though that will have to wait until I find the power supply.
EDIT: Thinking more about it, the laser may just be miscalibrated; I haven't used it in over a year and I don't remember exactly how it was behaving.

[Zorlon]

It will be the board that stops the softmod not the laser.

Also if you read the first half of the post I go into improved methods for PSX game loading, you should be able to do that with the newer PS2

[grandta13]

It will be the board that stops the softmod not the laser.

Also if you read the first half of the post I go into improved methods for PSX game loading, you should be able to do that with the newer PS2

The reason that I was changing the laser was that the laser module in the old (modable) PS2 seemed defective and I wanted to use a known-good laser to alleviate this problem so that I could soft-mod the older PS2.
As to your suggestions, the 'PSX Loader' and 'PSXLauncher' seem to use ELFs which are normally booted with a modded PS2.
I haven't had any apparent issues with toc in the games that I've started with Action Replay; the only issue that I've had is when the disc sensor comes up (I use a piece of tape, which sometimes comes loose); when that happens, the game refuses to load any new content (music, levels, menus).
Also, if booting a burnt copy with the Action Replay would cause toc errors, wouldn't you also experience the same errors with official games?

[Zorlon]

If you know how to make a PSX CD then you should be able to make a PSX Launcher CD, then again if that is a PS2 elf that will not help...

You need a disc that will allow you to do a toc refresh, thinking about it, I'm not that sure what discs will allow that for PSX software it's just been too long for me to remember (not sure if codebreaker aka xploder can do that, it would be fine to boot a backup of either one via the action replay method. if I remember to can pop in an original with lid censors enabled to refresh the toc, then go to the CD player to manually stop the disc, then hot swop/with the lid censors blocked) [To be able to do that both with and without the front censor blocked you could use something like silly putty in the hole at the front of the console for the reset button location lid censor]

If you do manage to get the older PS2 running though, you can install FBMC via various methods, but you do need to find an exploit you can use as you may still need to buy something to allow you to do that as the exploit does need to be in PS2 mode not PSX mode

You don't get toc errors with originals because normally you don't have the flip censors blocked and the toic is refreshed as soon as the newe disc is inserted before you even hit start game in the action replay, but if you do and play originals via Action Replay with the censors blocked then yes you would get toc issues with some games.

(I do use a modifiable PS2 so not 100% sure about this but you can test that yourself before committing) Hint glue the back censor down and only tape the front one, to make that work as normal again you only need to remove the front censor tape and the drive will work as normal again, personally I installed a manual switch to the front one as well as the one that is there to start with, the one you will have tape on that has the eject button on.

I done that so I can easy switch between it being on all the time and only being on when the lid is closed, the ESR mod works best if the lid censors are not blocked (so they turn off when you open the lid) this lets you play multi disc PS2 games that need to be swapped while still in game. Then can be blocked for use with other homebrew software like SwapMagic or PSX Launcher

[grandta13]

...I installed a manual switch to the front one as well as the one that is there to start with, the one you will have tape on that has the eject button on.

I done that so I can easy switch between it being on all the time and only being on when the lid is closed...

Just wondering, how did you modify the sensor? I was looked at where the sensor was attached, but the lands were so small, it seemed that soldering a switch would be difficult, and I'm not sure what I would do about the case. How did you handle these issues?

[Zorlon]

there are 2 contacts just under it there is even plastic dividing the contacts, you might want a bit of glue gun glue on it after you solder a couple of wires in place

The image it not mine exact as my version had no solder blobs on it just 2 blank plates

The image also make it look huge but it is rather small

[grandta13]

I'll probably perform that mod, but what did you do with the case when you installed the switch?

[Zorlon]

I drilled a hole just under the lip (apx centered closer to the front though) the lip on the right of the disc tray so the switch is a fair bit behind where that small board is placed inside the case, the hole was so I could put the switch there, it's just a small slide switch I stole from a broken device, but a flip switch would be better though and should have better fittings.

It should look nice and tidy from the outside.

Not that I use it to be honest it is usually set to off but I do use ESR so it works fine that way

[grandta13]

there are 2 contacts just under it there is even plastic dividing the contacts, you might want a bit of glue gun glue on it after you solder a couple of wires in place

I tested if this would work by using a piece of wire to jump the connection. When I first ran the test, I did not realise that the rear sensor was not depressed, and shorting the connection consistently powered off the machine. Once I noticed that the rear sensor was not depressed, I depressed it and ran the test successfully. After a few successful tests, I removed the tape from the rear sensor to see if I could reproduce the results of the initial tests; I was unable to do so. Do you have any idea what might have caused this behaviour?

Note: I am not having any issues currently, but I would like to know the cause so that I can prevent this from happening when I perform a permanent mod.

[Zorlon]

No idea, never had that happen :/