PS2 Slim

[Jaz]

I'm thinking of purchasing a PS2 slim. Can anyone advise me as to:

Is SCPH-90000 the latest revision?

Will it also run PS1 games?

Will a Swap Magic work on this and allow me to run games from any region?

What is a magic switch???

Cheers,

Jaz

[SuperDanX]

SCPH-90000 is the latest extra slim revision with an internal power supply, it will also play ps1 games. Dunno about swap magic.

[dvdx2]

just get yourself a chipped ps2 (they come up on this board all the time - which will play anything you through at it/any region). Never really could understand all this swap magic/disc swapping fannying about.....

[fallenangle]

Legal, cheap, easy to use particularly with PS2 slimlines and, mostly, reliable.

[sj33]

Easy to transfer to a new console too. When my DMS4 Pro-modded PS2 dies, there won't be much I can do.

[topper]

Is this a good time to point to the modded PS2 in my sales thread?

[fallenangle]

Having said Swap-Magic is cheap I've been looking around for it and even without the designed for PS2 slimline modding bits the discs alone will cost you over ?20 in the UK (I can't find it listed on eBay at all).

The replacement tray front for fat PS2s seems to be out of stock everywhere although the slide card is available it is often at a ridiculous price now (?3.85). When I bought my Swap-Magic set two years ago (?12) the shop sent me the extra slide card and tray front I wanted at no additional cost.

When you're talking about spending ?20+ it does make considering buying a second-hand chipped PS2 instead a justifiable option.

[Darwock]

Nobody has actually told him what it is yet.

The magic switch is a set of three small metal widgets. You fix them to various points inside the slim PS2 and it lets you open the lid without the machine knowing (and that lets swap magic work).

They have sticky backs so it's easy to fix them, or at least 2 of the 3 are easy - the third one has a metal spoke on it that has to be inserted into a hole at the back, which is a bit fiddly.

It's FAAAR easier than doing the case replacement that was required for the fat PS2.

[fallenangle]

We don't actually know if the existing SM modding switches work with the new model PS2 Slimline.

Agree about the fat PS2 replacement case. Worse waste of money I've had in recent years. Trying to get that badly made piece of tat work properly was a, dispiriting, game in itself.

[Jaz]

Am I correct in thinking if I pickup a PAL PS2 and mod it I can run NTSC games full screen? I remember having Tekken on my original PAL PS2 and it was bordered to hell.

[fallenangle]

It should mean that, yes. Where the PAL version didn't have a 60Hz option (and perhaps more importantly: progressive scan) and ran with borders such as, notoriously, the original Devil May Cry you'll get all the benefits in being able to pay the NTSC version.

Many and certainly most later PAL PS2 games had a 60Hz option so there's no advantage in buying the NTSC versions UNLESS you can use the progressive scan option they more often additionally supported. Gran Turismo 4 is a good example of this but, unfortunately, it's a dual-layer disc game and not compatible with Swap-Magic.

Strange you should mention Tekken because that is an odd case. I don't know which one you're refering to but PAL Tekken 4 had 60Hz and progressive scan but no WS (widescreen) support ie. it was 4:3 only. PAL Tekken 5 has 60Hz but no progressive scan and the WS option is a horrible, cheap, zoomed in display which cuts the fighters feet off. I have been told (but you'll have to check) that the NTSC version does the same in WS mode BUT it has the benefit of supporting progressive scan.

Wiki has a reasonably accurate list of PAL/NTSC PS2 games which support/don't support progressive scan 480p but a couple of links that might be useful:-

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/915821/29981

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/176791

NB. that second list of Swap-Magic compatible/non-compatible games hasn't been updated for 3 years but is the most comprehensive list I can find.