How to get the BEST PlayStation 2 in 2022

Around 2012-2014, my father's friend gave me & my siblings his PS2 Slim as a gift, since we're very close with him and he probably didn't need it at the time. But sadly during 2014, he passed away in a car accident as he drove fast because he was late for work, in which he overshot a turn, fell off a short ledge and hit a tree. I was very dismayed as I was only 9 years old and formed a 'foster father' bond as he treats me like his own son. As I saw this video, it reminded me about the PS2, now broken and dusty. I'll find a way in the future to restore the PS2 and cherish it as much as I can as now I am a tech enthusiast and appreciate tech better than before.

Here in Brazil we LOVE the ps2. Even today, q lot of people still play the ps2, mainly a PES mod called BOMBA PATCH, which updates almost every week, keeping the teams and players just like they are irl. I also have a ps2 and I use an 120gb hdd to play my games.

I personally use the Network Storage method of playing my backups, since it works for my particular setup. I actually did mod my network adapter for my "Fat" PS2 to be able to both use SATA HDDs and Network capabilities simultaneously, but I quickly realized how much more convenient Network Storage was. It essentially cut out the middle man of having to pull out my hdd every time I wanted to load it with a new game. With Network Storage, all I have to do is rip my PS2 disc directly to a folder on my PC, and bam! The game instantly appears in OPL. I don't have to restart the PS2 or anything, just press Select in OPL to refresh the menu. Sure, Network storage isn't technically as good as the internal hdd, and some FMVs still skip a little here and there, but the convenience of adding new games on the fly is unmatched. It's also probably the best way to play backups on a slim PS2 without having to resort to either complicated soldering, or burning 50 DVDs and wearing out the disc drive. (Not to mention the Slim model's tendency to destroy discs over time.)

2:04 he’s a genius! why do we say double-u-double-u-double-u-dot? triple double u saves an entire 5 syllables!

Thats a lot of work to play the PS2 version of Sonic Heroes

Here in Brazil, the grey market was basically the only way to have a ps2, so almost, if not all of them, have modchips installed by default. Gaming is hella expensive here, so piracy is a staple. Good to know about the ps1 thing, i'll try to play some games in my ps2 eventually.

PS2 GANG RISE UP

You forgot to mention the other new method which is still in the works for slims, which is the MX4SIO method, which is basically using a microSD card over the memory card bus, which is about 50% faster than the PS2's USB ports, and solves the stutter issue on a number of games. It's still a work in progress, hence it's not for all games yet, and you only have to mod a memory card.

In all my years of modding consoles I don't know if I've ever seen a guide that breaks down exactly how the mods achieve the desired end result that was as detailed as this. Holy smokes and thank you!

I was surprised you didn’t mention all the devices designed with Swap Magic in mind. The flip top on the OG PS2 was the “soft mod” of 2003. They’re super rare now but were the easiest way to play burned games.

For the record, there is another method for playing backup/import PS1 discs without a modchip, some PS1 hotswap discs (like the Breaker Pro) still work on PS2, or were modified to do so

Funnily enough, finding my old PS2 and looking into OPL is what has started me on my journey of modding my old consoles, which is what eventually lead me to your channel! Now i have multiple Everdrives, and a Dreamcast with a GDEmu (which i think would be a good one for your channel, such an easy ODE to install!) and have ordered an Xbox so i can mod it. Anyway, love your stuff!

A little tip regarding the FAT HDD bay. I did this a few years ago, but I installed a cheap IDE to SD card converter from aliexpress instead of a HDD. Also I put in a SD card extension cable, so I can just slot in the SD card from the front of the console. It worked like a dream. Looks clean, is dead silent, and it's super fast too. I think both items cost me less than $10 back then.

I love your vids man keep up the great work and great content.

It's 5:40 here in argentina just stood awake for the video

Key thing to note about mechapwn though : From what i've found, while setting a console as Debug will bypass region checks and play imports, the game's video output will be determined based on the patch region you chose. What it means : If you play a PAL PS1 game on as NTSC-patched debug console, the game will play too fast and not display properly. The other way around, an NTSC game played ona PAL-Patched debug will make the game play slower and appear squished on screen. (Tested on the last PS2 Slim model : SCPH-9000X) PS2 Slims are still great to use. On the latest slim models (SCPH-9000X, with the integrated power supply), you can get OpenTuna on the memory card to lauch OPL or LaunchElf. For network storage, you can use a decent size USB Stick to store the games, and combine it with a Wireless Router with a USB Plug that can act as a filesharing server.

Great overview. I really needed something like this. Sources of this kind of information are out there, but it's hard to sift through it all and I've been wanting a convenient overview of everything that's possible. Well done!

I always love how you use those cracktros chiptune music, it gives your video that '90s BBS or early internet scene vibe.

ya know, a lot of videos don't get me excited anymore these days but this is the most intrigued and excited I've been in a couple of months. I love your uploads and always look forward to the next.

What, you'd never heard "triple-double-u" before?