PlayStation 2 homebrew

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Homebrew for the PlayStation 2 refers to the independent development of video games by hobbyists for the PlayStation 2 video game console.

Sony released a Linux-based operating system for the PS2 in a package that also includes a keyboard, mouse, Ethernet adapter and HDD. Currently, Sony's online store states that the Linux kit is no longer for sale in North America. However, as of July 2005, the European version was still available. The kit boots by installing a proprietary interface, the run-time environment, which is on a region-coded DVD, so the European and North America kits only work with a PS2 from their respective regions.

In Europe and Australia, the PS2 came with a free Yabasic interpreter on the bundled demo disc for some time. This allows simple programs to be created for the PS2 by the end-user. This was included in a failed attempt to circumvent a UK tax by defining the console as a "computer" if it contained certain software. [1]

A port of the NetBSD project and BlackRhino GNU/Linux, an alternative Debian-based distribution, are also available for the PS2.

Using homebrew programs (e.g. 'SMS Media Player' [2] ) it is possible to listen to various audio file formats (MP3, OMA, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, FLAC, AC3), and watch various video formats (DivX/XviD, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4-ASP in AVI Container) using the console. Media can be played from any device connected to the console i.e. external USB/FireWire/thumb drive/hard disk drive (FAT32 only), the internal hard disk on early revision consoles, optical CD-R(W)/DVD±R(W) disks (modded systems or patched disks), or network shares (Windows Network or PS2 host: protocol).

Homebrew programs can be launched directly from a memory card on unmodified consoles by using certain software that takes advantage of a long known and used exploit, dealing with the boot part of the EE/IOP process (Independence).

A more recent development (May 2008) called Free McBoot allows homebrew programs to be launched without a trigger disc required by the older exploit. This also allows use of homebrew on unmodded systems without a functional disc drive. However, installation of the exploit to each individual memory card requires either an already exploited/modded system in order to launch the installer, or boot image that can load an app that loads ELF files (network adapter and hard drive also required). Copying from one memory card to another will not work. This newer exploit will not work on the very newest PS2s (SCPH-9000x model with BIOS 2.30 and up) but will work on all models prior to that. The newest versions of Free McBoot, version 1.90 and newer, also have the ability to install and boot from both Sony and non-Sony HDDs when using a "fat" PS2 and network adapter. [3] This support is called Free HDBoot or FHDB. With a few minor issues, it is now possible to game entirely from the HDD, without needing to use the optical disc drive nor a physical memory card.

Homebrew programs can be used to play patched backups of original PS2 DVD games on unmodified consoles, and to install retail discs to an installed hard drive on older models (ESR, HD Loader, HD Advance, Open PS2 Loader).

Homebrew emulators of older computer and gaming systems have been developed for the PS2. [4]

A new exploit (June 2020) called FreeDVDBoot allows homebrew programs and game backups to be launched from a burned DVD from the disc drive. This makes it really convenient to run homebrew and game backups with ease, more conveniently for the newer slim models that don't have any easy way of doing so. It is currently compatible with all PS2 Slim models. It works on certain DVD Player versions of the PS2 as of right now, and will eventually be ported to all DVD Player versions which will allow all PS2 Fat models to run the exploit. This exploit also makes it easier than ever to install Free McBoot onto a memory card or Free HDBoot onto a hard drive without having to use another method of doing so. The exploit tricks the PS2 into thinking it's reading a DVD movie when it's really booting a game backup or homebrew program, similarly to how ESR does. With uLaunchELF being the initial program that is launched, the user can have multiple homebrew programs on the disc or on a connected FAT32 formatted USB device that can be launched on the console.

See also

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Live CD

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Swap Magic is a specialized PlayStation 2 game disc used for tricking the console into reading non-retail or burned game discs, homebrew software, or games outside the console's region. The software has existed since at least mid-2003, with several different versions of the disc having been developed.

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Linux for PlayStation 2

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HD Loader is a program for the PlayStation 2 video game console which allows users to play games installed on the optional hard drive peripheral via PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor. The games can be copied to the hard drive from within the program, or by using a computer with image dumping software that outputs to a specific custom format.

PlayStation Broadband Navigator is software for Japanese PlayStation 2 consoles that formats a hard disk drive for use with those consoles and provides an interface for manipulating data on that hard disk drive. It only works with official PlayStation 2 HDD units.

AVCHD is a file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video. It is H.264 and Dolby AC-3 packaged into the MPEG transport stream, with a set of constraints designed around the camcorders.

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OtherOS was a feature available in early versions of the PlayStation 3 video game console that allowed user installed software, such as Linux or FreeBSD, to run on the system. The feature is not available in newer models and was removed from older models through system firmware update 3.21, released April 1, 2010.

PlayStation 3 technical specifications Overview of the PlayStation 3 technical specifications

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PlayStation 2 Video game console

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MOD and TOD are recording formats for use in digital tapeless camcorders. The formats are comparable to XDCAM EX, HDV and AVCHD.

PlayStation 3 Jailbreak

PlayStation Jailbreak was the first Universal Serial Bus chipset that allows unauthorized code execution, such as homebrew, on the PlayStation 3. It bypasses a system security check using a memory exploit which occurs with USB devices that allows the execution of unsigned code. One of the most popular pieces of homebrew software used with the device is Backup Manager, which allows users to copy game titles from the optical media to the hard drive of the PlayStation 3. Backup Manager can also be used to run homebrew applications that are created to run in the console's native mode.

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PlayStation 2 technical specifications Overview of the technical specifications of the PlayStation 2

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PlayStation 2 models

There were many revisions of the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in its history from 2000 to 2013, some only of internal construction and others involving substantial external changes. These are colloquially known among PS2 hardware hackers as V0, V1, V2, ..., V18. Each region receives a different model number; for example, the V18 was released in North America as SCPH-90001, in Australia as SCPH-90002, and in Hong Kong as SCPH-90006. The final digit is a region code with no bearing on the hardware; many games and DVDs are restricted to certain regions, and the system software displays in different languages.

Custom firmware, also known as aftermarket firmware, is an unofficial new or modified version of firmware created by third parties on devices such as video game consoles and various embedded device types to provide new features or to unlock hidden functionality. In the video game console community, the term is often written as custom firmware or simply CFW, referring to an altered version of the original system software inside a video game console such as the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS.

References

  1. ↑ Brightman, James (June 20, 2006). "U.K. Court: PS2 Not a Computer". GameDaily. Archived from the original on May 4, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ Simple Media System for PlayStation 2 – http://home.casema.nl/eugene_plotnikov/
  3. ↑ FMCB 1.9 series release thread - http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/fmcb-v1-9-series-release-thread-116247/
  4. ↑ PS2 Emulators – http://www.sksapps.com/index.php?page=emus.html Archived 2008-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
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