The PlayStation 2 (PS2) was the best-selling console with over 150 million units sold. To combat piracy, Sony developed a more complex copy protection scheme, including a watermark on the discs and an encryption key. However, modders were able to bypass these security measures using various methods, including:
1. Modchips: The first modchips required a swap trick, where the original disc was swapped with a backup copy after the system had authenticated the original. Later modchips, such as the Messiah, did not require a swap.
2. Swap Magic: A technique that used a specially designed disc to bypass the eject sensor, allowing users to swap in a backup copy without the system detecting it.
3. FreeMCBoot: A method that uses a memory card to load a custom menu, allowing users to run homebrew, browse files, and boot backups. FreeMCBoot works by tricking the system into thinking the memory card contains an official update.
Sony's attempts to patch out these exploits were ultimately unsuccessful, and the community continued to develop new methods to defeat the system's security. Today, the most popular method for running PS2 backups is the Open PS2 Loader (OPL), which allows users to boot and run unmodified disc images from external devices.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Sony PlayStation 2 is still the world's largest-selling console with over 150 million units sold.
2. The PlayStation 2 has a more elaborate copy protection scheme than the PlayStation 1.
3. The PlayStation 1 has a region-lock system, and there is no EEPROM or jumper setting on the motherboard to change it.
4. Original PlayStation 1 discs have a watermark that contains the region code of the game.
5. Consumer-grade CD burners cannot write the watermark onto a disc.
6. The PlayStation 2 has a similar watermark to the PlayStation 1, but it is more complex.
7. The PlayStation 2's copy protection is stored in the first 16 sectors of the disc.
8. The key to decrypt the logo is in the watermark data.
9. The decryption key is also encrypted using the product code of the disc.
10. The PlayStation 2's Mechacon chip controls the CD and DVD drive.
11. Original PlayStation 2 DVDs have a media flag setting of DVD-ROM.
12. Making a simple copy of a game DVD would not boot because the book type or media flag would be set to DVD+R.
13. The Neo Key modchip worked by inserting an Action Replay disc and then swapping it with the real game.
14. The Messiah modchip was the first no-swap modchip for the PlayStation 2.
15. Sony won a landmark case against David Bell, who was selling and installing Messiah chips.
16. The Swap Magic trick allows swapping of PlayStation 2 discs without the system being aware.
17. The Swap Magic disc has the watermark and all authentication checks in place.
18. FreeMCBoot is a method of loading homebrew code from a memory card.
19. The PlayStation 2 was designed to be upgradable using the memory card.
20. Sony released an update disc in Japan, but it was quickly scrapped as it was too easy to bypass.
21. FreeMCBoot works on almost all PlayStation 2 hardware, including the original Phat models and all Slim models up to the 9000x model.
22. FreeMCBoot also runs on the Japanese PSX.
23. The Open PS2 Loader (OPL) allows unmodified disc images or ISOs to boot and run from external USB, hard drives, and network shares.
24. The OPL is the most popular method of running PS2 backups today.