A noob trying to play PS1 imports and "backups", help please.

Anyone here on Assembler Games on the PlayStation importing scene? I'd like some help.

The purpose here is to play burned PS1 discs like that Rockman 8 prototype, and to play my real copies of Rockman DASH, and Biohazard: Dual Shock Version on my PlayStation 2 Slim SCPH-70001 and PSone consoles. I understand there are "creative" methods to accomplish this.

The most common ones I find on the internet are using a sort of double disc swapping method that involves a real PS1 disc and a burned/imported one, and you have to repeatedly swap them both in a timed, instant fashion. Which I have tried doing that with just my PSone console many, many times to no luck. I find it to be complicated and stupid, and I'm sick of trying that.

Another is actually opening up your console (PS2 or PSone), and soldiering mod-chips into the console. I'm willing to do that with just my PSone console, but I ain't tampering with my PS2 Slim. It looks complicated, but it does sound fun to experiment, though.

Finally, and possibly the most costly, is buying one of those Breaker Pro discs for $20 USD which "allows playing PS-One import games and backup games on PS-One and PS2 game console without any internal modification". Sounds exactly what I want. With it, you only have to swap a disc once and not have to rush, unlike the first method mention above. I don't know if it scam, though. It does sound too good to be true.

I also have Action Replay for PS1, and Action Replay MAX for PS2. Could I use those?

Do you recommend that I invest on a Breaker Pro disc, or is there some other unlisted method that I haven't touched upon or don't know about?

 

I have PSX/PSone chips and I also have a PSX SCPH-5501 that plays Domestic and Imports for sale.
I do not recommend the swap trick.
Never used breaker pro but I heard good things about it.
Best option will be a chip.

 

Chips are the best. Disc swapping is possible but it puts a lot of strain on the motor you can potentially ruin your discs in the process. I too have a model for sale as well.

 

It will ruin the spindle hub too... then the discs won't play correctly. Like the others said, a chip is the best option, and will allow you to play games with a disc change midgame, easily (like Metal gear Solid).

 

If you can't install a chip yourself I would recommend you just buy a modded PS1. It shouldn't cost that much. It's the best way to play imports and cd-rs. The Swap Trick really does work and I used to do that long ago. There is also the much safer and easier swap trick with the Action Replay cartridges. But really you can make PS1 modchips yourself now if you have to so there is really no reason not to get a modded unit, particularly when PS1 consoles are very cheap.

 

Go on, please...

Mmm... Where's the best place for cheap PS1 modded consoles?

EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it. There is a (small) reason not to get a modded unit. What if it breaks down on me suddenly? What if the unit fries while it's loading a disc? With a Breaker/Swap Magic PS1 disc, I can just swap a disc only once and not have to do any physical tricks like applying tape to the PS1 or PS2's sensors or whatever, and I can use it on any of my PS consoles. I'm not necessarily saying your wrong, I'm just looking at this the other way.

 

Cheapest chips:
http://www.eurasia.nu/

Be warned, it takes something like two weeks to get your chip as they ship out of Thailand. Either I or Jinn would be the best source for a modded PS1 *right now* as I honestly know of no one else with them sitting around to be shipped out.

Not to sound like a pushy salesman...eBay occasionally has one listed but they're almost always under obscure terminology to hide them from eBays rejection squad.

As for the Action Replay carts, they pop into the back on a Playstation on the right side. Boot up the console with a pressed disc (demos are a favorite) wait for it to stop spinning and swap in your burnt copy. I don't think they work well with multi-disc games though or at all honestly.

EDIT:
I can personally confirm this sort of device works too:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Gameshark-Plays...pt=US_Vintage_Video_Games&hash=item3365e4fb2c

Not my auction, but a friend of mine had this same exact model years ago. Unlike most of the ones floating around that are non-GameShark models this one had the same code (it originally was stolen by someone and modified to work in any parallel port addon) but instead of spinning down it wouldn't. However once you got to the GameShark's menu you could just swap the disc and it'd play a backup just fine.

Bit unnerving at first though.

 

This is exactly what I don't want to do. =/ As I've said already, I've tried this so many times to no success, I'm sick of trying.

 

Breaks down? What do you mean? There is only 1 part that might "break down" which is the laser assembly. If that happens, you can buy a new one for pretty cheap and install it with nothing more than a standard screw driver.

Swap discs like Breaker Pro will not work with games that use Audio Tracks. Also when you swap discs the laser doesn't calibrate itself to read the disc properly since it is calibrated for the previous disc from what I've heard. Thus you are putting potentially more wear on your laser by using a Swap Method.

So again, just buy a modded console. Unless you drop it or smash it then it won't break. Only the Laser Assembly might eventually wear out. If/when that happens it is a simple fix to keep using your modded console.

I would recommend buying a Stealth Modded console to avoid having to worry about Anti-Mod games. Also if you did use Swap tricks some Anti-Mod games will also detect Swap Tricks so you'd have to have codes or patches, unlike a Stealth Modded console.

By the way, the Swap Trick doesn't work on a PSOne console. I'm not sure if it even works on the Model 900x series. It does work on the SCPH 750x series and below. I used to do it on my 7501. It required like 3 disc swaps.

 

I have a few chips left.
I also have a PSone [SCPH-101] Stealth Modded but the laser is bad. In your post it states you have a PSone. You can just swap Laser Assemblies. If you want it let me know and we can work out a deal.

 

OK.

Sounds neat, you know a good place to buy them from? How much they go for?

I have no idea what how you do that or even what a Laser Assembly is. Care to tell? =)

 

It depends on whether the game requires a swap mid-game or not... if it does (e.g., Metal Gear Solid), then you are out of luck. However, if the game lets you load up a save and start from the next disc (Final Fantasy series, for example), then it will work.

Funnily enough, my current modded PS1 (SCPH-1002) was from eBay. The guy didn't list it as such, but once I got it home (I collected it myself), I was happy to see that it could play backups without the swap trick.

 

Things to look for on eBay UK for any modded machine be it PSX, PS2 or Xbox etc are words like 'enhanced' and 'special', anything else usually gets pulled. But anyway, a chipped machine is the only way to guarantee you can play anything and everything. As for a unit breaking, PSX's and PSOnes are almost cheap enough these days to be disposable. If your machine does go tits up just remove the mod chip, buy another model the same as you've just lost and re-install the same chip into the new unit. Simple :nod:

 

Modding your PS2 would be best, but you can also use a Gold Finger on a Phat PS1.

 

"Laser assembly" is the optical drive in the Playstation. These are trivial to swap out so if your chipped Playstation's laser dies (which is pretty common regardless of which method you end up using for burned games) you just buy another of the same model and swap the drives, no need to resolder the modchip.

 

Ive been looking for a modded ps1 myself, based in uk tho and most i see for sale are in the us. Ive sort of been holding out that someone would start work on the ps3sx emulator on ps3 but thats dead in the water.

 

Alright, I just visited that site and found this list of modchips for PSone: http://www.eurasia.nu/shop/default.php?cPath=52 Which do I choose?

Sound solution to a problem I have for my PSX SCPH-1001 console. It just dies often.

Did I mention I have a PSone, and PSX SCPH-1001 console too?

 

Id suggest the one for your region Keiji

 

I see that, but I also see this (Kynar wire 30awg) but do I need it? Or can I just use any kind of wire?

Also, even with a chipped console is there is swapping involved?

 

Almost any kind of wire will do.

Those are decent prices on the modchips, anyway. Any more than that is a ripoff.