What's the most modded console ever?

Ironically, the ps2 could be a linux server officially, without any mods...

I reckon in the UK anyway, the original Playstation is easily the most modded console, nearly everyone I know that had one had it modded, and I'm talking about school mates, not people interested idev, all in the name of pirate games of course.
Ps2 mods were MUCH less frequent though, I'd say the Xbox overtakes that.

Percentage wise, I'd say the PSP probably wins, soft mod of course.

Retro wise, the SNES is happily the winner, with the need to mod for 50/60hz and to play imports.

 

Interesting, I didn't know that about the PS2. But you needed to instal a HD though. Also would Linux run as fast and smoothly on it as it did on the Xbox?

Retro wise I would say the Mega Drive has more mods, including the Overclock mod @10MHZ, something I don't think its possible on the SNES.

 

by the numbers the PS1 is the most modded. It took 4 years before there was a crackdown on chips not running games. Modchips were cheap (50 bucks) and CD burners were getting common. It didn't take a lot to rip a PS1 ISO. PS1 chips were also really easy to install.

Second has to be the original Xbox. Very approachable design, unlike other units like the PS2 or Gamecube - there was no special ribbon cable or anything. The Xbox was a motherboard in a box, with the HDD and DVD-Rom on a tray. It wasn't complicated to open or put back together. It used standard molex connectors, allowing you to add LED fans or cathodes without any hassle. That's just aethestics, the modchip scene really blew open the Xbox and when softmods rolled out it was very common.

Then the PSP with firmware mods.

Then 4th most modded console goes to the Gameboy because of the chiptune scene, they're often painted or have backlight mods installed and a 1/8th audio jack as well.

And 5th place probably goes to either the Gamecube or Super NES. Super NES had a very easy import bypass that didn't require opening the console (if you had small enough pliers) and the early 90's is when import gaming started blowing up. The gamecube's region switch was discovered very early and a lot of Japanese games were worth importing. A lot of online import speciality shops were preinstalilng the region switch (NSCX for example) but the freeloader pretty much made it not required.

I knew a LOT of import gamers, growing up near seattle in a predominately asian city. There were a LOT of import game shops in the mid 90s where I lived - many would chip your console for you.

The stability of early PS2 modchips made it more logical to either WAIT for the domestic release, or just buy a japanese playstation. Swap magic didn't come out until 2003, and those early ones didn't have a fliptop - they just had that card to pop the tray back open. So a mod wasn't required.

 

Xbox couldn't have been modded more than the PS2. Many tens of thousands of PS2 at least would have been sold pre-modified in particular markets whereas Xbox was largely ignored in Asia and modding was driven by the Western warez scene. Also despite having to swap with early PS2 mods, such as the Neo Key (one wire install), they were cheap, widely available and very popular.

In terms of numbers, my guess for hardware:

#1 PS
#2 PS2
#3 360
#4/5/6 Xbox, GC or Saturn, no idea which order
#7 Wii
#8 DC

#? Mani Ltd. HK PAL Famicom, Super Famicom, PC Engines, French RGB-modded PC Engines, GC import switch

Guess for soft mods (no idea where PS3 fits):

#1 PSP
#2 Wii
#3 Xbox

 

I was talking from an american perspective Calpis. EVERYONE I know modded their Xbox, even before the softmods. They were easy to install - some Xbox revisions even could be chipped without soldering.

The PS2 chips were much faultier - I have never met someone in person that chipped their PS2. I didn't take into account the HDD mods or softmod now, that's my fault. You're right, worldwide the PS2 was modded much much more. In America though, I'd say the Xbox was.