PS2 Mod 2016-19: USB & HDD Loading, PS1 via POPS, Emus

My Retro Achievements Profile · Post by **Jagosaurus** » Thu Aug 04, 2016 5:27 pm

My PS2 Mod 2016-19: USB & HDD Loading, PS1 via POPS, Emulators
10/1/2018 Update - Now successfully have PS1 digital game images running via HDD also

Original Project Details:
What I originally had to work with:
- PS2 Slim (model SCHP-79001 date code 7C)
- FMCB v1.94 running on official PS2 8MB memory card
- IDE HDD to USB adapter
- Multiple fat32 formatted USB sticks

Hardware acquired early on in project:
- PS2 "fat" console (model number SCHP 39001 date code 3A)
- PS2 network adapter
- IDE 3.5" HDD (WD 250GB) > You will have to mod network adapter if you get a WD drive. I recommend going with another manufacturer.

My FMCB memory card came loaded with:
- FMCB (v 1.94)
- UlanchELF (v 4.42e_HDD)
- ESR GUI (Beta 9b)
- SMS - Simple Media System (v 2.9)
- Open PS2 Loader/OPL (v 0.9.2 vmc)
>> (updated to OPL 0.9.3 vmc 1/7/2017)
- HD Loader/HDL (version ?, file name is Clean HD Loader)
>> later updated HDL to Light HDLoader 0.8c (48bit)

Recent and helpful LINKS: (all links working as of 1/8/2017)

Why I Decided to Start This Project:

Additional & miscellaneous project thoughts/details/goals:

My Original Project Questions:
Thanks for the help everyone. Those new to thread will see others referencing these as #1-6 in the early post.

______ 9/14/2016 UPDATE: HDD LOADING WORKING ______
See page 4 of thread for more details

I'd encourage you to read through the thread to see my ups and downs, ha! as well as info on emulators/retro ROMS, loading via USB (including retail .isos), and PS2 slim capabilities... but wanted to post proof of concept here and let everyone know I did get retail PS2 .iso files running off the internal HDD (including JPN imports) on a fat PS2 via OPL: :mrgreen:

9/26/16: Multiple .iso files loaded & running:

1/8/2017: Below is the new stock OPL skin for 0.9.3. Pretty slick.

______ 1/8/2017 Project Updates:______
1. I did successfully rip a retail game within HD Loader & then load up within OPL.

The transfer typical rate was 941KB to 1000KB per second & it spiked up to 1454KB/s.

A 3GB DVD disc was ripped to HDD in 19 minutes.

For those of you familiar with the oXbox scene. This would be similar to using DVD2Xbox.

2. I upgraded to OPL/Open PS2 Loader version 0.9.3 (from 0.9.2).

There's a default new skin that looks really slick out of the gate. Also, increased compatibility and features reportedly.

PS2 Home Thread with Download Link:
OPL Project - v0.9.3 Official Release (link working 1/8/2017)

3. I did successfully use ImgBurn to rip my retail DVD copies of Resident Evil Code Veronica X and Primal on my PC. I tested both after transferring to PS2 HDD. Cut scenes and gameplay ran flawless with OPL 0.9.3.

1/16/2017: HAPPY TO UPDATE THAT RUNNING PS1 DIGITAL GAME FILES within POPStarter APP via USB LOADING IS WORKING!!!

Quick Summary:
You have to create a POPS Folder with the 2 respective app files. You then need to use a desktop app called CUE2POPS to convert your .bin/.cue PS1 file into a .vcd file. Forget using the slick GUI version. This crashed on my Windows 8 machine. Go with the CLI/Command Prompt version.

The folder named "Crash Bandicoot" you see is the VMC (virtual memory card) directory which will automatically be created by games that support it (after initial boot) for saving your game on the USB versus a mem card.

You have to rename the POPSTARTER.ELF as "XX.Exact Game Name as VCD File.elf"

Run your correctly named .elf file! and.... wait for it! seriously... after about a 15 count you'll see this glorious logo.

Crash Bandicoot is running great. Including cut scenes.

Updated 3/29/17
PS1 POPs testing via USB:

Percent Compatible: 78.26%
Sample Size: 23 games
18 of 23 working
GAME LIST TESTED:

______ 10/1/2018 Update - Now successfully have PS1 digital game images running via HDD also ______
See 10/1/18 posts

______ 9/17/2016 RETRO EMULATORS & MEDIA WORKING ______

Post by **JoeAwesome** » Thu Aug 04, 2016 7:33 pm

question 3: HD Loader is good for ripping from the disc drive, but compatibility is much better in OPL. That's the best way to use each.

Btw, USB streaming for games on the slim isn't that bad, but it depends on the game. I loaded up a 32GB stick on my slim with a dead laser, and it works great for several games.

Post by **nightrnr** » Fri Aug 05, 2016 4:43 am

1. oXbox does everything emulation better the PS2. The End, Bye Bye...
That said (and I only say that because All emulation on PS2 is a little off IMHO), I do get excited and obsessive on what you CAN do on the PS2.
SO......
PicoDrive is pretty neat.
http://ichiba.geocities.jp/ysai187/PS2/PicoDrive.htm
It is more compatible, faster, has more options, and plays Sega CD isos. Beats the other option (PGEN) in every way (well, except save games on the hard drive;just dedicate a flash drive for:
-loading the emulator and saves and Genesis games
-copy CD files to HDD (for faster loading)
-Make sure the mp3's for disc games are 44khz and stereo or it will freak out
PGEN is cool in its own way (love the menu music), but is very limited and takes FOREVER to load up if you have a large HDD (anything over 40GB). Try it out on your slim via a usb stick.

Other emulators I like include:
FCEUltra (Nintendo; I'll have to dig for the version(s) I liked)
Snes-Station (Super Nintendo; Don't expect much and the sound is fairly crap; I played through Super Metroid on this for the hell of it)
PSMS (Sega Master System; I think the button mappings were backwards, but found a switched version somewhere)
PS2PCE (PC Engine/Turbugrafx-16; don't expect much here either; one version likes USB Memory Card or Disc only but has Analog support, another likes HDD, and the config file hates each other and will permanently crash if you load the other one)
PS2InfoGB (Game Boy/Color, USB only, but pretty good, even if the GB ones are monochrome only)
PVCS: Atari 2600 Emulator (runs most everything very well, except paddle games

If you need links, let me know, otherwise browse here:
http://psx-scene.com/forums/ps2-homebrew-dev-emu-scene/

Oh and there's a pretty good (if simple) Doom 1/2 source port. I think it only displays in 240p or something though (so no HD gaming). You must modify settings directly to the configuration file, so not the most user friendly if you need to change things. Keep it on USB and I think it will load easy enough.
https://ps2homebrewing.wordpress.com/20 ... -v1-0-5-0/

2. Popstarter is AWESOME! (for the games it works for anyways) I gave up trying to play PS1 games digitally on PS2. Interested if you find a good way though.

3. Yes, some games like HDloader more: Case in point, SS6 on SS Anthology and World Heroes Perfect on WH Anthology I can only get to work on HDloader. No reason not to have another option available.

5. I keep mine on Memory Card; then if the HDD ever goes kaput, you still have options. But there is more you can do when on HDD, I think (direct loading of game isos?)

Post by **Ziggy** » Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:38 am

Jagosaurus wrote:- Download PS2 ISOs
(I have 105 or so PS2 games. Assume I own physical copies of them all and for time sake I am DLing files versus ripping, to avoid derailing this thread)

No one here cares if you are downloading games you don't own.

I'd advise against downloading the images if you own the game, you should just rip it yourself. Honestly, you can rip a disc quicker than you can download it. It's not about legality or morals, if you rip it yourself you'll know exactly what you have. If you download it, you really never know what you're getting. It could be a different version of the game, which could mess with your save files. The image could be messed up in some way that you don't know about until it's too late. It could have had patches applied to it, but was not advertised as such. Larger games are often uploaded as multiple parts, which is WAY more annoying than just ripping it yourself.

The only time downloading a game is better than ripping it yourself is if your disc is damaged and you can't make a 1:1 copy. Or maybe if you wanted a revision with bug fixes or something similar. Otherwise, just use ImgBurn. Rip DVDs to ISO, it'll only take a few minutes to rip a disc.

Also, just so you know, for the rare PS2 games that were on CDs and not DVDs, you'll have to make sure they're in the proper ISO format before you can play them off a HDD with OPL (you cannot boot BIN/CUE games off the HDD). There's guides out there that will show you how to do this (although you might be able to simply use ImgBurn, IIRC I've done it in the past). I wont blame you if you'd rather download an already converted image rather than doing this yourself, but it isn't a big deal after you figure it out.

Jagosaurus wrote:3. Any reason to DL HD Loader when I have OPL?

No, HDLoader and HDAdvance have been depreciated by OPL. The only thing you might want HDLoader for is ripping games to the HDD from the PS2 optical drive (which OPL can't do). But really, don't bother putting the wear and tear on your PS2's drive, this is sloooow anyway.

Some other tips...

I have some tips in this post. Noteworthy for you is how to extract and repack an ISO image. I gave the example of deleting game demos from images so your game takes up less space on the HDD. I've done this with other ISOs where I must have lost some dummy file in the process because the image size shrank substantially. Smaller images means more space on your HDD for games.

As far as I know, there are no defrag tools for PS2 HDDs. It'd be really nice if someone could right a defrag app that could be run from a PS2. Fragmentation isn't as much of a concern if you're using a HDD with the network adapter on a fat, but I've read it can be a hindrance for USB loading. If you dump games to your HDD and leave them there, you don't have to worry about fragmentation. It's only when you start removing games. To avoid fragmentation, you should remove games in the reverse order you installed them. Since this can be very unwanted if you have (for example) 50 games installed and you want to delete game 25, you'd have to remove 25 games. So, I suggest installing games to the HDD in an order that makes sense to you. Start with the games that you know you want on the HDD forever. That way if, down the road, you ever have to remove some games to make room for new games, you don't have to worry so much about fragmentation.

Me, I'd like to put a larger drive in my PS2, but I'm still using the 80GB drive that I had in there from the first time I set it up. Once you get the network transfer figured out, deleting a few games and adding others isn't that big of a chore. So that's what I've been doing.

This thread is from the last time I had a headache with the network transfer, it might be worth the read.

Post by **nightrnr** » Fri Aug 05, 2016 1:40 pm

Ziggy587 wrote: No one here cares if you are downloading games you don't own.

True, just don't publicly link to anything.
Also True about ripping your own games being way faster.

Ziggy587 wrote: Also, just so you know, for the rare PS2 games that were on CDs and not DVDs, you'll have to make sure they're in the proper ISO format before you can play them off a HDD with OPL (you cannot boot BIN/CUE games off the HDD). There's guides out there that will show you how to do this (although you might be able to simply use ImgBurn, IIRC I've done it in the past). I wont blame you if you'd rather download an already converted image rather than doing this yourself, but it isn't a big deal after you figure it out.

If you rename the bin with the iso extension, winhiip will convert it properly to the hard drive; at least it worked for me.

Ziggy587 wrote: I have some tips in this post. Noteworthy for you is how to extract and repack an ISO image. I gave the example of deleting game demos from images so your game takes up less space on the HDD. I've done this with other ISOs where I must have lost some dummy file in the process because the image size shrank substantially. Smaller images means more space on your HDD for games.

Can possibly cause issues with some games (Vampire Chronicles in particular). But useful for the majority I'm sure. I just don't take any chances with the PS2 games.

Ziggy587 wrote: Me, I'd like to put a larger drive in my PS2, but I'm still using the 80GB drive that I had in there from the first time I set it up. Once you get the network transfer figured out, deleting a few games and adding others isn't that big of a chore. So that's what I've been doing.

I'm using a 250GB drive and still filled it up easily. 500GB is my next upgrade, (probably in a whole different PS2).

Post by **Ziggy** » Fri Aug 05, 2016 2:29 pm

I was thinking about grabbing a SATA to PATA adapter and using a 2.5" SATA HDD, but meh, there's plenty of stuff I wanna do and this isn't toward the top of the list. I don't mind rotating games on/off the HDD. 80GB can still hold a good amount of games, and it's not like I am continuously playing dozens of games at the same time.

My Retro Achievements Profile · Post by **Jagosaurus** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 12:53 pm

Awesome feedback and advice so far!!! Thanks. Expected luke-warm responses as I'm so late to the party on this one

I have been sparingly testing out FMBC on my PS2 Slim the past couple nights while waiting to get the fat HDD set up in the door.

Successes so far:
- Mapping apps to home screen menu in main FMBC/PS2 Browser Config using uLaunchELF settings
- playing MP3s via USB in SMS
- playing .avi movie via USB in SMS

I was acutally pretty impressed with the movie playback. I set SMS to 1080i and was upscaling a 720 x 480 .avi file. I watched Waiting via USB. Pretty cool novelty.

My cheap little BR player via play 1080p MKVs via USB but hey, why not try it out on the PS2. Limited to 480 base resolution and 4GB .avi files but I have some movie files that meet those parameters.

To answer my own question, it does look like you can load music and movies directly from the HDD. Via SKS Apps:

This is the moment that everyone waited for!! Now you can play mpeg4 movies (divx ) directly from your HDD!!! We compiled a version that can read a video.avi file from the partition +AVI (max 4gb).

Hiccups so far:
- Couldn't get FCEUltra NES emulator to boot. Tried 3 different file sources. Going to try other emus today and other file versions of FCE.
- Couldn't load an image as background for SMS. Think it may have to be a "skin" versus a stock photo. Need to research that one more. The stock SMS logo isn't very eye appealing lol. Looks like a Windows 95 program.

@Joe, plan on giving games/ISOs via USB on the Slim a try today or tomorrow. Long term plan is the HDD but definitely giving it a shot.

@nightrnr, thanks for input man. Will look into those emus. First I had saw of PicoDrive! Agree regarding oXbox emu. My mind was also BLOWN the first tome I saw XBMC playing moving over the LAN (2007 IIRC). Again, I'm with you. Just really interesting in seeing what the PS2 can do here in addition to just playing ISOs.

Yeah looks like for digital PS1 games, the PSIO project might be the way to go although soldering is required. Would be awesome to get it done through the FMCB route. Kind of surprise no one ever figured this one out, based on my recent searches any way.

@ziggy, Thanks, will bookmark that guide and nice info on dumping games over the LAN. Good point about knowing exactly what you're ripping versus a DL.

Oh & trust me on the disclaimer, I've some social justice warriors PM me about ROMs, etc over the years, not here though. One of the reasons I enjoy RB. Minimal drama. I will openly admit part of this is to save spacing and watching funds moving forward. Folks can use context clues there :lol:

. I also don't see these disc drives lasting another 15+ years. Even discs will begin biting the dust over time. I think it's important from a preservation sense.

I also looked into the IDE to PATA route, but I think we have some old drives laying around work, and I just found a new old stock 250GB Western Digital drive for $20 on ebay. Not bad.

More updates to come!!! Thanks again for the input. Off to try out PGEN for Genesis emu & find some ISOs that will fit on my smaller 4GB USB sticks (I left my 8GB guy at work by accident).

Post by **Ziggy** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 1:07 pm

Jagosaurus wrote:I also don't see these disc drives lasting another 15+ years. Even discs will begin biting the dust over time. I think it's important from a preservation sense.

+1, that's why I'm doing it. I try and not use the optical drive in my PS2 as much as possible.

Jagosaurus wrote:and I just found a new old stock 250GB Western Digital drive for $20 on ebay. Not bad.

That's awesome, but I'm afraid to buy drives off eBay. Some years back (which is the last time I bought a HDD off eBay) I bought a NOS OEM (no retail packaging but brand new) 160GB PATA drive off eBay. The seller had good feedback, and the drive was described as new but from bulk, so no retail packaging. As far as I know, the drive was brand new when I got it. However, I couldn't format it. I emailed the seller, thinking the drive was dead, and he replied with "Oh yeah, sorry, these special instructions were supposed to be included with that drive." It turns out the firmware on the drive was for a DVD recorder, and you needed to do something special to be able to format it on a PC. You had to set an optical drive as master, the HDD as slave, and use a Windows install disk to format it. At least, I THINK that's what it was. I was using that drive for a few different things, but I eventually deleted all the partitions and now I need to reformat it. I've been too lazy to try and figure out what the process was, as I've lost those special instructions years ago.

That kinda turned me off to buying HDDs on eBay. It WAS brand new, but I wouldn't have bought it if I knew the whole story.

My Retro Achievements Profile · Post by **Jagosaurus** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 4:22 pm

Yikes regarding HDD. Hopefully my experience will be better.

Okay!!! Have FECUltra 0.9.3 running for NES emu. Tested out Tiger Heli and SMB3.

Seems to run pretty well. Not perfect, but pretty decent. Button mapping was correct in my eyes.

So my previous issue was trying to run the 240i emus over component. My LCD did not like that which I knew but didn't think of a midnight... :roll:

Move to a composite cable, all is good.

Current Snag:
I can't get PGEN to recognize Genesis ROMs. Emu itseld loads up fine. Start browsing file paths and no ROMs where I know they are. Tried on both USB and moved them over to mem card as well? Do they need to be a specific file type or in a certain folder? :?:

I'm using the normal .md files. Thanks!

Post by **nightrnr** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:15 pm

I can't remember what PGEN expects and away from home right now.
Should load roms from USB without issue. I'll help tomorrow if I can.

I made a mistake about the PC Engine emulators though. There is no USB rom loading. It's HDD for one or Memory card and disc for the other.
I think the memory card version had analog support while the HDD version was digital pad only.
Still a poor emulator.

racketboy.com

PS2 Mod 2016-19: USB & HDD Loading, PS1 via POPS, Emus

PS2 Mod 2016-19: USB & HDD Loading, PS1 via POPS, Emus

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