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[citan]

How can you play import games on a US PS2? Is there a way of doing it without modifying it?

 

[isamu]

How can you play import games on a US PS2? Is there a way of doing it without modifying it?

You can't mod a PS2. You must have already owned an official Japanese system to play imports. I bought the game to put on my shelf and admire the artwork on both the keep case and the disc itself.

 

[BuddyC]

How can you play import games on a US PS2? Is there a way of doing it without modifying it?

There are multiple ways to play imports on a PS2, including various mod chip solutions (which must be installed) and boot discs (such as Swap Magic, which require much less modification but necessitate disc-swapping every time you boot). Additionally, there's also the "buy import hardware route."

What model PS2 do you have, the old bulky unit or the more recent slimline PStwo?

EDIT: Seperating this into its own thread should get faster and more detailed answers.

 

[jarosh]

yep. works wonderful for me.

http://www.swapmagic3.com/

yeah, the whole process is a little annoying but nothing that should put you off

 

[Johnny]

Just import a PStwo, they're cheap enough at this point.

 

[Varuna]

Just import a PStwo, they're cheap enough at this point.

Cheap? Before I bought my slide card / swap magic combo (works great,) I couldn't find a new ntsc-j PS2 for any less than $259.99 shipped on E-Bay or elsewhere.

How can you play import games on a US PS2? Is there a way of doing it without modifying it?

Check this out:

http://www.modchipstore.com/PS2-Slide-Card-Swap-Magic-Combo-16158.html

Is your PS2 FatLine or SlimLine?

 

[rafman400]

You can't mod a PS2. You must have already owned an official Japanese system to play imports. I bought the game to put on my shelf and admire the artwork on both the keep case and the disc itself.

i kno you can mod PS2 slim to play jap games and im pretty sure you can mod a normal 1 too.
ant1532 did both. All you need is magic.

 

[ant1532]

Once I get my new camera I'll make an offical thread with guiding pics on how to use swapmagic with Slim Ps2 the simple easy way. (i'll also might show the way to do fat ps2.)

 

[distantmantra]

I ordered a flip top case with Swap Magic for my old style PS2 the other day so I can gorge myself on imports while in Japan next month. I think I paid $30 for the whole set up, now I just have to switch outer cases...

 

[LegatoB]

If you've got some screwdrivers of various sizes and have any confidence in your skill with them, I'd highly recommend a flip-top lid. It's cheap, it's fairly easy to install, and probably the most compatible of the modding solutions from what I've heard and experienced. The only catch would be that you will need a screwdriver with a very small head to perform part of the operation on a Fat PS2, but you should have a set of screwdrivers anyway; you never know when you'll need one.

In theory, it's possible to set up a harddrive installation in your PS2 and run games from various regions from that without modding your console, but the procedure for doing this (and getting import games onto the harddrive) are way more complicated and honestly don't sound like they're worth the trouble unless you're playing something with really, really bad loading times.

 

[Furoba]

Be like me, buy a EU/US/JPN PS2... and grow a hardware fetish. (almost bought a third GameCube too...)

 

[NotMSRP]

Info on the harddrive method? Is there a method yet for the slim version?
Wasn't HDLoader ordered by Sony to stop selling but they did anyways and got sued again or something?

 

[Nozi]

I used to use Swapmagic, crude but effective

 

[callous]

In theory, it's possible to set up a harddrive installation in your PS2 and run games from various regions from that without modding your console, but the procedure for doing this (and getting import games onto the harddrive) are way more complicated and honestly don't sound like they're worth the trouble unless you're playing something with really, really bad loading times.

Getting them on there is exactly the same as loading them with Swap Magic. And trust me, once you start playing PS2 games from a HDD by just turning on your PS2, leaning back and choosing from a list of games on screen that then play almost without load times .... plus after you're done, you just hit the power button without having to put any shit back into place ... well, you'll never go back.

 

[Aridyme]

Getting them on there is exactly the same as loading them with Swap Magic. And trust me, once you start playing PS2 games from a HDD by just turning on your PS2, leaning back and choosing from a list of games on screen that then play almost without load times .... plus after you're done, you just hit the power button without having to put any shit back into place ... well, you'll never go back.

Seconded. This is how I play domestic games on my unmodded import PS2 and it's great.

 

[bluemax]

Slim PS2 + a piece of tape + a portion of a drinking straw + swap magic == import capable playing PS2.

I bought the ghost clips or magic clips or whatever but at most you only need one of the two pieces of plastic it comes with.

 

[MegaTen]

Be like me, buy a EU/US/JPN PS2... and grow a hardware fetish. (almost bought a third GameCube too...)

The only way to go.

 

[rafman400]

The only way to go.

if you have $$$

 

[Adam Blade]

if you have $$$

 

[Auron]

At first I tried the Slide Card / Magic Disc route. It worked, but too much of a hassle.

So I went ahead and picked up a flip-top for $15. It didn't take too long to switch over, and it works great. I just use the Magic Discs from the Slide Card kit.

 

[meltpotato]

if you have $$$

eh... i have a JPN and NA, but i've actually just gone to playing imports on my NA slimline. Hving two hooked up is a bitch and takes p way too much space. definitely not the only way to go, regardless.