Vulnerabilities
Modchips
See Modchips.
PS2 Independence
Released on 15-08-2003 by Marcus R. Brown <[email protected]>.
Homebrew programs can be launched directly from a memory card on unmodified consoles by using certain software that takes advantage of a long known and used exploit, dealing with the boot part of the EE/IOP process (Independence).
See PlayStation 2 Independence Day.
Swap Magic
Swap Magic is a specialized PlayStation 2 game disc used for tricking the console into reading non-retail or burned game discs, homebrew software, or games outside the console's region. The software has existed since at least mid-2003, with several different versions of the disc having been developed.
Swap Magic and its related mods, such as the Magic Switch and Swap Tool, which are used to allow the user to swap discs without the system being aware, are notable over other methods (such as a modchip) due to the fact that they do not void the PS2's warranty.
See Swap Magic.
FreeMCBoot
Released on 23-05-2008 by jimmikaelkael (with help from Neme). Maintained since 14-09-2011 by SP193.
Free McBoot allows homebrew programs to be launched without a trigger disc required unlike Independence.
This also allows use of homebrew on unmodded systems without a functional disc drive. However, installation of the exploit to each individual memory card requires either an already exploited/modded system in order to launch the installer, or boot image that can load an app that loads ELF files (network adapter and hard drive also required). Copying from one memory card to another will not work.
It does not work on the very newest PS2s (SCPH-9000x model with BIOS 2.30 and up) but will work on all models prior to that.
FreeHDBoot
The newest versions of Free McBoot, version 1.90 and newer, also have the ability to install and boot from both Sony and non-Sony HDDs when using a "fat" PS2 and network adapter.[3] This support is called FreeHDBoot or FHDB. With a few minor issues, it is now possible to game entirely from the HDD, without needing to use the optical disc drive nor a physical memory card.
Fortuna
Released on 12-02-2019 by krat0s.
Fortuna is an homebrew launcher for all PS2 models.
Fortuna supports all PS2 models, from the first to the very last. However, different files are needed depending on the console version (SLIM or FAT).
Requirements:
- A PS2 Memory Card
- A way to transfer files to the Memory Card (one time setup)
How does it work? Technical explanation will be provided later by krat0s.
See [1].
ESR
Allows to run burnt PS2 CD/DVD on a PS2 without modchip. It is needed to have FreeMCBoot/FreeHDBoot, Fortuna or SwapMagic in order to launch ESR.