PS2 japanese question

[Shieldwolf]

I have a great offer on a jap ps2 I want to play jap. games but also want to play us games. do mod chips work reversly so I could play us games?

[BombProofPlane]

yes but its very hard to put in a chip that doesn't need a swap trick.

you have to actually put wires on those little wires that hold a chip on the mobo

on the other hand the swap chips are real easy

[hooded_paladin]

yes, they do.  If you feel comfortable soldering a chip by yourself, you could get a modchip for $40.  If you don't, you could get a chip and installation service for $100 or so.

There are also fliptops - it's a replacement cover for the PS2 that lets you take a CD out without using the eject button.  You use this with a disc like Swap Magic, which boots up then prompts you to swap discs using the cover.  (pressing the reject button makes the PS2 re-read the region code of the disc, making the swap disc unusable)

However, since the swapping method takes time, you'd probably prefer to get a US PS2 and only swap for Japanese games.

There are even more considerations, though.  A mod chip would boot all games, but PS1 games (from both regions, I think) have extra mod detection that you need to use gameshark codes to eliminate.  Swap discs only play PS2 games.  You need a Gameshark to play PS1 games, and that requires going through the menus and enabling both ignoring the region code and the anti-mod-detection codes.

(this thread has helped me out a lot)

[pmc]

yes, they do.  If you feel comfortable soldering a chip by yourself, you could get a modchip for $40.  If you don't, you could get a chip and installation service for $100 or so.

A related question...

I have a PS1 (it's a 7500) and have been thinking about modding it. I know that you can find parallel plug-in mods as cheap as soldered ones. If so, why does anyone bother to open their PS1 up? I'm OK with soldering and all that, but why bother?