Is it easy/inexpensive to mod a US PlayStation to play Japanese

PSIO can't be simpler. Too bad they are always out of stock.

>Is it easy/inexpensive to mod a US PlayStation to play Japanese games or am I just better off getting an actual Japanese PlayStation?
Can you solder a mod chip? If not, you can buy a swap disc. They're not expensive.

>>4207691
>PSIO can't be simpler
Is this supposed to be a joke?

What's with the sudden influx of PSIO shilling?

>>4207708
How is plugging something into the back of something not simple?

>>4207709
>How is plugging something into the back of something not simple?

Last time I checked, you still needed to solder a chip onto the main board before the PSIO unit could be used. Unless the thing has undergone a major hardware revision that phases out the need for any soldering.

>>4207691
>PSIO can't be simpler.
Mod chipping a game is one thing. Adding PSIO is another. At this point in time playing media on the CD drive is the best solution. A mod chip + 100 cds + a backup replacement laser/sled is still cheaper than PSIO.
I do believe most mod chips cancel the region check.

Neither. Get a Japanese PS2 instead. Fast disc speed and a larger library.

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>>4207762

Seems like a good idea

can japanese playstation run on North American TVs or only PVMS?

>>4207947
lol yes, they are both ntsc

>>4207691
>he fell for the psio meme
lol
>>4207709
>i don't know how psio is installed
lol

>>4207676
buy a mayumi 4 for $10 and solder it in?

>>4207762
Why not a ps3 then?

>>4207676
If you have a ps1 with the i/o port have you considered getting a cheap cheat cart and flashing UNIrom onto it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwl6fygKep0

>>4209784
>UNIrom
I talked about it elsewhere, but I flashed my gameshark to UniROM, and all my cares about mod chips vanished. In the last week I found out about psio, and was like "meh".

All in all it took me less than 10 minutes total to fix my game shark. Sure, I still have physical media but burned discs are cheap. I don't ruin my originals.

I did not need to open my unit. No solder. Nothing. Hell, my unit was not altered or changed in any way. I pull the cart out of the back, my unit is now 100% factory.

I know most of that don't mean squat for a system made in the 90s, but it was the cheapest option for backups for me.

>>4207676
I don't know how much swap discs costs these days but I picked up mines for $20 many years ago.

All I gotta do is tape down the button inside the disc tray that tells the console the lid is closed, put in the swap disc and boot it up, exchange the disc for your Japanese or import game when the screen says so then watch it play on your American console.

>>4209801
>it was the cheapest option for backups for me

I got a swap disc for $6 on eBay. It's about the cheapest and easiest option for those who own a PSOne.

As far as swap tricks go, an early ps2 slim with a $6 flip top is the cheapest option. Replacement lasers for slim ps2 are <$10 and you get component out.

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>>4209857
>swap discs
>>4209871
>swap disc
>>4209881
>swap tricks


UniROM does not require disc swaps. You place your backup media into the tray, you shut the lid like a civilized person. Press power. Press r2. Then, enjoy your title.

After your are finished playing and ONLY after, you can then open the lid of your console and put your burned media back on your desk to use as a coaster. After all, you have hundreds of blank cd-r.

>UniROM has no need to disc swap for most titles
>UniROM has disc swap as a "feature" for things that require it.

>>4209909
How much does unirom cost?

>>4209920
Unirom itself is free. Its just software you download and burn onto a blank cd. All you would be paying for is a cheap cheat cartridge and a blank cd.

That can vary in price.

>>4209909
>UniROM does not require disc swaps

Uh, I think you missed the point. You can't plug addons into a PSOne. There isn't a port for them. Modchips and swap discs are the only option.

>>4209949
>I think you missed the point.
I zoned out and missed that it was the 101+ model.

I have never had one, but I see them new still. I have pondered getting one new, just in case.....but they would require mod chip for backups. I hate disc swapping. I hate doing it lol.

>>4208793
ps3 can't read ps1

>>4210004
sure it can. it just can't do 240p if that's what you're into.

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Modding a PS1 is pretty simple.
The mod chip is a bog standard PIC (12C508A/12C509A/12F629, etc) with an MM3 hex file, and a USB programmer.

You can buy a PIC chip on ebay for about $4, and a programmer for under $10.

You need to solder 7 wires, and they're all dead easy.

>>4210004
Every PS3 can read PS1 games.
It's still region locked for PS1/PS2 games, but you can use it for US ps3 releases.

>>4210040
>You can buy a PIC chip
Would this bypass the protection of games like Legends of Dragoon, or the track issues with backups of chrono-cross?

You could mod any PS1 to read games from any region

The problem comes with the PSTwo, where loading backups from another region either requires some specific modchips or disc swapping.

I broke my PS1 doing stupid shit so I went and used my PSTwo for that, but that involves:

1. FMCB
2. Disc swapping for NTSC-U games, as my console is european
3. Region patching every single game I burn if I want to be able to swap discs only once without doing some on the fly shit.

Basically with the PSTwo if you're comfortable with swapping discs while the motor is still spinning, you need no mods at all, just an original PS1 game. I'm not comfortable with that and I'd rather have the ability to stop the motor and swap discs in a safe manner, so if I want to play games from a different region, I have to do the third step.

I've been wondering if chipped PSOnes can load games from different regions, since I heard that's not the case.

>>4210062
With MM3? Yes.
I have a PSOne and a PSX with the same mod (did it myself, bought the PICs and programmed with a Gq4x eprom writer I have).

It works with 99% of games, including those with copy protection, retail and copies.

I've played on them:
Legend of Dragoon (currently playing this, actually, just got to disc 3)
Breath Of Fire 4
Dino Crisis
Chrono Cross
Spyro 3 - Year Of The Dragon
Resident Evil 3*
Resident Evil: Nemesis
Resident Evil: Survivor
Vandal Hearts 2
Wild Arms 2

All retail NTSC/US releases, all working.

The PSOne occasionally will have an issue where the disc will fail to read on a cold boot from power-on, but will work after a soft reset (like, reset button on the console). This is random, and I've only had it happen like 4 or 5 times in hundreds of boots.

This has to do with the internal clock crystal of the PSOne and the PIC mod chip not syncing up properly, but they sync up after a reset just fine.

PSX doesn't have this issue.

>>4210069
i have a psone that i got chipped way back to play legit import copies. it playing burned discs is a plus now.

>>4210069
>I've been wondering if chipped PSOnes can load games from different regions, since I heard that's not the case.

Depending on the hex file used for the mod chip, it can. MM3 does it. In fact, it's very rare that a PS1 mod chip does NOT support retail imports.

I have played a few japanese PS1 titles on my PSX and PSOne with MM3 chips.

Kings Field 1, Brave Fencer Musashi, Persona 2 Innocent Sin, and Policenauts.

All boot fine.

>>4210121
I see. I might want to pick a PSOne up sometime.

At least to get rid of these issues. I don't mind the disc swapping, but the whole patching business... I'm not sure whether it is a good idea to build and keep a collection of patched games if I ever decide to get one of those.

chip it you pleb... but if you need to ask you're probably incapable of it.

>>4209909
It didn't work for me. Some games it wouldn't boot and other would boot but then freeze at the menu or during attract mode.

>>4210040
>on ebay for about $4
Or about a buck anyplace 18+ shop

>>4210121
>Kings Field 1

Does this actually work on non-Japanese consoles? I hear it's notoriously bad about this. Swap discs definitely can't load it.