PS2 swap discs?

[smegforbrain]

I was discussing modchips with a friend, and she sent me to a site that has a few swap discs for PS2.

Now, according to this site (which, she says, their brick & mortar has been hit in the past for piracy and other illegal activities, yet they still advertise in the open), "swap discs" sets are legal, as they technically don't modify the PS2.

I've never heard of them until now, but it seems like they're something akin to a GameShark - you pop in the disc, set cheats (or whatever), and then swap to your game disc.

But this would allow you to play imported discs (presumably, among other things), so I'm guessing it just screws with the region setting stuff.

Anybody have an opinion or experience with these before?

I can post a site link as well, if somebody wants.

 

[Gorxon]

The "Swap Magic" discs work. They might not work with all discs, but they do work (at least for the older models). You better get one of these things to help you drag the cover open though. Also, modchips aren't illegal...

 

[Stalkid64]

Yep, swapmagic 3.3 disks do work quite nicely for import games. Use them with a switch set (i.e. tiny pieces of plastic) depending on what model you have (flip-top lid, magic switch, slimtool, or for a pstwo you can actually make your own), which basically cover the sensors so it believes the disk tray is still closed. There are supposedly some overheating issues but to be honest they were supposed to be fixed by now, and I've found my pstwo actually runs cooler with the lid open. If you go with one of the basic sensor-covering tools you can easily pull the pieces out and replace it under warranty though. Er... not that I've done that myself of course. :whistling
The legality of modchips depends on what country you're in, but get yourself the swap magic disks and a switch set, then go over to lik-sang and get importing.

 

[smegforbrain]

Yeah, I was thinking about Lik-sang, but this company (and my friend) are in Canada. Apparently mod chips themselves are illegal in Canada... I dunno, I don't follow it very well, only that that's what this company had been busted for in the past. It's what she told me, and she knows alot more about this than I do.

But she suggests having a distinct lack of paper trail, regardless. So, since I'm dealing with a company that's had legal problems in the past already, I was going to just Paypal her the cash, and she could drop by a pick it up and ship it to me.

As it stands, I never knew they made a flip-top lid for PS2. Heck, mine is pushing 5 years old now (or is it 4?) and I had considered replacing it with a PStwo before too much longer.

 

[Stalkid64]

The flip-lid is for the pstwo, I miswrote that sorry. Mine is modded with the one piece of the switch set I managed to not lose (goes in the hinge under the lid), a piece of tape to hold the disk brake and a piece of blu-tack to hold the final sensor in place. Very easy to mod, and a damn sight cheaper and easier to remove than a modchip.

 

[Chibi Nick]

The "Swap Magic" discs work. They might not work with all discs, but they do work (at least for the older models). You better get one of these things to help you drag the cover open though. Also, modchips aren't illegal...

Actually under the US "Digital Millenium Copyright Act" they are illegal. It "made illegal 'circumvention devices' that circumvent a technological measure designed to control access to a copyrighted work."

So yes, they are illegal. Sony has *successfully* battled against them in court.

And yes, they are illegal here in Canada... though that doesn't stop anyone from making/installing/using them.

 

[theredmage]

Though I found those demo disks from Official Playstation Magazine to work quite well with switching disks.