PS2 : The poor man’s buying guide

Posted by 7sins|Playstation|19 Comments

Lately the PS3 has been doing pretty well in the market, it has not been able to cut into the market share of PS2. With loads of titles still being released over the vast available library of the already available games for the PS2, the PS2 still seems to rule the market.

Also with rumors floating around the market about the new slim PS2 with integrated power supply,priced at $99 with 25% reduction in power consumption, the time is ripe for anyone willing to move into the realms of console gaming.

For all those who are contemplating the opportunity to make a shift to the Console realm there are a few things to be kept in mind while buying a PS2. This specifically applies to fellow would-be-proud PS2 owners in India (specifically Kolkata) who would like to get their hands on a brand new PS2.

For Kolkata people the places to search for PS2:

1. Non-Modded PS2 : Any Sony World outlet
2. Modded PS2 (My favorite) : Fancy Market at Khidderpore or any Sony World outlet. Confused?? Don’t be. Fancy being the grey market you are bound to find only the Modded PS2 consoles. But some Sony World centers do offer the modding service as a hush hush under the counter service and that too at a premium.

What to look for while buying a Modded/Un-Modded Console :

1. PS2 version number : The Modded consoles found in the grey market are either from v14 to v18. Its always better to get the latest console. So how do you differentiate between different versions of the console?

   To find the version number flip your PS2 console and try to find a number beginning with “SCPH-ABCDE” where “ABCDE” is a 5 digit number which differentiates the versions.

   1. v14:
      
      SCPH-75001 (for North America)
      The motherboard is a bit different from last SCPH-70011/70012/70001 versions.
      • Model Number: SCPH-75001 US
      • Console Version updated: v14
      • Main Board updated: GH-037-01
      • Laser Lens Number: PVR-802W
      • BIOS Part Number: B6120B D0020U
      • DVD Control IC: SONY CXD 716080

      SCPH-75004, 75003, 75002 (for PAL = EUROPE/AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL)

   2. v15:
      
      • Version 15A : SCPH-77001a / GH-051-02
      • Version 15B : SCPH-77001b / GH-051-51

      SCPH-77004, 77003, 77002 (for PAL = EUROPE/AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL)
      

      • Pickup Lens No …………………………….. PVR-802W
      • Full Optical Block No ……………………… TDP-182W (New!)
      • Bios Part No ……………………………….. B6130B D0020U (New!)
      • DVD Control IC …………………………… CXR 716080 (New!)
   3. v16 and v17:
      
      SCPH 79002 PS2 – Version 16 Version 17
      
      • SCPH 79012 CB – (for United States)
      • SCPH 79011 CB – (for North America)
      • SCPH 79002 CB – (for Oceania)(Australia)
      • SCPH 79003 CB – (for UK)
      • SCPH 79004 CB – (for Europe)
      • SCPH 79000 CB – (for Japan)
   4. v18:
      
      This is the PS2 Slim Console with internal power pack. (Latest current PS2 Model)
      
      • SCPH 90001- Version 18 – USA
      • SCPH 90000 - Version 18 – Japan
      • SCPH 90004 - Version 18 – Europe
      • SCPH 90003 - Version 18 – United Kingdom
      • SCPH 90002 - Version 18 – Australia

      The latest model doing the round is the SCPH 90006.
      

   India being predominantly PAL the European market consoles are mostly available in India.
   
   So this concludes the version number that you should look for.

2. Ability to play DVD games: Beg, borrow or kill to get hold of a PS2 DVD game while shopping for PS2. If that is not possible then ask the shopkeeper to provide you with a PS2 DVD game to test the console. There have been reports of some of the newer PS2 consoles not able to run DVD games. Trust me on this one, because when i went shopping the shopkeeper tried to sell me one such PS2 but failed miserably since i had done my homework.
3. Ability to play CD games: Beg, borrow or kill to get hold of a PS2 CD game while shopping for PS2. If that is not possible then ask the shopkeeper to provide you with a PS2 CD game to test the console. Just make sure that the CD game runs fine on the console.
4. Ability to play DVD-Video aka Movie DVD: Beg, borrow or kill to get hold of a DVD-Video while shopping for PS2. If that is not possible then ask the shopkeeper to provide you with a DVD-Video to test the console. Just make sure that the DVD runs fine on the console. If your console had passed the second condition then it will also pass this test.
5. Ability to play Audio CD: Beg, borrow or kill to get hold of a Audio CD while shopping for PS2. If that is not possible then ask the shopkeeper to provide you with a Audio CD to test the console. Just make sure that the Audio CD runs fine on the console.
6. Differentiate between Modded and Un-Modded Consoles: The modded console can play any CD/DVD which have been burned as well as pressed. But if your console cannot play burned CD/DVD then its an Un-Modded console.

If your console passes all the above tests then Congratulations!!! You have become a proud owner of a brand new Modded/Un-Modded PS2.

Accessories that you need to buy or might need to buy:

1. An 8MB Sony Memory Card: Store all the saves of your favorite games here. This is an absolute must.
2. Extra Controller: Get a cheap second controller in case you want to play with someone. This is optional.
3. Wireless controller: If you want you can get one if the wired controller is becoming a problem for you. You can get either the cheap Chinese ones or else you can get the ones sold by Logitech.
4. PS2 remote: Get this if you want to use your PS2 to play DVD-Video.
5. PS2 skins: You can get these PS2 skins from Decalgirl to spice up your PS2.

This more or less as far the buying guide goes. Good luck with your purchase.