PS2:Playing Game Backups

There are multiple ways of playing PS2 games without the original disc, provided you own it and have previously created a backup.

Prerequisites

Before choosing a method, you will need:

• A PlayStation 2 capable of running homebrew (through FreeMCBoot/FreeHDBoot or another exploit)
• wLaunchELF
• A computer
• A USB storage device (8GB or more)
• A backup of your disc (has to be in ISO format)

Available methods

Depending on your resources, you can choose between the following methods:

• Open PS2 Loader
  • via USB (easy, lowest compatibility, works with all models)
  • via a hard drive (easy, high compatibility, incompatible with PS2 slim)
  • via SMB (harder, best compatibility, works with all models, phat models need a network adapter)
• FreeDVDBoot-ESR patching (only works with games burned to a CD/DVD and requires compatibility with FreeDVDBoot)
• For PSX games only: MechaPwn (only works with games burned to a CD)

Open PS2 Loader

Installing OPL

1. Download the latest version of OPL from the official GitHub page (thoroughly read the repo's README first and do not download the pre-release).
2. Extract OPNPS2LD.elf from the archive and transfer the file to a USB storage device.
3. Plug the USB into your PS2 and open wLaunchELF.
4. Navigate to mass: and highlight the file from earlier.
5. Open the context menu (R1 by default) and select Copy.
6. Navigate to the memory card where FMCB is installed and go to the BOOT folder.
7. Open the context menu again and select Paste (any older version of OPL will be overwritten).
8. Reset your console.
9. Navigate to the FreeMCBoot configurator.
10. Navigate to Configure OSDSYS Options... and select an empty Configure Item entry.
11. Give it a name and under Path1 navigate to where you put OPL earlier (mcX:/BOOT/OPNPS2LD.elf where X is your memory card).
12. Return to the configurator main menu and save your config to a memory card.
13. Reset your console.

Loading Backups via USB

When you boot into OPL for the first time with a USB storage device plugged in, the USB will be automatically populated with OPL folders.

Transfer your ISO images into either the CD or DVD folder, depending on your game's format.

Be warned that because of the PS2's extremely slow USB read speeds, you will experience issues such as choppy FMVs, long loading times, or some games not working at all.