Knife Trick is the safest way
 

It amazes me the amount of people on these boards actually advocating Mod chipping as safer than using the knife trick.

Aside from the no solder method which is the only relatively safe mod, mod chipping your PS2 is the single most damaging thing you can do to your PS2.

You are opening up your PS2 and exposing it to dust. You are then permentaly SOLDERING a foreign object into a mass produced product. Solder is renowed for drying out, getting dusty, and coming lose which will screw up the insides.

Soldering wires and a chip into a PS2 is far far more likely to damage your PS2 than a simple knife trick, ask anyone who has actually done it.

MOD CHIPS CAN FRY YOUR PS2, the Knife trick cannot. Even if you do manage to damage your PS2 with the knife trick which is very unlikely, the cost of repair is far far less, only the tray mechanism can get damaged, not the PS2. This is very cheap to replace.

I have yet to read anyone who has actually done the knife trick properly say it's bad.

Can u please tell me how to do the knife trick, or tell me a site that would tell me how? I have a Gameshark version 2.0 and my playstation 2 is a version 1. I have a Sony DRX500UL DVD BRUNER. I’d appreciate any help.

Here's a page that will tell you how to do it. It's very simple to do, as long as you don't rush it. You've got a gameshark which is all your really need.

http://cousinfizz.4mg.com/

I will never go near my PS2 with a soldering Iron. I've got a guitar and it's bad enough trying to solder in new pickups in which you can easily screw up, let alone an piece of consumer electronics.

This help. . . but how do I know which games will work and which games won’t? Is there something special u need to do for EA games?

The same games that work with mod chips will work with this. The only way to see is to just try them. Most will work.

EA games still need to be patched I think, I don't have any. I think you can find patches on the internet for free.

That is the biggest load of crap I have ever read. I HIGHLY recommend you don't use it officespace67.

I completely agree with Bighap. Just as much dust gets sucked into the back of the PS2 via the fan as it would to open up the ps2.

LOL!:o
How funny!

Looks like you're gonna be my anger management for today :p

First of all, check out http://www.gameconsolerepair.com/ps2parts.html
who sell a "Replacement laser elevation guide arm assembly. Very common part to break or get damaged from the "knife" trick. Extremely hard to find and fairly easy to install. "

hmmm.

Also, the dust subject is the most stupid thing i've heard in a long time!!!!!

Excuse me, but by the time you've finished doing the knife trick how much dust do you think has entered through your ps2 drive?? none?
And the solder issue, as long as amatures don't decide to do a 20+ wire install and get a pro to do the install then why would the solder come lose?

I've still got my saturn which was modded in 1995 and the solder aint caused any problem with that.

I can't be arsed wasting anymore time doin this cause bighap said it well enough. :p

Alex:
Dude, You're entitled to your opinion however have you seen the results and poll from the knife trick?
The results are NOT GOOD in the future..
There so many people who ues the knife trick and ends up throwing away their machines b/c the laser gets shot gradually..
Also as for chips if anyone wants it modded but isn't sure they could handle it than they should consult professional solderer for a mere fee..Better than jeopardizing the machine..Don't you agree? I'm not if you came this forum to start up sh** or maybe just to throw your opinion but Knife trick is the early grave for PS2's..Knife is meant for cutting foods not Ps2's..(Borrowed quote off someone).
I respect your opinion, but don't advise anyone to do something they will regret..It might save few bucks now but in the future you will spend lot more buying a new machine..:(

:D Nicely put!

Totally agree with you there m8 (A03) :D :D

Let him carry on with this method which will enventually F*** up his PS2, and he will probably come back to this forum in time and admit that we were right about this stupid Knife trick.

well said AO3!!

Modding
 

Wow Alex, I am amazed at the reasons you gave for not modding your PS2,

Be happy you did not try to open your PS2 to modded, you would have definitely fried it. Make sure you keep using the knife trick, after all that is not a foreign object to be sticking in your PS2, is a cooking object. For the rest of you that want to mod your PS2, the most important things you have to worry about when modding your PS2 is 1. static electricity 2. solder bridges ( when you solder two points together that are not suppose to touch) 3. cold solder ( when you think you properly soldered the wire to the trace when in fact you did not let the solder melt enought to create a solid connection) 4. make sure the wires go to the correct point.

Modding
 

These are more realistic things to worry about when modding and a pro knows how to do the job right the first time. If you are not comfortable with soldering then let someone experience do it but don't let someone that has never modded a PS2 before give you lame excuses that don't even make sense scare you away. Alex if you want to know why modding is the way to go then just get your PS2 modded and you will probably change your mind.

What a load of crap most of you are talking.

Would you solder wires and a chip into your PC or TV? I think not.

Most of you obviously don't even know what it involves. You use thin plastic, not a metal knife.
The knife Trick does not interfere with the electronics of the PS2. Modding does.

In these very forums there are reports of botched mods, having to be taken back to be redone, or the chip not functioning properly, it's a joke.


Ask an electrition which method is more likely to cause severe damage, he'll tell you.