Running OPL on a B/C PS3, Advice please!

[KainUK]

Hi there!

So I've been doing some thinking and decided I'd like to be able to play all my PS2 games on my PS3, rather than having another console sitting under my TV. The PS3 I'm intending to use is a CECHA01 console, so it's the USA launch edition with full hardware backwards compatibility.

Currently I'm planning on using a USB HDD to keep my PS2 ISO's on. I would also like to stress I will only be using this to play games I own (PS3 is USA, I live in the UK and have a -lot- of UK games that just won't work on it! Damn region coding...), so no legallity concerns.

Having said that, I've been reading the OPL guides and I see it says to use Swap Magic 3.6 or 3.8. Does anyone have any suggestions on which of these two versions are better for running OPL v0.8? Also, what is the best method for ripping the ISO's? I would assume ImgBurn (which I do have installed) but would like to check. Is there anything else I need to know with regards to ripping the ISO's and dumping them on the USB drive?

Sorry for the n00b questions, but want to make sure I do this all correctly before I go out and buy Swap Magic discs and a 3.5" USB enclosure for one of the spare HDD's kicking around the house! (got a 250GB and a 500GB doing nothing)

[JNABK]

Having said that, I've been reading the OPL guides and I see it says to use Swap Magic 3.6 or 3.8. Does anyone have any suggestions on which of these two versions are better for running OPL v0.8?

Either should work the same, but i would get whichever is cheapest or get 3.8 if they are the same price, since its the later version.

Also, what is the best method for ripping the ISO's? I would assume ImgBurn (which I do have installed) but would like to check.

Get an older DVD Decrypter too, as some older PS2 games rip better with it than the newer IMGBurn. They are both the same program, but the author changed the name from DVD Decrypter to IMGBurn in the later versions. You can find DVD Decrypter at sksapps.com

Is there anything else I need to know with regards to ripping the ISO's and dumping them on the USB drive?

One thing to note is PS2 CDs need to have the iso9660 format (UDF) and are ripped as .bin/.cue files. You can rename the .bin to .iso afterwards, but you shouldnt rip them directly into .iso format, as that is not a standard file format for PS2 CDs. The .cue can be deleted, as thats just the programs burn info for re-burning the .bin to a backup disc.

A good ripping app is Nero, but i think IMGBurn has that option, but im not 100% sure as i've not used it for PS2 CDs.

[KainUK]

Ahhhhhh, I remember .BIN and .CUE files from my days as a poor student with a chipped PS1. Shame that console died while moving house.

Thanks for the help. Now I just need to locate a USA version of Swap Magic for my PS3! One last question, will the .ELF file for OPL boot from any USB device while using Swap Magic? (I know I need to rename it).

Just thinking of putting the .ELF on the external HDD I'm going to use for PS2 games, so it's all self contained.

[JNABK]

One last question, will the .ELF file for OPL boot from any USB device while using Swap Magic? (I know I need to rename it).

The only problem with these older commercial programs (SwapMagic, AR Max, GameShark,etc.) is they were written in the PS2 era and so many newer USB devices have come to market since then, so compatibility is an issue you will have to discover yourself, unfortunately. Some device wont display the ELF while other will display the ELF, but it boots to a black screen, so its trial and error unless you have older devices, then its more likely to succeed. Many USB device come with factory "security" software that needs to be removed first, before the FAT32 formatting to make them compatible.

Take note that ALL USB device you want to use will need to be FAT32 formatted. You can use either a USB HDD or even some USB Flash sticks, but a HDD is best for compatibility. Its also a MUST to have the game files defragmented or your games might not work.


Also note that USB enclosures with removable HDDs seem to have more issues than the non-removable types, but there isnt really a lot of reports to give anything conclusive.

[KainUK]

I figured it needed to be FAT32 as that's what the PS3 reads.

Thanks for the help. As I said, I may get an enclosure for one of the spare SATA drives I've got kicking around. I've also got a spare USB stick I can put the .ELF on if necessary.

[emerson3x]

Looks like the current OPL rev broke the PS3 compatibility. None of my games work. They use to work on the latest public release. But now they doesn't work with SMB on my PS3.

Update:
Never mind... Got it working with OPL rev522.

[jimmikaelkael]

Looks like the current OPL rev broke the PS3 compatibility. None of my games work. They use to work on the latest public release. But now they doesn't work with SMB on my PS3.

Update:
Never mind... Got it working with OPL rev522.

There's currently a lot of activity on the main OPL repository, we're sometimes breaking it.