PS2 Reasonably priced PS2 Slim upgrades for the modern day (2025)

[KingCarnage]

I had a PS2 slim collecting dust for the past half decade and decided to at least mod it to some capacity last year and it spiraled into a whole project. I've looked into a lot of stuff and here is my journey to find reasonably priced accessory upgrades.

Controllers:
Wired:
For wired controllers it's basically just the original Dualshock 2 if it's wired. Unless it's a game specific controller like Guitar Hero controllers and dance pads there's basically no real reason to not use the DS2 as it supports 99% of the PS2 catalogue especially with those games with pesky pressure sensitive button support. Sadly it's getting harder and harder to find in good condition but I managed to snag two in nasty condition for under $10 and just refurbished them to work like new, one of them had an issue where it disconnected when the game vibrates the controller but I fixed it with a putting a 10 ohm resistor on the vibration motor, the other one was just dirty as hell so I gave it a deep clean. Which leads to our modern wireless options.

Wireless:
For wireless options there's a couple of choices,
First off a special mention to the Logitech Cordless Action controller basically has feature parity with the Dualshock 2 but it's harder to find.

The next options are wireless adapters for modern bluetooth controllers, which are the 8BitDo Retro Receiver, BlueRetro and Brook Wingman PS2. ($24.99, $30 and $49 respectively)

These adapters has support for most modern controllers like the Dualshock 3/4, Dualsense, and Xbox controllers so you won't need to buy new controller. The 8BitDo adapter is missing pressure sensitive button support for the DS3 but it's one of the cheaper options. Brook and BlueRetro is feature complete and has wide compatibility but the Brook is much more expensive and BlueRetro using an open source firmware.

As for standalone options the only one I've seen so far is the Retro Fighters Defender. There are two versions, one which has Sixaxis and bluetooth, and one that doesn't have those both only having a dongle. ($50)

Video Adapters:
As for video options there is a load of options from multiple companies but most of them do the same thing which is just being a passthrough for RGB/ YPbPr just in different flavors of quality and price. So with that I would just list the two I have personally used.

PS2 to HDMI is frankly an okay option for around $5 but it's just a straight up YPbPr passthru to your tv. If your tv does not support 480i or lower resolutions then this is not an option as it only outputs what the PS2 can. And if your tv does support those resolutions you will be at the mercy of your tv's deinterlacer on how much input lag it adds.
A minor issue for me is the mini usb port bumps with the power cable on the PS2 slim which is the reason I swapped to another option as I didn't want to damage my power port.

The adapter I'm currently using is the Mcbazel Multifunctional RGBs/YPBPR to HDMI Adapter for PS1/PS2 (Price dependent on region, personally got it at around $17 converted from a local ecommerce site but I saw it listed on Amazon for under $10 when it was in stock) which works fine for my use case but I can see how quality purists will just give this a pass.

It has a 16:9/4:3 and RGB/YPbPr switch which lets me fiddle with GSM through OPL easier without fiddling with my tv settings to force resolutions. Plus it works on the PS1 as well so if I ever convert my PS2 with MechaCon then I have no issues playing PS1 games. But when the games output 480i it's definitely not running any deinterlacing which is fine for me but I know some people are a stickler for that.

I know about the scalers and all that but I don't think I can integrate it into my setup, the amount of cables I'm gonna have to deal with frankly feels like too much so I'd rather have zero fuss at reduced quality over the best possible quality with more mess in cables.

Memory Cards:
To be honest there is only one option which is the PSXMemCard Gen2 ($40 on Amazon but significantly less on Aliexpress at around $20, I got mine at a local ecommerce site for like $30~ish). Since it's a memory card emulator device it's basically a FreeMcboot card, with MMCE protocol you can run games directly on it making the MX4SIO a redundant option. It loads games faster than the usb port on the PS2 as well so there's no FMV stutter on models until the 70k serial. GameID also works stellar where it detects which game you are playing and automatically makes a virtual memory card for that game specifically on the fly. An all in one package that has stellar value. There is also the MemCard Pro 2 (does all of the above plus wifi connectivity for remote control for swapping vmcs) but it's always out of stock and much more expensive(~£40 or ~$65 on Stone Age Gamer) than the PSXMemCard Gen 2.

(Since this is based on an open source project (SD2PSX) there may be other manufacturers like Kaico that makes same product function wise, I just chose this as this is what I acutally own.)

Bonus:

Got this vinyl sticker to add a bit of personalization. Waifus makes you perform better in games.

I'm also considering on getting a BlueRetro adapter and Fantech Nova WGP14 since it's PS3 mode has pressure sensitive button support, but it isn't on the compatibility list so it's a gamble. I'll update if it works if I ever get it, if it doesn't then at least I have a PS3 controller to use and just use my DS3 on my PS2.

If you know some more accessories to avoid or recommend it would be greatly appreciated. Cheers for reading the ramblings of someone who spent way to much time researching on what to buy for an console that made his childhood.

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

This is a great breakdown. I’ve been slowly upgrading my own PS2 Slim setup and your notes helped me rethink a few things. Totally agree on the DualShock 2 being the gold standard for wired play, especially with pressure sensitivity. I’ve had mixed luck finding clean ones, so refurb tips like the resistor fix are super helpful.

For wireless, I’ve been leaning toward the BlueRetro adapter too. The open-source firmware and wide compatibility make it tempting, even if it’s a bit pricier than 8BitDo. Curious to hear how the Fantech Nova WGP14 gamble pans out. Pressure sensitivity is such a make-or-break feature for some games.

Video-wise, I’ve been using a cheap PS2 to HDMI adapter and yeah, the deinterlacing lag is real. That Mcbazel one sounds like a solid middle ground, especially with the RGB/YPbPr switch. Might give that a shot. If you ever want to go deeper into video quality without going full scaler, the RAD2x or RetroTINK 2X Mini are worth keeping an eye on. They’re pricier but plug-and-play with great results.

The PSXMemCard Gen2 sounds like a game-changer. I’ve been using FreeMcBoot with USB loading, but the FMV stutter drives me nuts. The auto-vmc feature is slick. If you’re into modding further, pairing it with a network adapter and HDD for fat models or SD card via MX4SIO for slim can give you even more flexibility, though PSXMemCard already covers a lot.

Also, if you’re into aesthetics, check out retro-style controller shells or LED mods for the Slim. They’re not essential but they add a nice touch if you’re already deep into the project.

Thanks again for sharing all this. If I come across any other accessories worth checking out or avoiding, I’ll drop them here. Always cool to see people keeping the PS2 alive in 2025.

 

[KingCarnage]

The PSXMemCard Gen2 sounds like a game-changer. I’ve been using FreeMcBoot with USB loading, but the FMV stutter drives me nuts. The auto-vmc feature is slick. If you’re into modding further, pairing it with a network adapter and HDD for fat models or SD card via MX4SIO for slim can give you even more flexibility, though PSXMemCard already covers a lot.

The PSXMemCard Gen2 has an RP2040 chip that handles I/O so that it loads games faster that the MX4SIO which just relies on the PS2 which creates bottlenecks on speed. So you don't really need the MX4SIO if you have this. For fat models it's still better to use the hard drive slot but the memory card features in general is pretty useful.

(Image source: https://github.com/rickgaiser/neutrino)
The PSXMemCard Gen2 is based on the open source project SD2PSX as a memory card emulator but it has since expanded with the MMCE protocol to be able to load games.

If you need extra info here are some videos that covers the protocol for loading games.

Here is a review for the basic rundown of the PSXMemCard Gen2

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

The PSXMemCard Gen2 has an RP2040 chip that handles I/O so that it loads games faster that the MX4SIO which just relies on the PS2 which creates bottlenecks on speed. So you don't really need the MX4SIO if you have this. For fat models it's still better to use the hard drive slot but the memory card features in general is pretty useful.View attachment 116588
(Image source: https://github.com/rickgaiser/neutrino)
The PSXMemCard Gen2 is based on the open source project SD2PSX as a memory card emulator but it has since expanded with the MMCE protocol to be able to load games.

If you need extra info here are some videos that covers the protocol for loading games.

Here is a review for the basic rundown of the PSXMemCard Gen2

The RP2040 chip in the PSXMemCard Gen2 definitely gives it an edge over MX4SIO in terms of speed, especially for slim models. Since it handles I/O independently, it avoids the bottlenecks that come from relying on the PS2’s native hardware. For fat models, using the HDD slot with a network adapter is still the best option for speed and capacity, especially if paired with a SATA mod.

If you're looking to expand the setup further, consider adding a BlueRetro adapter for wireless controller support with pressure sensitivity. It works well with DualShock 3 and 4, and even Xbox controllers depending on the firmware. For video, the RAD2x or RetroTINK 2X Mini are solid upgrades if you're aiming for better image quality without dealing with full scaler setups.

Also worth checking out: the OpenTuna project as an alternative FreeMcBoot loader, especially for slim models without a modchip. It’s compatible with PSXMemCard Gen2 and gives you more flexibility with boot methods.

 

[KingCarnage]

Also worth checking out: the OpenTuna project as an alternative FreeMcBoot loader, especially for slim models without a modchip. It’s compatible with PSXMemCard Gen2 and gives you more flexibility with boot methods.

I have FreeMcBoot, OpenTuna and NHDDL setup as boot cards on my PSXMemCard Gen 2 with NHDDL being my current primary launcher. Pretty nice to have options and having something to test other PS2 models if the situation ever arises.

For video, the RAD2x or RetroTINK 2X Mini are solid upgrades if you're aiming for better image quality without dealing with full scaler setups.

Been eyeing the RAD2x for a while but shipping isn't available in my area. For RetroTINK I just looked at how much the shipping is and it's kinda painful for my area + customs fees make it unfeasible, still thanks for the recommendations. The ODV-GBS-C and RetroScaler 2x is available locally for me though and I'm eyeing for those now if I ever fell the need for higher picture quality.

Mcbazel one sounds like a solid middle ground, especially with the RGB/YPbPr switch. Might give that a shot.

I slipped my mind to reply to this earlier. I've only seen one review on YouTube and it's japanese only but auto translated subs was able to get the point across for me.

If you don't think the YPbPr signal makes a difference then I think the old version of this adapter would be a fine alternative.

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

I have FreeMcBoot, OpenTuna and NHDDL setup as boot cards on my PSXMemCard Gen 2 with NHDDL being my current primary launcher. Pretty nice to have options and having something to test other PS2 models if the situation ever arises.

Been eyeing the RAD2x for a while but shipping isn't available in my area. For RetroTINK I just looked at how much the shipping is and it's kinda painful for my area + customs fees make it unfeasible, still thanks for the recommendations. The ODV-GBS-C and RetroScaler 2x is available locally for me though and I'm eyeing for those now if I ever fell the need for higher picture quality.

I slipped my mind to reply to this earlier. I've only seen one review on YouTube and it's japanese only but auto translated subs was able to get the point across for me.

If you don't think the YPbPr signal makes a difference then I think the old version of this adapter would be a fine alternative.

Good to know the ODV-GBS-C and RetroScaler 2x are available locally. That definitely makes things easier when shipping and customs are a pain. Both are solid choices if you're looking to clean up the signal without going full scaler. I’ve seen decent results from the RetroScaler 2x in particular, especially when paired with good cables.

As for the Mcbazel adapter, yeah, the RGB/YPbPr switch gives it some nice flexibility depending on your setup. That Japanese review helped me get a better sense of its performance too. Even with auto-translated subs, it was surprisingly clear. If YPbPr isn’t a priority for you, the older version should still hold up fine, especially for basic use.

Appreciate the follow-up. Always good to hear what’s working for others in different regions. Let me know how those options pan out if you end up grabbing one.

 

[Deleted member 660650]

OPL is improved since a few years so it has no USB speed issue anymore, and USB is even faster in the last few PS2 models. If speed is an issue you may connect LAN cable to your PS2 to play games that are on your Windows PC via SMB.

What to warn is for FMCBOOT better use original PS2 Memory Card because they have what is needed and durable, and then better only use that memory card for booting and completely use virtual memory card file for saving because every time a memory card being used its chance to stop working increases. In that regard for example I have 2 FMCBOOT memory card and one of them is backup to recover the other in case one of them stops working anymore so I won't have to buy another FMCBOOT memory card.

You may also connect storage device like an SSD for modded boot and playing games via easy and hard ways, so these days you have many options to mod your PS2. You can even put a neon under it, crazy irons around your PS2 and also pointless useless wheels just spinning to make your PS2 look like decorated trucks™©℗®!!!

Pimp my PS2 yo!!! lolol

 

[KingCarnage]

OPL is improved since a few years so it has no USB speed issue anymore, and USB is even faster in the last few PS2 models. If speed is an issue you may connect LAN cable to your PS2 to play games that are on your Windows PC via SMB.

The only issue with using USB is FMVs stuttering on games like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X (having really intense FMV cutscenes for some reason), the gameplay might be fine but watching FMV cutscenes can get frustrating if it continuously hitches. Even with MX4SIO there are hitches on those games but it never was an issue on the PSXMemCard Gen2. I posted the table on one of my earlier posts as well with what kinds of speeds you can get from each device and USB barely breaks reaches 1000 KB/S.

There are also mini routers with SMB support which usually has a USB port or sd card slot, it's more convenient than having to use your PC as a server for PS2 games. But in case you want to play online through fan made servers (I.E. Monster Hunter, Resident Evil Outbreak, etc.) you have to load games through another method so it isn't a catch all option but pretty much the fastest for the slim if you don't ever plan to go online.

What to warn is for FMCBOOT better use original PS2 Memory Card because they have what is needed and durable, and then better only use that memory card for booting and completely use virtual memory card file for saving because every time a memory card being used its chance to stop working increases. In that regard for example I have 2 FMCBOOT memory card and one of them is backup to recover the other in case one of them stops working anymore so I won't have to buy another FMCBOOT memory card.

The PSXMemCard Gen2 is the mass produced version of the SD2PSX open source project for making a multipurpose memory card emulator. It even has MagicGate support in which FreeMcBoot requires to prevent corruption. I never had any of my FreeMcBoot vmcs get corrupted since it automatically gets swapped out if you have the Game ID feature on.

Since the PSXMemCard Gen2 also has an sd card, backing up your saves is just taking the card out and copying the contents to another device. Still having extra memory cards is a good idea just for moving saves more elegantly from one VMC to another instead of fiddling with WLaunchELF.

I also swapped to using neutrino as a boot exploit through NHDDL to launch games since it's just faster by booting into the game launcher (be it OPL or NHDDL) directly so no corruption issues to fear for.

 

[Deleted member 660650]

The only issue with using USB is FMVs stuttering on games like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X (having really intense FMV cutscenes for some reason), the gameplay might be fine but watching FMV cutscenes can get frustrating if it continuously hitches. Even with MX4SIO there are hitches on those games but it never was an issue on the PSXMemCard Gen2. I posted the table on one of my earlier posts as well with what kinds of speeds you can get from each device and USB barely breaks reaches 1000 KB/S.

As I said since few years OPL is very improved enough to make gaming on USB normal. You keep repeating "FMV" as if it were the only issue OPL had, when the actual issue was it couldn't handle large chunk of data being processed fast enough, therefore when the game's speed had to be increased for any reason like in racing games and open world games the game could slowdown. For example in True Crime New York it used to slow down during cutscenes that is not FMV but in game cutscene, it was unplayable so had to play on SMB or something faster than USB but then OPL is improved so much on USB the game runs smoothly and the slowdowns you will have in games not because of speed issue but because of these games already had slowdown as it was what the developers were okay to release the game on PS2 as. Some videos may blame USB or "modded way to play games" when this is the matter but really it's ancient history to believe USB had such bad aspects anymore.

 

[KingCarnage]

As I said since few years OPL is very improved enough to make gaming on USB normal. You keep repeating "FMV" as if it were the only issue OPL had, when the actual issue was it couldn't handle large chunk of data being processed fast enough, therefore when the game's speed had to be increased for any reason like in racing games and open world games the game could slowdown. For example in True Crime New York it used to slow down during cutscenes that is not FMV but in game cutscene, it was unplayable so had to play on SMB or something faster than USB but then OPL is improved so much on USB the game runs smoothly and the slowdowns you will have in games not because of speed issue but because of these games already had slowdown as it was what the developers were okay to release the game on PS2 as. Some videos may blame USB or "modded way to play games" when this is the matter but really it's ancient history to believe USB had such bad aspects anymore.

I mean the point I was trying to say in the initial post was FMV issues on USB and that's from the port being version 1.1 having capped speeds that isn't able to handle high bitrate video content. I never mentioned anything that pertains game speed because there were never problems there to begin with in my experience. I just said faster loading because the memory card port has faster speeds and no stutter on FMVs which is still a problem on some games when loading on USB.

OPL might be fantastic software but with the amount of forks it has which has different game compatibilities along with different models of the PS2 having different block device processors makes it hard say which games are going to perform well or not. There are also alternatives to OPL like neutrino to try to get some games to work.

But this thread was made primarily to discuss upgrades for the PS2. USB loading is the most accessible to most people since most people have flash drives, it's easier than ever to just buy a FreeMCBoot card directly or make one with FreeDVDBoot. While it's fine for the majority of people that just want to play games that a majority of doesn't even have FMVs, it isn't something for people that want parity with the speed of the DVD drive that wants to have the original experience. It's an entry point which is important to every hobby but it isn't the intended experience to play these games.

As an accessory device input, using the USB port takes up one of the two ports, some people want to use USB accessories like the Eyetoy, Guncon or a mouse and keyboard setup for games that support it (Eyetoy games, Time Crisis and the like, HL2 and Dirge of Cerberus). Game loading through the memory card slot frees up that port. The general convenience of having saves and games in one accessory is great which makes MMCE devices to have a leg up on USB and MX4SIO.

 

[Deleted member 660650]

I mean the point I was trying to say in the initial post was FMV issues on USB and that's from the port being version 1.1 having capped speeds that isn't able to handle high bitrate video content. I never mentioned anything that pertains game speed because there were never problems there to begin with in my experience. I just said faster loading because the memory card port has faster speeds and no stutter on FMVs which is still a problem on some games when loading on USB.

OPL might be fantastic software but with the amount of forks it has which has different game compatibilities along with different models of the PS2 having different block device processors makes it hard say which games are going to perform well or not. There are also alternatives to OPL like neutrino to try to get some games to work.

But this thread was made primarily to discuss upgrades for the PS2. USB loading is the most accessible to most people since most people have flash drives, it's easier than ever to just buy a FreeMCBoot card directly or make one with FreeDVDBoot. While it's fine for the majority of people that just want to play games that a majority of doesn't even have FMVs, it isn't something for people that want parity with the speed of the DVD drive that wants to have the original experience. It's an entry point which is important to every hobby but it isn't the intended experience to play these games.

As an accessory device input, using the USB port takes up one of the two ports, some people want to use USB accessories like the Eyetoy, Guncon or a mouse and keyboard setup for games that support it (Eyetoy games, Time Crisis and the like, HL2 and Dirge of Cerberus). Game loading through the memory card slot frees up that port. The general convenience of having saves and games in one accessory is great which makes MMCE devices to have a leg up on USB and MX4SIO.

Well all I'm saying is OPL is recently improved so it does not have problems it had before due to low USB speed making all what is said about OPL's way of working on USB an obsolete useless information. Yes low USB speed is a fact, however it does not cause a problem to gaming via USB anymore as long as you use an updated OPL builds released recently. I'm just sayin'...

lol

It's good that you mentioned different forks of OPL and their problems. My experience is they made "unnecessary change" causing problems despite they work "better" on USB and all. Using png as cover and whatnot picture filed, fucking up with region logic of how games work (so they don't even run) and then when games have gamepad problems you are stuck with it without any fix (even good old fixes don't work) and then some games can randomly having no input problem in the middle of the game, yet these are all another problem.

All I wanted to say is for PS2 upgrade USB is not something that should be ignored anymore. You can see ads around that still belittle the way of playing on USBs to sell you special memory cards with SD cards and such. It's your choice so who cares but people gotta be updated on ancient belief of "USB is bad way to play games on USB" when it's not anymore. No need to be afraid of angering gods by sacrificing people by throwing them on volcanos to calm down gods or some shit!!! Keep calm and love USB gaming!!! lol

 

[KingCarnage]

It's good that you mentioned different forks of OPL and their problems. My experience is they made "unnecessary change" causing problems despite they work "better" on USB and all. Using png as cover and whatnot picture filed, fucking up with region logic of how games work (so they don't even run) and then when games have gamepad problems you are stuck with it without any fix (even good old fixes don't work) and then some games can randomly having no input problem in the middle of the game, yet these are all another problem.

It's a pick and choose scenario with OPL. The latest features like exFAT (exFAT and FAT32 is another can of worms I'm not bothering to open since it's user preference) and UDBPD support is nice at the cost of stability (You don't really need to use these if you won't even use the new features). While stable versions take long to release improvements. If Sony didn't drop the HDD support on slims we wouldn't really need other options with universal compatibility with games. Growing pains with forks is a necessary evil for options to flourish for making every model in the PS2 be able to load games in some capacity or until someone figures out how to bypass the DVD drive security to make a physical ODE.

It's also good to acknowledge that neutrino is possibly a good alternative to OPL, having lower hardware overhead and touting better compatibility. Allegedly it loads Kingdom Hearts FMVs just fine via USB but I haven't checked and tested if that's actually the case. I've been using it along with PSBBL as the boot loader and NHDDL as a front end and I have no issues so far on the small amount of games I've tried. Though it has a much more involved setup process vs OPL's user friendliness I would recommend people interested to at least just try it if they like it or not. I still go back to OPL from time to time but for now neutrino is my main game loader.

All I wanted to say is for PS2 upgrade USB is not something that should be ignored anymore. You can see ads around that still belittle the way of playing on USBs to sell you special memory cards with SD cards and such. It's your choice so who cares but people gotta be updated on ancient belief of "USB is bad way to play games on USB" when it's not anymore. No need to be afraid of angering gods by sacrificing people by throwing them on volcanos to calm down gods or some shit!!! Keep calm and love USB gaming!!! lol

I mean I never said a single word about USB being bad. I just said what's the objective performance of the USB port and did not bring up any issues on games apart from the FMVs. It is an option and a good one if you just want to play games, but it cannot load faster than the DVD drive in which case can you really call it an upgrade? At the very least it's something for 90K model slim users can consider but on every other model there are the other methods that make it a bit redundant. My opinions on USB loading, MX4SIO and PSXMemCard Gen2 is from actual experience and a bit of testing, and USB loading just isn't for me and my selection of games I want to play.

I don't know what ads you are seeing, I don't even see them since I have adblock, but every product I talked about in my initial post is researched and not based on any advertising or promotions, I selected those products because they fit my preferences and needs at the time. On the online storefronts I've looked on I haven't seen sellers belittle USB loading or even mention it in promotional material in the product page. The most I've seen is people mentioning loading time improvements from USB after switching to HDD adapter/MX4SIO/SD2PSX.

But even with that I see external HDDs/USB drives with games (along with burned CDs and DVDs) have better reach and sell better than the above mentioned options because they mark it as plug and play (at least locally in my region). The people you see dismissing USB as an option is probably a minority as most of the general population in my region massively prefer it to MX4SIO and the PSXMemCard Gen2 probably because they don't know the other options available. Sellers even prefer it when bundling to sell with PS2 consoles because of how easy it is to setup for the customer in comparison to the enthusiast stuff. So at least in my region, USB loading is still pretty prevalent an is the primary way to load games on the PS2.

If you really want get people's attention to change their perceptions to make USB loading as one of the primary options in game loading (which it already is in my region) then you have to put in the legwork to either do the testing and debunking or persuade an already established creator to do so as enthusiasts already know their stuff but the casuals want a point of reference. Nobody has bothered to do tests in the past couple of years since the new options and innovations get attention, but you never know if someone does proper test if things change.