PS1/2 if Fat PS2 is updated with latest bios, will FMCB still work?

[blueagent004]

i know the fat ps2s are best for FMCB, but if a fat ps2 has been updated with the latest BIOS/firmware, does that mean it will not work with FMCB anymore?

Q. Can FMCB be updated to work with v18 consoles that have BIOS version 230?
A. No, Sony removed the feature that FMCB used to boot the hacked OSDSYS.

so if a fat ps2 has been updated to BIOS version 230, FMCB will not run on it right?

i still have my japanese star ocean 3 disc (the original 1-disc retail release that i bought back in 2004), so i was hoping to buy a fat ps2 with a FMCB memory card, then have the fat ps2 rip the original disc to the usb drive and play it from there.

thanks for letting me know!

 

[master801]

All fat PS2s are able to run FMCB.

Only some slim models will not be able to run FMCB (earlier models are compatible with FMCB, later models are not.)

 

[Necron]

I don't think PS2 can be upgraded? iirc, the bios version is the one you're stuck with from factory.

 

[blueagent004]

I don't think PS2 can be upgraded? iirc, the bios version is the one you're stuck with from factory.

i was worried that the previous owners might've had a network adapter plugged into the console for playing ff11, then the bios might've been updated. i asked the person selling the fat ps2 if that's the case, but he says he doesn't know because he got the fat ps2 from his cousin so he haven't a clue if it was ever updated or not, but he won't tell me what version of bios it has either.

i've been looking all over the internet and can't find a topic about this, most people only have problems with FMCB on a ps2 slim that is in the SCPH9000x range or have their old slims serviced by sony and lost the ability to run FMCB.

 

[DinohScene]

As far as I know, the PS2 cannot be updated at all.
BIOS is stored in ROM, ROM stands for Read Only Memory.

Unless you transplant ROM chips inbetween PS2's and get them working, all phat PS2s are hackable and the majority of the slims as well.
90k models are unhackable with FMCB.

 

[nl255]

i was worried that the previous owners might've had a network adapter plugged into the console for playing ff11, then the bios might've been updated. i asked the person selling the fat ps2 if that's the case, but he says he doesn't know because he got the fat ps2 from his cousin so he haven't a clue if it was ever updated or not, but he won't tell me what version of bios it has either.

i've been looking all over the internet and can't find a topic about this, most people only have problems with FMCB on a ps2 slim that is in the SCPH9000x range or have their old slims serviced by sony and lost the ability to run FMCB.

I am almost certain that the PS2 BIOS can't be updated in software and would require either a hardware flasher or possibly even replacing the BIOS chip itself. I would be willing to bet that the people who had problems after having their system serviced by sony actually had their system replaced rather than actually repaired.

 

[blueagent004]

ah i see, that's good news indeed! thank you so much everyone for clearing this up for me!

 

[Ryccardo]

Correct, the ROM is not rewritable

By "PS2 updates" it is meant that consoles with rom version less than 2.30 will try to boot (appropriately signed) software from memory card (which include the kernel updates for scph-10000 and 15000, dvd player updates, memento/freevast/freemcboot); and that non-slim consoles will try to boot (appropriately signed) software from HDD (usually PSBBN, HDDOSD, and/or freehdboot) before the Browser/System Configuration options are loaded

The vast majority of R-chassis 90000s (which is not "all superslims") have 2.30, the PS2 TV has 2.50