Question about importing PS2 system.

[Radirgy]

I've had my eyes on some PS2 games that were never given a European release. I'm just wondering if I was to buy an american PS2 would I be fine just buying the system and using a UK power supply or would I need an american one?

[speedlolita]

That would be fine as long as you get a slim system of course.

[Radirgy]

I take it fat PS2's don't take the standard plug?

[speedlolita]

They do, the power supply is internal.

[Asura]

I take it fat PS2's don't take the standard plug?

They use a figure-8 lead with an internal power supply - so if you plug a US fat PS2 into a UK socket, you'll fry it without a step-down.

The slim machine is easier because that had a power brick in the cable, so you can use a UK cable with a USA/JPN machine.

[speedlolita]

The latter slim machine (SCPH-9000X) however also used a figure-8 lead so be careful of that.

Mind you, apparently those are all 100-230V so...

[Mayhem]

Yes, I believe the latter slims have a multivoltage transformer.

[Yakumo]

And don't forget that some PS2 models don't play all games. A real pain in the ass that is. I ended up with 3 PS2 consoles before I had one which could as Initial D.

[Radirgy]

I still have the step down converter I got when I bought my japanese N64, it was originally intended to be used with PS2's so it should hopefully be a perfect match.

[wakka]

You might be better off looking into picking up a modded PS2 or softmodding your existing machine with Free MC Boot, which requires only a memory card and an exploitable game (there are lists floating around, it's particularly well documented on the PSX Scene forums). That way you'll be able to play games from all regions (and from hard drive too, to save wear on your PS2 laser).

[speedlolita]

Doesn't work with retails discs though.

[wakka]

Ah OK. I didn't realize that, I have a hard mod.

[speedlolita]

Yah, only shortfall.

Debug unit ftw.

[Radirgy]

I actually have a ps2 hard drive and boot disc set up for my phat but I don't really use it anymore because I move my consoles around a lot as I only keep one plugged in at a time (which caused the hard drive to corrupt and require formatting).
Also the slim is so much cooler.

[speedlolita]

Hard drive corruption isn't normal.

There are various things wrong with using a HDD for PS2 though, such as the software ignoring certain software timing, making games like IIDX and DDR play wrong. There are remedies to this but all the traditional software you'd think doesn't implement it.