+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ || || || HOW TO DEFEAT THE PLAYSTATION GEOGRAPHICAL PROTECTION || || Mini FAQ --- Version 2.00 --- February 1996 || || Written & Maintained by JOHN MUIR || || Send corrections to: john.muir@almac.co.uk || || || +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Q: Why does this MFAQ exist? A: Sony, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that you should only be able to play officially released games for your area. European games in Europe, Japanese games in Japan and so on. This MFAQ is for people who wish to play "foreign" games. Q: What? You mean I can't run Dragon Ball Z in my American machine!? A: I'm afraid not. Try booting ANY Japanese CD in your US machine and it won't work. You will get a message stating this is not a suitable CD for your machine. Needless to say, this also applies to all other possible combination of machines and software. Q: Is the situation hopeless? Will I never be able to play "imports"? A: Not at all. Datel UK hope to have a commercial adaptor ready soon which will plug into the I/O slot at the back of your machine, this will remove the regional boot-up protection and allow you to use ANY title on ANY machine without reverting to any form of trick or kludge. Q: Where can I get this adaptor? It sounds cool! A: You can't. It isn't released yet. There is NO firm release date. Q: But I want to play imports NOW! A: OK, since you asked here is how you can play most (if not all) foreign CDs on your machine. --------------------- WHAT METHOD DO I USE? --------------------- Please check the table below to determine what Swap Method is best for your particular machine. NB: the Double method will work on ALL models of the PlayStation but is NOT very easy to do so I have only listed it if your machine ONLY supports this method and no other. Model Number Country of Origin Swap Trick? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SCPH-1000 [Initial batch] JAPAN Yes, all SCPH-1000 [Second batch] JAPAN Yes, black SCPH-3000 [Initial batch] JAPAN Yes, black SCPH-3000 [Second batch] JAPAN Yes, double SCPH-1001 [Initial batch] USA Yes, all SCPH-1001 [S/N 595xxx or higher] USA Yes, double SCPH-1002 [Initial batch] PAL Yes, all SCPH-1002 [Second batch] PAL Yes, double SCPH-2000 [Development machine] N/A N/A ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- SWAP TRICKS: Fact and Fiction ----------------------------- There are four methods which allow you to use almost ANY PlayStation CD in ANY PlayStation, regardless of origin. I have yet to hear of any hardware damage using these methods although this doesn't mean that it hasn't happened. The four methods are detailed below (one very easy, two quite easy and one difficult.) METHOD ONE: The Audio Menu [Safe and very easy] ------------------------------------------------ Works on : Very early Japanese, European and American machines. Success : 80% Problems : Music is often corrupted. The TOC (Table of Contents) from the boot CD is always used which is less than ideal. o Power up your PlayStation WITHOUT a game or demo CD in it. o Select the CD Audio menu. o Get a local CD that matches the country of the machine you have. (ie a Japanese game for a Japanese PlayStation etc.) o Find some tape, Blu-Tak or something similar. Several people I know have found the corner from a cornflake packet works well . o Open the lid and look at the top right of the bottom section, near where the hinge is. See the small circle in the groove? Good. This is the lid sensor. o Insert your local CD. o Put the tape, Blu-Tak or whatever over the sensor and *gently* push it down. The CD will now spin for a few seconds. o When the CD has finished spinning take it out and replace it with the foreign game you wish to play. o Now shut the lid and exit the CD Audio menu. The game should now work fine (see above for exceptions.) o When you have finished playing, open the lid and remove the tape, Blu-Tak etc from the sensor. This will stop the CD. Notes: i Try and get a local CD with as many tracks on it as you can. The local CD must have at least as many tracks as the foreign CD or you won't get all the music. Depending on the boot CD the foreign game may give poor results or even crash. Unfortunately the number of music tracks is NOT the only deciding factor (the length of the data track is another) and you may find that you are unable to get your foreign game to work satisfactorily with the choice of boot CDs you have. See the other methods, they may give better results. ii Owners of Japanese SCPH-1000 (later batch), SCPH-3000 machines and later European/US models will find that this method does NOT work. Sony has removed this particular loophole in the latest ROM revision. iii You can ONLY run PAL games on NTSC machines if you have an RGB cable (not s-video, composite or ANYTHING else.) This also applies to NTSC games on a PAL machine. In Europe this problem is easily solved by investing in an import spec RGB/SCART cable as sold for use with Japanese/US PlayStations. In North America, Australia etc you will need to look into the options available to you (an old or expensive monitor, probably.) METHOD TWO: The Black Method [Fairly safe and easy] ---------------------------------------------------- Works on : All early machines, see above for meaning of "early". Success : 90% Problems : Most games will work albeit sometimes with music glitches or unexpected crashes. o Follow the Audio method with a local CD in your machine. The lid should be up and the lid sensor held down. o When the black PlayStation appears (after the white Sony one) QUICKLY lift the original game out and replace with the foreign one. You have a few seconds to do this and it soon becomes second nature. o If you must have the music working 100% or have a really stubborn foreign game then try the White method detailed below. METHOD THREE: The White Method(s) [Fairly safe but tricky] ----------------------------------------------------------- Works on : The same very early models that can do the Audio method. Success : 100% Problems : Not supported by all models. o Switch on your machine and count 1..2..3..4 and THEN swap discs. You need to do this *JUST* before the white Sony screen appears. The timing is tough, you want the PS to read the country code but NOT the TOC so don't expect to get it right every time. o Another variation is to use a hybrid Audio Menu swap trick: remove the boot CD and replace it with the "foreign" game just after the original country code is read and before the TOC. Some people find this method easier then the original White method. METHOD FOUR: The Double Swap Method [Fairly safe but pretty tricky] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Works on : All PlayStations to date, including the latest models. Success : 100% Problems : Do not kid yourself, this method is difficult. The end result is well worth it (especially if you have no other options.) Note: 1x and 2x refer to the CD motor speed (single speed and double speed), watch a few of your games boot up with the lid open and you can easily see and hear the "gear changes". o Insert your local CD. o Remove the local CD when the motor changes to 2x and replace it with your foreign CD. [If you did this right, you *SHOULD* see the black PS screen now.] o Watch and listen to the CD motor. It will slow down and then speed back up to 2x. o After a few seconds, the CD motor will slow down again. Replace with your local CD once again. o After another half second or so, the local CD will speed up again. Finally replace your foreign CD. +============================================================================+ || || || C R E D I T S || || || || Marty Chinn ....................... (for the SCPH-1000 and other info) || || Joe @ Tronix ...................... (for the White method) || || Tony in Hong Kong ................. (for the Audio and Black methods) || || Nelson Fong ....................... (for the Double method) || || || +============================================================================+