Doo-dads for using not-PS2 controllers on the PS2.

I have a brook ps2 super convertor that I use to make the fightstick I have (Mayflash F300 Elite) work. The Brook supports PS4 and PS3 controllers, but the stick seems to only work if I set it to PS4. Normally the stick needs a PS4 controller plugged into it in PS4 mode, but it works here without one.

• https://www.brookaccessory.com/detail/44237976/

You can use USB keyboards and mice with the PS2. It's mostly only supported for games with online chat and some FPS. In addition:

• RPG Maker 2 and 3 support the keyboard.
• Armored Core games support the mouse for emblem editing.

There are also some doodads that let you use a mouse in place of the right analogue stick, so again mostly just useful for FPS.

• http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=397450
• https://www.neogaf.com/threads/keyboard-mouse-supported-ps2-games.103284/

I can't find a complete list of PS2 multitap games, so here are some interesting ones.

• The Bouncer
• The Def Jam games
• Stand Alone Complex
• Gitaroo Man
• The Hot Shots games
• Sega Soccer Slam
• TransWorld Surf
• (Pretty much all the sport games, really)
• The WinBack games

• PlayStation 2 + Multitap : 1-4 Players - Mobygames search, but results not all correct.

Wanted to get a wheel for OutRun 2 SP, here're my notes on the Logitech wheels, roughly in order of price/quality. Skipped wheels that aren't at least gear driven / have proper force feedback.

• Driving Force EX: Only 200° rotation, but probably fine for arcadey games. Those wheels as old at this are a bit slow, which is not ideal for Initial D and stuff like that?
• Driving Force Pro: Similar to the EX, but spins the full 900°. Can switch between 900° and 200° with key combo. These're both under $100.
• Driving Force GT: This one has decent PC support, and sounds like a decent step-up over the Pro and EX in regards to quality and responsiveness. Doesn't let you switch between 900° and 200° without using a setup program, so if the game doesn't handle it would be a pain. Most importantly OutRun 2 SP handles it fine :) Seem to cost between $120-150.
• G*: The G* wheels are the more serious ones. Larger wheel size, leather grip, clutch peddle and proper gear sticks. The G27 seems to be the most available, but is round the $200 mark. Not sure if the G29 even works on the PS2.

• Gran Turismo official steering wheel
• Logitech_Driving_Force_GT#PlayStation_2
• List of Logitech Racing Wheels compatible games
• http://members.home.nl/paul.schuurmans/gt/notes.html - Wheel compatibility info.
• https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/best-racing-games-with-a-wheel-on-ps2-and-ps3.387203/ - Game recs.
• Driving force pro VS Driving force GT - Opinions on the Inside Driving forum.

At this point it's pretty simple to run games on the PS2 without needing discs, or any hardware modification.

The first step is to get free mcboot. The easiest way to is to buy a memory card with it already setup on there. Just by a decent one, any one with the 'MagicGate' branding should be reliable. Sony, Hori, and Fujiwork are ones I'm aware of. Otherwise you will have to put the required stuff on the card yourself (though recent discoveries have made this easier).

Next you need to decide how to load ISOs. You can do this via USB (slow, the PS2 only supports 1.1, and lots of USB devices don't work), from a hard disk (IDE or SATA), or over a SAMBA network. The last two option require the HDD/network adapter that plugs into the back of a 'fat' model PS2. I don't have a 'slim' model, but IIRC they have an ethernet port built-in, and I dunno how they do HDD. The advantage of using a hard disk is that you can rip your own discs straight to it, the advantage of using a network connection is that you can store a bunch of games on a NAS and not worry about having to fuck with your PS2 to get games on there.

Your memory card will come with Open PS2 Loader (OPL), which is what you use for running games. It may have Popstarter, which is for playing PSX games, and you can also have emulators and stuff on there. Once you have Free McBoot you can install whatever you want via USB or network.

Note: My PS2 has a mod chip, but I can't run NTSC-region games unless I take the Free McBoot card out.

• https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/app.php/page/ps2-usb-hdd-compatibility-list-with-opl-and-popstarter
• List of Compatible USB HDDs for OPL and POPStarter (PS2)
• iso2opl-git - Can just run the ISOs usually, but USBs have to be Fat32, and this will split things up for you if the file's over 4GB.
• bchunk - for converting BIN (PS2 CD-ROM games) to ISO.
• https://ps2-home.com/forum/app.php/page/opl_recommended_settings
• https://old.reddit.com/r/ps2/wiki/index

Non-game software

• Linux for PlayStation 2
• Official Playstation 2 Linux Kit Installation and Demo

PlayStation Basic is a version of Yet Another Basic (Yabasic) which was distributed on a demo CD in Europe as part of a failed effort by Sony to have the PS2 considered a 'home computer' rather than a videogame console, which would've saved them some taxes.

Yabasic exists on other platforms too!

• playstation-basic.com - Sony's BASIC page, via the Wayback Machine.
• Yabasic - Good guide on PS2 Yabasic.
• MJS Yabasic! - JavaScript implementation for your browser. You can write programs and load lots of included demos!
• Yabasic#PlayStation 2
• yabasic.de - Yabasic Homepage.

• Notes on PS2 Games
• List of 60 Hz support in PAL PlayStation 2 games
• PS2 Category on the Modding Fridays wiki.