'Vast' memory card promises tool-less PS2 unlocking

One of the main impediments keeping many people from modding their own consoles is their lack of handiness with a soldering gun -- not to mention the whole voided warranty thing -- but now a new product is said to be on the horizon that moots both these points in a single blow, the 'Vast' advanced custom memory card for PlayStation 2. According to MaxConsole, which claims to have a dialog going with the developers, Vast "essentially exploits a flaw in the PS2 memory card system" to give you the same functionality derived from a hard-wired mod chip sans the need for a single power tool. The only real "proof" we have of this product so far is the above screenshot, which MaxConsole tells us was captured from the card's proprietary operating system; if this is all on the level, we should know more before the scheduled launch, which is said to be a mere two weeks away.

[Miles @ Aug 20th 2007 10:29AM]

You mean like the independence exploit?

Or something totally different?

It sounds like the latter, and if so, I'd be the first to buy it.

[Martín @ Aug 20th 2007 10:50AM]

It's something different. Note that it works in PSTwo.

[Demaar @ Aug 20th 2007 11:07AM]

Damn, this is totally rad if true. I really didn't wanna have to import a PS3 just so I could play all my PS2 imports if it dies, nor did I want to get another one modded which could end up dying as well.

Then again, maybe I should just hope someone figures a way to boot import PS2 games on PS3...

[CowboyGA @ Aug 20th 2007 11:23AM]

I'm sorry, but did you just use the word "rad?"

See if you can use the word "tubular" in the next post, there's a word that died too early. :)

[Nushio @ Aug 20th 2007 11:55AM]

@CowboyGA:
The Internets are a series of tubulars.... Cowabunga Bro!

[dom.rout @ Aug 20th 2007 11:14AM]

It's incredible that this is only just happening for the PS2. You've been able to mod an xbox with a memory card and a PC adapter for a loong time.

[CowboyGA @ Aug 20th 2007 11:59AM]

You have to keep in mind that the xbox was so very easily modable because it was, at its core, a pc. The PS2 was entirely different, so hooking it up to a pc wasn't an easy task.

[TheScantronman @ Aug 20th 2007 11:24AM]

Hmmm...

Sounds good but the option to enable non-Sony HDD's makes me question it.

The PS2 can already accept 3rd party drives.

[dwaede @ Aug 20th 2007 11:34AM]

But isn't there a constraint that only allows a certain sized harddrive to be utilized. Don't modchips and utilities like hdloader enable large harddrives to be utilized?

[Quixote @ Aug 22nd 2007 8:32AM]

The "non-sony hard drive" patch is something that current mod chips already do. It allows the PS2 OS including memory card manager, along with HD capable games like FFXI to use a non-sony drive. This is different from the fuctionality of the HDloader application which allows disc emulation from image partitions on any hard drive.

[fraggle_rocker @ Aug 20th 2007 11:36AM]

This would be really cool, everyone i know has a ps2, but not a region free dvd player, would mean i could bring more dvds round to their place to watch..

[TrackZero @ Aug 20th 2007 12:38PM]

Been able to softmod a ps2 for awhile now...
google on "HDD Loader PS2 title.db softmod" should work. No hardwiring, no chip, no swap trick...Just need a PS1 disc & a way to get a file off and on to a mem card...ActionReplay MAX worked well.

Know it works with the good 'ol fat (as in thick, not file system) PS2, never tried on a newer unit.

Can use it to launch all sorts of things. HD Loader, for example, if you add a hard drive. Doesn't let you play from a "backup" file (loader checks validity before ripping, I think), but you can rip an original disc direct to the drive (not all work flawlessly, YMMV), then safely store the original in your off-site (hopefully underground) original media protection facility, right next to all your original music CDs from which you've carefully extracted every MP3 in your digital library.

[ForcedSterilizationForAll @ Aug 20th 2007 4:57PM]

@TrackZero

If by underground you mean in your parent's basement, then yes I'm sure many people have theirs stored there.

[Melchior @ Aug 21st 2007 11:49AM]

You can add ps2 backups in HDDloader simply by adding them using another way. The backup utility in HDDloader is really not good. Slow, stress the optic and don't accept backups.

[Melchior @ Aug 21st 2007 11:43AM]

It works with out assistance of the DVD drive ? It would be great to use this memchip in combination with HDDloader (free version).. If this Mem os thing loads by himself, the dvd unit of older ps2 with a HDD bay wouldn't be needed.. Ps2 with damaged optics or broken tray could have a second life!

[jennysalala @ Aug 21st 2007 1:49PM]

By himself? You mean by ITSELF. Not everyone is a "him".

I have one PS2 with a broken tray and one modded. I really hope you don't need a boot disc to use this.

I think that the card will also have onboard memory for storing plenty of apps such as HDL, SMS media player among others.

48bit LBA=HDD up to 2TB (terabyte)
24bit LBA=HDD up to 128GB

There's that HDD size conflict solved. All recent versions of the patched HDL have 48bit applied. I've tested a 500gig with my PS2 and it worked flawlessly.

[Melchior @ Aug 24th 2007 9:44PM]

yeap, itself instead.. ;D well. glade to ear that the 48bit patch works! but personally, I don't feel like you can fill 500gig of valuable ps2 games. :P

[Melchior @ Aug 25th 2007 12:16AM]

''Vast is a revolutionary new mod chip for PS2/Two but in plug and play memory card form, no soldering, no opening of the case, absolutely nothing is required except to plug in the vast memory card! The video shows the Vast booting on a PS2 system which has its shell off to show that they have not installed a mod chip or performing any kind of trickery. The team tries a backup game disc without the memory card and show it not booting, then they plug in the Vast memory card and the disc is recognized and can be run by pushing start from the menu. Furthermore, the team state there is plenty more to come and the Vast can do much more. They hint at a fast boot mode which is FASTER than the PS2 booting an original game as well as confirming the mod is fully upgradeable. Final version specifications and more information is to be revealed right here in a few days – so stay tuned!''

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjDu6c3WAB4&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emaxconsole%2Enet%2F