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I've moved from an NTSC-using country to the U.K, which uses PAL. Hence, I can't use any local PS2 games, and the latest crop look pretty juicy.

The question: Is it worthwhile getting a PS2 which can use PAL games, or should I import NTSC ones, taking into account the crippling import fees?

Mod chips are your friend.

The problem isn't with the TV colour format (you should be using RGB anyway, which bypasses the whole issue and gives you better colour fidelity and contrast to boot), it's with the region coding.

A modchip would work, but get in quick, because if I recall they've made it illegal to modify consoles (or at least to do so for payment), so they might be harder to obtain.

Addendum: It would be mightily nifty if people didn't suggest I do something illegal. Thanks.

Pcm979 wrote:Addendum: It would be mightily nifty if people didn't suggest I do something illegal. Thanks.

The NTSC-U/C PS2 is perfectly capable of outputting in PAL, though with the proliferation of dual-mode PAL TVs and RGB interconnects, that shouldn't even be needed. The region coding is the only problem left. A modchip would be the cheapest and fastest way to bypass that, but as you don't want to do that, it would be cheaper overall to get a PAL PS2 and wait for the European releases of games. You would have to be willing to wait, though -- the U/C release is usually a year after the Japanese release, and the PAL release six months after that (there are exceptions, but that's the general rule of thumb). And that's if you're lucky and there even is a PAL release. If you can't wait, then importing from back in U/C is the superior option.

Pcm979 wrote:Addendum: It would be mightily nifty if people didn't suggest I do something illegal. Thanks.

Depends on the country in question.

Britians beware of the mod chips but US residents and many other countries are in the clear.

Also if you want to buy a new console then wait a few months-a year for the new generation (Xbox360 and Ps3)

Bah! Pathetic other nations. Mod-chipping is legal in Australia - due to rulings that region coding in all forms is illegal and anti-competitive. Thus we Aussies can break down those pathetic PAL/NTSC barriers!

Entirely hipothetically (RAR!) speaking, if I was to get a mod chip, how would a person such as I, with no hardware experience whatsoever, go about installing it?

Hypothetically speaking, of course, it would involve soldering some 21 wires on both sides of the PS2 PCB. If you know someone who has already done it or has extensive soldering experience, you can have them handle it instead. Alternatives, however (such as slide card and fliptop), require less modification (usually replacing part of the case and DVD drive housing, which can be done in five minutes with just a screwdriver) but are less compatible (DVD-9 games like Xenosaga and GT4 usually won't work).

It comes down to time vs. cost vs. convenience -- pick two. There's sacrificing time, where if you're willing to wait for the PAL release, just getting a PAL PS2 is easier. The option for sacrificing cost is importing from back in NTSC-U/C -- expensive, but you get games quickly and they just work. Sacrificing convenience is installing a region mod -- it's rather detailed soldering work and not for the faint of heart, but fortunately, you only have to do it once.

Hrm. I think I'll go with getting the PAL PS2. Thanks.

Any mods, this topic is finished.