ROM
Overview
PS2 contains one or two Mask-ROMs, "BOOT ROM" containing the BIOS and "DVD ROM" containing the DVD Player, with the latter being optional, since early PS2 consoles (SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000, A-chassis) came with no DVD Player preinstalled. On these consoles, it had to be installed onto Memory Card from the Utility Disc bundled with the console. PSX also has no DVD Player in ROM; it's loaded from HDD instead. In many consoles containing a version of the DVD Player in ROM, it is physically located within the same ROM chip as the BIOS. Despite this, the DVD Player section of the ROM is electrically addressed independently and handled as a separate device by IOP. Other consoles contain two physically separate ICs. Many fat and early slim motherboards have solder pads for both variants and can have these installed either way.
BOOT ROM always has a size of 32Mbit/4MByte, while DVD ROM has a size of 16Mbit/2MByte until G-chassis (thus until SCPH-39XXX) and 32Mbit/4MByte from H-chassis onwards (thus from SCPH-5XXXX).
Only in the special Chinese SCPH-50009, there is an additional third ROM-partition, containing a Chinese font set. This ROM-partition resides in the physical DVD ROM IC, which is a 64 Mbit/8MByte part in these consoles.
The following sections are incomplete and work in progress!
Numbering
All BIOS and DVD ROMs have the version of the BIOS / DVD Player they store marked on the IC. In all consoles except A-chassis (SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000), these versions are prefixed with a "B" for BIOS (e.g. B-20-030) or a "D" for DVD (e.g. D-221-030). On ROMs containing both, BIOS and DVD Player, both versions are printed separately on the IC. Instead of the dashes within the version numbers given in the examples, the writing can also have spaces, or no separator at all.
Fat consoles
For the BIOS ROM, the first digit defines the region (e.g. 0 for Japan, 1 for North America, 2 for Europe). The second digit defines the console type (e.g. 0 for Retail, 1 for Dev). For the DVD Player ROM, it additionally also defines the DVD Region Code (and PAL capability?). The second group defines the actual version.
BIOS Examples:
B-00-100: 0 = Japan, 0 = Retail, 100 = version (from a Japanese SCPH-10000 console)
B-01-100: 0 = Japan, 1 = Dev, 100 = version (from a Japanese DTL-H10000 console)
B-20-030: 2 = Europe, 0 = Retail, 030 = version (from a UK SCPH-35003 console)
Note: While Russian ROMs have the same BOOT ROM version labelled as their European counterparts, their actual content appears to be different. This is subject to further research.
DVD Examples:
D-020-020: 0 = Japan, 2 = DVD region code 2, 0 = NTSC only?, 020 = version (from a Japanese SCPH-18000 console)
D-341-110: 3 = Oceania, 4 = DVD region code 4, 1 = PAL and NTSC (however, region code must match)?, 110 = version (from an Australian SCPH-50002 console)
D-552-111: 5 = Russia, 5 = DVD region code 5, 2 = ???, 111 = version (from a Russian SCPH-50008 console)
Slim consoles
On slim consoles, numbering has changed a lot, since these consoles have multi-region ROMs for both, BIOS and DVD Player, which are patched on-the-fly by MechaCon depending on it's regional settings from EEPROM.
Known BOOT ROM versions
Fat consoles
Japan
- 00-100
- BOOT ROM of early SCPH-10000 consoles (A-chassis, GH-001)
- Found in consoles manufactured until March 25th, 2000
- Is the only version that does not block launching the buggy DVD Player 1.00 from Memory Card, which allows a region code check bypass
- Contains the Protokernel, which lacks several features and has several differences to later versions, creating some issues with homebrew software
- Comes in a different package with a much larger footprint than all other ROMs except 00-100 and 00-101
- 00-101
- BOOT ROM of later SCPH-10000 and and all SCPH-15000 consoles (A-chassis, GH-001 and GH-003)
- Found in SCPH-10000 consoles manufactured later on as well as in SCPH-15000 consoles
- Blocks launching DVD Player 1.00 from Memory Card
- Contains the Protokernel, which lacks several features and has several differences to later versions, creating some issues with homebrew software
- Comes in a different package with a much larger footprint than all other ROMs except 00-100 and 00-101
- B-00-012
- BOOT ROM of SCPH-18000 consoles (A+-chassis GH-003 and AB-chassis GH-008)
- On GH-003, the ROM IC is located on a daughter board due to GH-003 not having the correct footprint at the ROM-pads
- First japanese BIOS to run the final kernel instead of the Protokernel
- First japanese BIOS to be bundled with a DVD Player ROM
- B-00-030
- BOOT ROM of early Japanese D-chassis consoles (SCPH-30000)
- B-00-040
- BOOT ROM of late Japanese D-chassis consoles (SCPH-30000)
- B-00-090
- BOOT ROM of Japanese G-chassis consoles (SCPH-39000)
- B-00-103
- BOOT ROM of Japanese I-chassis consoles (SCPH-50000)
- B-00-120
- BOOT ROM of Japanese J-chassis consoles (SCPH-50000)
North America
- B-10-010
- BOOT ROM of North American B/B'-chassis launch consoles (SCPH-30001)
- B-10-040
- BOOT ROM of North American D-chassis consoles (SCPH-30001)
- B-10-050
- BOOT ROM of early North American F-chassis consoles (SCPH-30001R)
- B-10-060
- BOOT ROM of late North American F-chassis consoles (SCPH-30001R)
- B-10-070
- BOOT ROM of North American G-chassis consoles (SCPH-39001/39010)
- B-10-102
- BOOT ROM of North American H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50001/50010)
Europe
- B-20-020
- BOOT ROM of PAL-European C/C'-chassis launch consoles (SCPH-30003/4)
- B-20-030
- BOOT ROM of PAL-European D-chassis consoles (SCPH-30003/4, SCPH-35003/4)
- B-20-050
- BOOT ROM of early PAL-European F-chassis consoles (SCPH-30003/4R)
- B-20-060
- BOOT ROM of late PAL-European F-chassis consoles (SCPH-30003/4R)
- B-20-080
- BOOT ROM of PAL-European G-chassis consoles (SCPH-39003/4)
- B-20-090
- BOOT ROM of PAL-Russian G-chassis consoles (SCPH-39008)
- B-20-101
- BOOT ROM of early PAL-European H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50003/4)
- B-20-103
- BOOT ROM of late PAL-European H-chassis and I-chassis consoles (SCPH-50003/4)
Oceania
- B-30-103
- BOOT ROM of Australian H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50002, maybe also I-chassis?)
Hong Kong
- B-040-050
- BOOT ROM of F-chassis consoles from Hong Kong (SCPH-30006 R)
- B-040-090
- BOOT ROM of G-chassis consoles from Hong Kong (SCPH-39006)
Taiwan
- B-60-103
- BOOT ROM of Taiwanese H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50007, maybe also I-chassis?)
China
- B-70-103
- BOOT ROM of Chinese H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50009)
Slim consoles
- B1110A
- BOOT ROM of slim SCPH-70001/11/12 (North America) consoles
- Some regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B2110A
- BOOT ROM of slim SCPH-70002/3/4/8 (all PAL SCPH-7000x) consoles
- Some regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B3110A
- BOOT ROM of slim SCPH-70000 (Japan) consoles
- Some regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B4110A
- BOOT ROM of SCPH-70005 (Korea) and SCPH-70007 (Taiwan) consoles
- Probably also used in SCPH-70006 (Hong Kong)
- Some regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B6120B
- Universal BOOT ROM of SCPH-75XXX consoles
- All regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B6130B
- Universal BOOT ROM of SCPH-77XXX consoles
- All regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B6140B
- Universal BOOT ROM of SCPH-79XXX consoles and early SCPH-90XXX consoles
- All regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- B6150B
- Universal BOOT ROM of late SCPH-90XXX consoles
- All regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching through MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- Patches FMCB (Use Free DVD Boot instead)
- B6160B
- BOOT ROM for the PS2 motherboard inside the Bravia KDL-22PX300 TV
- Patches FMCB (Use Free DVD Boot instead)
Dev consoles
- 01-100
- BOOT ROM of early Japanese A-chassis DTL-H10000
- 01-030
- BOOT ROM of Japanese D-chassis DTL-H30000
PSX
- XB00-010
- BOOT ROM for earlier PSX consoles (based on XPD-001, DESR-5000, DESR-7000, DESR-5100, DESR-7100), Japan-only
- (no custom label)
- BOOT ROM for later PSX consoles (based on XPD-005, DESR-5500, DESR-7500, DESR-5700, DESR-7700), Japan-only
- Has no custom label, but instead just has the standard part number of the OKI one-time-programmable-ROM used for this ROM
Known DVD ROM versions
Fat consoles
Very incomplete
Japan
- D-020-020
- DVD Player 2.00J
- DVD ROM of all Japanese SCPH-18000 consoles (A+-chassis GH-003 and AB-chassis GH-008)
- On GH-003, the ROM IC is located on a daughter board due to GH-003 not having the correct footprint at the ROM-pads
- First DVD Player to support the IR remote control
- D-020-030
- DVD Player 2.02J
- DVD ROM of early Japanese D-chassis consoles
- D-020-040
- DVD Player 2.10J
- DVD ROM of late Japanese D-chassis consoles
- D-020-090
- DVD Player 2.16J
- DVD ROM of late Japanese G-chassis SCPH-39000 consoles
- D-020-111
- DVD Player 3.0?J
- DVD ROM of Japanese I-chassis SCPH-50000 consoles
- D-020-120
- DVD Player 3.03J
- DVD ROM of Japanese J-chassis SCPH-50000 consoles
North America
- D-110-010
- DVD Player 1.10U
- DVD ROM of US launch consoles, SCPH-30001 (B-chassis GH-004 and B'-chassis GH-005)
- The first ROM-based DVD player to be built into consumer PS2 consoles
- D-110-020
- DVD Player ?.??U
- DVD ROM of North American ?-chassis SCPH-30001 consoles
- D-110-030
- DVD Player ?.??U
- DVD ROM of (some? all?) North American D-chassis SCPH-30001 (R?) consoles
- D-110-040
- DVD Player 2.10U
- DVD ROM of North American F-chassis SCPH-30001R consoles
- D-110-050
- DVD Player 2.12U
- DVD ROM of North American G-chassis SCPH-39001/SCPH-39010 consoles
- D-110-110
- DVD Player 3.00U
- DVD ROM of North American H-chassis SCPH-50001 consoles
Europe
- D-221-020
- DVD Player 1.20E
- DVD ROM of European launch consoles, SCPH-30003/SCPH-30004
- D-221-030
- DVD Player 1.30E
- DVD ROM of early European D-chassis SCPH-30003/4 consoles (no R behind the model number)
- D-221-040
- DVD Player 2.10E
- DVD ROM of late European D-chassis and all European F-chassis consoles, SCPH-30003/4 R
- D-221-060
- DVD Player 2.13E
- DVD ROM of European G-chassis SCPH-39003/4 consoles
- D-221-110
- DVD Player 3.00E
- DVD ROM of European H-chassis SCPH-50003/4 consoles
- D-221-111
- DVD Player 3.02E
- DVD ROM of European I-chassis SCPH-50003/4 consoles
Oceania
- D-341-040
- DVD Player 2.10A
- DVD ROM of late Australian D-chassis and all Australian F-chassis consoles, SCPH-30002 R
- D-341-110
- DVD Player 3.00A
- DVD ROM of Australian H-chassis SCPH-50002 consoles (Maybe also I-chassis?)
Korea
- D-430-040
- DVD Player 2.12K
- DVD ROM of Korean F-chassis consoles, SCPH-30005 R
Russia
- D-552-090
- DVD Player 2.16D
- DVD ROM of Russian G-chassis console, SCPH-39008
- D-552-111
- DVD Player 3.02D
- DVD ROM of Russian H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50008)
Asia
- D-630-050
- DVD Player 2.12G
- DVD ROM of Hong Kong F-chassis consoles (SCPH-30006 R, Maybe also Korea and Taiwan SCPH-30005/7 R?)
- D-630-080
- DVD Player 2.15G
- DVD ROM of Hong Kong G-chassis consoles (SCPH-39006, Maybe also Korea and Taiwan SCPH-39005/7?)
- D-630-111
- DVD Player 3.02G
- DVD ROM of Asian H-chassis consoles (SCPH-50005/6/7) (Maybe also I-chassis and/or J-chassis?)
Slim consoles
- D1010U
- Universal DVD ROM used in all SCPH-70XXX K-chassis slim consoles from all regions
- DVD Player 3.10x
- Regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching by MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
- D0020U
- Universal DVD ROM used in all slim consoles (and the Bravia KDL-22PX300 TV) from all regions, except K-chassis SCPH-70XXX
- DVD Player 3.11x
- Regional variation is done through on-the-fly patching by MechaCon, determined by region parameters stored in it's EEPROM
Other ROMs
Arcade
- A-000-010
- Arcade BOOT ROM of COH-H31100 (based on GH-006/C-chassis), used in Namco System 246 Rev.B
Character set
- chip label unknown (deciphered D-762-110, needs confirmation)
- DVD 3.02C + Character set ROM of Chinese SCPH-50009 consoles