Sony's decision to discontinue the PlayStationin March 2019 seems to have resulted in the creation of DIY PSPs! One such case is that of a Redditor named Darkwingmod who created a portable PS2 console, using a Raspberry Pi 2 as an SMB server, to load games directly over Ethernet.
According to the information, Darkwingmod started the project in question in 2013, then took a break for some time and returned to his venture in 2017. Now the Redditor has completed his project and is presenting the DIY portable gaming console he created.
The console specifications are as follows:
- Ps2 scph-79002
- 5.6 "Dalian Good Display and VGA chip
- Genius MaxFire Blaze 2 controller
- 11.1V 6200mAh from 6 ncr18650a cells
- Texas instrument ptn78020 switching regulator
- IBM Lenovo laptops 05K5494 + heatsink
- Optical drive with audio expansion, mini digital amplifier board 5V or mini bin mini-iStereoDock (AngelArm1110)
- ZN40 from Polycase
Let's now see how he created his special console.
Dismantling a PS2
Darkwingmod used the insides of the PS2 to carry out his project. As he mentions in his presentation, he used the PS2 Slim SCPH-7900x to build his portable gaming console.
Building the console
Construction of the console began in 2013, using a layer of JB adhesive and PVC to make it more comfortable. After two hours of shaping and smoothing out the lines of the device, screen, speaker, and other components, he created this:
Darkwingmod bought a 5.6 inch HDMI from eBay.
Using the Raspberry Pi 2
To load games at full speed without a drive, Darkwingmod used a Raspberry Pi SMB setup. He removed the GPIO pins, USB, camera port, and Ethernet port to power down the SBMC. He also made a list of games that could be loaded directly to the internal storage, eliminating the need for any emulators or optical drives.
You can watch a game on the DIY console here.
