No DRM here either, but because of the systems complexity and processing power it is only emulatable on powerful hardware (>=1GHz recormended. Anything less works but low frame rate.). Emulators are also fussy about graphics cards. You will need to find a working graphics plugin, and even then some errors are normal. Like most nintendo consoles, this uses cartridges. Intrestingly, nintendo has a large collection of patents on just about everything N64. Perhaps its as a backup in case anyone starts reverse engineering them? If so it hasn't worked.

Trying to run an emulator and keep getting directx errors? I had to change color depth.

On all original PSX discs, sectors 12 - 15 have zeroed EDC/ECC checksums. So when the PSX is booting and sees that sectors 12 - 15 don't have invalid checksums, it knows that the disc is a copy. When the disc is copied, the burner automatically writes the correct checksum of 0x3F13B0BC.

I dont know if a raw copier can fix that, EDC and ECC checksums sound too low-level for software to mess with. Firmware hack perhaps? Playstations are also regioned. See also libcrypt

The only DRM in this is that very annoying disc protection. You can copy games, but the playstation wont boot them. The usual way round is to use either the swap method (see PS2) or a modchip. If you have a powerful enough PC (700MHz without good graphics card, bit less with) you can also emulate the playstation. I recormend the ePSXe emulator, which is getting me through Final Fantasy 9 perfectly. The emulators all emulate chiped playstations, so you dont need originals and can download games from the net :-)

The PS2 is as propritary as anything from sony, through nowhere near as bad as the xbox. Fairly standard DRM componants. The memory cards are identical to magicgate-enabled memory sticks, apart from the physical package. The DVD player feature has standard DVD protection and regioning. Games are also regioned. Finally, althrough PS2 games can be copied the copies will not be bootable. There are two methods for booting copied discs, either use a modchip or the swap method. Unfortunatly both methods involve opening the case, which instantly voids any warrenty and is likely to break something if you dont have enough electronics experience. If your problems with memory you might want to look up Magicgate elseware on the site.

The swap method is used on both PS1 and PS2 games. Its a simple trick. Insert an original so the PS2 can check its an original, then replace the original with your copy of a different game. The trick is doing that without opening the drive, and thats what the open case is for. Just to complicate things, it must be done during a 10-second window while the disc is spinning. Get a switchable modchip if you plan on playing many copies. Instructions are on the internet on several sites, but the process is difficult and involves partially disassembeling the DVD drive. The details vary depending on the PS2 hardware version. Some only need the front of the drive removed, while others need the drive completly taken apart. The drive is also sensitive to light. Flip-top cases are available to simplify the installation.

Modchips are difficult to obtain, being illegal in many countries including the US and most of Europe. The most capable chip available is the DMS3. However, this is a nightmare of installation including connecting directly to the pins of a surface mount chip and carrying high-frequency signals in an EM-noisy box. Dont even consider installing it yourself without experience with surface mount soldiering and a very fine iron. I tried, I destroyed my PS2. There are simpler chips available, including some which require no solder, but these are less capable or require disc-swapping.

Someone emailed this information:

Each save on a memory card can be copy protected. The only game I know of that does this is Time Splitters. To check if a save is copy protected go into your memory card in the browser. Select the save in question and hit the Triangle button. A information screen will be displayed. The last item will be File Protection. If a file is copy protected it will say "Copying Prohibited" next to File Protection. I'm not sure if there are any other options that can be used.

But its not clear if that save was protected using magicgate or some other method. Nor is it clear while any game would protect its saves. More likely the protection was intended for media files. I have now got this game (its awful, played one level and never touched it again), so I have been able to take a closer look, but it still looks like a plain do-not-copy flag. The file information contains the "Copying Prohibited" message, and when I attempt to copy the file I get a flashing "This data cannot be copied." message.

Instrestingly, Sony sells a linux-for-PS2 kit. Its earned the console a lot of support from the geek community, althrough it has been criticised because it doesn't let the linux kernal access the hardware directly. Instead the linux kernal and drivers can only access virtual hardware, and a propritary and protected program connects those to the real hardware. Effectively the system is half emulated. This is to stop people reverse engineering the PS2 or using linux to break its DRM. Under linux, the DVD drive is only partially functional (no movies), the USB ports are functional but awkward and the firewire port is completly nonfunctional. I dont have any more details through, I dont have the PS2 linux kit.

The PS2 is new, powerful and full of propritary and secret technology, so its not yet emulateable. There is an emulator, pcsx2, but its nowhere near complete yet. It will run homebrew games, but not anything commercial. pcsx2 is looking for programers with detailed knowledge of the PS2 to help with the project, but its likely to be a long time before its running commercial games. Doesn't even have a working bios yet.

Finally, the PS2 has an optical audio output, standard Toslink connector and protocol, which is protected with SCMS. Ive been told its perminantly on copy-once, but expect software could override that to either copy-never or copy-freely. If I had a SCMS-compliant recorder I would try to find out, but all I have is a (protection-free :-) Extigy card. Which records PS2 output perfectly.