LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Modchips: Users
built 278 days ago
The first generation of PS2 modchips require the player to first load an original disc (or a specialized loader disc like Swap Magic), which the PS2 authenticates and region-checks. At this point the modchip disables the eject notification feature of the PS2's DVD-ROM drive, allowing the user to swap the original disc. Once this swap has been performed, the operator can instruct the PS2 to load the code from the non-original disc. Since the PS2 does not realize the disc has been changed, the authentication code is never re-checked. These modchips may require 4-7 wires to be soldered to the motherboard to install.
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While playing illegally copied games is a primary reason for some people to install modchips, modchips are still considered legal. They allow users to play games imported from different regions, play homebrew games, and create archival copies of games. Imported games are often cheaper and available sooner than from countries with late official release dates, such as Australia. The court recognised that by the time a mod chip acts upon a copied game, the copyright violation has already taken place -- the mod chip is not responsible for the copyright violation.
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In Sweden, modchips are legal, but are not to be sold with a BIOS that circumvents digital rights management technologies. However, users flashing such a BIOS themselves at a later point is legal.
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Today, modchips are available for practically every current console system, often in a great number of variations. In addition to circumventing regional lockout and copy protection mechanisms, modern modchips may introduce more sophisticated modifications to the system, such as allowing the use of user-created software (homebrew), expanding the hardware capabilities of its host system, or even installing an alternative operating system to completely repurpose the host system (e.g. for use as a Home theater PC).
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