Swap Magic
Encyclopedia
Swap Magic is a disc which allows users to play backed-up, copied, or foreign PlayStation 2
games on their PlayStation 2. Swap Magic is legal in the United States under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
.
For the newer, Slim PlayStation 2, there are same options, the SMD 3 option is still available for Slim models along with installation of a "Magic Switch" which allows the original lid to be opened without the system realizing it. More information about "Magic Switch" can be found on the SwapMagic3 Official Web Site.
had slightly changed the design of their console. To combat this, Magic Switch released version 2. This version was widely criticized as it required the user to open the console and, therefore, voided the warranty. Magic Switch responded to this criticism by releasing version 3. V3 did not require opening of the console.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of (most) Magic Switch and similar tools is that they do not void the PS2 warranty as an interior mod would.
Many other versions of the slimtool have subsequently been released, and Swap Magic is still a very popular method of playing backups.
Datel, the first company outside Sony to make a bootable PlayStation 2 CD, actually researched the protection and produced their own discs with protection in their on-site mastering facility.
cheats to the booted game. However, some users have complained that CODER has some compatibility issues as well as known bugs. For example, some games that work on v3.6 do not work with CODER. Consequently, v3.6 remains the most popular version of Swap Magic.
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
games on their PlayStation 2. Swap Magic is legal in the United States under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization . It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to...
.
Methods of Swapping
There are many ways of enabling swapping. In original PlayStation 2 models, a "Slide Card" is available. The slide card is used to eject the disc without the console detecting that the disc has been ejected. A fliptop method is also available for original PlayStation 2 models ranging from v4 to v10, where the cover of PlayStation 2 is replaced with a "fliptop" cover, which allows the user to open the top of the PlayStation 2 (much like a Slim model PlayStation 2) and swap discs. The fliptop method is generally deemed a safer method of swapping compared to the slide card method.For the newer, Slim PlayStation 2, there are same options, the SMD 3 option is still available for Slim models along with installation of a "Magic Switch" which allows the original lid to be opened without the system realizing it. More information about "Magic Switch" can be found on the SwapMagic3 Official Web Site.
Magic Switch
The Magic Switch is a hardware modification kit designed for the Playstation 2 Slim, to allow a user to exchange a Swap Magic disc from the console with a second disc (usually a foreign region, or burned copy game disc) without pressing the eject button. This is the only method of using the Swap Magic disc on a slim PS2 console without voiding the warranty, or installing a flip-top case. There have been several different versions of Magic Switch ranging from version 1 to 3, all versions being made by the same company. Version 1 is only compatible with the v12 slim ps2. Version 1 was no longer compatible with later PS2's [v13-15] as SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
had slightly changed the design of their console. To combat this, Magic Switch released version 2. This version was widely criticized as it required the user to open the console and, therefore, voided the warranty. Magic Switch responded to this criticism by releasing version 3. V3 did not require opening of the console.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of (most) Magic Switch and similar tools is that they do not void the PS2 warranty as an interior mod would.
Many other versions of the slimtool have subsequently been released, and Swap Magic is still a very popular method of playing backups.
How the disc works
The Swap Magic and most other non-Sony made PlayStation 2 bootable discs use a method of "growing" and "splicing" stampers from original PlayStation 2 discs (a method of growing a stamper from an original PS2 CD and joining a new stamper with the program data on to it; in essence, the resulting discs contain a portion of an original disc).Datel, the first company outside Sony to make a bootable PlayStation 2 CD, actually researched the protection and produced their own discs with protection in their on-site mastering facility.
IFPI
The IFPI on a DVD can be found on the inner ring on the underside (data side) of the disc, before the start of data in the mirror part of the disc's hub. Most contain text specified at the time of mastering; this usually consists of the string "IFPI" followed by a code describing the mastering system used, then followed by a text product description, then a bar code.CODER
Recently, the makers of Swap Magic have released Swap Magic v3.8, also known as CODER, which adds the ability of loading Action ReplayAction Replay
Action Replay is the brand name of a series of video game cheating devices created by Datel. As of 2010, Action Replays are currently available for some of the current major gaming platforms which include the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation Portable, and many older...
cheats to the booted game. However, some users have complained that CODER has some compatibility issues as well as known bugs. For example, some games that work on v3.6 do not work with CODER. Consequently, v3.6 remains the most popular version of Swap Magic.