Being a risk-taking, gung ho early adopter always on the cutting edge of gaming, I got myself a Playstation 2 yesterday, only eight years after it was first introduced.
I got the SCPH-90006, which is the slim PS2 model introduced in late 2007. Aside from being ridiculously thin and light — if it were anymore slimmer and lighter, it could qualify as a handheld gaming device — the latest hardware iteration of the console features a built-in power adapter, making it compact enough for the desktop.
As I planned to slowly work my way through Play-Asia’s stocks of PS2 Region 1 Greatest Hits titles, I got myself a modded PS2. I’m told the mod chip used is the Super 7 chip. I can’t seem to find any details about its abilities but truth be told, the only feature that matters to me is it allows me to play region 1 games on my region 3 console.
The first thing I had to figure out was how I was going to view and hear the PS2 as it includes several AV options.
On the video side, you can connect the device via composite, S-Video or component cables. I could have simply connected it to my TV through composite video but opted instead to plug it to my Dell Ultrasharp 2007WFP LCD monitor. The 2007WFP has composite, S-Video, VGA and DVI-D connectors. Choosing between composite and S-Video was easy since S-Video quality trumps composite. Unfortunately, Sony doesn’t ship the PS2 with an S-Video cable so I had to get a third-party cable for RM25. I suspect superior bargaining skills and a sad moony face might bring down the price.
The audio connection proved to be trickier. Both the S-Video and composite cables include RCA plugs for audio. I planned to connect the PS2 to my PC speakers but that presented a problem since my speakers only had a conventional 3.5mm stereo jack. The solution was a RCA jack to 3.5mm stereo adapter. I got mine free when I bought my console but it shouldn’t cost much — RM5 to RM10 is the price I’m seeing online. It’s still an inelegant solution; my ideal audio adapter would feature RCA jacks with a headphone socket so I can simply attach my headphones to the PS2. I can’t seem to find this type of adapter anywhere and the proprietor of the shop I bought the PS2 from (who was looking for the same adapter himself) confirmed it wasn’t easily found.
Anyway, the PS2 is good to go.
You took exactly the route I took with my PS2 — save the fact that I’ve got the older 2005FPW instead of a 2007FPW. The PS2 should work quite well on that monitor (though the output to a CRT television is slightly improved).
The RCA to 3.5mm stereo mini-jack adapters are surprisingly difficult to acquire. My solution was to wire the audio through an old amplifier, but I may yet break out the soldering iron…
I’ve connected the audio via the adapter to an old speaker amplifier and attached the headphones but I’d like a little more flexibility. I could do away with the amplifier if I coupled the adapter with a 3.5mm/3.5mm female adapter but that seems a hamfisted way of doing things.
Just an addendum: after reading this recent NeoGAF thread about headphone adapters, I’m looking for this now.