PS2 Manual installation guide for PSX games in the APP section of OPL via USB.

[gamerman 5000]

In this tutorial we will learn step by step how to install PSX games to load them in Open PS2 Loader (OPL) from the applications menu.

Before continuing, it is necessary to have read the following tutorial "Guide to Install APPS in Open PS2 Loader via USB" since it will be referred to later, you can read it at the following link:

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/guide-to-install-apps-in-open-ps2-loader-via-usb.41054/

What do we need?

1.-Have the POPSTARTER emulator installed.

To download it see the following thread:

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/popstarter.19139/

2.- The PSX game rom with VCD extension (the emulator only works with this file extension).

3.- With the help of the file called "CUE2POPS_2_3.EXE" included in the POPSTARTER download, we can convert our games that must be in bin and cue format to VCD format.

4.- We place our game in my case "SCES_000.60.Mortal Kombat 3" in bin and cue format in the folder where the file called "CUE2POPS_2_3.EXE" is located, it should look like this:

Note: If you have a game with multiple tracks (Track01.bin, Track02.bin, Track03.bin…) see the following thread "Create cue file for PSX games from multiple audio tracks and convert them into a single bin file".

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/c...nd-convert-them-into-a-single-bin-file.40931/

5.- We select the game file with the extension "cue" in my case "SCES_000.60.Mortal Kombat 3.cue" and drag it over the file "CUE2POPS_2_3.EXE" a command window will appear that will show the progress of the conversion, we wait for it to convert our game to a VCD image.

6.- When finished we will have our game with VCD extension.

Installing the game

7.- Having everything necessary and mentioned in steps 1 and 2, we proceed to create a folder called "POPS" in the root of our USB. Don't worry about the "memory card" folder since once the emulator starts it will create them automatically.

The "POPS" folder of the PSX games should contain the following files "POPS_IOX.PAK" "POPSTARTER.ELF" "game.VCD" in my case "SCES_000.60.Mortal Kombat 3.VCD", and it will look like this:

8.- In order for the emulator to load our game we must rename the file "POPSTARTER.ELF" with the name of the game respecting the following format "XX.game.ELF" where "XX" must be capitalized, in my case it would be renamed like this:

XX.SCES_000.60.Mortal Kombat 3.ELF

So the "POPS" folder would be as follows:

NOTE: The "POPSTARTER.ELF" file will always need to be renamed for each game you install.

9.- We create the file "conf_apps.cfg" necessary so that OPL can load our applications seen in steps 1 and 2 of the previous tutorial. In our case, the line would be as follows:

Mortal Kombat 3 = mass:/POPS/XX.SCES_000.60.Mortal Kombat 3.ELF

Edit: if you get the following error:

"Error, could not run the item"

modify your line as in this example, you must place the "=" symbol attached to the text string "mass":

Mortal Kombat 3 =mass:/POPS/XX.SCES_000.60.Mortal Kombat 3.ELF

10.- We save the file "conf_apps.cfg" in the "memory card" seen in steps 3 - 10 of the previous tutorial.

11.- We configure OPL to be able to visualize the applications seen in steps 11-14 of the previous tutorial.

12.- We can now see our game in the OPL applications menu.

 

[arcadekidflo]

Tried this tutorial with OPL 1.2.0 Beta 1915 , the game is detected but when i launch it it just takes me to a screen of ULE 4.43_ISR ?!

 

[gamerman 5000]

Hello, before anything else, first run the game "elf" with "ulaunchelf" so we rule out that it is an opl problem.

 

[pearson]

I'm having trouble with launching Metal Gear Solid Disc 1.
Is there an intended different step that I should take for dual discs games?

 

[Peppe90]

I'm having trouble with launching Metal Gear Solid Disc 1.
Is there an intended different step that I should take for dual discs games?

No. The only different thing is when you'll need to change the disc.

If MGS allows you to save at disc 1 end (I don't remember), you can simply reset, start the second disc and load.
Otherwise, you have to put a couple files into the game folders like this example:

MGSCD1:\DISCS.TXT
MGSCD2:\DISCS.TXT, VMCDIR.TXT

Into DISCS.TXT (both of them) write:

MGSCD1.VCD
MGSCD2.VCD

Into VMCDIR.TXT:

MGSCD1

So when on disc 2 it'll read the disc 1 VMC you're using.

 

[gamerman 5000]

I'm having trouble with launching Metal Gear Solid Disc 1.
Is there an intended different step that I should take for dual discs games?

The steps are the same.
What region "id" are you using of game?

 

[gamerman 5000]

No. The only different thing is when you'll need to change the disc.

If MGS allows you to save at disc 1 end (I don't remember), you can simply reset, start the second disc and load.
Otherwise, you have to put a couple files into the game folders like this example:

MGSCD1:\DISCS.TXT
MGSCD2:\DISCS.TXT, VMCDIR.TXT

Into DISCS.TXT (both of them) write:

MGSCD1.VCD
MGSCD2.VCD

Into VMCDIR.TXT:

MGSCD1

So when on disc 2 it'll read the disc 1 VMC you're using.

View attachment 40981

thanks for sharing

 

[gamerman 5000]

As already explained, for games with more than two discs, two files must be created with notepad one named "DISCS.TXT" and one named "VMCDIR.TXT" Inside the file "DISCS.TXT" they place the names of all the discs that make up the game.

For example:

SLES_021.66.Fear Effect (Europe) (Disc 1).VCD
SLES_121.66.Fear Effect (Europe) (Disc 2).VCD
SLES_221.66.Fear Effect (Europe) (Disc 3).VCD
SLES_321.66.Fear Effect (Europe) (Disc 4).VCD

This file must go in each game folder where the "memory card" is.

The "VMCDIR.TXT" file is only to avoid having to copy the memories in the folders every time the game is saved on the different disks.
in this way, a single "memory card" is used for all the games (only for the games that work with the change of disk in the emulator).
inside the file "VMCDIR.TXT" they put only the name of the disk that contains the "memory card" that they want to use for all the disks.

For example:

SLES_021.66.Fear Effect (Europe) (Disc 1)

This file must go in each game folder where the "memory card" is.

 

[arcadekidflo]

Hello, before anything else, first run the game "elf" with "ulaunchelf" so we rule out that it is an opl problem

It just takes me to the same screen LaunchELF 4.43X_ISR .

 

[gamerman 5000]

It just takes me to the same screen LaunchELF 4.43X_ISR .

Ok, with this we rule out that it is a problem of the opl.

To help you I need to see the files you have in your "POPS" folder and how you have them renamed, especially the "POPSTARTER.ELF" file.

 

[arcadekidflo]

Used this tutorial to convert the game

, tried to rename it , no luck .

 

[gamerman 5000]

Used this tutorial to convert the game

, tried to rename it , no luck .

Did you notice that you started by saying that you "tried my tutorial" and ended by saying that you used another one?

I have analyzed your files and you have an error in the file you renamed "POPSTARTER.ELF" to "SLES_007.46.Deathtrap Dungeon.ELF"

For this tutorial if you are trying to run it from a usb you must rename it as follows:

XX.SLES_007.46.Deathtrap Dungeon.ELF

 

[arcadekidflo]

Ok, great, i didn't notice the XX before the game name. It's booting up now . Can the game continue the savedata from a real memory card ? Short story, CD got damaged and my friend wants to finish the game somehow .

 

[gamerman 5000]

Ok, great, i didn't notice the XX before the game name. It's booting up now .

Perfect.

Can the game continue the savedata from a real memory card ? Short story, CD got damaged and my friend wants to finish the game somehow.

Of course, as long as it is the same region "id" of the game in your case it should be "SLES_007.46"

 

[Peppe90]

Of course, as long as it is the same region "id" of the game in your case it should be "SLES_007.46"

99% of times that's not a problem. On either Ps1 and Ps2 games, you can use saves with all versions simply renaming them (manually or using memcardREX and such).

 

[gamerman 5000]

99% of times that's not a problem. On either Ps1 and Ps2 games, you can use saves with all versions simply renaming them (manually or using memcardREX and such).

thanks for sharing.

 

[arcadekidflo]

Wait, you can just rename a SLES gamesave to SLUS and it will work ?

 

[El_isra]

POPS VCD Manager is a pretty decent automated alternative too

 

[gamerman 5000]

POPS VCD Manager is a pretty decent automated alternative too

I think so, thanks for your input.

 

[Peppe90]

Wait, you can just rename a SLES gamesave to SLUS and it will work ?

Yes (the entire ID). On ps2 games remember to rename both the folder and the actual save.