Many Original PlayStation fans may recall that Serial Port on early PlayStation 1 Consoles. Well the project that has been in development for some times has reached 100% completion and now Pre-Orders are available for the device. PSIO utilizes that port I/O Port (PIO) with this add-on that lets you play your PS1 games from SD card instead of the CD-ROM. Included in the latest details and a FAQ for many questions the public may have. What are your thoughts on this hardware mode for the PS1? [break]dd[/break]
PSIO | Store:
Pre-order a PSIO Cartridge
- PSIO is simply a cartridge that plugs into your PlayStation 1's Parallel I/O Port (PIO). It will then let you play your software from an SD card on the console instead of the CD-ROM drive.
Brief Terms and Conditions
- These are strictly pre-orders only. This means that we will not start manufacturing instantly and supply is limited.
- All items are shipped from Australia using either DHL or Australia Post (depending on your region).
- All products shipped outside of Australia will not consolidate any Australian Tax, but you may be required to pay an import duty.
- You understand that an internal modification is required for PSIO to work with your PlayStation.
- If you require your PlayStation to be modified, please purchase a "PlayStation Switch Board Installation Service" with the third option.
Please do not email us asking where your cartridge is. You will receive an email once we have sent you your PSIO cartridge along with the tracking number. Depending on assembly turnover times, it may take up to 60 days until we begin working on your cartridge, so please be patient with us.
What's Included?
- PSIO Cartridge (Boxed with a Moulded Plastic Insert).
- Switch Board Kit (Switch Board, Double-Sided Tape, 90 CM of Kynar Wire and a Label).
- Documents (Quick Start Guide).
A PSIO Cartridge is $150.00 AUD (Free Shipping Worldwide).
[For the 'Buy Now' button to appear, you must check and accept the Terms and Conditions box above, beneath the PayPal logo]
Switch Board Kit
Purchase additional Switch Board kits to install them in more PlayStation's.
For more information regarding the Switch Board, as well as installation documents, please see here.
What's Included?
- Switch Board (pre-adhered with Double-Sided 3M branded Tape).
- Wire (Kynar, 90 CM).
- Label.
A Switch Board Kit is $4.95 AUD (Shipping Automatically Calculated).
[For the 'Buy Now' button to appear, you must check and accept the Terms and Conditions box above, beneath the PayPal logo]
PlayStation Switch Board Installation Service
Send us your PlayStation mainboard to have the Switch Board professionally installed.
Upon checkout, you will be provided with an Australian address to send your board to.
Brief Terms and Conditions
- Do not send us your complete console. Only send the mainboard.
- If you ship your complete console or parts of your console still attached, we will charge you for additional postage fees.
- All boards are tested prior to installation of the Switch Board.
- If your console is found to be faulty, we will not work on your mainboard, and we will email you to resolve the issue.
What's Included in the Installation Service?
- Professional Switch Board installation.
- Testing of the CD-ROM functionality and PSIO (Parallel Port) functionality.
- Board is returned in an Anti-Static bag.
A Switch Board Installation is $1.95 AUD (Return Shipping Costs Automatically Calculated).
[For the 'Buy Now' button to appear, you must check and accept the Terms and Conditions box above, beneath the PayPal logo]
PSIO | Features
Primary Features:
- Loads software from an SD Memory Card (up to 32GB),
- Easily select software using a clean, simple and functional Menu System design,
- Software images load instantly with no "Copy to Memory" routines unlike other Flashcarts,
- All firmwares are locally upgradeable. No special cables or dongles are required,
- To select a new software image, simply hit 'Reset' on the console and re-select an image from the Menu System,
- Supports hot swapping of SD cards within the Menu System,
- Supports CDDA and XA audio channels,
- Supports loading of software images via USB (Windows only),
- A Switch Board is included free with each cartridge purchase (wire also included),
- Supports BIN, ISO and IMG files.
PSIO Menu System:
- Smooth, easy to use Menu System with many useful shortcuts and options,
- Clean simple layout combined with 2D and 3D graphics,
- Displays custom 'Cover Art' Bitmap images,
- Supports switching of Video Modes in real time,
- Enables Fastboot support (skipping of the BIOS),
- Allows booting from the CD-ROM drive,
- Supports Multi-Tap, DUAL SHOCK and Lightgun peripherals.
Cartridge Internal View:
- Powered by an Atmel ARM Cortex-M3 MCU and ALTERA Cyclone 3 FPGA,
- Professionally manufactured using high quality components,
- Features a high quality 'clicky' type SD Card slot,
- Iconic PlayStation 'Gun Metal Grey' coloured ABS case,
- Gold Plated PlayStation Parallel I/O connector.
PSIO | Frequently Asked Questions
What is PSIO?
- PSIO is simply a cartridge that plugs into your PlayStation 1's Parallel I/O Port (PIO). It will then let you play your software from an SD card on the console instead of the CD-ROM drive.
Is PSIO an emulator for PlayStation games?
- PSIO does not emulate PlayStation games. PSIO is an emulator of the CD-ROM co-processor (SUB-CPU). That being said, it is a hardware emulator, which, is almost identical to the original Sony CD-ROM MCU.
How much is a PSIO cartridge?
- $149.95 AUD.
How much is shipping?
- It is free, and included in the total cost mentioned above.
How do I select my games?
- A custom built menu system boots up each and every time you turn on your PlayStation, which is called the "PSIO Menu System". It runs on the PlayStation 1 directly and allows you to select and boot games from the SD card using the controller.
Can I boot my original PlayStation format CD-ROM's like normal when PSIO is plugged in?
- Yes, so long as the Switch Board has been installed (see below), there is an option in the Menu System to boot from the CD-ROM drive directly. Otherwise, you may unplug PSIO to return your PlayStation back to regular operation.
Will DUAL-SHOCK Vibration and Memory Cards work?
- Yes. All peripherals will work like normal when PSIO is running.
Will PlayStation 1 games run at their original speed when using PSIO?
- Yes. The PlayStation 1 Parallel Port can handle up to 3 megabytes per second on the system bus. The original CD-ROM (at 2x speed) could read at a maximum of 352 kilobytes per second, so there is plenty of bandwidth available.
Will the PlayStation 1 Power Supply Unit overload with PSIO?
- No.
What regions will PSIO work in?
- It will work in all regions. This includes PAL, NTSC-U/C and NTSC-J.
Do all games work on PSIO?
- Not all games will run, and we are unsure what ones will fail without testing of each and every PlayStation game title in its library. With that being said, usually we can fix the game problem with a firmware update if you let us know the exact problem. You may however see which games have been tested here.
What format should I backup my games as?
- We recommend that your CD-ROM discs are ripped 1:1, without any errors whatsoever, as a *.BIN and *.CUE format. Other formats you may use however are *.ISO and *.IMG.
I see that my game isn't listed in the 'Compatibility' page. Will it work with PSIO?
- Yes, your game should work with PSIO. If your game does not work, we will flag it and start to look into it.
My PlayStation 1 is a PAL system. Can I play NTSC-U/C or NTSC-J games on it?
- Yes, however you will need to play over RGB video output or else a modification to the PlayStation mainboard will be required in order to generate a colour picture. We will have more detailed information about this upon release and how you may perform the modification.
Are there any modifications required for PSIO to work?
- Yes. An internal modification is required. The modification is a small printed circuit board (PCB) with a logic gate array based integrated circuit (IC) that detects whether a PSIO cartridge is plugged in or not. More information may be found here.
I have a modchip in my PlayStation. Will that effect PSIO?
- No, nor will it have an effect on the Switch Board.
What about multi-disc games. Can I play games such as Abe's Exodus or Final Fantasy that use more than one disc?
- This will hopefully be released in a future firmware update, but the idea would be that you simply eject and re-insert the SD card to force a disc change.
Can I watch movies/video?
- You can watch video as a Sony STR format in a resolution of 320x256 at 15 Frames per Second in Stereo with 44.1KHz audio (MPEG frames interleaved with XA).
Can I use a Hard Disk Drive to play my games?
- No. The USB port on PSIO is to stream image data only.
What about the PSone/SCPH-900x PlayStation's?
- The PSone (Sony's re-designed mini PlayStation 1) and SCPH-900x series, will not be plug-and-play since they do not have a Parallel I/O port. To get around this, we have a special version that will not include the PIO header connector on the PCB. You will be required to solder 41 wires from PSIO's custom pin design to the PSone or 900x mainboard manually.
When did you start working on this?
- PSIO began as a concept on August 15th, 2010. It is a one of a kind device, and nothing else exists like it.
I can play my games fine on my PS3. Why would someone buy this?
- The PS3 emulates PlayStation games using software. It is inaccurate, glitchy, and the games were never designed to be played like that.
What is the point of this product? I can play my games fine from a disc!
- The PlayStation 1 CD-ROM drive when brand new was decent quality. However, since the consoles launch in 1994, the laser assembly has deteriorated, and it is impossible to find a brand new one. Games now freeze, skip music and sometimes will not load at all due to this fact.
Will you post Worldwide?
- Yes. We ship to almost every country
