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Post by megamixer on Aug 1, 2022 19:54:09 GMT
I was thinking about this the last time I opened up a fat PS2 to clean it out.
What was the last real bit of well-made gaming hardware that wasn't just off the shelf parts/drives like a lot of the newer systems seem to be? Nowadays everything seems to be made in China - regardless of where the manufacturer is based - and the build quality not always that great.
Now, I'm going to nominate the fat PS2. I know, I know...they CAN break down and have laser problems (especially the SCPH-50003 variants that can even scratch your discs) amongst other things but, on the whole, I feel that this is the last solidly-made piece of gaming hardware with it's own unique internal design. It has a full-on dual-sided motherboard for example and, obviously, the Emotion chip (which Sony had to keep making and include in initial PS3s just so it could properly run PS2 discs via BC).
The OG Xbox changed it all imo with PC-style plug-n-play DVD drives and HDDs. This is good in a way, but it also ended uniqueness. I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure most of today's machines just use off-the-shelf parts/drives etc. and they certainly aren't solidly-built like in the old days with all the stuff that can go wrong due to bad design. Just look at the PS3 YLOD, 360's RROD, and early PS5's damaging PS4 discs for example.
Or maybe I'm just chatting a load of crap and trying to get a few threads going here.
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Post by kerr9000 on Aug 1, 2022 21:35:48 GMT
For being solid so you can drop it and it will bounce I rate the Wii, its not the most original hardware though being a souped up Gamecube.
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Post by sephiroth81 on Aug 1, 2022 23:02:21 GMT
How easy is it to replace the battery in a Phat PS2?? Think mine went a while back, as every time i turn on the PS2, the disk drive shoots out at 500mph. It still works fine otherwise, its just inconvenient having to select the ps2 language settings each time etc.
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Post by mattb on Aug 2, 2022 0:12:11 GMT
I'll go with the N64 on the grounds that it has no optical drive, mechanical hard drive, or cooling fan to wear out.
I don't think I'd want to drop one onto a hard surface though, and they're getting to an age where you'd probably want to replace the capacitors.
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Post by megamixer on Aug 2, 2022 17:12:58 GMT
How easy is it to replace the battery in a Phat PS2?? Think mine went a while back, as every time i turn on the PS2, the disk drive shoots out at 500mph. It still works fine otherwise, its just inconvenient having to select the ps2 language settings each time etc. I'll be honest...I didn't even know this was a thing! I have owned about 5 different phat PS2s over the years and never known the battery to die.
After looking, it seems like a complete strip-down job and a pain in the ass...
Apparently you MIGHT get lucky if you happen to have a certain internal revision as some had the battery in an easier place to reach requiring less taking-apart. There are that many internal layouts inside the phat PS2s (I have seen several when opening them up over the years and got pissed off with all the videos/pictures that don't match what I have...)
Only good news is that it's a normal CR2032 battery.
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Post by sephiroth81 on Aug 2, 2022 19:20:23 GMT
Yea, i feared it would be a total bastard to do. I would probably end up getting annoyed and not putting it back together properly, so will just leave it for now....its a minor inconvenience having to reset language/clock, but I don't boot the PS2 up that regularly anyway to justify the heartache and pain of replacing the thing!
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Post by megamixer on Aug 2, 2022 19:23:44 GMT
I've stripped them down a few times to the point of taking the board out. It's not terrible but - as I said - you do tend to find a guide to follow and then realise that yours looks slightly different inside and that there's a screw somewhere holding things down that you can't find...
I mean, I've had some that have completely different heatsinks for example.
I have a TEST/debug phat that I can only strip down so far because it doesn't look like any guide I can find and I don't want to break something.
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Post by kerr9000 on Aug 2, 2022 21:44:41 GMT
its annoying when they change stuff, I remember combining broken PlayStation consoles to make working ones and sometimes theyd make it so the CD part faced the other way or other things to make it harder to do.
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Post by RetroBob on Aug 5, 2022 4:17:27 GMT
In order, I've had replacements for Xbox 360, Wii, Xbox One, and Wii U. To me that suggests the last one was the OG Xbox!
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Post by englishinvader on Aug 5, 2022 5:50:40 GMT
The ones I've found to be most durable are the Sega Saturn and the Nintendo Game Cube. The weak point in systems from the 5th gen onwards seems to be the optical drives and neither of those two systems have failed on me in that sense. Seen plenty of failed PS2s, original XBoxes and Dreamcasts.
I'm also quite pleased with the build quality of my Switch Lite. From the GBA onwards, handheld designers seemed to be on a mission to make them as small and as quiet as possible and two of the things I loved about my Game Gear growing up was both the size and the sound you could get from it - the Atari Lynx was of a similar ilk and I love both systems very much. The Lite seems to go back to those days as well.
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Post by icemann on Aug 5, 2022 7:24:03 GMT
I consider the Switch as pretty badass hardware wise, considering that it works good as a handheld and as a console. Not too many cases of that.
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Post by lupogtiboy on Aug 5, 2022 8:11:18 GMT
I've got a few Fat PS2's that won't read DVD's or PS2 games anymore, but play PS1 games fine. I know they have a laser issue in some models, but it doesn't bother me that much tbh.
I had the drive on my fat PS3 fail too, but I bought a second-hand one off a mate with an upgraded hd so that was a minor inconvenience.
I have a Panasonic FZ-1 3DO that spins a disc, but doesn't much much else, so probably needs the cd laser mirror cleaned, quite an easy job to do. I've managed to resurrect a few cd players in the past that appeared dead, only to find the laser was dirty.
Obviously it wouldn't be right not to mention the 360 in a thread like this. I have one that was given to me with 3 red ring of death, managed to get it to only 2 lights! My HDMI 360 doesn't like being stood vertically, the laser gets stuck, but laying down, it works fine. I can strip it down to bare bones and back together again in about 30 mins now, but also found with a long enough slim screwdriver, I can push the laser back and it works again!
One of my Virtualboys (sounds so wrong!) has a screen that randomly works and then doesn't. This is a known issue too, as Nintendo decided to hot glue the ribbon cable to the screen instead of soldering or using a plug. Fixable for sure, another job I'll get round to one day.
I've found most consoles to be pretty durable really. I believe consoles with optical drives should be moved as little as possible as that leads to disc error in the future. You don't really move your home hi-fi cd-player around much, so I tend to stick to this rule with consoles too.
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Post by kerr9000 on Aug 5, 2022 9:37:48 GMT
I consider the Switch as pretty badass hardware wise, considering that it works good as a handheld and as a console. Not too many cases of that. When it comes to the machine I'd agree with you they are nice solid units, it's just a shame the joycons seem to develop drift so easily. |
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Its just some interesting potential opportunities for AI and automation to help and free humans in the future, rather than enslave us. We need General Zod to implement it.