Mods & Upgrades

Mods and upgrades add features your console never shipped with. Prices cover installation, and each option in the builder shows whether you supply the kit or we do.

Region Mods

Consoles were sold with regional differences — different refresh rates, languages and, on some systems, lockouts that stop imported games from running. A region mod lets the console run in another region's mode.

Most commonly that means switching between 50Hz and 60Hz, so games designed for 60Hz run at full speed rather than at the slower 50Hz of PAL consoles. What a region mod adds varies by console, and the kit you choose determines exactly which features you get.

GameCube: Region Mod and Language

On the GameCube, multi-region disc loading is done with a Xeno chip, supplied and installed by us. A Japanese GameCube's system can also be switched to English with the Japanese to English System Mod, which needs no extra parts.

Optical Drive Emulators (ODE)

Disc-based consoles rely on an optical drive that is now decades old. Lasers wear out, motors and belts fail, and replacement drives are getting harder to find. An optical drive emulator replaces the drive with modern storage such as an SD card, so the console loads your games from that instead of a disc.

  • No more worn-out drive — the part most likely to fail is removed from the equation.
  • Faster, quieter loading — no spinning disc and no seeking.
  • Your library in one place — games load from a menu rather than swapping discs.

Features vary between ODE models, and the one you choose determines exactly what you get. ODE installation prices cover fitting only; you supply the ODE.

PlayStation: xStation Compatibility

The xStation fits original PlayStation consoles in the SCPH-100x, SCPH-3xxx and SCPH-5xxx series. It comes with two quick-solder boards, covering the models below.

  • PU-8 board (100X Quick Solder Board v1a): most SCPH-1001, SCPH-1002, SCPH-3000 and SCPH-3500, and all SCPH-5000.
  • PU-18 board (550X Quick Solder Board v1a): all SCPH-5001, SCPH-5500, SCPH-5501, SCPH-5502, SCPH-5503 and SCPH-5552.

Early PU-8 boards are not compatible. Some consoles use an early version of the PU-8, so check yours before buying: open the console and find the number printed on the board, in the form X-XXX-XXX-XX. If it ends in 11, it is an early board and will not work. If it ends in 21, 22, 23 or 41, it is compatible. Not sure? Send us a photo of the board and we will check it for you.

Dreamcast: GDEMU Compatibility

Dreamcast motherboards come in three main revisions, and the GDEMU suits them differently:

  • VA1 — compatible as standard.
  • VA0 — compatible with a voltage mod. Add the VA0 Voltage Mod (+$60) alongside the GDEMU install in the builder.
  • VA2 — not compatible.

The revision is printed on the motherboard. Not sure which you have? Send us a photo of the board and we will check it for you.

PlayStation 2: ODE Compatibility

PS2 ODE installs suit the SCPH-70XXX Slim only.

GameCube: PicoLoader

On the GameCube we supply and install the PicoLoader optical drive emulator, together with the SD adapter your model needs — both are included in the price:

The model number is on the label underneath the console. The DOL-001 also has a digital AV port on the back, which the DOL-101 does not.

Modchips

A modchip adds features the console was not originally designed to support, such as running homebrew software. On the PlayStation 2, we supply and install the ModBo modchip, which fits all PS2 models, so there is no kit for you to source. On the original Xbox, we also supply and install the modchip.

Softmods

A softmod unlocks homebrew and media apps through software alone — there are no hardware changes and no parts involved.

The tools are free, and if you are comfortable following a guide you can do it yourself. We offer it as a service for anyone who would rather not: we set it up, check everything works, and hand the console back ready to use.

Hard Drive Upgrades

The original Xbox shipped with a small, slow IDE hard drive that is now well past its best. An upgrade fits a larger modern SATA drive in its place, for more storage and a quieter, more reliable console.

You supply the drive. We supply the IDE-to-SATA adapter and 40-wire IDE cable, fit everything, and set the drive up with XBMC4Gamers.

Bluetooth Controllers

A Bluetooth controller kit replaces the console's controller port board with one that has Bluetooth built in. You can then pair modern Bluetooth controllers wirelessly, while your original controllers still plug in and work as normal.

On the Dreamcast and GameCube, the price covers installation and you supply the kit.

About Kits

For mods marked You supply the kit, the price covers installation only and the kit itself is supplied by you. Kits list the consoles and models they are compatible with, so check that before you buy. If you are unsure which kit suits your console, ask us first.

Suggested Kit Suppliers

If you are not sure where to buy a kit, these are the suppliers we recommend:

  • Master System region mod — consolesunleashed.com. Works on the Model 1 and Model 2 Master System.
  • Mega Drive region mod — consolesunleashed.com.
  • SNES region mod — consolesunleashed.com. Note that the SNES region mod replaces the system LED.
  • PlayStation xStation — stoneagegamer.com, or clones via AliExpress. See the compatibility notes above before buying.
  • PlayStation 2 ODE — the iFlash2PS2 from Arthrimus, or the IDE2SD from gusse.in. SCPH-70XXX models only.

Return Postage

Return postage is invoiced once the work is complete. By default, your console is returned the same way it was sent to us — if it arrived by express, it goes back by express.