PS2 will only play PSX games when vertical

[Dylan]

Something I haven't seen anybody mention is that this issue can also simply mean that your PS2's laser is dying. This is the case for my PS2, no tweaking or cleaning can fix the laser once it mechanically starts breaking down.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Something I haven't seen anybody mention is that this issue can also simply mean that your PS2's laser is dying.

Well if that's the case then my PS2 has been dying for like 5 years.

[d123456]

Something I haven't seen anybody mention is that this issue can also simply mean that your PS2's laser is dying.

Well if that's the case then my PS2 has been dying for like 5 years.

I´ve turned ps1´s and DC´s on their side and even upside down. Sometimes a game will boot better that way.

[fabio_figo71]

I've already tried to clean the lens, but the problem persists: the lens won't read CDs while is in horizontal position, while works in vertical position. I don't mind, because it's no big effort for me to flip the ps2 until it recognizes the disc and then put it down, but it's such a curious behaviour and I wondered whether there was a reason!

[CRTGAMER]

Do PS2 Blue CDs read okay in either position?

I'm not keen on leaving a PS2 vertical unless there is no way it could get knock down. If it has to stay vertical, place a couple other consoles or DVD player to act as bookends. Even if CDs can be read in the vertical position, you know the PS2 laser eye is getting a workout shortening its life.

If the laser has already been cleaned, a decision if worth the risk to tweak the laser potentiometer or just get an inexpensive PS1 console. The older parallel port PS1 consoles have an advantage of "instant load" cheat carts. This will also save the total milage of the PS2 for running just PS2 games. Ironic if a PS2 or PS3 died when running a PS1 game, especially when a PS1 console is so inexpensive.

Definitely not a good idea to run a console such as a Dreamcast or PS1 on its side. The Disc Clamp inside is not designed for that. The console sitting on its side is also not stable, one tip could ruin a disc and laser eye.

[isiolia]

I've always been leery of running a PS2 vertically, since I saw a fair number of people bring back discs with deep circular scratches in the early life of the system as a result of doing so. 'course, they may have also bumped the system or something.

[Hobie-wan]

I don't mind, because it's no big effort for me to flip the ps2 until it recognizes the disc and then put it down

You shouldn't be doing this as it can lead to disc scratching. The gyroscopic effect will try to keep the disc spinning in the vertical orientation so you could end up having it scrape on the tray. Granted Xbox 360s are more susceptible to it, but I'm pretty sure it can happen with PS2s as well.

[fabio_figo71]

I don't mind, because it's no big effort for me to flip the ps2 until it recognizes the disc and then put it down

You shouldn't be doing this as it can lead to disc scratching. The gyroscopic effect will try to keep the disc spinning in the vertical orientation so you could end up having it scrape on the tray. Granted Xbox 360s are more susceptible to it, but I'm pretty sure it can happen with PS2s as well.

I know it's not a smart move to flip the console while the disc is spinning, but i try to do it as careful as I can. I would try to tweak the laser pot, but I can't find any tutorial on the web about tweaking the lens of a ps2 slim v12 (scph-70004)..

[Nintendork666]

My PS2 slim has actually been giving me similar trouble with my copy of Super Bust-A-Move 2, which is one of those pesky blue CD discs.

I heard the laser 'clicking' as it tried to read the game. So I cleaned off the laser with a q-tip and some alcohol, which got the game running fine again.Then the game gave me the same grievances the next time I booted it up, I performed the same trick and, once again - it worked! This may have happened at least one more time, before the console refused to read the game whatsoever despite my many cleaning attempts.

All other games I tried worked fine, but I swapped out my slim for my old fatty, and low and behold - Super Bust-A-Move 2 runs flawlessly on it, as do all my other titles. Not a big issue, but I'd like to be able to save some room by switching back to my slim eventually.

Aren't the lasers on the slim models supposed to be superior to the fat PS2 lasers somehow? Hmmm...

[ice445]

If anyone wants some clarification on why this happens, I can give an explanation. This phenomenon isn't the result of a dying laser or laser assembly. It has nothing to do with the laser at all. It's the magnetic spindle cover (the white plastic circle thing inside the top of the laser assembly cover). The early PS2's have a flaw with it. It's unable to "grab" the disc to get it loaded on the spindle properly and spinning because of something to do with the overall thickness/weight (I forget which) of the CD versus the DVD. That's why you hear the "click", by the way. The spindle won't start spinning until the disc has been properly loaded onto it. It keeps trying and resetting until it gives up and throws a disc read error. The reason flipping it vertical works is because gravity is aiding the system in getting the disc spun up. It's similar to the problem early PS1's had with the spindle mounts breaking off resulting in the disc slipping hopelessly.

Basically, if your console is an early model "fatty" and plays DVD games without any issues, your laser or laser assembly is completely innocent, and the console is working fine. You have a few options to fix this problem. One is to put three pieces of tape on the label side inside ring of the disc in a triangle fashion (stupid, but yes, it does work). The other option to salvage a spindle piece from a newer model PS2 and swap them out (39000 or 50001).

Hope that helped, cheers.