Despite Sony having released two portable systems, you still can't play the vast majority of PlayStation 2 titles on the go. Outside of a handful of re-releases like Persona 4 Golden and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD for the PlayStation Vita, the best-selling console's 1,850 game-deep US library remains off limits to those who want to take their gaming sessions with them.The GS2, a hardware mod that fits the PlayStation 2 into a crisp portable blue shell, is a step toward fixing this grave injustice.As the mod's creator Gman touts on Youtube, the 3D-printed device is fully capable of playing PlayStation 2 games on its big, bright, saliva-inducing 5-inch screen for 3 to 4 hours before needing a recharge.It's easy to see why the GS2 took first place in BitBuilt's 2017 Summer Building Contest. From a design standpoint, the mod was a major undertaking. An original PlayStation 2's motherboard is in there, but Gman had to pare it down greatly to get it to fit. The disc drive had to go, as did the original voltage regulators and video encoder, replaced with custom-built components.The mod uses FreeMCBoot, which exploits a PlayStation 2 memory card to load homebrew software. This allows Gman to load full games to handheld's internal memory, where they can be played like any other PlayStation 2 game.As for the various buttons and other pieces, many controllers have been plundered in this pocket-sized device's service. The face buttons came from a PlayStation Portable. The analog sticks belonged to a Bluetooth controller. The start and select buttons were once seated in a PlayStation 2 controller. The directional pad is that of a PlayStation Vita.Gman said that it took him about five months to design and build the GS2, and sadly at the moment you can't just buy it. It's one of a kind.
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