ModChat

ModChat 112 - bd-jb Updated, PS5 Backups Running, Xbox Video Chat Revived with PS2 EyeToy Camera

Starting off this episode with another PS1 English translation patch, this one being released for the game Addie no Okurimono. Game Boy Advance lovers can rejoice knowing they can replicate some original PCBs thanks to the original boards being reverse engineered and released for free on GitHub! The PS5 gets some big updates, one being for bd-jb now updated to work up to firmware 7.61 for disc based consoles. We also have a big proof of concept teased showing PS5 game backups running for the first time on a modified PS5! We highlight an interesting addition to Insignia Live, with that being the Xbox Video Chat application being revived. Even better, if you can't get an original Xbox webcam, would you believe that with a couple modifications you can use a PS2 EyeToy camera on the Xbox? If that's not enough off the wall modifications to add into this episode, we also check out a prototype proof of concept of what could have been if Metal Gear Solid 2 released on the Dreamcast.

ModChat 111 - FPGA N64 Console Announced, Switch Bricks on 17.0.0 Explained

An announcement, an explanation, and a release tie this ModChat episode together! First the latest Analogue offering teased is discussed, this being the Analogue 3D, an upcoming N64 based clone console. Switch owners who might have had their console modded at any point in time (whether they know it or not) might have been experiencing some unfortunate bricks updating to the latest 17.0.0 system firmware. Thankfully SciresM comes in with a fix AND an explanation to explain exactly how and why these bricks were happening. Finally, J-Runner with Extras gets a fork with the release of DirtyPico360. This is a firmware for the Raspberry Pi Pico which allows anyone using a glitch chip to program it with the Raspberry Pi Pico, benefitting costs and accessibility for anyone looking to modify an Xbox 360.

ModChat 110 - GTA: Online on 360/PS3, PS4 FPKG Enabler for PS5 4.03

A short episode of ModChat, but some cool projects to take a look at! One being the public release of GTA:OG, a project which aims to bring Grand Theft Auto: Online back online for the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles. A couple of Dreamcast projects get some mentions here, one being Redump2CDI which allows for MIL-CD formatted discs to be converted to CDI format. The second being another English translations, this time for Under Defeat! Finally we get some big PS5 news in the form of a PS4 FPKG Enabler released for console owners on 4.03 firmware.

ModChat 109 - 120FPS Patches on PS5, Xbox DevMode Privilege Escalation, Rockstar Sells Cracked Games

Some news going from the PSP all the way up to the PS5! The PSP Go gets some love thanks to some PCBs crafted up to help get the console into service mode for unbricking. A homebrew receiver for the GameCube Wavebird controllers gets teased. We also see a tease for 120FPS patches on PS5 for some PS4 games, blowing right past previous news of 60FPS patches! The Xbox family of consoles gets some love in the form of a privilege escalation that works within Developer Mode. Finally, for fun we talk about Rockstar Games selling cracked versions of their own games on Steam.

ModChat 108 - Dreamcast Doom Prototype, 60FPS PS5 Patches Released, Xbox 360 Marketplace Closing

A bit of old and new for this episode of ModChat! The Original Xbox gets some love in the form of the LPC Mangler and accompanying LPC Recovery Tool released as new open source projects. A FlippyDrive update for GameCube comes about, now showing some amazing promise of being able to retain the DVD drive and have the ODE installed as a drop-in solderless addition! A lost Doom prototype developed on the Dreamcast in 2000 has been found and released. The 60FPS patches for PS4 and PS5 games shown in the last episode have been released, with some amazing ones so far including a much desired patch for Bloodborne! Baryon Sweeper also get additional progress shown, now confirmed to be working on the PSP Go. Finally, we talk about the sad news of the upcoming Xbox 360 marketplace closure coming up next year.

ModChat 107 - 60 FPS Patches on PS5, Retail Xbox Homebrew is Dead, Retro GEM HDMI Mod for PS2

Starting with more Dreamcast news covering the iconic Daytona USA coming back for online play! Xbox-Scene makes a return in the form of a spiritual successor site. FlippyDrive, a new and super affordable ODE for GameCube, has been announced for an upcoming release! Some awesome PS5 news comes in the form of seeing the Secure Processor dumped, as well as improvements to existing tools allowing for some of the first game patches on both PS4 AND PS5 games running on the PS5! More news of Vita unbricking progress is now shown, Retail Homebrew on the Xbox is officially dead, Dolphin Foundation responds to claims about the Common Key, and a super awesome looking HDMI mod compatible with the PS2 was announced with much fanfare and controversy. Finally, Xbox 360 players rejoice over the Call of Duty games being fixed up online... And more?

ModChat 106 - First Official Dreamcast VN Fan Translation & Self-Booting PS1 Backups Possible?!

A new episode for July 2023, but a whole lot of old console related news to talk about here! The Dreamcast ended up getting a big English fan translation patch, with this being the first fan translation for an officially released visual novel on the console! A couple years ago the PS Vita had the KyuHEN homebrew contest, but it looks like it returns in the form of FuHEN which I cover a bit of here. Although nothing has released on this, we take a look at a proof of concept showing full self-booting PS1 backups being possible. The oldest console covered seems to be some old 8-bit Atari computers, which I've never covered on here, but I'd say a homebrew DOOM port is worth covering for it! Insignia, the original Xbox Live replacement service, got a lovely article covering it from GameSpot which we briefly go over here. Finally, the talented Kaze Emanuar covers a place where you can get some of his work... Which is Walmart?

ModChat 105 - Yuzu on Android, Switchroot for All Models, McDonald’s Released a Game Boy Homebrew

Transformations, homebrew games, and more in this episode of ModChat! Starting out with possibly the smallest iteration we've seen of real NES hardware, the TinyTendo has been teased with more details and instructions coming soon! If the Famicom is more your preference, the Famicom Disk System gets an awesome new development with the FDSKey. The Switch gets some great developments for both emulation and real hardware. First being Yuzu's release on Android, and as a reversal we now have Switchroot working on ALL models of the Switch. Super Mario World's decompilation project gets some attention here, as does a new kernel driver for the PS Vita more geared towards the PSTV called "tvikey" to allow for native keyboard and mouse support. Finally we cover not one, but TWO Game Boy homebrew games. The first being an upcoming game from Mega Cat Studios called Kudzu, and the second being a game released by... McDonald's of all companies?!

ModChat 104 - Dolphin, Steam, and the Wii Common Key

Back in March 2023 it was announced that Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator, would be getting an upcoming release on Steam. About two months later the impending Steam release was taken down from the Steam storefront, with news coming out of this being a Cease & Desist sent over to Valve from Nintendo themselves. Now a week removed from the initial takedown, we take a look at what's been going on, what the issue is, and possibly how Dolphin could fix the issue of keys being pointed out as the issue here.

ModChat 103 - Deck HD for Steam Deck, PS5 Game Decryption Now Possible, XBHD for Original Xbox

Coming back for a second episode of ModChat this month, talking about everything from a new Steam Deck hardware mod, to an odd PS4 prototype! First up is the Deck HD for the Steam Deck, a whole new screen upgrade and replacement packing a great looking punch for $99. The PS3 gets an update some people have been waiting for in the form of CCAPI compatibility working up to firmware 4.90. In a world of 60 FPS patches the PS4 gets a Force 30 FPS plugin, which we talk about the benefits of having. PS5 game decryption is now possible on firmware 4.03 consoles thanks to a new release we also discuss! The Original Xbox gets some love in the form of the upcoming XBHD device, but for who is this device exactly aimed at? Finally, we see a pretty wild looking PS4 prototype in the form of the SYRUP-11.