How to Check Your PS2 DVD Player Version (Triangle Button Method)
Thirty seconds, no tools, no disc in the drive. This is the check that decides everything for Fat owners.
Short answer: Turn the PS2 on with no disc inside, go to the browser, and press Triangle. The Version screen lists your DVD Player version. If it reads 2.10, 2.12, or 3.04, a prebuilt FreeDVDBoot ISO exists for your Fat. Anything else means the prebuilt ISOs do not cover your machine.
Steps
- Turn the console on with the disc tray empty.
- At the browser screen, press Triangle on controller 1.
- Read the line labelled DVD Player (for example, 2.10, 2.12, 3.04, or 3.00).
- Write down the full version including any region letter, and your model number from the sticker on the back or bottom (SCPH-XXXXX).
- Match the version against the compatibility list before downloading anything.
While you are there: set the language
In System Configuration (press Circle from the browser with no disc), set the system language to English. FreeDVDBoot relies on fixed memory offsets in the DVD Player program, and other languages change the memory contents enough to break the exploit. This is not a preference — it is a requirement in the README, and it is the first thing to check if you get a black screen.
What each result means
- Slim, any version: use the universal Slim ISO. You do not need this check to pick a file, but it is still useful to record.
- Fat, 2.10: only named models are confirmed (SCPH-30000, SCPH-30001 R, SCPH-30004 R). Other 2.10 units are unconfirmed.
- Fat, 2.12: regions U, J, and G.
- Fat, 3.04: region M tested in emulator; other regions except J are a README guess, not a verified result.
- Fat, 3.00 / 3.02 / 2.14 / anything else: no prebuilt FreeDVDBoot ISO covers you. See the Fat guide for honest alternatives.
Common mistakes
- Checking with a disc already in the drive — the browser shows the disc, not the version screen.
- Reading the Browser or CD Player version instead of the DVD Player line.
- Assuming the model number alone decides it. Two SCPH-390xx units can behave differently; the DVD Player version is the deciding field.
Next steps
Verified against: CTurt FreeDVDBoot README, Phat consoles section (identify your DVD Player version with Triangle), checked 2026-10-24.