FreeDVDBoot vs Fortuna and OpenTuna: Which Entry Point Fits Your PS2
Two different doors into the same house. FreeDVDBoot is the disc door; Fortuna is the memory-card-browser door.
Short answer: FreeDVDBoot enters through a DVD-Video exploit and is the easiest first step on a stock Slim or supported Fat, but it needs a working drive and a burned disc every time until you install something permanent. Fortuna (and its open-source version OpenTuna) is a permanent memory-card trigger that covers a wider model range — SCPH-18000 to PS2 TV — and is the right permanent install for late 900xx Slims, but it must itself be installed from an already-exploited console, which is where FreeDVDBoot comes in.
Side by side
- Entry: FreeDVDBoot = burned DVD. Fortuna = memory-card browser icon trigger (scroll to the icon and back out).
- First use on a stock console: FreeDVDBoot = yes, directly. Fortuna = no — it needs an installer run from an exploited console (FreeDVDBoot, a modchip, or another entry).
- Model range: FreeDVDBoot = all Slims + Fat 2.10/2.12/3.04 only. Fortuna = SCPH-18000 onward to PS2 TV, but NOT 10k/15k models.
- Daily use: FreeDVDBoot alone = disc every boot. Fortuna installed = no disc, memory-card trigger.
- Drive dependence: FreeDVDBoot needs a working laser/drive forever if used alone. Fortuna, once installed, does not need the drive to trigger.
The standard pairing
Use FreeDVDBoot to boot uLaunchELF, run the Fortuna/OpenTuna installer from USB, install to the card, and then boot via the browser trigger. Steps are in the Fortuna install guide. This pairing is why FreeDVDBoot matters even for people who never want to burn another disc: it is the installer for the permanent trigger.
Which to install permanently
- FreeMCBoot if your console boots it directly and you prefer its menu (see the FMCB comparison).
- Fortuna/OpenTuna if you have a late 900xx, a Fat outside FreeMCBoot’s comfortable range, or you want the widest trigger coverage.
- Either way, keep the FreeDVDBoot disc. It is your recovery installer if the card is wiped.
Next steps
Verified against: PS2 Dev Wiki (Fortuna: 2019-02-12, krat0s; SCPH-18000 to PS2 TV; not 10k/15k) and CTurt README, checked 2026-10-24.