OPL / PS2-Launcher Settings Guide
Compatibility Modes
OPL has six per-game modes (PS2-Launcher inherits them). They change how the loader feeds
data to the game — the flags live in each game's CFG/<GAMEID>.cfg as Modes=1+2 etc.
From the OPL source (iosupport.h), verbatim meanings:
| Mode | Name | What it does | When to reach for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accurate Reads | Throttles reads to real-disc speed | Loading freezes, crackling audio, games that time-read. First flag to try; ZSO copies often need it. |
| 2 | Sync/Alternative reads | Alternative (synchronous) data read method | Random freezes during gameplay, usually paired with Mode 1. |
| 3 | Unhook syscalls | Releases OPL's hooks on EE syscalls after boot | Games that misbehave with OPL resident. Can fix or break — toggle it. |
| 4 | Skip videos | Zeros PSS video files, skips Bink | Unskippable/glitchy FMV. Also speeds streaming-heavy games on USB. |
| 5 | DVD-DL emulation | Presents second DVD9 layer as contiguous | DVD9 images that check layer layout (GT4, Ripper games). |
| 6 | Disable IGR | Removes OPL's in-game-reset PADMAN hook | Games that break with IGR active — famously GT4, Light Gun games. |
2026 reality check: with current OPL (1.2.0-beta / PS2-Launcher v4) the large majority
of games need no flags at all. On HDD/SMB, defaults win. Typical patterns:
ZSO stutter → Mode 1; random freeze → Mode 1+2; GT4/Lightgun → Mode 6; DVD9 layer check → Mode 5.
MX4SIO + ZSO warning: ZSO decompression and MX4SIO I/O both load the IOP —
stacking them causes freezes (KH, MGS3, RE Outbreak) and stutter (RE4, GoW2). Use ISO on SD, ZSO on HDD.
Where modes come from
- OPL-CL — sx.sytes.net/oplcl, the official list, legacy (v0.9.2-era reports, no MX4SIO column) but still referenced by OPL's README.
- PS2-HOME lists — per-letter forum lists, actively maintained, manual (no API).
- GDX-X Compatibility Database — github, clean CFG format keyed by game ID — but only ~70 games so far. Bundled with PFS BatchKit Manager.
- opldb (ours, below) — starts from the GDX-X set + community reports, targets the top-100 first, grows from there.
GSM — Video Mode Forcing
GSM (Graphics Synthesizer Mode Selector, built into OPL/PS2-Launcher) intercepts SetGsCrt and forces
any of 29 predefined modes per game. Exact list from src/guigame.c in OPL master:
90% of use cases — just these:
| Goal | Pick |
|---|---|
| Modern TV, NTSC game, component cables | 9 — HDTV 480p @60Hz |
| Game breaks on 480p (GTA series, ~half the library) | 18 — VGA 640x960i (RGsB) |
| PAL game, want full speed | 5 — PAL @60Hz |
| OSSC / monitor | 14 — VGA 640x480p @60Hz |
| Everything else | leave at Auto |
All 29 GSM modes (full list)
| # | Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Auto | leave game's own mode |
| 1 | NTSC | 640×448i @60Hz — the PS2 default in NA/JP |
| 2 | NTSC Non Interlaced | 480-line progressive-ish, not a real DTV mode |
| 3 | PAL | 640×512i @50Hz |
| 4 | PAL Non Interlaced | |
| 5 | PAL @60Hz | PAL geometry at NTSC rate — full-speed PAL |
| 6 | PAL @60Hz Non Interlaced | |
| 7 | PS1 NTSC (HDTV 480p @60Hz) | |
| 8 | PS1 PAL (HDTV 576p @50Hz) | |
| 9 | HDTV 480p @60Hz | 720×480p — the main "480p" choice; needs component cables |
| 10 | HDTV 576p @50Hz | PAL progressive; no 576p on DTL-T10000 dev kits |
| 11 | HDTV 720p @60Hz | 1280×720p — upscaled, 16bit HIRES pipeline |
| 12 | HDTV 1080i @60Hz | 1920×1080i — heavy; some games break |
| 13 | HDTV 1080i @60Hz Non Interlaced | |
| 14 | VGA 640x480p @60Hz | RGsB — for monitors/OSSC |
| 15–17 | VGA 640x480p @72/75/85Hz | |
| 18 | VGA 640x960i @60Hz | the "works when 480p doesn't" fallback for OSSC users |
| 19–22 | VGA 800x600p @56/60/72/75/85Hz | |
| 23–26 | VGA 1024x768p @60/70/75/85Hz | |
| 27–28 | VGA 1280x1024p @60/75Hz |
Practical picks: 480p (mode 9) is the safe modern-TV default for NTSC games.
GTA series and ~half the library break on forced 480p — use 640x960i (mode 18) there instead (RGsB, OSSC-friendly).
576p requires a SCPH-50000/70000 console; earlier hardware lacks it. 720p/1080i run a 16-bit HIRES pipeline — more breakage, try per game.
GSM + widescreen patches together can conflict; set one per game, test, then add the other.
Widescreen
PS2 games are 4:3. Real widescreen support is rare (and often bad — see GTA:SA's stretched HUD). The fix is OPL-Widescreen-Cheats: AR/GS codes that re-render at 16:9:
- Repo: PS2-Widescreen/OPL-Widescreen-Cheats — 3,610 games have patches (cheat_list.MD in-repo, keyed by serial).
- Install: unzip into the loader's
CHT/folder (device root, orhdd0:/__OPL/on HDD). - Enable: OPL Settings → Cheat Settings →
Enable PS2RD Cheat Engine: On, modeAuto-select cheats— then every game with a patch just gets it. - This is a complete database — no need to grow one for widescreen. Our opldb links to it by serial.
- ps2wide.net has the PPF-image-patch alternative for pre-patched ISOs.
Cheats
Same plumbing as widescreen: PS2RD cheat engine + CHT/<GAMEID>.cht files.
CheatDevice's 1,483-game database is the other big source (also usable as the CHEAT-DEVICE app with CHEATS.CDB).
Widescreen hacks and gameplay cheats can live in the same .cht file — that's how the widescreen pack ships.
opldb — per-game settings database
No complete, current modes database exists (GDX-X has 70 games, OPL-CL is legacy, PS2-HOME is unstructured). So we're growing one here, seeded with the top-100 all-time games (IGN + GameFAQs combined list, 2025) — columns: OPL modes, GSM picks, widescreen availability (auto-linked from the 3,610-game pack), notes.
| Game | Serial | Modes | Widescreen | GSM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggressive Inline | SLUS_203.27 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Amplitude | SCUS_972.58 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Ar Tonelico 2: Melody of MetaFalicia | SLUS_217.88 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance | SLUS_200.35 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Battle Engine Aquila | SLUS_204.95 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Beyond Good & Evil | SLUS_207.63 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Black | SLUS_213.76 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Bully | SLUS_212.69 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Burnout 2: Point of Impact | SLUS_204.97 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Burnout 3: Takedown | SLUS_210.50 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Colin McRae Rally 3 | SLUS_205.02 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Dark Cloud 2 | SCUS_972.13 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Dead to Rights | SLUS_202.20 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Devil May Cry | SLUS_202.16 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening | SLUS_209.64 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Disgaea: Hour of Darkness | SLUS_206.66 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King | SLUS_212.07 | M1 | — | Mode 1 reported on USB. | |
| ESPN NFL 2K5 | SLUS_209.19 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly | SLUS_207.66 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Fight Night 2004 | SLUS_209.06 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Final Fantasy X | SLUS_203.12 | — | WS | GSM 480p usually fine; avoid 720p. | |
| Final Fantasy X-2 | SLUS_206.72 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Final Fantasy XII | SLUS_209.63 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Gitaroo Man | SLUS_202.94 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| God Hand | SLUS_215.03 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| God of War | SCUS_973.99 | M1 | WS | Mode 1 for load stutter on some HDD revisions. | |
| God of War II | SCUS_974.81 | M1 | WS | ZSO/USB copies need Mode 1; MX4SIO+ZSO stutters. | |
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PBPX_955.03 | — | — | Avoid 720p; fine at 480p. | |
| Gran Turismo 4 | SCUS_973.28 | M6 | WS | Mode 6 mandatory — IGR breaks it. DVD9: some builds also want Mode 5. | |
| Grand Theft Auto III | SLUS_200.62 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | SLUS_209.46 | — | WS | WS patch has stretched-HUD issues. Known GSM 480p breaker. | |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | SLUS_205.52 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| GrimGrimoire | SLUS_216.04 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Guilty Gear X2 | SLUS_204.36 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Guitar Hero | SLUS_212.24 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Gungrave | SLUS_204.93 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Hitman 2: Silent Assassin | SLUS_203.74 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Hitman: Blood Money | SLUS_211.08 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| ICO | SCUS_971.13 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Jak 3 | SCUS_973.30 | M1 | WS | FMV streaming; Mode 4 if videos glitch. | |
| Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | SCUS_971.24 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Jak II | SCUS_972.65 | M1 | WS | FMV streaming; Mode 4 if videos glitch. | |
| Katamari Damacy | SLUS_210.08 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Killzone | SCUS_974.02 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Kingdom Hearts | SLUS_203.70 | M1 | WS | ZSO+MX4SIO freeze documented. | |
| Kingdom Hearts II | SLUS_210.05 | M1 | WS | ZSO+MX4SIO freeze documented. | |
| Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil | SLUS_201.51 | M1 | WS | Classic Mode 1 example. | |
| Max Payne | SLUS_202.30 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne | SLUS_208.14 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Medal of Honor: Frontline | SLUS_203.68 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | SLUS_201.44 | M1 | WS | ZSO copies: Mode 1. | |
| Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence | SLUS_213.59 | M1 | WS | ZSO+MX4SIO freeze documented. | |
| Mortal Kombat: Deception | SLUS_210.81 | — | — | defaults first | |
| NBA Street V3 | SLUS_212.13 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Need for Speed: Most Wanted | SLUS_212.67 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Need for Speed: Underground 2 | SLUS_210.65 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Okami | SLUS_211.15 | — | WS | GSM-safe, good 480p candidate. | |
| Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny | SLUS_203.93 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Onimusha 3: Demon Siege | SLUS_206.94 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Onimusha: Warlords | SLUS_200.18 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Persona 3 | SCKA_200.99 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Persona 4 | SLES_554.74 | M1 | WS | Some builds need Mode 1. | |
| Phantom Brave | SLUS_209.55 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time | SLUS_207.43 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones | SLUS_212.87 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | SLUS_210.22 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Ratchet & Clank | SCUS_971.99 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando | SCUS_972.68 | M1 | WS | FMV streaming. | |
| Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal | SCUS_973.53 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Ratchet: Deadlocked | SCUS_974.65 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Red Dead Revolver | SLUS_205.00 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Resident Evil 4 | SLUS_211.34 | M1 | WS | ZSO+MX4SIO stutter documented. | |
| Resident Evil: Code Veronica X | SLUS_201.84 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Resident Evil: Outbreak | SLUS_207.65 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Rogue Galaxy | SCUS_974.90 | M1 | WS | Mode 1 on USB/SD. | |
| Shadow of the Colossus | SCUS_974.72 | M1 | — | Streaming-heavy; Mode 1 helps on USB/SD. | |
| Silent Hill 2 | SLUS_202.28 | M1 | WS | Timing-sensitive; Mode 1 for audio pops. | |
| Silent Hill 3 | SLUS_206.22 | M1 | WS | Audio pops without Mode 1 on some devices. | |
| Silent Hill 4: The Room | SLUS_208.73 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Simpsons Hit & Run | SLUS_206.24 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Soulcalibur II | SLUS_206.43 | — | — | GSM-safe. | |
| Soulcalibur III | SLUS_212.16 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Splinter Cell | SLUS_206.52 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom | SLUS_206.80 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| SSX 3 | SLUS_207.72 | — | — | defaults first | |
| SSX Tricky | SLUS_203.26 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Star Wars: Battlefront | SLUS_208.98 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Star Wars: Battlefront II | SLUS_212.40 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Suikoden III | SLUS_203.87 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Time Crisis 3 | SLUS_206.45 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Timesplitters 2 | SLUS_203.14 | M1 | WS | Mode 1 on HDD/USB reported. | |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | SLUS_200.13 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | SLUS_205.04 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Tony Hawk's Underground 2 | SLUS_209.65 | — | — | defaults first | |
| Twisted Metal: Black | SCUS_971.01 | M1 | WS | Mode 1 for load hitches. | |
| Virtua Fighter 4 | SLUS_201.58 | — | WS | defaults first | |
| We Love Katamari | SLUS_212.30 | — | WS | defaults first |
Legend: blank = try defaults first · M# = compatibility mode # ·
WS = widescreen patch in OPL-Widescreen-Cheats · GSM# = recommended forced mode.
Serials map 1:1 to CFG/<serial>.cfg / CHT/<serial>.cht files.