The PlayStation 2 hacking scene continues to thrive even in 2021. This month a hack called MechaPwn was just released. In its simplest terms, this modifies the system allowing it to play games regardless of region. For the unfamiliar, PS1 and PS2 were both region-locked consoles, requiring gamers to use other methods to play games from different regions.

Actually running MechaPwn requires access to homebrew launching tools such as FreeMcBoot or Fortuna. Once MechaPwn is running, however, you won't need to run it again (which is the case with most soft mod options for the PS2). MechaPwn runs only on later version PS2s (SCPH-5000X) and up. It features also vary depending on the version and region of your console. If you have a NTSC-U or NTSC-J system, you'll have the best luck with full region free compatibility on retail PS2 and PS1 games.

Note that there are some features on the MechaPwn exploit which may disable your ability to play DVDs, use FreeDVDBoot or run any PS1 games at all. Be careful before attempting to run MechaPwn as it could brick the system if used incorrectly.