Playstation 2 no longer reads game CDs?
Playstation 2 no longer reads game DVDs?

This video addresses a problem with the Playstation 2 that games no longer load.

There are various videos on the net that describe this problem and a repair in different ways.

Often there is talk of "calibrating the laser", "adjusting the laser" or "focusing the laser". However, none of this happens in practice. Nobody would be able to do such things with normal equipment. This would require an oscilloscope and additional measurement hardware.

So don't get confused. With this repair, which in most cases works immediately, we only increase the performance of the Playstation's laser diode, which has become weaker over the years and which is used to scan CDs and DVDs.

If you just want to enjoy your old games every now and then, this repair will be enough. I advise all real Playstation 2 fans who are retro gaming fans and who intend to play with their PS2 again and again for a long time to get a replacement laser immediately in parallel to this repair, which are still available on the Chinese market in particular .

It is worth doing that, because there are no simple ways - without tinkering or emulators on the PC - to activate the old PS2 games again. The Playstation 3 is - at least as far as the model levels sold on the German market are concerned - not backwards compatible with the Playstation 2.

That definitely means that in the future only a functioning real Playstation 2 will also be able to play real Playstation 2 games. It is therefore worth taking care of this hardware and hoarding spare parts while they are still available.

For this it is better to get the endangered parts, such as the laser unit, and replace them according to good instructions. That is certainly better than buying a potentially "worn out" PS2 online.

It goes without saying that you take good care of your PS2 and treat it well. Decades ago it didn't matter, but now it gets more difficult every year. One should not forget that.

But watch the video in full before I do this repair.

Have fun and good luck!