The SCPH-90001 (BIOS v2.30) is the final revision of the PlayStation 2 Slim, released starting in late 2007. While it is often considered "better" for pure hardware reliability and physical convenience, it is significantly more restrictive for users interested in soft-modding. Hardware & Performance Advantages
Internal Power Supply: Unlike previous Slim models (7xxxx series) that required a bulky external "power brick," the 90001 integrates the power supply into the console, requiring only a standard figure-8 power cord.
Faster Loading: This model features a revised BIOS (v2.30) that provides noticeably faster loading times for PlayStation 1 (PSX) titles when "Fast Disc Speed" is enabled.
Improved Reliability: It is widely regarded as one of the most reliable Slim models due to a revised internal laser design and improved cooling over earlier Slim revisions. ps2 bios scph 90001 better new
Design Aesthetics: The unit features a distinctive half-gloss, half-matte finish, often considered more visually appealing than the fully matte earlier Slims. The "Better" vs. "Newer" Trade-off: Soft-Modding
The primary drawback of the "new" 90001 BIOS is the removal of a specific memory card exploit:
FreeMcBoot (FMCB) Incompatibility: On models manufactured after the third quarter of 2008 (indicated by date code 8C or later), Sony patched the BIOS to prevent FMCB from booting automatically. The SCPH-90001 (BIOS v2
Workarounds: Users with these "newer" units must use alternative exploits like Fortuna or OpenTuna, which require a manual trigger through the system browser rather than booting directly into the custom menu. Comparison Summary
The most compelling argument for the 90001 being "better" is simply the age of the laser.
Yes—but with one asterisk.
If you are emulating 90% of the PS2 library (JRPGs, action games, platformers), the SCPH-90001 is objectively the best. It offers the fastest boot times, the most accurate memory card handling, and the least buggy DVD playback.
However, if you are a speedrunner playing a game that relies on a specific glitch (e.g., OOB in GTA: Vice City), be aware that some glitches were patched in the final BIOS. Speedrunners often use the SCPH-39001 (BIOS 1.90) to preserve old exploits. For everyone else, the "new" is better.
Let’s be clear: The BIOS does not change resolution or texture filtering. That is the job of the emulator’s renderer (DirectX, Vulkan, OpenGL). When people claim SCPH-90001 “looks better,” what they mean is that it displays the PS2’s startup logo faster and renders the browser menu (the wavy cubes) without tearing. The 50000 Series: Known for having quiet fans
However, because the 90001 BIOS is from the final hardware revision, it does correctly handle progressive scan flags over component video (via emulated outputs), whereas some very old BIOS versions default to interlaced only.