One of the PS2’s biggest remaining hardware secrets has finally been cracked, 26 years after the console launched. After four years of work, modder DiscoStarslayer has managed to defeat and dump the MechaCon chip, this is an important part of the PS2’s hardware because it handles the optical disc drive and is involved in the console’s anti-piracy protections. After decapping the chip, optically dumping its contents and developing a software solution, the MechaCon can now be preserved and studied. The MechaCon’s contents can now be preserved and studied instead of remaining locked inside the original hardware. That could lead to new PS2 mods, better emulation, homebrew improvements, and potentially a proper optical drive emulator (ODE).