PlayStation 2 security chip firmware dumped after 25 years

A developer has reverse engineered the original PlayStation 2 security chip more than 25 years after the console launched, Engadget reported on 3 October 2026. The developer, known as DiscoStarslayer, managed to extract the internal firmware from the SPC970 MechaCon chip. That specific component is responsible for authorizing discs and handling most of the security features on the console. [1]

According to Engadget, DiscoStarslayer credited a collaborator named Libby with identifying the exploit that made the extraction possible. The exploit informed the security chip that an incoming batch of settings data would be empty, but then transmitted more data than the chip had space to store. The milestone came after roughly four years of previous struggles to extract the firmware. [1]

Sony Computer Entertainment originally launched the video game brand with the first PlayStation console in Japan in December 1994. The original system featured a 32-bit CPU and CD-ROM storage, selling more than 102 million units around the world from 1994 to 2006. [2][3]

Engadget reported that the decoded security chip reveals hidden design choices used by Sony to protect the hardware. The accomplishment offers rare technical insights for retro hardware fans and console modders who study older gaming systems. [1]