We all need some time reserved for ourselves in the midst of a hefty day. After working from 9 to 5, we all need to recover mentally and physically. And what other amusing ways there could be than to chill out and play some video games.
Video Games industry have come a long way since its inception back in 1971 when video games were first made available to the mainstream people. So, what should I do when PS2 slim not spinning?
The year was 1972, when first gaming console was introduced in the name of “Magnavox Odyssey”. That was the beginning. From that point onwards, video game console’s popularity have gone wild day by day. First major success in gaming console industry was Atari Inc.
Inspired by the indoor game “ Table Tennis” which was built into the hardware of “Magnavox Odyssey”, gaming enthusiasts of Atari Inc. made the first ever successful arcade game which goes by the name of “Pong”. It was a business hit back in the 70s.
Then Japanese came into the spotlight. Japanese were always technically efficient and their technological knowledge was much enriched. Japanese Tech companies like SEGA, NINTENDO and SONY started developing their own gaming consoles.
It is their enthusiasm in gaming industries which have given the gaming revolution a massive boost. “NES”, “Gameboy”, “Atari Jaguar” all were massive hit and wildly popular among the consumers.
PlayStation 2: An Era Defining Gaming Console
By that time, SONY and NINTENDO were making gaming consoles together. But due to their dispute over internal business policy, these two tech Giants sought their separate ways.
Sony was suffering from financial problem that time. At a point they thought of giving up making video game consoles and move on to other industries.
But their CEO thought of continuing making consoles and giving it a one last chance. And boy they thought of continuing in the console industry!! Cause if they didn’t, we would never get a chance to experience the PLAYSTATIONs.
They launched first ever gaming console taking the brand name of “PlayStation” in 1997. This came as a huge success for them as first generation of PlayStation was successful business hit right from the get go.
It also introduces some revolutionary features like 3D Gaming, CD drives for gaming. From that point of the history of Sony’s delightful 75 years. It was a turning point both for the company and also for the gaming industry.
Following the success of first generation of PlayStation, Sony launched PlayStation 2 in the year of 2000, the second generation of their patented gaming console. It was teased earlier in the year 1999.
And if the original PlayStation was a hit, then this iteration of new generation console surpasses its predecessor in every way possible. PlayStation 2 is the highest selling video game console in the history, Having been sold nearly ‘bout 158 million as of September 2020.
Though it launched with not so many great games, later in its lifespan, it was in a league of its own. With greatest titles like “Metal Gear Solid”, “Metal Gear Solid 2”, “Final Fantasy VIII”, “Resident Evil 4”, “GTA San Andreas”, “GTA Vice City” etc. It was so popular that the newly arrived console “Xbox” by the tech conglomerate Microsoft didn’t even stand a chance in front of PlayStation 2.
Influence of PS2 In Gaming Industry As A Whole
The lifespan of PlayStation 2 finally came to an end in the year of 2013.
That is not to say, in these era of the latest and greatest fifth generation of Sony’s console, PlayStation 5, PS2 still so popular among the crowd due to its incredible future proofed features and a great library of legendary games, as per a report published by “Push Square” back in 2019,
PS2 has at least 25 million active to this day. 25 million active user base, that’s some surprising figure for a decade old console, That alone indicates the love of the fans to that retro console who are still running their PS2s and enjoying every second of it.
Reasons for PS2 Slim Not Spinning
- The laser may be broken, preventing the disc from being read.
- It’s possible that the worm gear needs to be lubricated. When you insert a disc and close the lid, you will hear a nasty grating noise. You must use WD-40 or lubricate the worm gear.
- The component within the PS2 that informs the system that the disc cover is closed is broken. This was a difficulty for me as well. A indicator of this is when the disc begins to spin but then stops, and you receive a notice saying “the disc lid is open” or something like.
Steps To Fix The Issue With The Disc Drive of PS2 Slim
No matter how revolutionized or future proofed a hardware is, it is not without it’s faults. No piece of hardware is without it’s shortcomings. Same goes for the PlayStation 2.
Over its long lifespan, consumers have faced all sorts of problems. For example: “PS2 just won’t turn on”, “Disc Drive Errors”, “System seems to be getting hot”, “Spinning Blue Orbs/Dots on the Main Menu Not Spinning” etc.
Some of these might be very small and negligible, some of these are quite irritating and not worth ignoring. One of these types of problem that is hugely thrown out by the customers is, “My PS2 Slim not spinning”, “PS2’s disc drive not spinning” etc.
It is quite understandable the frustration of the consumers when their beloved and trustworthy gaming companion not performing as expected. It’s quite a disgusting feeling, but stress no more, we got you covered if your PS2 or PS2 Slim not delivering up to the mark.
The methods below will help you to find out exactly what’s going on with your console and why it’s not spinning as well as the methods to sort out the problems and troubleshoot.
But first of all, this goes without saying that the PlayStation 2 is a very old piece of hardware, please understand this fact. It’s typical that a hardware that old starts showing its shortcomings as more time went on. And on top of that a piece.
If hardware which were based on engineering technology from 2 decades ago, is not so advanced as of today’s competition,
So if you are expecting that the methods presented below will make your PlayStation 2’s disc drive something into today’s blazing fast SSD, you might wanna set back and give a pause to your expectations, as this will never be the case. Now onto the problem
PS2 uses an optical disc drive which is very old compared to today’s technology. The solitons if that optical drive misbehaves, are quite simple though. If you pay attention, you would be able to fix it by yourself and save yourself from the annoyance of carrying your system to the customer care and spending money.
- At first, you have to check that laser of your PlayStation 2. The laser indicates whether or not the disc drive is running swiftly. If the laser doesn’t work or stop giving signals, then it is probably something has to do with the laser. In a normal functioning PS2, you will find that the laser detects when a CD has start operating, but if the laser itself is faulty of malfunctioning, then your disc drive might be okay but the laser can’t detect any movement that’s why your disc drive is not working. If this is the case, then you needed to work on the laser part. Check if it’s stuck between the two working parts of the original drive; The front part and the rear part. If so, then safely separate the laser section from your optical drive to work on it particularly
- If this has something to do with the laser of your optical drive, now you should be able to operate on it and amend it after separating it from the disc drive. The next thing you wanna find out is that if your system has been turned on before or not while having a faulty laser. If you have turned on the system before, it’s probably there the motor of that laser has been mixed up with other parts and thus making it faulty.
- If everything seems okay so far, you’re unsure of whether the problem has something to do with the laser or not, you can find out very easily by running a compact disc on it. Sometimes what happens is that though the laser is working fine, it can’t detect what type of media disk you are using, it becomes confused where or not it is DVD or a CD? If it works, then fine, your laser might be working correctly but needs some experienced touch to detect the media type. But how to check if the drive is swiveling or not, there is a slightest gap in between the two lids which doesn’t work until you put something on it. The drive might be faulty, but still it should operate in full swing
- If it’s not the laser, if it’s not the drive itself, then the problem might be with the motor that is powering up the laser. It just might be the case. How can a laser detects media drive if it’s not functioning. Might be it’s still functioning but due to lack of power supply from its generator, it’s not circling. Motors are very prone to defections, so it might be the case that the motor needs some change, replacing the motor can be a hefty task also but everyone can do it pretty easily after going thoroughly though the manual that comes with it. Use first party motor parts that comes with the box in this case, there is always some extra parts available right out of the box.
- If none of the steps aforementioned hasn’t worked out for you, it’s safe to say that your whole laser system of the gaming device needs to be changed. Usually when the disc drives aren’t running, that means it has something to do with the laser, it might be that the laser is not detecting, it might be the laser is detecting but it can’t read, it might be the laser is detecting and recognizing the media drive but can’t spin due to it’s motor’s defectiveness, Or it might be the lenses that need some clearing etc. If addressing none of those has solved the problem yet, then it’s time to bring some changes to your device’s internal by replacing the laser system of your disc drive. In either of the cases, seek out for the methods for replacing the laser system from the usual manual that comes along with other accessories in the box.
- If you’ve implemented the above mentioned steps properly and still getting disc errors, it’s perhaps the disc drive which needs a change, you need to swap the whole disc drive. Though it can felt heavy on your budget, it is the ultimate solution. But it’s not a must do, if your problem with the disc drive is resolved after working within it’s laser portion. So I would recommend to double check before swapping the disc drive as it’s an expensive move.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.Why Isn’t My PS2 Slim Turning On?
Ans: If there is no power supply, your PS2 will not turn on. Check the power cable to ensure that it is correctly connected. If everything is correctly connected yet your PS2 still does not come on, try connecting your power cord on another PS2. If the other PS2 does not turn on, the issue is a defective cable.
2.How Can I Get My Playstation 2 To Operate Again?
Ans: Hold the disc under running water for a few seconds and massage it around to remove any debris or dust. Allow the disc to dry for a minute before opening a bottle of toothpaste. Two little dabs of toothpaste should be placed on the PS2 game disc. Spread the toothpaste around the disc gently until it is completely coated.
3.Is There A Fuse On The PS2?
Ans: Look in the upper-left corner of the circuit board for a black and white wire emerging from the power supply; there should be a little tubular fuse nearby that can be removed by squeezing and drawing it out with your fingers.
4.What Is The PS2 Red Screen Of Death?
Ans: The Red Screen of Death (RSoD) on the PlayStation 2 appears when you insert an unreadable disc or an Xbox 360/PC game. It is accompanied by a sound that is similar to the start-up but more tight.
5.How Can You Unfreeze A Playstation 2 Game?
Ans: Turn on the PS2 and insert the PS2 game. Determine where the game is freezing. By pressing the reset button, you may soft reset the game. Allow the game to reload to the freeze point to check whether the problem has been resolved.
Conclusion
So far, if you have followed us up properly, your PS2 Slim would be up and running by now. Please make sure to take care of your system and keep it in a cool and open space with ample amount of sunlight.
Sometimes, your console may pick up dusts that would cause the interruption of your system’s normal functioning, so clean your system inside out at least once in two weeks. I hope now you know what should I do when PS2 slim not spinning. Happy gaming!