ecosystem

SD2Cloud & ORBIT Comparison

What two related community PS2 projects do, how Launchstation compares today, and which gaps remain open.

Two community PS2 homebrew projects overlap with parts of Launchstation. This page records what each one does, how that compares to Launchstation today, and where the gaps are. It is a documentation and planning aid, not a claim of parity.

• Upstream facts come from each project's public README as read on 2026-10-26. Both projects change quickly; recheck before relying on a row.
• "Launchstation" entries come from this repository's own documentation. Where this page says not audited, nobody has compared that feature against the code or tested it on a console.
• No source code from either project is incorporated. Both are GPL-3.0; this repository has no single root licence (see THIRD_PARTY_CREDITS.md), so copying their code would need a licence decision first. Launchstation's Google Drive client is original (NATIVE_CLOUD.md).

SD2Cloud

oMrRexD/sd2cloud by MrRexD, GPL-3.0. A PS2 application that manages and backs up memory cards on the console itself, to Google Drive, with no PC. Works with sd2psx-family cards running the sd2psXtd firmware (the PS2 sees them as MMCE), MemCard PRO2, regular memory cards, OPL virtual memory cards and card files on USB, MX4SIO or the internal HDD.

Area	SD2Cloud	Launchstation
Google Drive sign-in	Device code or QR code; only files it creates are accessible	Same flow (OAuth device flow, QR, drive.file scope). Cloud backup
Sync cards to Drive	On demand, or automatically on exit from a game via IGR; only changed cards upload	Back up changed MMCE cards and upload on demand; IGR helper with auto-sync Off / Local / Local + Google Drive
Backup history	10 per card by default, restore any, verified before and after write	Versioned local history with a retention setting; verified recovery from local or cloud history
Backup format	.mcd, or .ps2 (PCSX2)	.mcd or .ps2
Browse cloud history	From the Files tab	"Browse cloud history..." (read-only paged view, verified recovery)
Backup by save (per-save versions on Drive)	Yes, optional	Missing (code audit 2026-10-26): only whole-card history is uploaded
Memory card manager (browse saves, 3D icons)	Yes, per card and "All saves" view	Partial: save browsing by title, PSU create/extract and card image backup/conversion exist (Saves), but nothing opens a card image to list its saves (planned: parity plan)
Copy / move / delete saves across cards, multi-select	Yes	Partial: multi-select and copy/cut/paste/delete with confirmation work on mc/vmc folders; saves inside MMCE card images are not reachable. Copies are checked for short reads/writes, not read back
The Library (saves kept off cards)	Yes	Missing
Templates (default save sets applied to game cards)	Yes	Missing
Create / resize / rename / check / delete cards, convert to Game ID	Yes, with a safety copy	Partial: "Install as NEW card" and file-level rename/delete only; no blank-card create, resize, check or Game ID conversion. Neutrino selects a Game ID card on launch
OPL VMC and USB/HDD/MX4SIO card files	Yes	Partial: VMC mounting and card-image backup/export are supported; .mc2/.bin import and .zip are not
Works without an sd2psx	Yes (regular cards, USB/HDD/MX4SIO)	Regular memory cards supported in the file browser
MemCard PRO2	Read/write .mc2; card switch is a preview	Missing: treated as a generic MMCE; no .mc2 read/write
Self-update	Stable and Beta channels, SHA-256 verified	"Check for updates" against the rolling release (no beta stream is published)
Languages	6	9 dashboard tables (some extended help still English)
Installs a SAS package on the card for IGR	Yes (APP_SD2CLOUD)	Own IGR helper install/status in Settings

The authoritative checklist for closing these gaps is issue #108 ("GUI parity: complete on-console SD2Cloud/MMCE management workflows"). It was closed within minutes of being filed and no pull request is linked, so treat every unchecked row above as open until audited. The existing tests/test_sd2cloud_parity.py checks that labels and features are present; it does not prove the workflows work.

ORBIT

danielnuld/ps2-launcher, GPL-3.0 (its bundled Neutrino fork is AFL-3.0). A game launcher for a real PS2 that starts games through Neutrino. Companion app ORBIT Jellyfin is tracked in issue #186. ORBIT has no Google Drive feature; its "cloud" overlap is network-delivered content (covers, a home game server) and save icons.

Area	ORBIT	Launchstation
Library views	Carousel, grid, list; filters All / PS2 / PS1 / Apps	Grid, list, carousel; application filters
Covers	Downloaded by the console over HTTPS, no PC step	Artwork and covers supported; whether the console downloads them itself is not audited
3D save icons	Newest save of each game, spinning on the detail card	Save icon preview support exists; parity not audited
Game sources	USB, internal HDD (exFAT / HD Loader), MX4SIO, iLink, MMCE, UDPBD, home game server (udpfs)	USB, HDD, MX4SIO, MMCE, iLink, SMB, UDPFS and more (devices)
Launch engine	Neutrino (bundled fork)	Neutrino, POPStarter, Ember
Virtual memory cards per game	Created on first play, on the game's device	VMC documented; automatic per-game creation not audited
Per-game options	Video mode, compatibility modes, memory card	Saved per-game Neutrino profiles
In-game menu / reset combos	Hold L1+L2+R1+R2+START+SELECT; restart and power-off combos	IGR helper and reset; no in-game pause menu
RetroAchievements on console	Yes, via an in-game agent and the xeRAbora PC client	None
Languages	Spanish, English	9 dashboard tables
Companion apps	ORBIT Jellyfin	Any ELF via Applications; see #186

Suggested order for closing gaps

The detailed, verified order is in the parity plan; in short:

1. Finish auditing the remaining rows above against #108's acceptance criteria, recording implemented / partial / missing with evidence.
2. Build a host-tested, read-only card image parser first. A card contents view, "All saves" and restore previews all depend on it.
3. Then an MMCE card list, an active-card display (index only; the firmware exposes no name), and an automatic safety copy before destructive card operations.
4. Templates, the Library and per-save backup versions are later work that needs design decisions; they are not cheap first steps.
5. Keep ORBIT-only ideas (RetroAchievements agent, in-game pause menu) as separate proposals; they need a Neutrino fork or an in-game agent and are a different risk class.
6. Do not copy code from either project without settling the licence question above.