FunTuna, Fortuna, and OpenTuna Versions for Late PS2 Slims
If your PlayStation 2 is a late Slim, standard FreeMCBoot will not boot automatically at power-on, and no FMCB version number fixes that. Late SCPH-90000 consoles from the third quarter of 2008 onward, with datecode 8C and later and boot ROM 2.30 and newer, plus the PS2 TV, fall outside FMCB’s auto-boot support. For those consoles, the route is different: a manual trigger through the console’s own browser menu, using the Fortuna exploit family.
The three names in this guide — Fortuna, FunTuna, and OpenTuna — describe that family, not three unrelated hacks. Understanding which name means what stops the most common late-Slim mistake: installing standard FMCB files, powering on, and assuming the install failed when nothing happens.
First, check whether this guide applies to you
Before touching any Fortuna-family package, confirm your console actually needs it:
- Find your model and datecode. These are on the console label. Late SCPH-90000 models are the main group here.
- Check the ROM version. Datecode 8C was a transition period, so datecode alone does not settle it. The ROM version is the deciding check, and it can be read with homebrew tools once you have a way to run them, or from documentation for your exact model revision.
- Remember the PS2 TV. It is also outside FMCB auto-boot support, even though it is not a standard Slim.
If your console is an earlier Fat or Slim, or a late Slim with an older boot ROM that still supports FMCB auto-boot, you do not need this guide. Use the standard FMCB route from the Download page instead. Installing a Fortuna-family package on a console that auto-boots FMCB fine only adds complexity.
Fortuna: the original exploit
Fortuna was released on 12 February 2019 by krat0s. It is a homebrew launcher for most PlayStation 2 models, covering consoles from ROM version 1.90 (SCPH-18000) up to the very last models, including the PS2 TV. It was not ported to the SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 models, so those early consoles are outside its range.
The trigger is what makes Fortuna different from FMCB, and it must be understood before installing anything. Fortuna does not boot automatically when you switch the console on. Instead, you go into the console’s browser menu, select the memory card icon, and back out to the main menu. That sequence triggers the launcher. Every time you want to reach homebrew, you repeat that manual step. If you expect Fortuna to behave like FMCB’s automatic boot, you will think it is broken on the first try. It is not broken; manual triggering is the design.
Fortuna also needs different files depending on the console version. There is no single universal file set that covers every model, which is why guides for Fortuna-family packages stress matching the package to your console. A file set for one revision applied to another is a common cause of a trigger that simply does nothing.
FunTuna and OpenTuna: what the other names mean
FunTuna is the name used for a Fortuna-based package aimed at late Slim consoles, particularly the SCPH-9000x models that cannot auto-boot FMCB. Think of it as a prepared package built around the Fortuna trigger, rather than a separate exploit with its own trigger mechanism. The practical details — which files it contains and how they are arranged — vary between packages, so this guide does not describe a single FunTuna file list as if it were universal. Check the contents and instructions of the specific package you are using, and match it to your console revision before installing.
OpenTuna is the open-source version of Fortuna. It supports almost all PlayStation 2 models from the SCPH-18000 onward to the very last, again excluding the 10000 and 15000 models that Fortuna was not ported to. The practical difference for most users is provenance and maintenance: OpenTuna is the open-source implementation of the same trigger idea, while FunTuna is a packaged route built for late Slims. Neither changes the core facts: manual trigger, not auto-boot, and files matched to the console version.
| Route | Trigger | Auto-boot? | Console range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard FMCB | Power on with the card inserted | Yes, where supported | All except late SCPH-90000 (8C+, ROM 2.30+) and PS2 TV |
| Fortuna | Browser: select card icon, back out | No, manual every time | ROM 1.90 (SCPH-18000) to last, including PS2 TV; not 10000/15000 |
| FunTuna | Same Fortuna-style browser trigger | No, manual every time | Late Slims (SCPH-9000x) that cannot auto-boot FMCB |
| OpenTuna | Same Fortuna-style browser trigger | No, manual every time | SCPH-18000 to last; not 10000/15000 |
Choosing between them, honestly
For a late SCPH-9000x Slim, the question is rarely “Fortuna or FunTuna” in the abstract. It is “which prepared package matches my console revision, and are its instructions complete?” Use this checklist:
- Confirm the console needs this route. Model, datecode, and ROM version, in that order.
- Pick a package whose instructions name your revision. Vague “works on all Slims” claims are a warning sign, because file sets differ by console version.
- Expect the manual trigger. Practice the browser sequence — select the card, back out — and do not reinstall repeatedly because auto-boot did not happen.
- Keep FMCB expectations separate. Once the Fortuna-family launcher runs, you can launch homebrew applications, including a loader, but that does not turn the setup into an auto-booting FMCB install.
- Note what you installed. Write down the package name, its source, and the console revision it was matched to. Late-Slim setups are the ones most often broken by a later “helpful” reinstall with the wrong files.
Also keep the usual FMCB limits in mind. A Fortuna-family launcher does not by itself add import or copied-disc support, which is a hardware limitation, and it does not turn your console into a different machine. It gives you a reliable way to launch homebrew on a console that cannot auto-boot FMCB. That is a valuable thing on its own, and overselling it only creates disappointment.
For the standard route on supported consoles, see FreeMCBoot Version History: From 1.8 to 1.966 and FreeMCBoot Installer Versions and the Noobie Package Explained.
FAQ
Why does nothing happen when I switch on my late Slim? Because Fortuna-family routes do not auto-boot. Go to the browser menu, select the memory card icon, and back out. That manual sequence is the trigger. If you installed standard FMCB files instead, that is a different problem: standard FMCB cannot auto-boot on late SCPH-90000 consoles with ROM 2.30 and newer.
Does FunTuna work on all PS2 Slims? No. FunTuna is aimed at late Slims that cannot auto-boot FMCB, and file sets differ by console version. Match the package to your exact revision, and do not assume a package for one revision works on another.
What is the difference between Fortuna and OpenTuna? Fortuna is the original exploit by krat0s, released on 12 February 2019. OpenTuna is the open-source version of Fortuna. Both use the manual browser trigger and both exclude the 10000 and 15000 models.
Can I use Fortuna on a PS2 TV? Fortuna’s range includes the PS2 TV, which is outside FMCB auto-boot support. As with any Fortuna-family route, expect the manual browser trigger rather than automatic boot.
Should I install FMCB or Fortuna on a late Slim? If your late Slim cannot auto-boot FMCB, the Fortuna route is the answer for that console. Do not keep reinstalling standard FMCB files hoping a different version will auto-boot; the limit is in the console’s boot ROM, not in the FMCB version number.