FMCB vs Fortuna, FunTuna, and OpenTuna for Late PS2 Slims
Standard FreeMCBoot (FMCB) does not boot on its own on late PlayStation 2 Slims. That single fact is the reason Fortuna, FunTuna, and OpenTuna exist, and the direct comparison is this: FMCB is an automatic boot from a memory card on supported consoles, while Fortuna, FunTuna, and OpenTuna are manual triggers for consoles that cannot auto-boot FMCB, launched by opening the on-screen browser, selecting the memory card, and backing out to the main menu. They are not newer versions of FMCB, they are not interchangeable labels for the same file, and they do not turn a late Slim into an auto-boot console. They give a late Slim a working homebrew menu with one extra step, every time.
FMCB v1.966, created by Neme and jimmikaelkael and maintained by SP193, relies on update behaviour that Sony removed from late Slim consoles, starting with boot ROM 2.30. Because the console BIOS is read-only memory, that behaviour cannot be restored by a card alone. Fortuna, created by krat0s in 2019, takes a different path into the same destination: a vulnerability in how the browser handles the memory card display, triggered by the user’s own navigation. FunTuna is a package built around that Fortuna approach for late Slims, and OpenTuna is an open-source implementation of the same idea. The names describe a family of triggers, not a single download, and the package you obtain may bundle the trigger with a launcher and configuration in ways that vary. Check what a given package actually contains before assuming it matches another package with a similar name.
The core difference: auto-boot versus manual trigger
| FMCB on a supported console | Fortuna / FunTuna / OpenTuna | |
|---|---|---|
| How it starts | Automatically at power-on from the card | Manually: browser, select card, back out to the menu |
| Consoles covered | Most Fat and most Slim, except late models | Late Slims from ROMVER 1.90 (SCPH-18000) through the last models, including the PS2 TV |
| Daily experience | Power on and the menu is there | Power on, then perform the trigger step each time |
| What it launches | The FMCB menu, from which homebrew runs | A homebrew launcher, from which homebrew runs |
| Earliest models | FMCB covers early Fat consoles directly | The Fortuna family was not ported to SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 |
| Late 90000 Slims (ROM 2.30+) | Does not boot on its own | This is the intended use case |
The daily-experience row is the one people underestimate. A manual trigger sounds trivial, and it is, once. But it is a step you repeat every time you power on, and it changes how the console feels to use, especially for other people in the household who did not set it up. If you are choosing a late Slim deliberately, accept the trigger as part of the console. If you are choosing between a late Slim and an earlier console, weigh the trigger against the other factors in Fat vs Slim PS2 for FreeMCBoot.
Fortuna, FunTuna, and OpenTuna: how they relate
Think of Fortuna as the original trigger concept and implementation. FunTuna is a package that applies that concept for late Slims, combining the trigger data with a launcher setup so that the end result feels like a working homebrew menu. OpenTuna is an open-source version of the trigger, developed so the community has an implementation that can be inspected and adapted. In practice, a user rarely chooses between these names in the abstract; they obtain a package, and that package embodies one of these approaches plus whatever launcher and configuration its maker included.
That is why this post does not describe the contents of any specific FunTuna archive in detail. Package contents vary, and describing one archive as if it described all of them would mislead. Before you use a package, check its own documentation for what it contains, which consoles it targets, and how the trigger is performed on your console. If that documentation is missing or vague, treat the package as unconfirmed for your purposes, whatever its filename suggests.
Coverage and limits
Coverage is where the Fortuna family is strongest. Where FMCB auto-boot stops, at late Slims, the Fortuna family starts, covering consoles from ROMVER 1.90 onwards through the last production models, including the PS2 TV. That breadth is the reason the family matters: without it, the newest PS2 hardware would have no card-based homebrew route at all.
Limits are equally clear. First, the Fortuna family was not ported to the earliest SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 models. Those consoles are covered by FMCB direct boot, so the gap only matters if you are comparing triggers rather than choosing a route for a console you own. Second, a trigger is not auto-boot, and no package in this family changes that. Third, the same FMCB limits apply once you are in the menu: a Fortuna or FunTuna trigger does not add import-disc support or change disc authentication on its own, as explained in What FreeMCBoot Cannot Do. The trigger gets you to homebrew; what homebrew can do from there is a separate question.
Choosing between them
- Your console boots FMCB directly: Use FMCB. There is no reason to add a manual trigger to a console that already auto-boots, and doing so only adds a step.
- Your console is a late Slim or PS2 TV: Use a Fortuna-family trigger. Choose the package based on its documentation for your exact model, not on its name alone, and test the trigger on your console before relying on it.
- You are unsure which group your console is in: Check model, datecode, and ROM version against FreeMCBoot Compatibility List before choosing. Guessing between FMCB and a trigger wastes more time than the check takes.
- You need a card for the trigger: The card requirements are similar in spirit to FMCB: a reliable card matters, and a dedicated card is simpler than a card shared with saves. A blank PS2 memory card is a reasonable starting point for preparing a trigger card you can test and, if needed, redo.
Checklist
- Confirm whether your console is in the FMCB direct-boot group or the late group.
- If late, expect a manual trigger every time, and choose a package with documentation for your model.
- Do not assume packages with similar names contain the same files.
- Test the trigger on your own console before treating the setup as finished.
- Remember that the trigger only reaches homebrew; loaders and their limits are separate, as in OPL vs ESR vs HDLoader.
FAQ
Is FunTuna just a newer FMCB? No. FunTuna is a package built around the Fortuna trigger approach for late Slims. It is not a version of FMCB, and it does not auto-boot.
What is the difference between Fortuna and OpenTuna? Fortuna is the original trigger implementation. OpenTuna is an open-source implementation of the same trigger idea. They share the concept and the manual trigger behaviour, but they are distinct implementations.
Does a Fortuna trigger make my late Slim behave exactly like an FMCB console? Almost, except for the trigger step itself. Once the menu is up, you launch homebrew in the same way, but you must perform the browser step on every power-on.
Why does the Fortuna family not cover the earliest Fat consoles? It was not ported to SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 models. Those consoles boot FMCB directly, so the gap does not leave them without a route.
Can I use FMCB and a Fortuna trigger on the same console? On a console that boots FMCB directly, a trigger adds nothing. On a late console, the trigger is the route, and FMCB auto-boot is not available to combine with it.
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