Greg from LaserBear has just started selling the open source Pico Loader – A “mod chip / ODE” style device that allows you to use retain the GameCube’s original optical drive, while also loading homebrew from an SD card using Swiss; That means along with this, you’ll either need a memory card SD reader, or the SD2SP2 that Greg also sells. Speaking of which, Greg is selling this a few different ways: As a complete, plug & play, “Ready To Install” version that won’t require any soldering at all, as well as a DIY kit that requires the same small amount of soldering Tito showed in the launch video below. If you’re in the US, this is the one to buy, as the current global shipping situation is preventing the original creator to ship to the US. But if you’re anywhere in Europe, please support the original creator via the link below:
LaserBear PicoLoader (US): https://retrorgb.link/picoloaderus
SD2SP2: https://retrorgb.link/sd2sp2laserbear
Makeo’s Store (Europe): https://store.makstech.io/
The software for the Raspberry Pi Pico-based mod was written by Makeo and SilverStee1 created the flex cable & mount. It works similar to the FlippyDrive, allowing you to keep the optical drive, retaining the full functionality of the unit. If you want more info about the Pico Loader and would like to see it in action, Tito from Macho Nacho productions recently posted a video about the original, soldering required version, which is the same as the DIY kit Greg is selling:
