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Konami System 573 converts

The System 573 is an arcade PlayStation dedicated to Bemani games (DDR, Beatmania…). A game = data (CD/DVD, internal flash, PCMCIA card) + a security cartridge that pairs to the hardware. Converting/installing means writing the right media and handling the security cartridge — greatly eased by the homebrew tool 573in1.

Field Value
Platform Konami System 573 (digital / analog)
Base PlayStation 1 (R3000A, PS1 GPU/SPU)
Type game install: media + security cartridge (paired)
Difficulty 🟡 (disc install) → 🟠 (serial editing / flashing)
Suicide? yes on the security cartridge (key/serial) + RTC

📋 Identify a game / disc / cassette by its Konami product code → System 573 per-game catalogue (148 games, code + version, from MAME).

Where a 573 game lives

A 573 game combines several media depending on the title:

Media Content
CD-ROM / DVD game data (audio, videos, charts)
Internal flash (onboard) installed program/data
PCMCIA flash card extra data (Bemani songs)
Security cartridge key + serial number, paired to the hardware
RTC RAM clock + persistent data

The security cartridge (the crux)

  • Holds a security EEPROM — two types: X76F041 or ZS01 — with a serial number.
  • At install, it pairs to the 573's digital I/O board: once a game is installed, the cartridge is tied to that unit and no longer works as-is on another.
  • Hence you can't "just swap" a cartridge between cabinets without editing the serial.

Install / change game (original method)

  1. Insert the game's install disc (some games have install disc + cartridge distinct from the play disc + cartridge).
  2. Flip the DIP switch at the back to erase and load the new game into the internal flash.
  3. The cartridge pairs to the digital I/O during install.

Pairing = trap

Some cartridges bind permanently to the unit at install. Reusing a cartridge on another cabinet requires re-editing its serial (see 573in1).

The key tool: 573in1 (homebrew)

573in1 (spicyjpeg) is the reference maintenance/install tool:

  • Dump / erase / write binary images to: internal flash, PCMCIA flash cards, RTC RAM.
  • Dump the security cartridge EEPROMs and edit the serial number → reinstall a game on another unit / reuse a same-type cartridge for another compatible game.
  • Handles both cartridge types via its databases: x76f041.db and zs01.db.

→ This is what makes preservation and installs doable without original Konami gear.

"Patched" games without a cartridge

The community has produced patched versions of some games that no longer need the security cartridge — useful to run a title when the cartridge/serial is dead. (Use with your own data.)

Digital vs Analog 573

  • Digital 573: fitted with the digital I/O board (Bemani: DDR, Beatmania…) — it's what pairs to the cartridge.
  • Analog 573: without that board (simpler games). Pairing behaviour differs.

RTC & battery

The RTC (clock) has its RAM which can hold data/serial; a dead battery can cause errors. 573in1 can dump/write the RTC RAM.

Procedure (summary)

  1. Identify digital vs analog and the cartridge type (X76F041 / ZS01).
  2. Boot 573in1 (via a homebrew launch method) to back up flash + cartridge serial (preservation before any manipulation).
  3. Install the target game (install disc + DIP, or direct flash/PCMCIA write via 573in1).
  4. Edit the cartridge serial if you reuse it for another game/unit.

Before / after

  • Clean install: the 573 cabinet runs the wanted game from its flash.
  • Serial editing: a cartridge tied to one unit becomes usable elsewhere / for another compatible title.

Where to read more

Sources & attribution

Review & corrections

How this space is used

Spotted a wrong value, an outdated procedure, a chip reference that does not match your board? Say so here, with what you observed (model, board revision, serial number, measurement). Every report is cross-checked against a source before anything changes — an unverifiable correction is published as “reported by …, not cross-checked” rather than silently applied.

Reading is open to everyone; posting requires signing in with Discord. Reports from the wiki's declared reviewers are handled first; anyone else's are read too, but go through a human before anything is changed.