I recall having 'burnt out' two optical drives on hand-me-downed PS1's.
Instead of needing a mod chip, you could jam the internal open/close switch mechanism closed. Allowing you to open the disc tray while it was still spinning. You'd let a legitimate game boot up to pass the DRM, then swap in a burnt disc. I wondered if it contributed to the drives failing.
Also to your point, is Disc Rot itself attacking original discs.
Instead of needing a mod chip, you could jam the internal open/close switch mechanism closed. Allowing you to open the disc tray while it was still spinning. You'd let a legitimate game boot up to pass the DRM, then swap in a burnt disc. I wondered if it contributed to the drives failing.
Also to your point, is Disc Rot itself attacking original discs.