Editing PlayStation 2 emulators

{{Infobox console
|title = PlayStation 2
|logo = PS2-Fat-Console-Set.png
|developer = [[:Sony]]
|type = [[:Category:Home consoles|Home video game console]]
|generation = [[:Category:Sixth-generation video game consoles|Sixth generation]]
|release = 2000
|discontinued = 2013
|predecessor = [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]]
|successor = [[PlayStation 3 emulators|PlayStation 3]]
|emulated = {{✓}}
}}

{{for|emulators that run on the PlayStation 2|Emulators on PS2}} 

The '''[[wikipedia:PlayStation_2|PlayStation 2]]''' (PS2) is a sixth-generation console released by Sony on October 26, 2000, and it was retailed for {{Inflation|USD|299.99|2000}}. It has the Emotion Engine CPU based on the MIPS R5900 at 300 MHz with 32 MBs of RDRAM system memory and 4 MBs of eDRAM (VRAM). Its GPU was a custom Graphics Synthesizer, which ran at 150 MHz. It became the highest-selling console of all time, with over 155 million units sold. 

Announced in 1999, Sony began developing the console after the immense success of the PS1. The PS2 offered backward-compatibility for the PS1 DualShock controller, as well as its games.<ref name="wikipedia">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2 PlayStation 2 at Wikipedia]</ref>

The PlayStation 2 received widespread critical acclaim upon release. A total of over 4,000 game titles were released worldwide, with over 1.5 billion copies sold. In 2004, Sony released a smaller, lighter revision of the console known as the PS2 Slim. Even after the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, it remained popular well into the seventh generation. It continued to be produced until 2013 when Sony finally announced that it had been discontinued after over twelve years of production, one of the longest lifespans of any video game console. By the end of its life, two new games were launched posthumously for the console.<ref name="wikipedia" />

==Emulators==
<div style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
! scope="col"|Latest version
! scope="col"|[[#Hardware_variations|<small>Hardware<br/>variations</small>]]
! scope="col"|[[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|<small>Hardware features<br/>and accessories</small>]]
! scope="col"|[[#Enhancements|Enhancements]]
! scope="col"|Compatibility
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
! scope="col"|Active
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]
|-
! colspan="10"|Desktop
|-
| [[PCSX2]]
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
| [https://pcsx2.net/downloads/ Nightly]<ref group=N>The stable versions are years out-of-date and missing countless features and bug fixes. '''Nightly versions are a better choice for almost all users'''; the stable versions should only be used if you have a specific need for them.</ref><br/><abbr title="Hard fork of PCSX2 for RetroArch.">[https://docs.libretro.com/library/pcsx2/ LRPS2]</abbr><ref group=N name=LRPS2>This is a complete hard fork of PCSX2 and its own separate emulator at this point, so there is no point in chasing after any kind of upstream, though it is under development, use standalone [https://pcsx2.net/downloads/ PCSX2-nightly] or XBSX2 builds instead. If you really want to use a libretro core for PlayStation 2 emulation; [https://forums.libretro.com/t/new-pcsx2-core/41170/22 use this libretro core].</ref><br/>[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.3771 <abbr title="Latest build version supports wxWidgets.">wxWidgets-latest</abbr>]
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
| {{✓}}
|[https://pcsx2.net/compat/ 99%<br/><small>2667 out of 2690 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[Play!]]
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|Web}}
| [http://purei.org/downloads.php {{Play!Ver}}]<br/>[https://github.com/jpd002/Play-/actions git]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
| {{~}}
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
|[https://github.com/jpd002/Play-Compatibility/issues 41%<br/><small>1054 out of 2566 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{~}}
|-
| [[AetherSX2]] 
| align=left|{{Icon|LinuxARM|macOS}}
| [https://www.aethersx2.com/archive/?dir=desktop Builds]
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
|[https://aethersx2-community.fandom.com/wiki/Community_maintained_Compatibility_List 74%<br/><small>451 out of 609 reported titles</small>]
| {{✗}} 
| {{✗}}<ref group=N name=aethersx2>AetherSX2 dev calls it quits, shuts down site [https://www.aethersx2.com/ leaving a message citing "complaints, demands, and death threats" made to him during development process].</ref>
| {{~}}
|-
| [https://sourceforge.net/projects/hpsx64 hpsx64]
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
| [https://sourceforge.net/projects/hpsx64/files/Source {{Hpsx64Ver}}]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18OtsWyo9pTJ7swAhUXa8c_J3qX0G_b4px24dFXeLPlw/edit#gid=691475490 ?%<br/><small>3 reported playable titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| DobieStation
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
| [https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/DobieStation git]<br /> [https://ci.appveyor.com/project/PSI-Rockin/dobiestation/history Builds]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kPLMTBSB2xZ8Rar140jiLWNRqsLX9vlCx12PJS2H5aw/edit#gid=0 1%<br/><small>6 out of 1212 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| orbum
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
| [https://github.com/marco9999/orbum git]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|N/A
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [http://nsx2.emulation64.com NeutrinoSX2 (nSX2)]
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
| [http://nsx2.emulation64.com/files/downloads/nsx2-0.08-win32.zip 0.08]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|N/A
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| PS2emu
| align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
| [https://dl.emulator-zone.com/download.php/emulators/ps2/ps2emu/PS2EMU_-_Alpha_01.zip 0.1]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|N/A
| {{✗}} 
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
|-
! colspan="10"|Mobile / ARM
|-
| [[AetherSX2]]	
| align=left|{{Icon|Android}}	
| [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.aethersx2.android {{AetherSX2Ver}}]<br/>[https://www.aethersx2.com/archive/?dir=android latest/alpha]<br/>[https://github.com/AetherSX2-backup/AetherSX2-builds 1.5-3668] (no ads)<br/>[https://github.com/Trixarian/NetherSX2-patch NetherSX2 Patch]
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
|[https://aethersx2-community.fandom.com/wiki/Community_maintained_Compatibility_List 74%<br/><small>451 out of 609 reported titles</small>]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}<ref group=N name=aethersx2></ref>
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[Play!]]
| align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}
| [http://purei.org/downloads.php Builds]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
| {{~}}
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
|[https://github.com/jpd002/Play-Compatibility/issues 41%<br/><small>1054 out of 2566 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{~}}
|-
|Cosmic
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://github.com/mythrilorg/cosmic-station git]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|?
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}} (WIP)
|-	
| [[DamonPS2]] (呆萌PS2模拟器)
| align=left|{{Icon|Android}}	
| [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.damonplay.damonps2.free 5.0]	
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|[https://old.reddit.com/r/EmulationOnAndroid/comments/bqvl3t/the_compiled_list_so_far_damonps2_the_good_the/ ?%<br/><small>16 reported playable titles]
| {{✗}} [[DamonPS2#Code_Stealing|*]] (stolen PCSX2)
| {{✓}}	
| {{✗}}
|-
! colspan="10"|Console
|-
| XBSX2.0
| align=left|{{Icon|XB1|XboxSXS}}
| [https://github.com/SirMangler/pcsx2/releases git]
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
|[https://pcsx2.net/compat/ 99%<br/><small>2667 out of 2690 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[Official_emulators#Sony|Official Sony emulators]]
| align=left|{{Icon|PS3}}
| FW 4.78
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
| [https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/PS2_Classics_Emulator_Compatibility_List 84%<br/><small>2250 out of 2682 reported titles</small>]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[Play!]]
| align=left|{{Icon|Switch|Vita}}
| [https://github.com/xerpi/play-switch git]<small> (Switch)</small><br/>[https://gitlab.com/xerpi/play#building-for-psvita 2020]<small>(Vita Port)</small><br/>
| {{~}}
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
|[https://github.com/jpd002/Play-Compatibility/issues 41%<br/><small>1054 out of 2566 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[AetherSX2]]
| align=left|{{Icon|XB1|XboxSXS}}
| [https://www.aethersx2.com/archive/?dir=uwp  Alpha]
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
|[https://aethersx2-community.fandom.com/wiki/Community_maintained_Compatibility_List 74%<br/><small>451 out of 609 reported titles</small>]
| {{✓}} 
| {{✗}}<ref group=N name=aethersx2></ref>
| {{✗}}
|-
| <abbr title="Hard fork of PCSX2 for RetroArch.">[https://docs.libretro.com/library/pcsx2/ LRPS2_libretro]</abbr><ref group=N name=LRPS2></ref>
| align=left|{{Icon|XB1|XboxSXS}}
| [https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.15.0/windows-msvc2019-uwp/x64/RetroArch-msvc2019-UWP_x64.msixbundle UWP libretro core]
| {{✗}}
| {{~}}
| {{~}}
|?
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
|}
</div>

<references group=N />

===Comparisons===
;[[PCSX2]]:[[History_of_emulation#PlayStation_2|The first Playstation 2 emulator]]. Succeeding their earlier PCSX [[PlayStation_emulators|PlayStation emulator]], PCSX2 dedicated its development to faithfully replicating the PS2 experience. The years haven't dimmed its shine thanks to the continuous improvements in accuracy, compatibility, and performance. In the last years, PCSX2 nightly builds boast a sleek, modern QT GUI and a pluginless design, eliminating the headaches of plugin configuration and making all features readily available. Just grab the original system firmware and you're ready to relive your PS2 memories. PCSX2 also has lots of new modern [[#Enhancements|enhancements]] built-in (one of the best emulators when it comes to enhancement capabilities, similar to Dolphin, Flycast, BigPEmu, PPSSPP and DuckStation) and supports some of the [[#Hardware_features_and_peripherals|hardware features, peripherals]] of the PlayStation 2.

:PCSX2 has great compatibility and it is capable of playing most titles without any major glitches however [https://wiki.pcsx2.net/Category:Software_rendering_only_games some titles still needs software rendering] to run without any major graphical issues. For checking if your games work and any fixes, tweaks, or settings you should know beforehand. For more information regarding playability check these sources;
::*[https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/master/bin/resources/GameIndex.yaml PCSX2 GameDB] (GameIndex)
::*[http://wiki.pcsx2.net/index.php/Main_Page PCSX2 Wiki] (Note that the wiki can contain outdated information. It is encouraged to do personal testing and contribute to the wiki)
::*[https://pcsx2.net/compat/ Official Compatibility List]
::*[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues PCSX2 github issues]

:;[[AetherSX2]]:A closed-source freeware emulator partially forked from PCSX2. It's designed to be optimal for ARM-based platforms, primarily those running Android. 
::It has multiple versions; The latest google play version which contains ads while an ad free Alpha version can be downloaded directly from the AetherSX2 website. Development was stopped due to various dramas.

;[[Play!]]:Development is almost all done by the single maintainer jpd002. Also unlike PCSX2 it's supports [https://www.youtube.com/@emugamer2610/search?query=246%2F256 Namco System 2x6] variations and it has a playable Android and iOS port.

;[https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/DobieStation/ DobieStation]:Many titles can go ingame, focused on [[Emulation_accuracy|accuracy]], and therefore inherently slower than Play! or PCSX2.

;[[sourceforge:projects/hpsx64/|HPS2x64]]:Can also run quite a few commercial games, but probably less so, and at slower speeds than Play!. It also emulates and focuses more on [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]] emulation. There is also a [https://github.com/Zero3K/hpsx64 mirror] that has fixes done to it.

;[[DamonPS2]]:Closed-source payware/malware emulator only for Android, illegally based on [[PCSX2]], [[Play!]] and [[PPSSPP]]. '''It can hardly run any games''' and behaves very much like virus software. '''It is worst and NOT recommended to use this emulator'''. DamonPS2 uses unnecessary DRM, making the emulator useless without an internet connection.

==Enhancements==
''Side note: Please don't bump/spam GitHub threads/issues and feature request pages.''

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
! colspan=2 | Name
! PCSX2
! Play!
! AetherSX2<br/>XBSX2.0
! [[Official_emulators#Sony|<abbr title="ps2_emu for PlayStation 3.">Official Sony emulators</abbr>]]
|-
| rowspan=4 | Graphics
| [[Resolution|Resizable Internal Resolution]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| ?
|-
| [[Texture_Packs#PlayStation_2|Texture Replacement]]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| {{Y}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N3 name=HDports>[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/927750-playstation-3/69863918 No PS2 game has trophy support or enhancements for PS3 backwards compatibility] but [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_remasters_for_PlayStation_consoles#PlayStation_3 PS2 games that received HD ports], do.</ref>
|-
| [[Widescreen_hacks#PlayStation_2|Widescreen hack]]
| {{Y}}
| {{✗}}
| {{Y}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| Pre-rendering AA<br/><small>(MSAA, SSAA)</small>
| {{N}}[https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Future-anti-aliasing-implementation *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{?}}
|-
| rowspan=4 | Performance
| [[Overclocking#PS2|Overclock]]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
|-
| [[30/60_FPS_cheat_codes#PlayStation_2|Internal Framerate Hack]]
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
|-
| Preload [[Wikipedia:Template:Disk_images|optical disc image]] to RAM<br/><small>For users with sluggish multi-platter HDDs or plagued by horrible seek times, this enhancement '''might''' offer smoother experience, potentially reduced power consumption; it also shines when disc images reside on a network drive.<br/>Although keep in mind that preloading image would take some time, and it will require additional amount of RAM capacity.</small>
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/10137 *]
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [https://blurbusters.com/frame-generation-essentials-interpolation-extrapolation-and-reprojection/ Frame generation technologies]<br/><small>([https://store.steampowered.com/app/993090/Lossless_Scaling/ LSFG], [https://github.com/NVIDIAGameWorks/Streamline/blob/main/docs/ProgrammingGuideDLSS_G.md DLSS-G], [https://www.techpowerup.com/316835/extrass-framework-paper-details-intels-take-on-frame-generation ExtraSS] and [https://community.amd.com/t5/gaming/amd-fluid-motion-frames-is-out-now-on-amd-radeon-rx-7000-series/ba-p/634372 AFMF])</small>
| colspan=4 | <small>Implementing frame generation technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future. [[Input_lag|Input latency]] will be a crucial factor, but its impact likely varies depending on the specific technique employed, it's recommended to use '''after applying the "Internal Framerate Hack"'''.<br/>While '''[https://youtu.be/vyFYt2Ym7nU?t=553 AFMF]''' or '''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMxnhXsFnyM LSFG]''' can be used with PCSX2, please be aware that some visual glitches and artifacts may occur at this time.
|-
| rowspan=4 | Post-Processing
| [[Wikipedia:Category:Anti-aliasing_algorithms|Post-rendering AA]]<br/><small>(FXAA, TXAA and MLAA/SMAA)</small>
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Comparison_gallery_of_image_scaling_algorithms|Post-rendering scaling]]<br/><small>(Sharp bilinear, Lanczos and FSR 1)</small>
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
|-
| [[Shaders_and_filters|Filters]]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
|-
| [[Shader_Presets|Shader Chain]]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
|-
| rowspan=5 | [https://tasvideos.org/Emulatorresources/Features TAS features]
| [[Wikipedia:Macro_(computer_science)|Macros/Scripts]]/[https://tasvideos.org/LuaScripting Lua]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| ?
| {{N}}
|-
| Rewind
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/3698 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/3698 *]
| {{N}}
|-
| Fast-Forward/Turbo Speed
| {{Y}}
| ?
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
|-
| Savestates
| {{Y}}
| ?
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
|-
| [https://tasvideos.org/Movies Movie recording/playback]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| {{?}}
| {{N}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Controls
| [[Controllers#True.2Fdual_analog_control|True/dual analog control]]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/VanLaser/analog-controls-for-armored-core-ps2#qol-enhancements-analog-controls-for-armored-core-ps2-series-ac2-ac2-another-age-ac3-ac-silent-line *]
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| [[Controllers#Mouse_Injectors_for_Emulators|Mouse Injector Compatible]]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/garungorp/MouseInjectorDolphinDuck *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
|-
| [[Input_lag|Input lag-mitigating technique]]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
|-
| rowspan=8 | Quality of life
| Built-in [[Mods,_hacks_and_fan-translations#Built-in_graphics_mod_editor.2Fmanager_for_emulators|Graphics mod editor/manager]]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| Built-in [[Cheats_and_patches|Cheat Manager]]
| {{✓}}
| {{N}}
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
|-
| Built-in [http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,106405 Custom resolution/CRTSwitchRes]<br/><small>For using this on Windows OS you need [http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1009#p1009 CRT Emudriver].<br/>Another option is using EDID editor tool such as "Custom Resolution Utility".</small>
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/6348 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{~}}[https://www.retrorgb.com/playstation3.html <abbr title="PlayStation 3 via component video out.">*</abbr>]
|-
| [[Save_disk_space_for_ISOs#PlayStation_2|Streamable compression format]]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| ?
| {{N}}
|-
| Per-Game Profiles
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| Command Line Options
| {{Y}}[https://wiki.pcsx2.net/index.php?title=Command-line_support *]
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| On-Screen Display<br/><small>Showcases messages, controller input state which is useful for speedrunners, performance data, active settings, and various notifications.</small>
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| Big Picture Mode
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Misc
| [https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=21 RetroAchievements]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| ?
| {{~}}<ref group=N3 name=HDports></ref>
|-
| Free Look<br/><small>Free Look is a enhancement feature that allows manipulation of the in-game camera.</small>
| colspan=4 | <small>While freecam would be technically possible, its requires per-game patches like [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNGoejmzq-U Gran Turismo 4 360 Chase Cam] by "Vyerq/unko_".<br/>Said patches would require a significant amount of time to reverse the game's engine, which means that only someone talented with enough dedication to a single game could do it.<br/>There is a [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/3297 feature request] for adding this enhancement feature to PCSX2 emulator.
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Category:Debugging|Debug Features]]
| {{Y}}<ref group=N3>[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues?q=is%3Aopen%2Bclosed+label%3ADebugger+ Pull requests] for PCSX2 debug features.</ref>
| ?
| ?
| {{N}}
|}
<references group=N3/>

==Hardware features and accessories==
''Side note: Please don't bump/spam GitHub threads/issues and feature request pages.''
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
! colspan=2 | Name
! PCSX2
! Play!
! AetherSX2<br/>XBSX2.0
! [[Official_emulators#Sony|<abbr title="ps2_emu for PlayStation 3.">Official Sony emulators</abbr>]]<ref group=N2>[https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/PS2_Emulation#Peripheral_support ps2_emu: peripheral support]</ref>
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#System_Menu|System Menu]]
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
| {{Y}}
| {{N}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#DVD_player|DVD player]]
| {{~}}
| {{✗}}
| {{?}}
| {{Y}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Wikipedia:List_of_PlayStation_games_incompatible_with_PlayStation_2|<abbr title="PlayStation 1 Backwards Compatibility">PlayStation</abbr>]]<br/>and<br/>[[Wikipedia:PocketStation#Compatible_games|PocketStation]]
| {{~}}[https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-PSX-Mode-Unofficial-Compatibility-List *]
| {{✗}}[https://github.com/jpd002/Play-/issues/327 *]
| {{~}}[https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-PSX-Mode-Unofficial-Compatibility-List *]
| {{Y}}<ref group=N2 name=ps_emu>PlayStation 3's [[Official_emulators#PlayStation_2|ps2_emu]] firmware used for PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility and [[Official_emulators#PlayStation|ps1_emu]] for PlayStation backwards compatibility. Also [[PocketStation_emulators|PocketStation]] communication with PlayStation 3 system is possible with a "memory card adaptor for PlayStation 3". On top of that <abbr title="Should not be confused with PSP-PlayStation 3 direct communication.">[https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/PS2_Emulation#Peripheral_support PSP<->ps2_emu] communication is possible.</abbr></ref>
|-
| colspan=2 | [https://old.reddit.com/r/ps2/comments/atwi34/list_of_ps2_games_with_psp_connectivity/ PSP communication]
| {{✗}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/3527 *]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=ps_emu></ref>
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Pressure_Sensitive_Buttons|Pressure Sensitive Buttons]]
| {{~}}<ref group=N2>'''DualShock 2''' can be used only with adaptes emulating DualShock 3. [https://bliss-box.net/integration/ Bliss-Box API] is not supported. '''DualShock 3''' can be used only with [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Controller:DualShock_3#Wired_connection_-_unofficial_drivers DsHidMini community driver] and [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/wiki/Pressure-sensitive-buttons-with-DS3 a custom XInput proxy DLL]. Support for [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Controller:DualShock_3#Wired_connection_-_official_drivers official Sony driver] has been [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4918#issuecomment-1422483345 dropped] after moving from Wx to Qt environment. Althrough old [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.3771 v1.7.3771 Wx build] still allows to run games with Official Sony driver support or you can wait for this pull request: [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/9138 native DualShock 3 support for Qt builds in Windows using official Sony driver]. Other controllers with pressure-sensitive buttons like '''Xbox controller''' are not supported. [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/8480 This pull request] completely replaces all pad code for Qt.</ref>
| {{✗}}
| ?
| {{✓}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#i.LINK|i.LINK]]
| {{✗}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4472 *]
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Wikipedia:PlayStation_2_technical_specifications#Audio|DTS Surround (DVD-Video only)<br/>Dolby Digital 5.1<br/>Dolby Pro Logic II]]
| {{~}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/432 *]
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
|-
! colspan=6 | [[#Accessories|Accessories]]
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Network Adapter|Network Adapter]]<br/><small>(incl. LAN tunneling)</small>
| {{✓}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2>Not happening on Android, AetherSX2 does support the networking adapter emulation (which is needed for XLink Kai offline multiplayer gaming over a LAN multiplayer games as well) only for Windows/Linux.</ref>
| {{✓}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Audio
| USB Headset
| {{✓}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| SingStar Microphone
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| Rock Band / Guitar Hero Konami USB Microphone
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| rowspan=2 | WebCam
| Konami Capture Eye
| {{✓}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| [[#EyeToy|Sony EyeToy]]
| {{✓}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | LightGun
| Konami Justifier/Hyper Blaster
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
|[[Wikipedia:GunCon#PS2_games|<abbr title="Namco's light gun; NPC-103.">GunCon</abbr>]]
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763 *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
|[[Wikipedia:GunCon#GunCon_2_compatible_games|GunCon 2]]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/stenzek/pcsx2/blob/master/pcsx2/USB/usb-lightgun/guncon2.cpp *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| rowspan=9 | Controller
|-
| [[Wikipedia:PlayStation_Multitap#Supported_games|Multitap]]
| {{y}}<ref group=N2>Additional Memory Card slots must be enabled in the .ini file.</ref>
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [https://djhero.fandom.com/wiki/DJ_Turntable DJ Hero Turntable]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/9129 *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Buzz!#Buzz!_buzzers|Buzz! Controller]]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/blob/master/pcsx2/USB/usb-pad/usb-pad.cpp *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| Densha de GO! ([https://marcriera.github.io/ddgo-controller-docs/controllers/usb/sotp031201/ 1], [https://marcriera.github.io/ddgo-controller-docs/controllers/usb/tcpp20014/ 2], [https://marcriera.github.io/ddgo-controller-docs/controllers/usb/tcpp20011/ 3], [https://marcriera.github.io/ddgo-controller-docs/controllers/usb/cotm02001/ 4], [https://marcriera.github.io/ddgo-controller-docs/controllers/usb/tcpp20009/ 5])
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Pop'n_Music#Gameplay|Pop'n Music Controller]]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/10534 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{?}}
|-
| Guitar
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/8480 *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| [[List_of_games_with_keyboard_and_mouse_support#PlayStation_2_Emulation|USB Keyboard & Mouse]]
| {{✓}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[#DVD_Remote_Control|DVD Remote Control]]
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{N}}<abbr title="Unlike the PS2, the PS3 does not have an infrared receiver; all compatible remote controls use Bluetooth instead.">*</abbr>
|-
| rowspan=2 | Motion
| Gametrak
| {{~}}<abbr title="wxWidgets only">*</abbr>
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| RealPlay
| {{~}}<abbr title="wxWidgets only">*</abbr>
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Printer
| <abbr title="Sony DPP-MP1/DPP-EX5/DPP-EX7 printer">GamePrint①</abbr>
| {{~}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| <abbr title="Sony Popegg/Tapis printer">GamePrint②</abbr>
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| <abbr title="Gran Turismo 4/Tourist Trophy">Epson printer</abbr>
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| HMD
| Sony PUD-J5A
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | Storage
| [[#Hard_Disk_Drive|Hard Disk Drive]]
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/tree/master/pcsx2/DEV9/ATA *]
| {{N}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| USB Mass storage
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/tree/master/pcsx2/USB/usb-msd *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|-
| PictureParadise
| {{N}}[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4763#issuecomment-917947842 *]
| {{N}}
| {{N}}
| {{TBD}}
|}
<references group=N2/>

===[https://tcrf.net/PlayStation_2#Version_Differences System Menu]===
Initial Program Loader (IPL) of the PlayStation 2 and its top level interface, allowing the player to load discs, change settings, and manage up to two memory cards at once.

===i.LINK===
S400 Firewire cable for connecting two PS2 console together and play split screen on separate TVs. Not all games supported it and it was dropped in later versions of the console. Currently no emulators support it.<br/>
*[https://old.reddit.com/r/ps2/comments/6impms/is_there_an_accurate_and_uptodate_list_of/ Games that used the i.LINK cable]
*[[Wikipedia:List_of_PlayStation_2_online_games#i.Link_Games|i.Link Games]]

===Pressure Sensitive Buttons===
The DualShock 2 has all buttons and sticks with variable pressure states (except for L3, R3, Start, & Select). 

Most PS2 games do not require this feature, instead preferring to use the triggers and/or joysticks for pressure-sensitive actions (e.g., sneaking past the sleeping dog in ''Chulip''), but a select few do. Some examples include:
* All three attack buttons in ''The Bouncer'' precipitate different attacks based on whether the press is light, medium, or strong. The same goes for the musical game ''Mad Maestro''.
* ''Star Ocean 3'' has a musical item that plays different melodies depending on pressure, and they're required for progressing.

Games requiring variable trigger pressure need physical controllers with analog sticks, which is fortunately a standard feature of most half-decent controllers on the market. Pressure-sensitive ''face buttons'', on the other hand, haven't appeared on any standard PlayStation controllers since the DualShock 3 (DualShock 4 removed this feature), and it's very rare for a third-party controller to feature them either.

* [[List of games that support Pressure-Sensitive Face Buttons#PlayStation 2 Emulation]]

;::PCSX2 wxWidgets builds guide
::::To know if your controller supports it, open the LilyPad plugin settings by going to the PCSX2 menu and selecting "Config", "Controllers (PAD)", and "Plugin Settings". At the LilyPad plugin popup, select your gamepad from the list of detected controllers in the "Device Diagnostics" box in the lower left, then click the "Test Device" button. A small popup window will appear, showing a list of all the gamepad's buttons and their current state. 0.000 = indicates unpressed, 1.000 = indicates fully depressed. Roll either analog stick around. See how the values change from 0.000 to 0.xyz, with the .xyz values shifting incrementally. These changing .xyz values show how the plugin detects different changes in angle as you move the analog stick around. Now press any of the buttons normally used by games, i.e., the triangle/square/cross/circle buttons.  See how the values immediately shift from 0.000 (unpressed) directly to 1.000 (pressed) If your gamepad really has pressure-sensitive buttons, you'll see gradual 0.xyz changes as you slowly press each button, just like the different changes in angle as you move the analog sticks around. If the buttons change from 0.000 directly to 1.000, that proves your gamepad buttons aren't pressure-sensitive and are merely tracking the pressed/unpressed state. The solution would be to either buy an official DualShock 2 or 3 controller (The Original Xbox Controller is not supported) and use an appropriate 3rd party driver such as [[SCP Driver Package]].

:::Also you can map the button to a rarely used trigger/stick in LilyPad;
::::Open the gamepad plugin configuration and choosing a rarely used key - for example, the lower shoulder button L2 - and remapping it to the circle button and setting the sensitivity to 0.500 or thereabouts. In the game, merely use the remapped L2@circle button to deliver "light" tap/hold tunes, while the regular circle button can be used normally to deliver "hard" tap/hold tunes.

===DVD player===
[[File:PCSX2_MagicGate_fork_-_DVD-Video_menu_demonstration.jpeg|thumb|298px|PCSX2 MagicGate fork - DVD-Video menu demonstration]]
PS2's DVD player was a versatile and powerful feature for its time, it supports PlayStation2 format DVD-ROM, PlayStation 2 and [https://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/91HAP/what-disc-types-are-compactible-with-ps2 PlayStation 1 format CD-ROM] and offering great playback compatibility for the most common disc formats. While it lacked official support for DVD Audio and VCD, its ability to play DVD Video and Audio CDs, along with additional options like progressive scan and upscaling, made it a compelling choice for entertainment and multimedia playback. Also [[Home_Media_Player#Interactive_media|Interactive film/movie]] formats like DVDi and DVDPG supported.

*PCSX2 has CD-ROM and DVD-ROM support so you can boot your game directly from your physical discs, however there are no official DVD-Video and Audio CD support at the moment. See [[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/1981 feature request page] for more information.
:*The DVD player, including FreeDVDBoot, works in PCSX2 forks with MagicGate support like [[#Konami_Python_2.2FKonami_Benami_Python_2|987123879113]].
::*Artifacts: https://github.com/987123879113/pcsx2/issues/13#issuecomment-1752939271
::*Requires a complete BIOS dump (4MB ROM0 + 4MB ROM1 + NVRAM) : https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/6719
::*Requires MagicGate key files (civ.bin, cks.bin, eks.bin, and kek.bin)
::*Some remaining issues are described in https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/1981 (2022-07 to 2023-02)
*PlayStation 3 has no PlayStation 2 DVD player interface support because: no emulation process needed to handle DVD-Video. PlayStation 3 already features a slot-loading 2× speed Blu-ray Disc drive for BD-ROM, PlayStation2 format DVD-ROM, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 1 format CD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc Video, DVD-Video, and Audio CDs. Having said that there is no support for VCDs for PlayStation 3 just like PlayStation 2.
::See [[Home_Media_Player#Emulators|this dedicated page]] for more information about home media playback support for emulation softwares.

===Accessories===
====Network Adapter====
The [[wikipedia:PlayStation_2_Expansion_Bay#Network_Adaptor|Network Adapter]] is a peripheral that is used to play PS2 games online ([[Wikipedia:PlayStation_2_online_functionality|Network Play]]) via ethernet broadband or analog modem. Many games have been brought back due to servers run and operated by fans such as PS2Online and the SOCOM Community server;
*[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bbxOGm4dPxZ4Vbzyu3XxBnZmuPx3Ue-cPqBeTxtnvkQ/edit#gid=0 Revived private servers for PS2 online play]
*[[Wikipedia:List_of_PlayStation_2_online_games#Released_Games|List of games that supported the online functionality of the PlayStation 2 and revived private servers]]
:: MAWK3: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnVOnRefBpw ''Most Active PlayStation 2 Online Games in 2023''], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=minpPVKq3pM ''How to Connect and Play Online on PlayStation 2 in 2023'']
::For more information about other revive projects see [[Preservation_projects|Preservation projects]] page.

PlayStation 2 slim models Ethernet functionality of the Network Adaptor has been integrated onto the motherboard, slim models don't have an external interface to connect a Network Adapter.
;:LAN tunneling
:Offline multiplayer gaming on the PS2 home console over a LAN (local area network) multiplayer games,  just like System Link for [[Microsoft|XBOX systems]]. Over time, most [[Preservation_projects#Private_Game_Servers|game servers have been shut down]]. However, [[Preservation_projects#LAN_Tunneling_Programs|computer programs such as XBSlink, SVDL and XLink Kai]] allow users to play multiplayer for LAN supported PS2 games by using a network configuration that simulates a worldwide LAN.
:*[https://www.teamxlink.co.uk/wiki/PCSX2_XLink_Kai_Setup PCSX2 XLink Kai Setup].
::*[https://www.teamxlink.co.uk/wiki/Supported_Games#Sony_Playstation_2 XLink Kai: PlayStation 2 supported games]
::*[[Wikipedia:List_of_PlayStation_2_online_games#LAN_Games|PlayStation 2 LAN titles can be played online using the XLink Kai service. Some games only had LAN play available in specific regions]].

====Hard Disk Drive====
:[[Wikipedia:PlayStation_2_Expansion_Bay#Hard_Disk_Drive|Wikipedia - PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive and compatible titles]]
The PS2 Hard Disk Drive was an official peripheral released by Sony for the PlayStation 2 console. It launched in July 2001 in Japan and March 2004 in North America. The HDD required the Network Adapter to function, because of this it's important to know that not all PS2 models supported the HDD. Only the fat models (SCPH-30000 to SCPH-50000 series) had the Expansion Bay needed to connect the Network Adapter for Hard Drive.

PlayStation 2 Hard Drive offered;
*Ability to install and run Linux using [[Wikipedia:Linux_for_PlayStation_2|Linux for PlayStation 2 disc]]
*Extra network functionalities, such as: accessing online content (game demos and updates etc) from platforms like [[Preservation_projects#Private_Platform_Servers|PlayStation Broadband Navigator]] and [[Preservation_projects#Private_Platform_Servers|PlayOnline Viewer]]. Also [[Wikipedia:PlayStation_2_Expansion_Bay#North_American_releases_with_HDD_support|some of the titles]] such as: [https://remywiki.com/CS_pnm_Puzzle_Dama Pop'n Music Puzzle-dama Online] requires an installation to the PS2 HDD in order to play, as the game boots from the PlayStation Broadband Navigator or HDD Utility Disc, and does not require the game disc or a registration code.

As stated in the [[#Network_Adapter|Network Adapter]] section, slim models comes with Ethernet functionality of the Network Adaptor has been integrated onto the motherboard, because of this slim models have no Hard Drive support.

====EyeToy====
The [[wikipedia:EyeToy|EyeToy]] is a device similar to a camera or a webcam. It's an accessory developed by Sony and manufactured by Logitech. It is used in some PS2 games to interact physically through motion detection. The EyeToy device can be emulated with [[PCSX2]]. It also works natively with the [[PlayStation_3_emulators|PlayStation 3]].

====DVD Remote Control====
:[[Wikipedia:PlayStation_2_accessories#DVD_Remote_Control|Wikipedia: DVD Remote Control]]
You can even play games with this remote controller other than multimedia functionalities, there's a setting in the System Config that says 'Remote Gameplay Function', set this to on for playing games with this peripheral.

===USB plugin for wxWidgets builds===
Some PS2 games use a USB adapter with a module/dongle consisting of two jack ports for microphones. [[wikipedia:List_of_songs_in_SingStar_games_(PlayStation_2)|Installments]] from the [[wikipedia:SingStar|''SingStar'']] series on the PS2 could use microphones (Sometimes bundled with these game discs) with this method. 
:These adapters could either formally or informally be called: 
* SingStar USB Converter (Official)
* SingStar USB Converter Box (Official)
* SingStar USB Microphone Converter
* SingStar Microphone USB Adapter/Converter
* SingStar USB Converter Microphone Adapter
Steering wheels are also supported for many racing games via a USB adapter.

While PCSX2 isn't benefiting from a working USB plugin in its original release, Jackun, a PCSX2 plugin author, made a [https://github.com/jackun/USBqemu-wheel USB plugin] that supports a microphone in most games and even a steering wheel for racing games.
:A compatibility list of the working titles with this plugin can be found [https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Qemu-USB-Wheel-Storage-mod-Singstar-test?pid=320737#pid320737 here].

==Hardware variations==

===[https://www.system16.com/base.php#1 Arcade]===
Notice that [[Play!]] is still in relatively early stages so the gaming experience might not be perfect.

Also there are pull requests and feature requests for implementing some of these variations or its features to these emulators, so it is being worked on actively.<ref>[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/3613 Feature request: support for Namco Arcade systems based on PS2 for PCSX2], [https://github.com/jpd002/Play-/pull/1301 2x6 touchscreen support for Play!]</ref>

====[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=586 Konami Python 1]/[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=977 Konami Benami Python 1]/[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=585 Konami Python Satellite Terminal]====
:Currently, there is no emulator that supports this variation.

====[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=976 Konami Python 2]/[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=831 Konami Benami Python 2]====
Konami Python 2 is a Konami arcade system based on PlayStation 2 hardware.
:A [https://github.com/987123879113/pcsx2/wiki#builds fork of PCSX2 (987123879113)] supports the emulation of the Konami Python 2 ([https://github.com/987123879113/pcsx2/wiki/Setup#required-setup Guide]). This fork requires MagicGate key files into the bios folder (civ.bin, cks.bin, eks.bin, and kek.bin) and you must use <abbr title="SHA-1: 0ea98a25a32145dda514de2f0d4bfbbd806bd00c"> "ps2-0190j-20030822.bin" BIOS</abbr>.
::This fork does not and will never support Python 1 or system 246/256 games as those would require much more work than a simple USB device to make work. The MagicGate code being used in this fork also does not support [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/4274 memory card MagicGate encryption stuff] properly (the memory card dongles used for Python 1 and System 246/256) so those platforms aren't really any closer to working compared to before.
:MAME romsets of Python 2 games won't work on this fork as they are missing ILINK_ID files.

====[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=802 Namco System 246 #1]/[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=543 Namco System 246 #2]/[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=676 Namco System 246 #3]====
Namco 246 is a series of Namco arcade system based on PlayStation 2 hardware, Featuring a MIPS II R3000A IOP Sub-CPU.
:[[Play!]] supports the emulation of this hardware. [https://github.com/jpd002/Play-#namco-system-2x6-arcade-support Security dongle images and disc images have to be placed inside the arcaderoms subdirectory of Play! Data Files directory].

====[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=546 Namco System 256 #1]/[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=922 Namco System 256 #2]====
Namco 256 is a series of Namco arcade system based on PlayStation 2 hardware, Featuring a MIPS II R3000A IOP Sub-CPU. System 256 comes with larger VRAM and overclocked CPU compared to System 246.
:[[Play!]] supports the emulation of this hardware. [https://github.com/jpd002/Play-#namco-system-2x6-arcade-support Security dongle images and disc images have to be placed inside the arcaderoms subdirectory of Play! Data Files directory].

====[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=872 Namco System Super 256]====
:[[Play!]] supports the emulation of this hardware. [https://github.com/jpd002/Play-#namco-system-2x6-arcade-support Security dongle images and disc images have to be placed inside the arcaderoms subdirectory of Play! Data Files directory].

====[https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=981 Namco System 147]====
:Currently, there is no emulator that supports this variation, however it is being worked on in Play! at the moment.

===[[Wikipedia:PSX_(digital_video_recorder)|PSX]]===
''Not to be confused with the [[PlayStation emulators|original PlayStation]].''

The PSX is a Sony digital video recorder with a fully integrated PS2 console. It was also the first device to use Sony's XrossMediaBar (XMB) graphical user interface, which was later used on the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation 3, some Blu-ray Disc players, and 2008-era BRAVIA TVs.

None of the PSX features have been emulated yet.

Twitter user @DiscoStarslayer claims to be [https://nitter.net/DiscoStarslayer/status/1570428063502012417 working on bypassing the HDD encryption of the PSX], which could result in this hardware being emulated, and it would allow for replacing the HDD in those consoles. This user also encourages dumping the content of the HDD of your PSX using a [https://nitter.net/DiscoStarslayer/status/1592187362947526657 guide] made by a PCSX2 contributor called [https://nitter.net/_987123879113 987123879113]

==Emulation issues==
Despite a large interest in PlayStation 2 emulation due to its sizable collection of games, it is still one of the harder consoles to emulate for several reasons.

First of all, many people believe that since the main CPU (Emotion Engine) runs at a clock speed of 294 Mhz (299 Mhz on later revisions), it would make emulation easy on recent hardware. But this isn't the case because the clock speed of the emulated CPU is not necessarily indicative of the ease of emulation (e.g. [[Sega_Saturn_emulators#Emulator_development|Sega Saturn emulation]]). Specifically, the PlayStation 2's CPU contains a multitude of custom sub-components and chips such as the FPU co-processor, 2 Vector Units, IOP, SPU2, Graphics Synthesizer, and SIF which together work asynchronously to comprise the 128-bit Emotion Engine. Emulating them perfectly with correct timing requires an enormous amount of power. Moreover, the PlayStation 2, just like PlayStation 1, uses the MIPS architecture instead of standard x86 code, thus making emulation slower.<ref>https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Why-is-PCSX2-slow</ref>

Another big problem is the emulation of PlayStation 2’s floating-point unit (FPU) because it doesn’t follow the IEEE standard. To keep it simple, just changing a couple of numbers will cause glitches to occur to the game’s graphic (VU) and logic (EE), resulting in things like broken AI, odd behaviors, and/or graphical bugs. While PCSX2 allows for either clamping/rounding on both VU and EE as a solution to fix these glitches, it remains by far not the most accurate way to emulate the PlayStation 2's FPU.<ref>https://wiki.pcsx2.net/PCSX2_Documentation/Nightmare_on_Floating-Point_Street</ref><ref>https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/DobieStation/issues/51</ref>

To conclude the problems with PlayStation 2 emulation, we come to hardware rendering. The PlayStation 2’s graphics pipeline acts very differently from modern GPU cards, and emulating it in HW mode with any degree of accuracy is difficult. This is due in part to the versatility of the PlayStation 2, the fact that it doesn’t use fixed shaders, or that even the games themselves do not use a consistent formula to achieve different graphical effects. Various emulation enhancements like display resolution scaling lead to the typical “black lines glitch” because of the use of a non-integer resolution. While the [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/tree/master/pcsx2/GS/Renderers Vulkan and OpenGL renderer backends on PCSX2] greatly improved on many of these issues, [https://wiki.pcsx2.net/Category:Software_rendering_only_games lots of games still require “software rendering”] to fix many common glitches, which is [[PCSX2#System_requirements|significantly increases CPU ST performance requirement]] for the emulation and eliminating visual enhancement options. Always try Vulkan or OpenGL backends first because D3D backends blending levels is quite problematic compared to other backends.<ref>[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/9952 PCSX2 devs comment about HW backends]</ref>

In summary, The PlayStation 2 is a very complex machine that even game developers struggled to work with. It is difficult to achieve close-to-perfection PlayStation 2 emulation with actual PC hardware but thanks to [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/graphs/contributors PCSX2 team] it's now possible.

For more information about PlayStation 2 hardware and reverse engineering;
* [https://archive.fosdem.org/2021/schedule/event/pcsx2/ The PlayStation 2: From Emotion to Emulation - Celebrating 20 Years of Reverse Engineering]
* MVG: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRv_xKS4q7o Why was the Sony PlayStation 2 so hard to develop games for?], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGMR6FHey68 How the Sony Playstation 2 Security Was Defeated]
* [https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/playstation-2/ Rodrigo Copetti's PlayStation 2 Architecture Practical Analysis]
* [https://psi-rockin.github.io/ps2tek/ ps2tek: Documentation on PS2 internals]
* [https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps2/ PSDevWiki: PlayStation 2]
* [https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/110nzv8/eli5_why_do_ps2_emulation_be_like_that/ (Reddit Thread) ELI5: Why do PS2 emulation be like that?]
* PCSX2: [https://pcsx2.net/blog Blog], [https://discord.gg/K2AZqKJDB2 Discord]

==See also==
* [[Controllers#DualShock_2|DualShock 2]]

==External links==
* [https://psxdatacenter.com/psx2/sitenews2.html PlayStation 2 DataCenter] - Tons of PS2-related things. Emulator files like plugins, game manuals, game configurations, and many tutorials are just some of the things you'll find here.
* [https://wiki.arcadeotaku.com/w/Namco_System_246/256 arcadeotaku: Namco System 246/256]
* [https://forum.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?78768-Master-List-of-PS2-CD-Based-Games digitpress forum - Master List of PS2 CD-Based Games]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Consoles]]
[[Category:Home consoles]]
[[Category:Sixth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Sony consoles]]
[[Category:PlayStation 2 emulators|*]]
[[Category:Very early emulation (MAME)]]