Editing PCSX2

{{Infobox emulator
|logo = PCSX2-Logo.png
|logowidth = 265
|version = {{Version|PCSX2}} <small>(Stable)</small>
|active = Yes
|platform = Windows, Linux, macOS
|target = [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2]]<br>[[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]]
|developer = [https://pcsx2.net/meet-the-team.html PCSX2 Team]
|website = [https://pcsx2.net/ PCSX2.net]
|source = [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2 GitHub]
|license = GNU LGPLv3 <small>(1.7+)</small><ref>Bositman (November 24, 2021). [https://pcsx2.net/301-aethersx2-pcsx2-mobile.html AetherSX2 brings PCSX2 to mobile]. ''PCSX2.net''.</ref>
|support = [https://github.com/sponsors/PCSX2 GitHub Sponsor]
|compatibility = [https://pcsx2.net/compat/ Compatibility list]
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#PlayStation_2|Required]]
}}

'''PCSX2''' is an open-source [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2 emulator]] for Windows and Linux. Since 2016, it has also supported the [https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-PSX-Mode-Unofficial-Compatibility-List PlayStation 2's backward compatibility mode] for [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]] games.<ref>https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/1571</ref>

==Download==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin}}
|'''[https://pcsx2.net/downloads/ Stable builds]'''
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac}}
|'''[https://pcsx2.net/downloads/ Nightly builds]'''
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win-big}}
|'''[http://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/ Orphis dev builds]'''
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Mac-big}}
|'''[https://github.com/tellowkrinkle/pcsx2/releases Dev builds]'''
|-
|colspan=2|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|APK-big}}
|[[AetherSX2|AetherSX2 Port]]
|}

Note that the stable builds are severely outdated. You should use the nightly/dev builds instead unless they contain regressions.

==System requirements==
See [[Computer_specifications#PCSX2]].

=====Windows XP/7/8.1 Compatibility=====

Despite Windows 7 and 8.1 '''NOT''' being officially supported, [https://i.imgur.com/BsFBw1w.png 1.7-dev builds (up to version v1.7.3581) of PCSX2 can work with a few workarounds]. You'll need:

* [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.3581 <abbr title="Latest compatible build with Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 workaround.">1.7.3581-wxWidgets build</abbr>]
* [https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases dxvk] '''OR''' [https://reshade.me/ reshade]

For starters, extract PCSX2 in a folder and then extract the 64-bit dxvk: d3d11.dll and dxgi.dll '''OR''' extract Reshade.exe: and rename "reshade64.dll" to "dxgi.dll" and then move this file next to the main PCSX2 executable.
You'll also need to select [https://i.imgur.com/flxI0GH.png Cubeb] as the audio renderer. Otherwise, it'll crash with XAudio. And lastly, always pick between Vulkan, OpenGL and Software. D3D11/D3D12 can crash occasionally, and it won't function as intended anyways. '''Don't expect any official support if you post logs showing you're using Windows XP, 7, 8, or 8.1.'''

[https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-My-new-fork-of-PCSX2-makes-1-6-0-compatible-with-Windows-XP For Windows XP, use this build. You don't need workaround for this build.] Note that this build does not include the Direct3D9 renderer (or any DirectX rendering). If you want to use the old D3D9 renderer, you will need to use the official build 1.4.0 which is the last to officially support Windows XP.

Latest wxWidgets build (but its not compatible with Win7, 8 and 8.1 workaround because of fast memory implementation): [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.3771 v1.7.3771].

==Setup==
===Gamepad===
[http://www.mediafire.com/view/115130h5rc6qe6b/LilyPad-SCP.lily Native DS3 controls with LilyPad-SCP] - Import this with the 'Load Bindings' button in LilyPad's config.

Either that, or you can use [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Pokopom-KrossX-s-Pad-Plugin the Pokopom XInput Plugin.] If you use a DualShock controller running under an XInput wrapper such as SCP Server, then this plugin is a no-brainer. It's very customizable, and you don't have to configure it beforehand. All of the buttons are bound at startup.

===Video===
Most of the video options should be straightforward, with the possible exception of interlacing modes. Many games will run fine with 'None', while others may experience artifacting or jitter. "Auto" is recommended.

* "Sawtooth" is not recommended at all. Artifacting is far too heavy to be usable.
* "Bob" has reduced artifacts, but jitter can still occur.
* "Blend" has the least amount of jitter. However, it can cause blurriness. The Blend interlacer does frame-blending. This is also known as motion blur. This means that if there is heavy jitter, the video output will be extremely blurry since the two jittering frames will blend together. Only use this interlacing method as a last resort.
You can cycle through the options with F5 to quickly test them out.

To completely eliminate the de-interlacing issue, the community has made patches/hacks for a lot of games that can be loaded through a .pnach file, like a cheat code. Those can be found in the PCSX2 wiki or forums.

Another method to get around this in older versions (custom res as an option was removed) is by running GSdx in hardware rendering, doubling the vertical resolution (if a game displays 640x480 on the emulator window, set vertical res to 960) and selecting bob-tff for interlacing. This can eliminate interlacing artifacts in most cases, although issues with upscaling, as well as using hardware emulation over software, can arise.

==Overview==
PCSX2 was originally created in 2001 by Linuzappz and Shadow as the successor to [[PCSX-Reloaded|PCSX]], another PlayStation emulator. Development of PCSX ceased on September 17, 2003, to focus on PCSX2. When version 0.9.8 was released in May 2011, only 55% of the PS2's library was considered supported.<ref>refraction (November 25, 2010). [https://pcsx2.net/developer-blog/90-the-history-of-pcsx2.html The History of PCSX2]. ''PCSX2.net''.</ref>

A significant number of quality-of-life changes have come about since the project moved to GitHub, with a renewed interest in bringing it up to par with emulators for similar-gen consoles. Until mid-2021, PCSX2 was a holdout of the plugin system, despite development of each plugin eventually consolidating into the main repository. While the stable 1.6.0 build still contains the plugin API, the nightlies no longer have it, as it was removed entirely in [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/4436 PR 4436]. Compatibility has also seen major improvements across the board, to the point where every game at least boots. As of January 2022, 98% of the PlayStation 2 library is considered playable, although only 26 games are marked as perfect.

A pull request adding x86_64 support was opened on [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/3451 June 7, 2020], and both 32-bit and 64-bit builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux were first made available on [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/3451#issuecomment-653720205 July 4].<ref name="Reddit_1">{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/hkzzv2/pcsx2_now_has_a_64_bit_version/ |title=PCSX2 now has a 64-bit version |publisher=Reddit|accessdate=2020-07-06|date=2020 Jul 04}}</ref> The plan is to reduce so-called "technical debt", including game-specific hacks that cause accuracy issues and bugs in the 32-bit builds, as well as broaden support for more platforms and devices such as ARM64 chips.

A pull request removing x86 support was opened on [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/5130 December 9, 2021], and the last 32-bit build and first 64-bit-only build were made available on March 19, 2022.

PCSX2 is also able to run PS1 games by emulating the original hardware's built-in backward compatibility. Unfortunately, there's some PS1 software that doesn't run correctly (if at all) on a real PS2 and therefore is unlikely to be compatible with this emulator either, so you'll still need a more straightforward [[PlayStation emulators|PS1 emulator]] for those. PCSX2's PS1 support is inaccurate even compared to a real PS2, and it was largely added as a proof-of-concept and is only really useful for novelty purposes.

==Issues==
:''Main thread: <span class="plainlinks">[https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Sticky-PCSX2-General-Troubleshooting-FAQ PCSX2 General Troubleshooting FAQ]</span>''

===Automatic game fixes===
Whenever you encounter any kind of bug that isn't graphical in nature, objects going through other objects, untargetable objects that should be targetable or A.I. freezing, for example, make sure that the automatic game fixes option from the system menu is activated.

===Major graphical glitches===
Graphical problems such as corrupted textures, missing effects, clipping light sources, burn-in or transparent objects being opaque can usually be solved by switching to the software renderer by pressing F9 while the game is running or via GSdx's config panel. If using the Direct3D 11 renderer, try the OpenGL renderer, as it may be more accurate. If you're using a stable build, try switching to the most recent nightly or dev build. Newer development builds of the emulator may have fixes or other features added to the hardware renderers, which remove common glitches like red or green bars appearing on the screen.

===Poor performance in software mode===
Many games will require you to switch to software mode to fix various issues, albeit at the cost of a significant performance loss. However, an easily overlooked setting in the graphical plugin configuration panel, extra rendering threads, might help lessen the performance loss if you have a quad-core or higher CPU. It is recommended to set it to the number of cores in your CPU minus one if you aren't using the MTVU speed hack or minus two if you are (ex: if you are using a quad-core CPU, you should set this number to 3 without MTVU and 2 with MTVU).
The process described above is partially automated in recent development versions of PCSX2, but you might still need to tweak it to get optimal performance levels

===Multi-threaded microVU===
Multi-threaded microVU (MTVU), while generally a very useful speed hack, might sometime cause minor problems like hanging and absence of performance gain, or more severe ones like massive performance hits, save-state corruption (PCSX2 keeps a backup you can load with Shift+F3 in case any issues arise), or just plain crashing.

===Crashes===
Crashes could be the result of several things. 
Switching between hardware and software rendering rapidly is likely to cause the emulator to lock up. This can be easily avoided by waiting a few seconds after switching between hardware and software rendering before switching again.
If your GPU drivers also crash simultaneously (or you get massive graphical corruption on your desktop and/or a BSOD while trying to run a game), this means you're either using outdated drivers, or you're trying to use an AMD card with the OGL renderer and Blending Accuracy set to none, in which case, either set it to basic or higher or use the DX11 renderer instead. in which case either set it to basic or higher or use the DX11 renderer instead.
If the log warns you about TLB miss, you are either:

* Using a bad dump of a game, in which case you'll need to [[Ripping Games|re-rip your disc]] or re-download the game you are trying to play.
* Playing the game directly from your DVD drive, in which case you should [[Ripping Games|rip the game]] and play using the .iso instead (it's not advised to play directly from your DVD drive).
* Trying to play a game that isn't supported by the emulator, in which case you cannot do anything except trying another version of the game (PAL or NTSC-J, for example).
* Trying to play a game with a massive, or in some cases, any EE overclock applied, in which case turn it back down in the speed hack menu.
* You need to check the Wiki to see if the game requires any specific settings regarding the Clamping Mode of the EE/VU.
* Cheats used in the game's .pnach file are invalid.

If PCSX2 still crashes after doing all of the above, check that you aren't using any speed hacks and that your system is stable and not overheating. Especially if you're overclocking.

===Extreme fluctuation in emulation speed===
The large fluctuation in emulation is often caused by the games themselves and cannot be avoided, but there are a handful of cases where this is caused by specific configuration issues.

* Using a large internal resolution multiplier on a low-end GPU, even if the game runs mostly fine, can cause the emulator to suddenly need to do a lot of cumbersome operations on the VRAM. Low-end GPUs tend to have much lower VRAM bandwidth and will get crushed by that. This is especially true when using Large Framebuffer and even more so when using the OGL renderer. Obviously, the only real fix is turning the resolution down and disabling Large Framebuffer if possible
* Playing games directly from the original DVD using a disc drive, in which case you should [[Ripping Games|rip the game]] and play using the .iso instead
* Having the Blending accuracy set too high in the OGL renderer (Full and Ultra mostly)
* Using EE overclock in some games

===Intermittent warped audio===
Due to how the synchronizing function of the audio plugin works, even when running games on a computer capable of going way above 100% speed in a stable fashion, random bits of time-stretched audio can be heard occasionally or even frequently. There are, however, a few ways to work around that issue.
* Set the audio syncing method to Async Mix (can cause A/V sync issue, not recommended with rhythm games), do not set it to None as it basically does the same thing as Async Mix but has more issues
* Unlock the PCSX2 framerate limiter and use an external one, such as MSI Afterburner

===Blurriness===
It's either interlacing or a filter in the game itself. For the former, switching the de-interlacing mode with F5 may help and cause flicker or screen shaking. For the latter, hacks are required. Either Aggressive-CRC if the game is listed there, or skipdraw (toy with the numbers 1-100) might work otherwise.

===Black lines===
Black lines are caused by scaling to a non-integer internal resolution (anything other than Yx Native), texture filtering (Try anything that isn't bilinear (Forced), improperly offset textures (TC Offset, Wild Arms Offset hacks, Half-Pixel Offset), or improperly handled texture edges (Merge Sprite hack, Sprite/Round Sprite combobox). The native resolution, for the most part, fixes these issues. However, software rendering may be required as well.

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

While most PS2 games don't require this feature, instead preferring variable trigger/stick pressure (e.g., sneaking past the sleeping dog in ''Chulip''), 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, but third-party controllers which support variable pressure buttons are rare. 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 and use an appropriate 3rd party driver such as [[SCP Driver Package]] or map the button to a rarely used trigger/stick in LilyPad this way:

An additional button needs to be mapped to circle as well but configured to deliver "light" pressure. This is done by opening 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.

The Original Xbox Controller is not supported.

See:
* [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_of_games_that_support_Pressure-Sensitive_Face_Buttons#PlayStation_2_Emulation List of games that support Pressure-Sensitive Face Buttons on PlayStation 2]

===Lightgun support===
Lightgun support was available in the PCSX2 emulator via a third-party plugin called nuvee.<ref>https://lightgungamer.com/pcsx2</ref> This is no longer relevant since the removal of the plugin system, now PCSX2 handles lightgun support by itself.

==Multiplayer on PCSX2==
See [[PlayStation 2 emulators#Hardware features and accessories]] -> LAN or Network Adapter sections, also you can use LAN tunelling for offline multiplayer play.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://pcsx2.net/compatibility-list.html Official compatibility list]
* [http://pcsx2.net/247-official-pcsx2-configuration-guide-video.html Official PCSX2 setup guide]
* [http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=427321 NeoGAF guide]
* [http://wiki.pcsx2.net/index.php/Main_Page PCSX2 wiki]
* [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-PCSX2-Widescreen-Game-Patches?pid=271674#pid271674 PCSX2 widescreen game patches] and [http://ps2wide.net/ widescreen hacks]
* [https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-60-fps-codes 60 fps codes]
* Emulation64 Spotlight Interviews with original PCSX2 developers: [https://www.emulation64.com/spotlights/8/ Shadow] [https://www.emulation64.com/spotlights/1/ linuzappz] [https://www.emulation64.com/spotlights/26/ Refraction]
* [https://archive.fosdem.org/2021/schedule/event/pcsx2/ The PlayStation 2: From Emotion to Emulation - Celebrating 20 Years of Reverse Engineering]


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