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{{Infoboxemulator|image logo = PCSX2-Logo.png|imagewidth logowidth = 265|first version = 1.4.0{{Version|PCSX2}} <small>(Stable)</small>|second active = Yes|third platform = Windows, Linux, OS XmacOS|fourth target = [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2]]<br>[[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]]|developer = [https://codepcsx2.googlenet/meet-the-team.comhtml PCSX2 Team]|website = [https:/p/pcsx2.net/ PCSX2.net]|source = [https:/people/list github.com/PCSX2 Team/pcsx2 GitHub]|fifth license = GNU LGPLv3 <small>(1.7+)</small><ref>Bositman (November 24, 2021). [httphttps://pcsx2.net/ 301-aethersx2-pcsx2-mobile.html AetherSX2 brings PCSX2 to mobile]. ''PCSX2.net]''.</ref>|sixth support = [https://github.com/sponsors/PCSX2GitHub Sponsor]|compatibility = [https://pcsx2 GitHub.net/compat/ Compatibility list]|bios = [[Emulator_Files#PlayStation_2|Required]]}}

[['''PCSX2]] ''' is an open-source, plugin-based [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2 emulator]]for Windows and Linux. Its purpose is to mimic Since 2016, it has also supported the PS2 hardware using a combination of MIPS CPU [https://enforums.wikipediapcsx2.orgnet/wiki/Interpreter_%28computing%29 interpretersThread-PSX-Mode-Unofficial-Compatibility-List PlayStation 2's backward compatibility mode], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_recompilation recompilers] and a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine virtual machine] which manages hardware states and PS2 system memory. Recently, preliminary work was started on for [[PlayStation emulators|PS1PlayStation]] supportgames.<ref>https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/1571</ref>

==DownloadsDownload==* {| 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/ PCSX2 Orphis dev builds]'''* |-|align=center|{{Icon|Mac-big}}|'''[httphttps://www.mediafiregithub.com/downloadtellowkrinkle/9420k0m03qezpdwpcsx2/PS2_Bios.7z PS2 BIOSreleases Dev builds]'''|-|colspan=2|<hr/>|-|align=center|{{Icon|APK-big}}* |[[http:AetherSX2|AetherSX2 Port]]|} Note that the stable builds are severely outdated. You should use the nightly//pcsx2macdev builds instead unless they contain regressions.net/ Mac version]

* OS: See [[Computer_specifications#PCSX2]]. =====Windows Vista or aboveXP/7/8.1 Compatibility===== * CPUDespite Windows 7 and 8.1 '''NOT''' being officially supported, [https: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3//i.imgur.com/BsFBw1w.png 1.7-dev builds (up to version v1.7.3581) of PCSX2 can work with a few workarounds].2 GHz or betterYou'll need: * GPU[https: 8600 GT or better//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>]* RAM[https: 4GB or more//github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases dxvk] '''OR''' [https://reshade.me/ reshade]

These are recommended specs for using For starters, extract PCSX2in a folder and then extract the 64-bit dxvk: d3d11.<ref>httpdll and dxgi.dll '''OR''' extract Reshade.exe://pcsx2and rename "reshade64.net/support/links/faqdll" to "dxgi.html#S2Q1</ref> But depending on dll" and then move this file next to the game you want to play, your mileage may varymain PCSX2 executable. Some games You'll also need to select [httphttps://forumsi.pcsx2imgur.netcom/Thread-LIST-The-Most-CPU-Intensive-Games high-end, possibly overclocked CPUsflxI0GH.png Cubeb] or [http://forumsas the audio renderer.pcsx2Otherwise, it'll crash with XAudio.netAnd lastly, always pick between Vulkan, OpenGL and Software. D3D11/Thread-LIST-The-Most-GPU-Intensive-Games powerful GPUs]D3D12 can crash occasionally, whereas some games run even on [http://forumsand it won't function as intended anyways.pcsx2'''Don't expect any official support if you post logs showing you're using Windows XP, 7, 8, or 8.net/Thread-LIST-Games-that-don-t-need-a-strong-CPU-to-emulate weak processors]1.'''

[https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-My-new-fork-of-PCSX2-makes-1-6-0-compatible-with-Windows-XP For those with DualShock 3 controllersWindows 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 new [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): [SCP Driver Package]https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/releases/tag/v1.7.3771 v1.7.3771].

[[File:New_God_Hand_Config.jpg|thumb|Get God Hand running on a laptop]][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.

Now, most Most of the video options are very straight-forward. Howevershould be straightforward, there is one that probably bears explaining: The with the possible exception of interlacing modes. Now, many Many games can will run fine without interlacing modes. You can just select "with 'None" and everything will be fine', while others may experience artifacting or jitter. However, some games, such as Gran Turismo 3 and Dark Cloud, will have a "jitterAuto" effect if you don't have interlacing modes enabledis recommended. The  * "Sawtooth" interlacing method is not recommended at all. Artifacting is far too heavy to be usable. The * "Bob" interlacing method has the least reduced artifacts out of all of them, but it jitter can still let some jittering pass throughoccur. The * "Blend" interlacing method has the least amount of jitter. However, that comes with a pretty hefty side-effect: it can cause blurriness. Yes, the The Blend interlacer does frame-blending. This is also known, more colloquially, 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.

Another method to get around this is by running GSdx in hardware renderingA pull request adding x86_64 support was opened on [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/3451 June 7, doubling the vertical resolution (if a game displays 640x480 on the emulator window2020], set vertical res to 960) and selecting bobboth 32-bit and 64-tff bit builds for interlacingWindows, macOS, and Linux were first made available on [https://github. This can eliminate interlacing artifacts in most casescom/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", although including game-specific hacks that cause accuracy issues with upscalingand bugs in the 32-bit builds, as well as using 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 emulation over 's built-in backward compatibility. Unfortunately, there's some PS1 softwarethat 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, can ariseand it was largely added as a proof-of-concept and is only really useful for novelty purposes.

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.

Whenever a game has graphical Graphical problems such as garbage texturecorrupted textures, missing effects, clipping light sources visible through wall, burn -in or transparent objects being opaque, can usually be solved by switching to the easiest fix is generally to switch to software mode either renderer by pressing F9 in-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 configuration panel most recent nightly or dev build. Newer development builds of the GSdx pluginemulator may have fixes or other features added to the hardware renderers, which remove common glitches like red or green bars appearing on the screen.

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

Crashes could be the results result of several things. If the log warns you one or several time about being out of memory or Switching between hardware and software rendering rapidly is likely to cause the emulator crashes without warning several times in to lock up. This can be easily avoided by waiting a row few seconds after playing for around the same amount of time switching between hardware and software rendering before switching again.If your GPU drivers also crash simultaneously (or you will need get massive graphical corruption on your desktop and/or a BSOD while trying to apply run a patch game), this means you're either using outdated drivers, or you're trying to make use an AMD card with the executable large address awareOGL renderer and Blending Accuracy set to none, in which case, its more commonly referred either set it to as basic or higher or use the [http://wwwDX11 renderer instead.ntcore.com/files/4gb_patch.zip 4GB patch]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 [[Need_Games%3F|re-download the game]] you are trying to play.

* 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

If PCSX2 still crashes after doing all ===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 above100% speed in a stable fashion, check that you aren't using any speedrandom bits of time-hacks and stretched audio can be heard occasionally or even frequently. There are, however, a few ways to work around that your system is stable 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 not overheating especially if you are overclocking.use an external one, such as MSI Afterburner

===BlurryBlurriness===It's either interlacing or a filter in the game itself. For the former, switching the de-interlacing mode with F5 may help, and may 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 number, numbers 1-100) might work otherwise.

Black lines are caused by scaling to a non-integer internal resolution (anything other than Yx Native), texture filtering (turn off or to half at mostTry 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). Native The native resolution , for the most part , fixes these issues. However, however software rendering may be required as well.

While most PS2 games don't require this feature, instead preferring variable trigger===Lightgun support===Lightgun support was available in the PCSX2 emulator via a third-party plugin called nuvee.<ref>https://stick pressure (elightgungamer.g. sneaking past com/pcsx2</ref> This is no longer relevant since the removal of the sleeping dog in Chulip)plugin system, a select few donow PCSX2 handles lightgun support by itself. Some examples include:

* All three attack buttons in the Bouncer do different attacks based ==Multiplayer on whether the press was light, medium or strong. 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.* Metal Gear Solid 2 also needs pressure sensitive buttons to get past some sections. Games requiring variable trigger pressure need physical controllers with analog sticks, but rare are third-party controllers which support variable pressure buttons. 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 as well as 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 truly has pressure sensitive buttons you will 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 this proves that your gamepad buttons are not pressure sensitive and are merely tracking the pressed/unpressed state.  The solution would be to either buy an official DualShock [[PlayStation 2 controller emulators#Hardware features and an adapter, or mapping 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 accessories]] - and remapping it to the circle button, and setting the sensitivity to 0.500 > LAN or thereabouts. In the gameNetwork Adapter sections, merely also you can 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 tunesLAN tunelling for offline multiplayer play. ==See also==* [[How To Play PCSX2 Online|How to play PCSX2 online]]* [[Online PS2 Games]]

[[Category:OS X macOS emulation software]]