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 Screenshot of PCSX2 2.0.0 running on Linux | |
| Original author(s) | Linuzappz, George Moralis (AKA Shadow),[1] Refraction, Saqib, Gabest, Gregory, GovanifY, Stenzek, lightningterror, fobes |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | PCSX2 Team |
| Initial release | March 23, 2002; 22 years ago (2002-03-23) |
| Stable release | 2.2.0 / October 31, 2024; 4 months ago (2024-10-31) |
| Repository | github |
| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Windows,Linux,macOS |
| Platform | x86-64[2] |
| Size | |
| Available in | 14 languages[4] |
| Type | Video game console emulator |
| License | Since 0.9.7:GPL-3.0-or-later[5] Until 0.9.6:GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Website | pcsx2 |
PCSX2 is afree and open-sourceemulator of thePlayStation 2 forx86 computers. It supports most PlayStation 2 video games with a high level of compatibility and functionality, and also supports a number of improvements over gameplay on a traditional PlayStation 2, such as the ability to use higherresolutions than native,anti-aliasing andtexture filtering.[6] It has been released forWindows,Linux, andmacOS.[7]
PCSX2, like its predecessor projectPCSX (aPlayStation emulator), was based on aPSEmu Pro specplug-in architecture, separating several functions from the core emulator. These are the graphics, audio, input controls, CD/DVD drive, andUSB andFireWire (i.LINK) ports. Different plug-ins may produce different results in both compatibility and performance. Additionally, PCSX2 requires a genuine copy of the PS2BIOS, which is not available for download from the developers due to copyright-related legal issues. Since September 2016, PCSX2 is partially compatible withPlayStation games.[8]
The main bottleneck in PS2 emulation is emulating theEmotion Enginemultiprocessor on the PCx86 architecture. Although each processor can be emulated well independently, accurately synchronizing them and emulating the console's timing is difficult.[9]
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Development of PCSX2 was started in 2001 by programmers who go by the names Linuzappz and Shadow, who were programmers for the PlayStation emulatorPCSX-Reloaded. Other programmers later joined the team, and they were eventually able to get some PS2 games to the loading screen. The team then started working on the difficult task of emulating the PlayStation 2's BIOS; they got it to run, although it was slow and graphically distorted. Version 0.9.1 was released in July 2006.
From 2007 to 2011, developers worked on Netplay and speed improvements. PCSX2 0.9.8 was released in May 2011 and featured an overhauled GUI written withwxWidgets, that improved compatibility for Linux and newer Windows operating systems.[10] In July 2024, PCSX2 2.0 was released. It featured a new GUI written withQt, support for theVulkan API, and the removal of plugins among other improvements.[11]
As of September 2024, 97% of PlayStation 2 games are considered "playable" on the emulator, meaning they can be played largely but not entirely free of slight issues. All at least boot to the menu screen.[12]
PCSX2 was used as a basis for AetherSX2, a PlayStation 2 emulator forAndroid.[13] In 2022, an unofficial fork of PCSX2 was created for theXbox Series X/S known as XBSX2.[14]
PCSX2 supportssave states anddynamic recompilation (JIT). There is also support for gameplay recording inFull HD using the GSdx plugin.[6] Options such as the ability to increase/decrease game speeds, use unlimited memory cards, and utilize any gamepad controllers supported by the native operating system are also available.[6]Cheat codes are supported via the use of PNACH patching files.[6] RetroAchievements support adds a community-driven achievement system for select games.
PCSX2 formerly made use of plug-ins as a means ofmodularizing development efforts among the separate components (subsystems) of the emulated PlayStation 2 hardware. For instance, video plug-ins were utilized by PCSX2 to render images to the screen and emulate the graphics hardware of the PlayStation 2, whereas sound plug-ins would emulate the sound hardware of the PlayStation 2.
A list of several plug-ins follows:
| Name | Subsystem | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GSdx | Video | The fastest, most accurate graphics plug-in. RequiresDirect3D orOpenGL support and optionally uses a GPU. GSdx plug-in is compatible with PSX emulators but is limited to software rendering with them. There also exists an unofficial ToCAEDIT[15] version and the GSdx-Cutie version.[16] |
| GSdx FX | Video | Post-processingshader pack for GSdx plugin. |
| ZZogl | Video | A less optimized graphics plug-in that uses Open GL. Compatible with Linux and Windows. This plugin is fork of ZeroGS KOSMOS plugin. |
| SPU2-X | Audio | The most accurate sound plug-in. |
| SSSPSX Pad | Input | A simple input plug-in. |
| LilyPad | Input | An advanced input plug-in that supports keyboards, mice, and controllers. |
| Nuvee | Input | An input plug-in that supports lightguns and USB mice. |
| TwinPad | Input | Another keyboard and mouse plug-in. |
| XPad | Input | AnXbox 360 controller input plug-in. |
| CDVD | Optical | A simple optical media plug-in that runs games fromoptical discs. |
| Linuz ISO CDVD | Optical | A plug-in which has the ability to compressISO images. |
| Dev9 | Hard drive | Handles PS2hard disk drive andEthernet emulation. |
| MegaDev9 | Hard drive | A more advanced version of Dev9. Currently, it only partially emulates the PS2 hard drive. |
| Netplay | Netplay | A plug-in which allows certain games to be playable multiplayer over the Internet. |
As of v1.7.0-dev-1420[17] PCSX2 has merged all functionality into the core emulator, eliminating the concept of plugins as well as releasing 64-bit variants.
The list of plugins that have been merged are listed below:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Computer[18] | ||
| Operating system | Windows 10 Version 1809 (x86-64) or higher Ubuntu 22.04 or higher,Debian,Fedora Linux,Arch Linux, or other distro (x86-64) macOS Big Sur or higher | Windows 10 Version 22H2 (x86-64) or higher Ubuntu 24.04 or higher,Debian,Fedora Linux,Arch Linux, or other distro (x86-64) macOS Big Sur or higher |
| CPU | SSE4.1 support, 1500 Single Thread Performance on PassMark w/ 2 physical cores andsimultaneous multithreading. | AVX2 support, 2000 Single Thread Performance on PassMark w/ 4 physical cores with or withoutsimultaneous multithreading. |
| Memory | 8GBRAM. | 16GBRAM. |
| Graphics hardware | DirectX 11,OpenGL 3.3, orVulkan 1.1 support and 2GBVRAM. | DirectX 12,OpenGL 4.6,Vulkan 1.3, orMetal support and 4GBVRAM. |
Hardware requirements are largely game-dependent. Due to the demanding nature of emulation, PCSX2 is much more likely to perform well with modern mid-range to high-end hardware, with lower-end systems likely to experience less than full performance. The performance bottleneck in most cases is theCPU rather than theGPU. This is especially the case in software mode, in which only the CPU is used for emulation. In hardware mode, the GPU emulates the graphics, but can still be a bottleneck if the internal resolution is set too high. Some games may also run slower due to unoptimized graphics code or weakvideo cards. As computer hardware has continued to advance with time, the likelihood of performance issues with PCSX2 has experienced a corresponding decrease.
PCSX2 has been very well-received. Matthew Humphries ofGeek.com described it as "an impressive piece of work".[19] Alex Garnett ofPC World criticized the difficulty of setting up PCSX2 but called it a "masterpiece."[20] Although David Hayward ofMicro Mart also criticized the complexity, he also called it "technically amazing."[21] Sriram Gurunathan ofIn.com described PCSX2 as "arguably the most popular emulator around" and named it as one of the site's top five emulators.[22] Brandon Widder ofDigital Trends included PCSX2 in his Best Emulators article.[23] John Corpuz ofTom's Guide mentioned PCSX2 in his Best PlayStation Emulators for PCs article, saying, "When it comes to stable, playable PlayStation 2 emulation, PCSX2 is pretty much the best game in town at the moment."[24]
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