The PS2 is the most successful console in gaming history. Even though it is a relic, the console has a lot of dedicated fans. Some people never abandoned the PS2, to begin with.
Others are just starting to rediscover it. They want to play the games that made their childhood so memorable. But rather than buying a PS2, many of these people have found that it is so much easier to download PCSX2.
What is PCSX2?
This is an open-source emulator for the PS2. It is designed to replicate the PS2 gaming experience on your computer. The emulator has a variety of features to offer, including:
1. Resolutions of up to 4096 x 4096
2. Support for various controllers, including PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers
3. Integrated frame limiter that gamers can use to manipulate the game speed
4. Integrated video recorder
5. The ability to save (unlimited memory cards)
6. Anti-Aliasing
7. Texture filtering
How To Install PCSX2?
1. Download PCSX2. Make sure you download the emulator from the official website. Otherwise, you may attract malware. OR link below.
2. Run the installer.
3. Follow the instructions. In many cases, all you have to do is to keep clicking ‘Next’ until you reach the dialog box that has the ‘Install’ button.
Related: 5 Best PS1 Emulator for Windows and macOS (2021)
How To Use PCSX2?
Installing the emulator is only the first step. You have to configure it:
1. Start by launching the emulator. Once it opens, it will welcome you before showing you some plug-ins to review. At this point, you can ignore them.
2. Click ‘Next’ until you reach the BIOS screen. Clicking the ‘Open in Explorer’ button will tell you that the path you have selected does not exist. But that is to be expected. The point of visiting the BIOS screen is to take note of the path shown in the dialog box.
3. The next step is one of the most important. You have to download the BIOS. More than likely, you can find it in the same place where you downloaded the PCSX2 emulator.
4. Extract the files from the zipped folder you just downloaded. Copy the contents of that folder and paste them to the BIOS folder. Remember, the BIOS screen showed you where to find the BIOS folder.
5. Once you return to the ‘First Time Configuration’ window, you can see the results of your efforts by clicking ‘Refresh List’. With the BIOS in place, the emulator is ready to go.
6. To load a game, go to ‘CDVD’, ‘Iso Selector’, and then ‘Browse’. Select the relevant PS2 ISO.
7. When you check ‘System’ and then ‘Boot CDVD’, you will see the ISO you selected. Select the game to play it.
System Requirements
- Operating system: Windows 7 or newly released (32 and 64bit)/ Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Lunux.
- CPU: SSE2, 2 Core CPy, i3 for best performace.
- GPU: Direct3D10 support.
- Memory RAM: 4GB Minimum.
Related: BlueStacks 5 Offline Installer Windows 7/8/10
Conclusion
PCSX2 is a complicated emulator. If you don’t know how to configure the BIOS or to use the plugins, the emulator may frustrate you. That being said, it has a lot of fans because it works. Of the games that have been tested on the emulator so far, 97 percent worked.
That is a lot of games. Additionally, PCSX2 is a safe emulator. If you can download the file from a secure source, the emulator won’t harm your system.