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Free Playstation 2 emulator with no lag and extensive functionality

Free Playstation 2 emulator with no lag and extensive functionality

Vote: (78 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: PCSX2

Version: Beta 3113

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(78 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

PCSX2

Beta 3113

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Play games on your PC: While the Playstation 2 may still be fun to dust off, there's not much fun about tangled-up wires, old controllers, and scratched discs. With PCSX2, you can kiss these problems goodbye, and play your games how you want them, with customizable controls and graphics.
  • Play backup games: Let's face it, while one of the better methods for storing data, CDs and DVDs are still prone to scratches, dust, and breaking. You could solve this with backup copies, but until PCSX2 came around, you would have to physically modify your Playstation 2 to play these. Now, it's as simple as downloading the ISO and playing it straight from your hard drive, and that means no more scratched discs!

Cons

  • No BIOS: In order to actually emulate games using PCSX2, you will need the Playstation 2 BIOS files, which are not distributed with PCSX2 due to legal issues. As such, the only legal way to emulate your games will be to copy the BIOS files off your Playstation 2, though fortunately this is not a time-intensive process.
  • Not all games are stable: While PCSX2 can emulate many games without issue, there are still a few that it cannot run, even on the best-built personal computers. Additionally, some games may run but with audio or graphical errors, ranging from those that can be ignored to errors that completely break the game.

PCSX2 is an emulator of the popular home gaming console, the Playstation 2. Able to play backup copies of most games, PCSX2 is a great solution for the gamer whose collection has outlasted their system. However, its success is not always guaranteed. As many kinks in the software are still being worked out, emulation can not be guaranteed to work. Thus, more than a few games will simply not work, or require a very powerful computer to run. Yet, the customization available in gaming on your personal computer as opposed to a home console can have benefits as well, such as upgraded graphics and better framerates as opposed to the games' original releases.

Pros

  • Play games on your PC: While the Playstation 2 may still be fun to dust off, there's not much fun about tangled-up wires, old controllers, and scratched discs. With PCSX2, you can kiss these problems goodbye, and play your games how you want them, with customizable controls and graphics.
  • Play backup games: Let's face it, while one of the better methods for storing data, CDs and DVDs are still prone to scratches, dust, and breaking. You could solve this with backup copies, but until PCSX2 came around, you would have to physically modify your Playstation 2 to play these. Now, it's as simple as downloading the ISO and playing it straight from your hard drive, and that means no more scratched discs!

Cons

  • No BIOS: In order to actually emulate games using PCSX2, you will need the Playstation 2 BIOS files, which are not distributed with PCSX2 due to legal issues. As such, the only legal way to emulate your games will be to copy the BIOS files off your Playstation 2, though fortunately this is not a time-intensive process.
  • Not all games are stable: While PCSX2 can emulate many games without issue, there are still a few that it cannot run, even on the best-built personal computers. Additionally, some games may run but with audio or graphical errors, ranging from those that can be ignored to errors that completely break the game.