Key Takeaways
- PS2 emulation on PS5 suffers from jittery performance, screen tearing, and poor upscaling compared to dedicated emulators.
- Emulating PS2 games with PCSX2 is better than Sony’s official option due to its superior performance.
- Setting up PCSX2 is relatively easy with the right files, plus it works on other hardware like the Xbox (via RetroArch) and Steam Deck (via EmuDeck).
As part of the push toward a subscription-based PlayStation Plus model, Sony has started porting many of its classic games to the PS5 with native releases that rely on emulation. While its PS1 selection generally works well, Sony’s PS2 emulator has some pretty glaring issues that make it hard to recommend.
PlayStation 2 Emulation Was Mastered Years Ago
While the PS2 took a while for enthusiasts to fully crack when it came to emulation, the console has become a staple in the retro gaming emulator world. Now, the premier PS2 emulator, PCSX2, can be installed in a matter of minutes and will run games flawlessly in most cases, even on lower-end machines.
With all that innovation in the realm of PS2 emulation, it is disappointing that Sony hasn’t quite managed to nail it, as the company’s own attempts leave a lot to be desired.
Jittery Performance
PS2 games usually ran on television screens with lower refresh rates, which meant mostly consistent frame rates across most games. The unfortunate trade-off, though, is that higher refresh rates can cause some issues with frame rate and performance.
Sony’s in-house PS2 emulator seems to target 60 frames per second (fps) natively, but the PS2’s hardware is expecting a lower refresh rate than you likely have. This can cause jittery frame rates and the occasional screen tear, where the refresh rate and the frame rate cause unsightly “tearing” to appear on the screen.
PCSX2 solves this issue by having V-Sync built into its software, which automatically syncs the refresh rate of your monitor to the game’s FPS to allow smoother performance. It’s hard to tell if Sony’s emulator is even capable of V-Sync, but if it is, it doesn’t seem to work all that well.
Poor Upscaling Means Blurry Games
Much like refresh rates, PS2 games are usually not expecting a screen resolution as high as that which is native to your modern 4K or even 1080p TV. The PS2 mostly kept things at a steady 480p, and stretching that out to 1080, 1440, or even 4K without proper upscaling is going to look bad.
PS2 emulation on the PS5 suffers from this in droves, as games that look just fine on my PC with PCSX2 suddenly look blurry and washed out on official hardware. This is likely because Sony’s attempt at upscaling the games involved little more than stretching them out to fit on modern screens.
PCSX2, on the other hand, comes packed in with plugins that will properly upscale games, which can even be interchanged depending on your screen’s specs. It’s still a far cry from playing PS2 games in true high definition, but they will look a lot better than they would on the PS5.
Sony’s Solution Requires You Buy Your Games Again
Obviously, Sony’s official PS2 emulator requires you to either buy the games digitally or subscribe to PlayStation Plus Premium. PlayStation Plus is a better deal than you might think, but PS2 emulation is far from an exclusive perk.
PCSX2 costs nothing at all to install on a PC or even a handheld like the Steam Deck, and can be set up in a matter of minutes. Not only will it run better, but the amount of games you can play on it is limited only by your own ambition since you can provide them yourself.
If all else fails, you’ll probably still have a good time playing it on PS5, though I’d recommend getting a PS Plus Premium subscription instead of buying games outright. The PS2 still has one of the best libraries of all time, and most retro games on the PS5 support earning trophies, so if you’re a completionist, it might be worth the cost.
PCSX2 Is the Way to Go
Most of the time, if you’re interested in playing some PS2 games, emulation on PCSX2 is going to be the best option, and fortunately, it is fairly simple to get started.
All you need is to download the installer from the official website by selecting the most recent stable version for your operating system. For Windows, select the “Installer” option for an automated installation.
Once it’s finished, it’s just a matter of providing some games and a BIOS file, which the PS2 firmware needs in order to boot. It’ll be up to you to provide these, but you can dump BIOS files directly from a PS2 and game discs can be digitized with the right equipment.
You have a few other options outside of a “pure” PCSX2 setup. RetroArch is a frontend for installing a variety of retro emulators, including PCSX2, which will all run within one application. You can even set it up on an Xbox Series console and play PS2 games on Microsoft hardware.
Steam Deck or ROG Ally owners can also use EmuDeck, a downloadable script that can even mount games directly to your Steam library by running emulators like PCSX2 natively through the Steam launcher.
What About Other PlayStation Consoles on PS5?
In my experience, many of the issues mentioned above do not apply to the same degree when it comes to playing PS1 games on the PS5. For the most part, Sony’s in-house PS1 emulator runs its games just fine with little compromise to visuals or performance.
Upscaling is still an issue, but it’s much less noticeable given the already low-poly graphics of the PS1’s library. Emulating these games on your own would still be ideal, but its issues are far less severe.
PS3 emulation on the PS5 is another story, since it technically doesn’t even exist, at least not physically. Instead, PS3 games that have not received official ports are simply streamed to your console from a separate computer with mixed results.
This works fine sometimes, and other times it’s nigh unplayable. When it works, the novelty almost makes it worth the cost of a PS Plus Premium membership thanks to the huge number of games available.
In general, Sony has a lot of room to improve when it comes to emulation on the PS5, though it seems unlikely things will change significantly any time soon. Given Sony’s track record of ignoring all but the most egregious issues, it’s hard to believe the company would put any more money or manpower into making its PS2 emulator any better.
For now, though, PCSX2 is going strong and remains the best way to play your favorite PS2 games. You don’t even need a desktop PC or laptop for it anymore, since EmuDeck lets you take it on the go and RetroArch is playable on multiple devices, giving more reason than ever to check it out.
