WHAT IS IT?
PCSX2 is a PlayStation 2 emulator, and it’s my default choice on Windows, Mac and SteamOS. It’s great. If I’m emulating PS2 games on a platform where PCSX2 is available, it’s what I’ll use.
The goal of this guide is to get a single game running, with working controls and somewhere to save your progress. After that, we’ll look at upscaling, widescreen patches and the settings you might need to change for individual games.
DOWNLOADING PCSX2
Head over to the official PCSX2 download page and choose your platform. PCSX2 supports Windows, macOS and Linux. SteamOS uses the Linux version.
For your first setup, the Stable release is a sensible starting point. Nightly releases include newer changes, which can help with a particular game, but can also introduce new problems.
| Platform | Installation |
|---|---|
| Windows | Download the Stable installer and follow its prompts. If you choose the portable download instead, extract the archive into its own folder and open pcsx2-qt.exe. |
| macOS | Extract the downloaded .tar.xz archive, move the PCSX2 app into Applications and open it. On an Apple Silicon Mac, install Rosetta if prompted. |
| Linux | Download the AppImage, allow it to run as a program in its file properties, then open it. PCSX2 is also available as a Flatpak through Flathub. |
| SteamOS | Switch to Desktop Mode and use the Linux AppImage, or install the Flathub version through Discover. You can add PCSX2 to Steam as a non-Steam game for Gaming Mode. |
The official installation guide covers these options in more detail. Check the system requirements if you’re using an older computer. PS2 games vary quite a bit in how demanding they are, especially once you start increasing the resolution.
This guide covers PCSX2 itself. There isn’t an official Android or iOS version. Android has ARMSX2 which is a fork of PCSX2, but there will be separate guide for that.
YOU WILL NEED
- A PS2 game file, such as an ISO or CHD. I recommend CHD as they work perfectly and save a LOT of space!
- A PS2 BIOS file.
- A controller, connected to your computer or built into your handheld.
A BIOS is the console’s firmware. PCSX2 needs it to boot games, and it isn’t included with the emulator. The official BIOS dumping guide explains how to copy it from your own console.
These are the same BIOS files I recommend in my RetroArch guide:
| Region | Recommended BIOS file |
|---|---|
| USA | ps2-0230a-20080220.bin |
| Europe | ps2-0230e-20080220.bin |
| Japan | ps2-0230j-20080220.bin |
You don’t need all three to start. These are my recommendations, rather than the only BIOS files PCSX2 accepts.
Keep your game extracted from any ZIP or 7z archive. PCSX2 can read ISO and CHD files directly.
ADDING YOUR BIOS AND GAME
Open PCSX2 and follow the setup wizard. On the BIOS page, choose the folder containing your BIOS files, refresh the list if needed and select the BIOS you want to use. Pointing PCSX2 at the folder is only half the job; make sure you’ve selected an entry from the list too.
Next, add the folder containing your PS2 game. Enable recursive scanning if your games are inside subfolders. Finish the wizard and let PCSX2 scan the folder.
If you’ve already completed the wizard, you can return to Settings > BIOS and Settings > Game List to change these folders.
Your game should appear in the list. Before opening it, let’s sort out the controller and memory card.
MAPPING YOUR CONTROLLER
Head on over to Settings > Controllers. SDL is the recommended input source and works across the supported platforms. Select Controller Port 1 and use the DualShock 2 controller type.
Use Automatic Mapping to select your controller, then check the bindings. Make sure the D-pad, both sticks, L1, L2, R1, R2, L3, R3, Start and Select are mapped. L3 and R3 are the stick clicks.
I always map face buttons by position. The letters on Xbox and Nintendo controllers differ, so matching the printed letters can put things in the wrong place.
| PlayStation button | Position on your controller |
|---|---|
| Cross (X) | South, the bottom face button |
| Circle | East, the right face button |
| Square | West, the left face button |
| Triangle | North, the top face button |
If you run into a game that needs pressure-sensitive face buttons, the official controller guide explains the available options. Most modern controllers don’t have the DualShock 2’s pressure-sensitive face buttons.
My hotkeys
Open Hotkeys in the controller settings. Select is always the button I hold for my hotkeys, and I use the same combinations as DuckStation.
Select a binding, hold Select, press the second button and then release both. Check that PCSX2 has recorded the combination. You bind both buttons directly; there isn’t a separate Hotkey Enable setting to configure.
| PCSX2 action | My combination |
|---|---|
| Open Pause Menu | Select + north face button |
| Toggle Turbo / Fast Forward | Select + L2, the left trigger |
| Shut Down Virtual Machine | Select + Start |
Fast-forward stays enabled until you press the combination again. How fast it goes depends on your hardware and the game.
Shut Down Virtual Machine closes the current game and normally returns you to PCSX2. It’s my combination for quitting a game; it doesn’t necessarily exit the whole app. Save in the game before using it.
SETTING UP A FOLDER MEMORY CARD
I use a folder memory card. Think of it as one big memory card that keeps the saves for individual games in folders on your computer. It saves me managing the space on a shared 8 MB card across my whole library. It also makes syncing saves across devices much easier.
Open Settings > Memory Cards, then:
- Click Create and give the card a name, such as
PS2 Saves. - Choose Folder [Recommended], then confirm to create it.
- Back in the card list, right-click your new card and choose Use for Slot 1. Make sure Slot 1 is enabled.
Keep the default second card for now, or leave Slot 2 empty if you don’t need it. You can see where your cards live using the Folder field in these settings.
PCSX2 manages the folder card’s game saves for you. You still need to save through the game’s own save menu. If a game asks to format your newly created card, follow its prompts before saving.
BOOTING YOUR FIRST GAME
Double-click your game in the list to start it. For this first launch, leave the graphics settings at their defaults so you can check that the basic setup works.
Play far enough to test the controller and make a save when the game allows it. Once saving has finished, close the game normally, reopen it and check that you can load your progress.
If you get a BIOS error, return to Settings > BIOS and check your selection. If the game boots but won’t respond, check Controller Port 1 and your bindings. If it can’t save, check that your card is inserted into Slot 1.
Once those three things work, we can make it look a bit nicer.
UPSCALING THE GRAPHICS
I upscale games to suit the display I’m playing on. Head into Settings > Graphics and leave Renderer on Automatic (Default) to begin with. PCSX2 will choose a renderer for your hardware.
In the Rendering tab, increase Internal Resolution from Native (PS2). Start with 2x or 3x, then work upwards if the game still runs at normal speed. Choose a scale that suits your screen rather than pushing it as high as the menu allows.
This renders the 3D parts of the game at a higher resolution. Original textures and pre-rendered videos still have the detail they shipped with. If a game slows down after increasing the resolution, lower it again for that game.
WIDESCREEN AND NO-INTERLACING PATCHES
I enable Apply Widescreen Patches and Apply No-Interlacing Patches under Settings > Graphics > Display. These use patches included with PCSX2 where a matching patch is available.
For Aspect Ratio, I keep the system default: Auto Standard. Current builds label it Auto Standard (4:3 Interlaced / 3:2 Progressive). It follows supported widescreen patches when they specify an aspect ratio, and otherwise uses the normal proportions for the game’s output. For most games, that means 4:3. The 3:2 progressive fallback is part of that automatic setting, so it isn’t a fixed 4:3 rule.
A widescreen patch changes how the game renders its view. Selecting 16:9 on its own can stretch a game that still renders for 4:3. With the automatic setting, I let a matching patch handle widescreen rather than stretching everything in my library.
Interlacing draws alternating sets of screen lines, which can produce a shaky or comb-like image on a modern display. No-interlacing patches change a supported game’s output to avoid that. They’re separate from the Deinterlacing setting, which processes an interlaced image after the game renders it. Leave Deinterlacing on Automatic (Default) to begin with.
Not every game has these patches, and a patch can cause issues with a particular title. If one does, disable it for that game. You don’t need to switch it off for everything else.
RETROACHIEVEMENTS
If you’d like achievements, create an account at RetroAchievements, then open Settings > Achievements in PCSX2. Enable achievements and log in.
I use Hardcore Mode and hide the leaderboards. Those are personal preferences, so don’t feel you need to copy them. Hardcore prevents loading save states and using cheats; the game’s own memory card saves still work. Leave it off if you’d prefer to earn achievements in Softcore mode.
To keep leaderboard messages and counters out of the way, disable Show Leaderboard Notifications and Enable In-Game Leaderboard Overlays. I keep achievement sounds enabled.
If a game doesn’t load an achievement set, check its page on RetroAchievements and the supported game hashes. Different regions, revisions and modified copies may not match the same set.
SAVING SPACE WITH CHD FILES
CHD is a compressed disc-image format that PCSX2 can read directly. It’s lossless, so converting a supported ISO can save storage space without removing game data. How much space you save depends on the game.
My app Mimir can convert ISO files to CHD. It’s currently available on Android, so you can convert your files there and copy the resulting CHDs to your PCSX2 games folder on Windows, Mac or SteamOS.
You can leave conversion until after your first game works. If you’ve converted an ISO, check that the CHD boots before removing your original file.
CHANGING SETTINGS FOR ONE GAME
Some PS2 games need settings tweaked. A resolution that works for one title might be too demanding for another, or a widescreen patch might break an effect in a particular game.
Right-click the game in your list and choose Properties. This opens its per-game settings. Options that use the global setting will follow your main configuration; changing an option here overrides it for this game.
Use Graphics to lower a demanding game’s internal resolution or adjust its renderer. Use Patches to disable a troublesome widescreen or no-interlacing patch. Use Memory Cards if it needs a standard file card instead of your folder card.
If something still looks wrong or runs badly, find the game’s entry on the PCSX2 wiki and check for known issues and fixes. Match the advice to your game version and a current PCSX2 build. Old guides may describe plugins or menus that no longer exist.
Change one setting at a time and test the part of the game that was giving you trouble. Keep a fix in that game’s Properties so your other games continue using the settings you’ve already chosen.