Top 10 Best PS2 Emulators (2024)

Are you looking for the best PlayStation 2 emulators?

If your answer is YES then look no further as we have compiled a list of PS2 emulators that can be used to play Sony PlayStation 2 games on PC and Android devices.

It has been more than two decades since Sony PlayStation 2 was launched but it is still regarded as the best console of all time.

Sony PlayStation 2 has tons of games, which can be played on your computer or Android devices by using PS2 emulators.

Whenever you search for the best PS2 emulators on the internet, you will see a list of emulators but not all of them are good for emulating PS2 games on PC and Phones.

With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the best PS2 emulators that you can use to play PlayStation 2 games on your computer or Smartphone.

Before I reveal the list of emulators, let me tell you that I have written this guide for information purposes only.

Our website does not condone or promote any kind of illegal downloading.

Before you download any of the following PS2 Emulators, let me tell you that you will need a disc or ROM file of the PS2 game that you want to play on PC.

Without any further ado, let’s get started:

Disclaimer: We have written this post for the sake of providing information about the best PlayStation 1 emulators. We at arceusx.net don’t promote or condone piracy in any form.

Since sharing and downloading ROMs is illegal, I recommend you check their legality in your region and follow the government guidelines not only on internet safety but also copyright laws.

Without any further ado, let’s get started:

Best PS2 Emulators List (2024)

Unlike other websites, we will provide a list of PS2 emulators for PC and Android here.

Since PlayStation 2 emulators for PC and Mobile are different, we will mention them separately.

Best PlayStation 2 Emulator For PC (2024)

1. PCSX2

Whenever we talk about the PS2 emulator, the first emulator that comes to our mind is PCSX2.

The reason why tons of gamers love PCSX2 the most is its developer keeps updating its features and interface.

If you are looking for the best PS2 emulators to play Sony PlayStation 2 games on your PC or Laptop, using PCSX2 is highly recommended.

If you use PCSX2 to play PS2 games on a PC or Laptop, you would not notice any major difference between the gameplay of a PC or Console.

Yes, the quality and resolution this PS2 emulator provides are commendable.

If you don’t know how to set up PCSX2 on a PC or Laptop, click on the link.

Apart from providing an amazing experience, PCSX2 allows you to record your gameplay in HD quality by using a hotkey (F12).

Unlike the previous version, the latest version of PCSX2 has the following options as Renderer.

  • Use Global Settings (OpenGL)
  • Automatic
  • Direct3D11
  • Direct3D12
  • OpenGL
  • Vulkan
  • Software
  • Null

For the unversed, earlier, PCSX2 had only Direct3D 11 (Hardware), OpenGL (Hardware), Direct3D 11 (Software), OpenGL (Software), and None (Core Benchmark) as a Renderer.

2. Retroarch

Retroarch is the second most popular PS2 emulator that can be used to play retro games on PC and Laptop.

The reason why people love to use this emulator is it has a very simple and user-friendly interface.

If you are a gamer and want to customize your gameplay, Retroarch would be a better emulator.

The features that you will get in this PlayStation 2 emulator are as follows:

  • Shaders
  • Netplay
  • Rewinding
  • Next-frame Response Times
  • Runahead
  • Machine Translation
  • Blind Accessibility Features

If you have a low-end PC and are looking for a PS2 emulator to play PS2 games then you should use this emulator as it does not need you to download any software.

To use Retroarch, you simply need to download its web version from its official site and load the PS2 ROM file of the game that you want to play.

With the help of using this PlayStation 2 emulator, you can stream games on Twitch, YoUTube and Facebook Community and record your gameplay in HD quality.

3. NSX2

NeutrinoSX2 aka NSX2 is one of the best PS2 emulators that you can use to play retro games on a PC and Laptop.

For the uninformed, NSX2 is an open-source emulator for Play Station 2.

Similar to another emulator for PlayStation 2 games, NSX2 does have some minimum requirements to run on a PC.

To use NSX2 to play PS2 games on your PC or Laptop, make sure you meet the following requirements:

  • Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz (or AMD XP)
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 5 MB free disk space (for nsx2)
  • 200+ MB free swap space.
  • MS DX9 compatible hardware
  • MS Windows XP
  • Latest DirectX
  • Powerful Video Card (Nvidia Geforce or Ati Radeon)

According to NSX2 requirements, this PS2 emulator was created keeping low-end PC in mind.

It has been more than almost two decades since it was launched and the popularity of this emulator has not faded yet.

The reason why people still love is it does have a very simple coding allowing users to create their own emulators for retro games.

NSX2 was one of the first PS2 emulators launched to play Sony PlayStation 2 games on PC.

4. PS2Emu

PS2Emu is yet another PlayStation 2 emulator that tons of users use to emulate retro games on PC and Laptop.

Similar to PCSX2, you will need PS2 bios and ROM files to play PlayStation 2 games on PC.

Before you skip reading this post and download PS2 bios, let me tell you that downloading Bios files is not legal.

Developed by Roo, Shunt, and Scar_T, PS2Emu would be a better option if you have a low-end PC or Laptop.

Unlike other emulators, using this PS2 emulator is a bit complicated.

To use it to play retro games on a PC, you will need to add plugins for audio, graphics and gameplay to the plugin folder.

5. Hpsx64

Hpsx64 is a PS2 emulator that has been in development since 2018.

Since the development of this emulator is not completed yet, it does not allow you to improve graphics and video quality.

Before I reveal more features about Hpsx64, let me tell you that this PlayStation 2 emulator is built for 64-bit Windows.

When you download this PS2 emulator, you will get all standard features such as V-sync, video buffering, and gamepad support.

For those unaware, this emulator does have two gamepads for videos like Tekken, FIFA, and others, allowing two players to compete in the game.

Since Hpsx64 is still in the beta version, you might face difficulty playing numerous PlayStation 2 games on Windows.

As soon as its full version becomes available, we will update this post.

These are some of the best PS2 emulators that can only be used to play PS2 games on a PC or Laptop.

Best PlayStation 2 Emulators For Android (2024)

Since the number of users searching for PS2 emulators for Android and Mobile has increased significantly over the last couple of years, we have come up with the best PlayStation 2 emulators for Mobile.

Notably, the majority of PS2 emulators we have mentioned below can be used to play PS2 games on Mobile and PC.

Though we have enlisted them in the Mobile category, you can use many of them to emulate PS2 games on PC and Laptop.

1. DamonPS2

DamonPS2 is one of the best PS2 emulators for Android.

There is no denying that DamonPS2 is available for both Android and PC but the majority of people use it to emulate PS2 games on Android devices.

When you search for the best PlayStation 2 emulators for Android, you will numerous options on the internet but I found DamonPS2 better than many emulators.

If you have a Smartphone with Snapdragon 835/845 or an equivalent device, you would not have any issue playing PS2 video games on your phone using the DamonPS2 emulator.

If you want to enjoy its additional features and don’t want to be interrupted by ads while playing PS2 video games, I advise you to opt for DamonPS2’s pro version.

To get the pro version of DamonPS2, you will need to spend $9.99.

Irrespective of whether you use the free or paid version, you are likely to encounter issues, bugs and errors while using DamonPS2.

2. AetherSX2

AetherSX2 is one of the fastest-growing PS2 emulators for Android.

The reason why gamers across the world are loving it so much is it is based on PCSX2 and supports 98% of the original PS2 games.

To comply with PCSX2’s license, AetherSX2 is licensed under the LGPL license.

If you want to play PS2 games on Android using an emulator, I advise you to use download AetherSX2.

Similar to DamonPS2, the minimum requirement to run AetherSX2 smoothly on your phone is Snapdragon 845 and an equivalent device.

You can also run this emulator on low devices but you would not get a smooth experience while PlayStation 2 games on your phone.

The best thing about this PS2 emulator is it is 100% free and can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

3. Play!

Play! is yet another PS2 emulator that can be downloaded to emulate PS2 games on your Android phone.

Created by Jean-Philip Desjardins, Play! is still in development but it supports the majority of popular PS2 games.

To improve the performance of this PS2 emulator and add new features, the creator keeps rolling out new updates.

Despite supporting only a quarter of original PS2 games, Play! has become massively popular among gamers.

The reason behind its popularity is it does not need you to download a PS2 bios file to run any PlayStation 2 game on your phone using Play! emulator.

Since downloading the PS2 bios file is not legal and to obtain it legally, you need to have a PS2 console.

Since the majority of people who search for PS2 emulators don’t have a console, they search for an emulator that does not need a PS2 bios file.

If you are looking for a PS2 emulator that doesn’t require PS2 bios then you should download Play! emulator.

Notably, Play! the emulator can be downloaded for free from its official website.

4. Pro PlayStation

If you are looking for a PS2 Emulator for an Android phone, Pro PlayStation would be a great choice.

The best thing about this PlayStation 2 emulator is it can be used on old devices as well.

There might be other PS2 emulators for Mobile available in the market but I would recommend you use Pro PlayStation because it has a very simple and user-friendly interface.

Some of the most popular features of this emulator are as follows — save states, GPU rendering, on-screen controllers, and compatibility with many RAMs.

The only drawback of this PS2 emulator is it does not support some PlayStation 2 games because of its app’s cross-platform application.

Before you skip reading this post and download Pro PlayStation from Google Play Store, let me tell you that it is not available on Google Play Store.

To download Pro PlayStation on your phone, you need to visit third-party websites like APK Pure.

5. PTWOE

PTWEO was once regarded as the best PS2 emulator for Android devices.

Unlike other PS2 Emulators, you can’t simply download, install and run it to play your favorite PlayStation 2 games on your Android phone.

Yes, you need to make a few bit changes in its Settings and download the PS2 Bios file. Once you have successfully downloaded the PS2 Bios file, you will have to create a separate folder in the app’s directory.

If you want to learn how to use PTWOE to run PS2 games then visit its official site. The official site has a step-by-step guide explaining how to use PTWOE to run any PS2 games on an Android phone.

Once you learn how to use this PS2 emulator, you will be able to play a lot of popular PS2 games on your phone.

These are some of the best PS2 emulators to use on Android and PC in 2024.

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