Recently, those who modify the PlayStation 5 have achieved truly astonishing advances, a trend that gained even more attention after PlayStation confirmed the end of physical games starting in 2028, and the latest achievement speaks directly to those who keep a collection from the previous generation, as unlocked PS5s can now run PS2 games from the original disc, something the console does not officially allow because it lacks backward compatibility with PlayStation 2.
Some independent programmers have even managed to install full computer operating systems on the console, a development that dramatically accelerated projects to emulate old consoles, and as a result of all this effort, the PS5 can now run PS2 games using original physical discs, an achievement that rests on the emulator PS5SX2, a program built on PCSX2 and on modified Vulkan drivers.
Technological leap in visual quality and emulator adaptation
As anticipated, to achieve this feat the PS5SX2 is used, which enables the console to process titles from the classic PS2, although it’s important to note that the first time you insert the disc, the emulator copies the game’s data to the console’s storage, and from there you play it like any physical-format title, with the caveat that PS2 games that came on CD, the blue-disc versions, do not work, because the PS5’s reader cannot read that format.
Additionally, the emulator offers experimental support for external disc drives connected via USB, meaning that even users of the PS5 Digital Edition can enjoy their PS2 games again, and all of this is possible because the tool relies on key PCSX2 components for the processor and on a modified Vulkan graphics driver to squeeze the power of today’s hardware.
This advance comes shortly after the project reached other significant milestones, as its creator, the developer known as Sword, successfully adapted the core features of PCSX2, the most popular and widely used PS2 emulator on computers.
In its early stages, PS5SX2 1.0 had already surprised everyone by allowing up to six times the original resolution and offering 4K output, and with the software’s evolution, the most recent update enables the resolution of classic titles to reach eight times their original quality when run on a PS5 Pro.
This means that PS2 games developed in the early 2000s gain a level of definition and sharpness on modern screens that would have been unthinkable at the time, all without losing the original aesthetic essence of each release.
PS5SX2 2.0: greater fluidity, optimized performance, and extra features
In addition to the above, just days ago it was reported that PS5SX2 2.0 represents the largest upgrade since the project’s launch, with frame generation as the standout feature, a technology that creates intermediate frames so that on 120 Hz televisions games running at 60 FPS are displayed at 120 FPS and those running at 30 FPS shift to 60 FPS.
The developer notes that the function is experimental and only activates when frame-rate stability is achieved to avoid visual glitches, and this version improves performance on demanding games such as Call of Duty 2 and 3, Jak 3 and Driv3r, and includes specific fixes for Kingdom Hearts.
To conclude, version 2.0 of PS5SX2 also added support for cheat discs such as GameShark, CodeBreaker, and Action Replay, allows downloading widescreen and 60 FPS patches from the menu, and enables swapping discs mid-game, while its creator has already confirmed work on PS5SX3, which will aim to do the same for PS3 games from disc.
How to play your PS2 games from disk on PS5
- You need an unlocked PS5 with PS5SX2 installed in its 2.01 or newer version.
- Insert your original PS2 disc, which must be a DVD, because those on CD do not work.
- The first time, the emulator will copy the game to the console’s storage. Wait for it to finish.
- Once copied, the game will start automatically, and subsequent times it will load faster.
- If you have a PS5 Digital, connect an external USB reader and enable the experimental option in the emulator’s settings, available since version 2.02.
