PlayStation 2 is one of the best-selling video game systems ever made, and its games are still alive after their original US launch in October 2000. Today, the best-selling PC in the last two years can run a PlayStation 2 emulator for you to keep playing your favorite PS2 games and backups. The emulator allows you to do more than you ever could on the system itself, including options for logging or game session sequencing. You also have the ability to save your progress, another very useful feature.
Instructions: Download and install PCSX2 and acquire a BIOS file
1 Navigate to Pcsx2.net and select the “Downloads” section, located in the top menu on the main page of the site. Download the current “installer”. Download the “binary”. Save this file, probably under the name “PCSX2_0.9.6_setup.msi” – to your computer or to an easy-to-locate folder.
2 Double-click the PCSX2 configuration file.
3 Follow the instructions on the screen to install PCSX2 on your computer. You may need to click “Allow” for this program to be installed if you use Windows Vista or have User Account Control enabled.
4 Confirm that PCSX2 has been installed correctly. Click the “Start” button, select “All Programs” and select “PCSX2” from the menu. Inside the folder will be an icon for the installed PCSX2 program. Click on it and make sure it opens.
5 Enter “BIOS file PS2” in the web browser for multiple results. Download a BIOS file from the PS2 and place it in the “Bios” folder in the PCSX2 program directory. Usually this will be located at C: disk -> program files -> PCSX2 -> Bios.
Configure and run the PCSX2
6 Run PCSX2. If you are running for the first time, you will automatically be taken to a configuration menu.
7 Select “PEOp.S. CDVD plugin (CDDA mod) 1.3.0” in the “Cdvdrom” menu. This is what will allow your computer’s disk drive to recognize PS2 games.
8 Select the BIOS file from the drop-down menu labeled “Bios.”
9 Click “OK.”
10 Select “File” and select “Run CD / DVD” from the menu. The game should start playing exactly the same as on a PlayStation 2.
Tips and Warnings
You may need to download various “plug-in” files to configure the PCSX2 to work properly with your computer.
Experiment with the various “plug-in” files until you have a setup that runs games at full speed.
Most PS2 games are very difficult to play with a keyboard. A USB gamepad is recommended.
