The project PCSX2 2.6.0 has released, offering an emulator for the PlayStation 2 game console. This emulator allows users to play PlayStation 2 games on a regular PC and utilize advanced features like changing screen resolution, creating memory cards, saving states, applying patches, and recording gameplay videos. The emulator achieves MIPS CPU emulation on x86 systems using recompilation and interpretation in a virtual machine. It has the capability to run 99% of the tested 2,500 games for the Sony Playstation 2, including popular titles like Final Fantasy X and Devil May Cry 3. The project code is written in C++ and is distributed under GPLv3 license.
In the latest release, PCSX2 2.6.0 has introduced several new features:
- The Qt-based interface closely resembles the Big Picture mode.
- Users can now place shortcuts on the desktop or in the application menu to launch specific games via PCSX2.
- The Big Picture mode has updated icons and added Emoji support.
- Custom background image support has been included, allowing users to set personalized backgrounds.
- Rendering using Direct3D12 has been significantly enhanced, showing a performance increase of 596% for Hitman Blood Money and 413% for Death by Degrees. Additionally, Direct3D11 rendering has been optimized, resulting in a 9% performance boost when launching Enthusia. The quality and accuracy of texture rendering using Direct3D11 and 12 are comparable to rendering with Vulkan and OpenGL.
- Various optimizations have been implemented to improve rendering quality and increase performance across multiple games.
/Reports, release notes, official announcements.