PCSX2

PCSX2 is an emulator that lets you play Playstation 2 games on your PC.

The Playstation 2 is probably the most well known and certainly the longest running of consoles. With a library of games numbering in the thousands and a run of releases that went from its initial launch in 2000 right up until the end of 2013, it's hard to beat the PS2 in terms of the volume of available titles. It is to be noted that during this long run Sony announced and released the PS3 and also announced the release of PS4. This means a huge amount of next gen titles, created specifically for the PS3, also saw a downgraded version release on the PS2.

Being able to play PS2 games on your PC means that even if you've tossed out your own PS2 you can still access this huge library of content and take a trip down memory lane. One of the major benefits of using an emulator over the physical unit is you can store all of your games digitally on you hard drive. This frees up so much space and means that monster collection you used to have, spanning multiple book cases, instead only takes up a little room on your hard drive.

The program itself runs very simply. All you need to do is obtain the ISO file of a game you want to play, load it into the program and away you go. As long as your computer recognises your controller you can set it up to play games with as well. This means if you've always dreamed of playing Tekken but using your XBox controller then go ahead. There is some difficulty when it comes to using an actual PS2/PS3 controller as most PCs have no native support, but a quick internet search will turn up multiple programs that deal with that problem specifically.

The program is not without its drawbacks however. Whilst the technology behind emulation has come along in leaps and bounds in the last few years, it's still not 100% fool proof and games can drop and cause a crash in particularly graphically intense moments. This is mitigated slightly on more powerful PCs but it's something worth bearing in mind.

It should also be mentioned that when owning and using an emulator you are still bound by copyright law so please make sure you are only downloading ISOs that you have the full license to play.

Overall if you're looking for a trip down memory lane but you don't want to go bargain hunting at your local charity shop, then this is a great option for you. Despite the odd crash here and there, PCSX2 works admirably to bring your faithful old PS2 onto your PC.

Pros

• Access to a Huge Library of Content
• Works Well on Even Mid Level PCs
• Play Your Way Using Any Controller You Want

Cons

• Liable to Crash in Graphics Heavy Moments
• PS2 Controller Can Be a Little Tricky to Set Up