AetherSX2 free for PC, Mac, Android APK

AetherSX2 brings your favorite PlayStation 2 games to Android devices, offering a seamless, high-quality gaming experience. It's a user-friendly emulator, allowing you to enjoy classic titles on the go with enhanced graphics and performance. Dive into nostalgia or discover new adventures with AetherSX2!

What is AetherSX2?

AetherSX2 is an emulator of the PlayStation 2 console for the Android platform, so you can play games you dumped directly on your device.

More technically, AetherSX2 is a closed-source Android emulator porting PCSX2, enhanced with an ARM JIT and Vulkan renderer. It's distinct for using the latest PCSX2 version, largely under LGPL, except for some GPL components like the MPEG decoder (libmpeg2) and onscreen display (FreeType). Unlike DamonPS2, which has faced criticism for its legality and ethics, AetherSX2 stands out as a more transparent and compliant emulation solution.

Note: AetherSX2 is no longer maintained, but here we offer you a trustworthy version of this amazing PlayStation 2 emulator for Android.

What are the key features of AetherSX2?

• PS2 emulation: AetherSX2 emulates the PlayStation 2 system, offering a high-fidelity reproduction of its gaming environment. This means you get to experience games as they were meant to be played but with the added benefits of modern technology.
• Graphics options: With OpenGL, Vulkan, and Software rendering support, AetherSX2 ensures compatibility with a wide range of devices. Whether you prioritize graphical fidelity or performance, AetherSX2 has got you covered. You can also access finer settings, like Upscale Multiplier, Texture Filtering, Mipmapping techniques, and more.
• High-definition upscaling: Elevate your gaming visuals with the ability to upscale games to 1080p and beyond. This feature transforms classic games into high-definition experiences, making them more enjoyable on contemporary displays.

• Widescreen support: For games that don't natively support widescreen formats, AetherSX2 comes to the rescue with its widescreen patches. This means you can enjoy your favorite games in full-screen glory without any graphical distortions.
• Save states: The save state feature is a game-changer, allowing you to save your progress at any point in the game. This flexibility is convenient for tackling challenging segments or simply managing your gaming time more effectively.
• Controller versatility: AetherSX2 supports touchscreen controls and Bluetooth controllers, offering a seamless gaming experience whether you prefer traditional tactile controls or modern touch interfaces.

• Broad disc image compatibility: It supports various disc image formats, including .iso, .chd, .cso, .bin, .gzip, and .elf. This ensures you can play a wide range of games, regardless of how they are stored or archived.
• Per-game settings: Customize your gaming experience per-game basis with AetherSX2's individualized settings. This allows for tailored optimizations, ensuring each title's best performance and visual quality.

How to use AetherSX2?

The app tells you that you need a BIOS

To play games, a BIOS image is essential. It's not optional. You should dump this image from your own console using a homebrew application or download it from the web. Don't worry; numerous online guides help you through the process of dumping your console's BIOS.

Games are running slow

This can vary greatly depending on the game's hardware requirements. A potential fix is to adjust the CPU settings in the System options, specifically underclocking the CPU. However, be cautious, as this might sometimes lead to internal lag or even crashes.

Improving performance

1. Ensure 'fastmem' is enabled in System settings.
2. Activate 'Multi-Threaded VU1' if your device has three or more robust CPU cores.
3. Use the Vulkan renderer for Adreno GPUs, though some games might prefer OpenGL.
4. Underclock the emulated CPU in System settings.
5. In Graphics settings, enabling 'Preload Textures' and 'GPU Palette conversion' might help.
6. If slowdowns occur based on camera angles, consider disabling hardware readbacks in Graphics options, but be aware this could introduce glitches.

Customizing touchscreen controller

To customize the controller, press the pause or back button while in-game and tap the controls tab. Here, you can modify the position and scale of controls and even add extra buttons for functions like fast forward or quick load/save.

Changing app orientation

Simply rotate your device if auto-rotation is enabled. Alternatively, you can force landscape mode in the App Settings under the first page.

Setting different configurations for each game

Long-press the game in the list or grid, select 'Game Properties', and then tap the 'Game Settings' tab. To change settings while playing, open the pause menu and tap the info button to access 'Game Properties'.

Rendering glitches in games

The console's hardware complexity leads to these issues with the hardware renderer. Try switching to the software renderer for such games to potentially resolve these glitches.

Saving multiple game states

In the pause menu, tap 'Load/Save state'. You'll find 10 slots available for saving, plus a quick save option for onscreen button use.

Transferring saves from another device

Currently, you can only import an entire memory card at a time, not individual saves. Swipe left in the game list to find the 'Import Memory Card' option for importing a .ps2 memory card image.

Locating saved games

On Android 11 and newer, saves are in the Android/data/xyz.aethersx2.android directory on your primary storage. Accessing this requires additional permissions for your file manager due to scoped storage regulations.

Adding covers to the game grid

Place the cover images in the covers directory of the data directory mentioned above. The image files should be in jpg/png format and named after the game title or serial. Alternatively, long press a game in the list and choose 'Choose Cover Image' to import a cover.

Creating launcher shortcuts for games

Long press the game in the list and select 'Create Launcher Shortcut'. This will add a quick access shortcut to your game.

Is AetherSX2 free?

Yes, AetherSX2 is 100% free to use.

Is AetherSX2 safe?

AetherSX2 is considered a safe closed-source project.

What are the system requirements for AetherSX2?

• Processor: Snapdragon 845-equivalent (at least 4 large cores (Cortex-A75 level)). In case you only have two big cores (e.g., Snapdragon 700 series SoCs, you should not enable multi-threaded VU, and performance will suffer as a result).
• Graphics: Mali or PowerVR GPUs will run the app, but performance will be much lower than Adreno GPUs, and the Vulkan renderer will not be available.