Your PlayStation 5 can play PS2 discs, but you’ll need to take some extra steps

Although the PlayStation 5 is an amazing console with tons of great games, it is almost incomparable with the PlayStation 2. The PS2 is actually the best-selling gaming console of all time, having sold over 160 million units after its introduction in 2000. Not only was the system fantastic, but it featured an incredible library of games, including “Grand Theft Auto III”, “Resident Evil 4”, and “Devil May Cry”, to name a few a few. In total, the system offered more than 4,000 games, and many players still have them.

Unfortunately, the PS5 doesn’t support backwards compatibility with PS2 games, so if you have a great library, you either have to rely on decades-old hardware or look for another solution. Fortunately, there is a way to play PS2 games on PS5 through the PS5SX2 emulator, but it is limited to jailbroken systems with firmware that has not been updated after version 13.60, and it cannot play CD-ROM games. Of course, playing PS2 games on a PS5 isn’t supported by Sony, which has long maintained that the system doesn’t offer this level of backwards compatibility.

For most gamers, PS2 games have to be repurchased digitally, which is frustrating if you physically have a game in your hands. The new emulator only works under the aforementioned restrictions, which is already preventing many gamers from playing PS2 games on their PS5. Still, given that some have proven it’s entirely possible, this doesn’t portray Sony in the best light when it comes to owning physical games and backwards compatibility of its latest console.

To play your PS2 games on your PS5, you will need to download PS5SX2, a new port of the PCSX2 emulator, published on GitHub. The way it works is this: once you actually get it working, you put a PS2 disc into your PS5 and the software takes over. It creates a digital copy of the game and saves it to the system SSD. From there, just like the PS5 does with digital titles released on PlayStation Plus, it natively emulates the game and you can play it to your heart’s content.

There’s more than just a firmware update on your way, as the PS5 has a serious limitation when it comes to PS2 game discs. Many of them are on CD-ROMs, but the PS5’s optical drive can only read DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Older PS2 games, which have the blue side opposite the label, are CD-ROMs and will not work. The same goes for the original PlayStation games, released entirely on CD-ROM. Still, even with this limitation, there are tons of games that can be played, and the emulator is well-designed software.

It supports RetroAchievements, while some games work with online play. Other improvements improve the graphics, and if you can get the PS5SX2 to work, you’ll open the door to many of your old PS2 games. Emulator developer Swordpdf is also working on a version that lets PlayStation 3 games run on the PS5, so as long as people are willing to put in the work, many of your old PlayStation games remain playable with a little effort.