ARMSX2 version 1.0 released, promises improved PS2 emulation on ARM, Android devices

Console emulators on smartphones just got a big push.

ARMSX2, a PlayStation 2 (PS2) emulator built for ARM-based hardware (specifically Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra), just released version 1.0. The emulator is an open-source project based on PCSX2, arguably the most popular PS2 emulator available now. The emulator was first released back in August, but this version marks its first stable release. 

Experienced retro gamers will note that this is far from the first PlayStation 2 emulator for Android. AetherSX2 made waves when it launched several years ago, although that project was abandoned by the developer due to disagreements with users and others in the emulation community. It was forked into NetherSX2, which is a competent PS2 emulator. However, NetherSX2 uses closed-source code and, as such, is somewhat limited in development. 

ARMSX2 is based on PCSX2. However, ARMSX2 does not use native ARM code; rather, it relies on a translation layer that recompiles x86 code (which PCSX2 uses) into arm64 code for use on ARM-based devices. As such, there are quite a few bugs with ARMSX2 in its current iteration. Performance is also reportedly lackluster compared to NetherSX2. The developers have noted that the use of this translation layer could be changed in the future.

Still, ARMSX2 could prove to be the future of mobile PS2 emulation. The project is open-source, which means any developer can audit the code and even suggest changes to it. Additionally, it is based on the powerful PCSX2 emulator and uses a more recent code base than its competitors.

The developers hope to achieve "version parity with PCSX2." They have also stated that ARMSX2 is an emulator designed for "Android, iOS, and MacOS [sic]." This last bit is interesting as there is already a PS2 emulator for iOS (dubbed "Play!"), though it is not considered playable due to iOS's restrictions on just-in-time (JIT) compilation. Additionally, there is an ARM-optimized version of PCSX2 designed specifically for M-series MacBook (like the M5 MacBook Pro).

To read more about ARMSX2 and to download the app, you can visit the project's GitHub page via the link below.