Insert a PS2 game disc into a PS5, and the console can import the game data and launch it automatically. That is the idea behind a beta feature added in version 2.01 of PS5SX2, an unofficial PS2 emulator. It only works on "jailbroken" PS5s, meaning consoles whose restrictions have been removed so they can run unofficial software. Version 2.02 followed with an experimental feature that reads and plays games directly from the disc, widening the options for playing your own PS2 games on a PS5. However, copying a game and then launching it works differently from reading the disc directly, and the testing status of each is different. Simply saying that PS5SX2 "supports PS2 discs" does not accurately convey the conditions under which it can actually be used.
Auto-launch on disc insertion, plus direct disc reading
PS5SX2 now has two disc-related methods: "auto-launch after copying," added in version 2.01, and "direct disc reading," introduced in version 2.02.
In the version 2.01 release notes on GitHub, developer Sword explains that when a PS2 disc is inserted into the PS5, the game data is copied automatically if it has not yet been imported, and the game launches once the copy finishes. Ejecting the disc returns the user to the game list screen, and the feature reportedly detects disc insertion even when PS5SX2 is not running.
In other words, inserting a disc triggers the import and launch, and actual play uses the saved game data. A game that has already been imported can be launched without being copied again.
According to the version 2.02 release notes, games that are being copied now appear in the list screen with a progress indicator. Because a game cannot be launched until copying is complete, users are also prevented from accidentally running partially loaded data.
Direct disc reading, on the other hand, is based on pull request "PR #34" submitted by developer Heyde Moura. The proposal explains that it makes it possible to load PS2 games on PS5s without a built-in disc drive, using a USB-connected DVD drive or similar. Sword incorporated part of the proposal and added it in version 2.02 as an experimental feature available only when a setting is changed. It is disabled by default.
The differences between the two methods are summarized below.
| Method | How game data is handled | Availability and testing |
|---|---|---|
| 2.01 disc auto-launch | Copies game data from discs not yet imported, then launches from the saved data | Beta feature. The developer reported real-hardware testing on one launch-model PS5 |
| 2.02 direct disc reading | Reads game data directly from the disc drive and runs it | Experimental and disabled by default. Test results exist for an external drive, but verification of the officially merged implementation is limited |
In a test report published by the proposer of the direct reading feature, a PS5 running firmware 12.20 was connected to a TSSTcorp DVD drive, the SN-208FB, and ran the DVD version of Kingdom Hearts (SLUS-20370). The game title appeared about three seconds after the disc was recognized, and the game then reportedly ran at normal speed for several minutes.
This test came with important limitations, however. It used a build that relies on RADV for rendering, and it was not verified on builds incorporating "ps5vk," the Vulkan driver PS5SX2 normally uses. Behavior with CD-ROM versions of PS2 games, and when swapping discs while the game list is displayed, has also not been verified.
Sword has also noted that merging the feature into the official development build requires verification on real hardware with a disc drive. A report that a game ran on one specific PS5 with one external drive should therefore not be read as confirmation that it works without problems across various drives.
The copy-then-launch method is also being refined for stability. For example, if a disc has bad sectors and copying is interrupted partway through, the software leaves a marker indicating the copy is incomplete and stops the auto-launch. A mechanism has also been introduced to prevent repeated launches from the same disc in a short time.
Beyond recognizing a disc and launching the game, the developers are working to make the feature more polished so that it handles failed reads and interrupted processes appropriately.
PS5SX2 is an unofficial port of PCSX2 to the PS5
PS5SX2 is software that ports PCSX2, a well-known PS2 emulator for PCs, to run on the PS5.
According to the project's official GitHub repository, the recompiler that translates and runs PS2 programs operates on the PS5's CPU, and graphics are rendered using an adapted version of "ps5vk," a Vulkan driver developed by Mihawk-99.
A key feature is that it does not stream gameplay video from a PC to the PS5. Everything from game processing to rendering is executed on the PS5 itself.
That said, the PS5 is not running PS2 game programs natively. Because games run through PCSX2 emulation and instruction translation, compatibility, rendering quality, and performance may vary from game to game.
This new feature also does not mean that any ordinary PS5 can now play PS2 games just by inserting a disc.
Sony's PS5 user manual states explicitly that PS2 and PS3 game discs cannot be played on the PS5. PS5SX2 is a project aimed solely at jailbroken PS5s capable of running unofficial software.
Using it also requires a BIOS dumped from your own PS2 console. PS5SX2 does not include a BIOS, game data, or encryption keys, so users must prepare them appropriately.
There are also limits on disc types.
Tom's Hardware reported that the physical discs PS5SX2 can read are DVD versions of PS2 games. Meanwhile, according to Sony's list of supported media, the PS5 does not support CD playback.
That means being able to read DVD-based games with the PS5's built-in disc drive is a separate question from whether CD-ROM-based PS2 games can be handled the same way.
However, the limits of the built-in drive do not necessarily apply to an external drive. PR #34 includes an implementation for CD reading, but no real-hardware tests have yet been done with CD-ROM versions of PS2 games.
At this point, it is necessary to distinguish between the built-in drive not supporting CDs and CD reading via external drives being unverified.
Up to 4K rendering and frame generation; 108 titles tested
PS5SX2 is not just about loading PS2 games. It can also render games at higher resolutions than the original PS2.
The GitHub README describes rendering at up to six times the PS2's native resolution and support for 4K output. In addition, according to the version 2.00 release notes, an 8x resolution setting has been added for the PS5 Pro.
These are selectable rendering settings, however, and do not guarantee that every PS2 game will run smoothly at the highest resolution. Depending on the game and its processing load, the resolution may need to be lowered.
The frame rate features are also extensive, but it is necessary to distinguish between changing the game's own frame rate and interpolating displayed frames.
PS5SX2 supports 60fps patches derived from PCSX2. These raise the frame rate of supported games, but because they increase the processing load, the developer explains that rendering resolution may need to be lowered to keep performance stable.
Version 2.00 also added an experimental frame generation feature.
When used with a 120Hz-compatible TV, this feature makes 60fps games display at the equivalent of 120fps and 30fps games at the equivalent of 60fps. It works by inserting new display frames between the frames the original game produces, improving apparent smoothness.
Frame generation only works, however, when the original game's frame rate is stable. Also, the on-screen FPS counter measures the number of frames sent to the TV, so even if the displayed number doubles, the game's internal processing speed has not doubled.
Rendering resolution, the game's actual speed, and the smoothness of the displayed image each need to be evaluated as separate aspects of performance.
As for compatibility, the PS5SX2 README lists test results for 108 titles.
The figure of 108 titles, however, is the total of games confirmed to launch in early builds from September 2026 and elsewhere. It does not mean all of them were played from start to finish without problems.
The developer himself states clearly that the list does not guarantee compatibility, because it includes games with test times of under three minutes and titles for which the amount of play after launch was not recorded.
Furthermore, the 108 titles are results for PS5SX2 testing overall, not the number of titles confirmed to work with auto-launch or direct reading from physical discs.
For version 2.01's disc auto-launch, the only real-hardware testing the developer has explicitly reported is on one launch-model PS5. When looking up compatibility reports for a game you want to play, you need to check whether the result came from launching a game file or from testing with a physical disc.
Compatibility testing will be key to playing PS2 discs on PS5
The new disc auto-launch feature automates the process of inserting a PS2 game disc into the PS5, importing its data, and launching it.
Games could already be run on PS5SX2 if the game data was prepared in advance as files, but this feature makes things more convenient for users who want to launch games from physical discs.
The copy progress display added in version 2.02 in particular is an improvement that makes it easier to tell how long importing game data will take.
Direct disc reading, on the other hand, is still at an experimental stage. Although there is a report of it working with an external drive, whether it can be used reliably across various PS5 consoles, disc drives, and games depends on future testing.
What matters in judging how widely it will be adopted is not just an increase in the number of supported games.
Key questions include whether copying from a disc can always finish successfully, whether long play sessions are possible with direct reading, and whether swapping or removing and reinserting discs causes problems.
If reports accumulate that specify the PS5 model, firmware, and type of disc drive used, users will find it easier to judge which method works in their own setup.
As PS5SX2 development progresses, the options for replaying games once enjoyed on the PS2 on current hardware may widen further. For now, however, it remains an unofficial project requiring a jailbroken PS5, and not every PS2 game runs without problems. This update is a technical step forward for using your own PS2 discs on a PS5, but also a stage at which the verification needed for practical use is only now getting under way.