Sony confirms the PlayStation 2, which launched 25 years ago, has sold more than 160 million units worldwide, the most of any gaming console. The PS2 also moved over 1.5 billion games, led by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas at 17.3 million copies, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec at 14.9 million, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City at 14.2 million. Sony produced the console from 2000 until 2013, cutting its price from $299 to $99 over that span.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-10
A public jailbreak called Relapse enables PlayStation 5 consoles on firmware up to version 13.60 to play PS2 discs, but applying it blocks future firmware updates and there is no way to downgrade. Sony has reportedly begun blocking PlayStation Network sign-ins for consoles running firmware older than 14.10, meaning jailbroken PS5s lose access to online multiplayer, the PlayStation Store and new games requiring newer firmware.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-27
ARMSX2, a PS2 emulator for Android, has released version 2.9 to mark its one-year anniversary. The update introduces Automatic Performance Tuning, which adjusts settings like resolution, blending, texture download mode and emulated CPU clock speed to boost game performance, retaining changes only when they improve speed. The release also prompts first-time users to install a recommended custom GPU driver, such as ARMSX2 Turnip for Adreno GPUs or MaliSX2 for Mali GPUs.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-27
A new jailbreak for the PlayStation 5 reportedly allows the console to run software well outside Sony's intended ecosystem, including Nintendo games, physical PS2 discs, PS3 titles, and even the Windows 7 operating system. The development expands on earlier PS5 jailbreaking efforts that unlocked custom firmware and homebrew support.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-14
A developer known as Sword released version 2.01 of PS5SX2, a tool that lets jailbroken PlayStation 5 consoles run PlayStation 2 games from the console's Blu-ray drive. The software dumps disc contents to internal storage before launching titles, and an experimental feature allows loading PS2 game dumps via an external USB Blu-ray drive, potentially extending support to digital-only PS5 models. The tool requires hacked firmware and builds on existing open-source emulation code.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-12
A popular Android PS2 emulator has released an update that improves performance specifically for devices using Mali-powered GPUs, including older Pixel phones and MediaTek-based devices. The update targets hardware that previously saw weaker emulation performance compared to devices with other GPU architectures.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-12
A new open-source project, PS2 Web Recomp, statically translates PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine machine code into C++ and compiles it to WebAssembly, pairing it with a reimplemented PS2 OS and WebGPU-based graphics to run games directly in a browser without an emulator. The project, a sibling to an earlier PSP recompilation effort, has gotten Gran Turismo 4 and God of War II playable from boot through gameplay, with saves stored in the browser; users must supply their own disc images since no game data is distributed.
github.com
· 2026-10-12
A new version of the PS5SX2 emulator, v2.00, lets PlayStation 2 games run on PS5 hardware with frame generation and 8x resolution scaling, enabling smoother visuals and frame rates up to 120 FPS. Running it requires jailbreaking the PS5, a process the report describes as relatively straightforward but one that falls outside Sony's supported software environment.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-09
Optimization developer OptiProjects has built OptiCraft Heritage Edition, a native C++ recreation of Minecraft Java 1.2.5 that runs on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii. The PS2 version manages 15-30 fps within just 32MB of RAM by limiting draw distance to two chunks, while the Wii version reaches up to 60 fps with four-chunk rendering and even supports online play on Java servers.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-15
Sony's PSX, a combination PS2 console, DVD player and video recorder launched in Japan in late 2003, sold well initially but faded quickly and was discontinued by early 2005. Reports at the time pointed to clashing internal divisions, a confusing hybrid identity, and a price tag several times higher than the standard PS2 as key reasons for its failure. The device never saw a full international release due to complications tied to Japan-specific broadcasting standards.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-13
GoKawiil