The PlayStation 2 is probably one of the best and most popular gaming consoles Sony has had to produce.
Personally, I loved playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas not only on PS2, but on PC equally — since the game got insane graphics and UX when played on these platforms.
With that said, if you're a Mac user that's looking to simulate or play the most amazing games the PlayStation 2 gaming console has to offer, you'll be happy to know that over the years, Mac has improved their chips to support emulators such as the most popular PS2 emulators for Mac on the market right now.
Unlike mobile devices that have a plethora of emulators to choose from, Mac, on the other hand, does not have many options — and if you're caught up on which choice to make, then you've come to the right place.
Based on our experience with emulators, we've tested a few PS2 emulators for Mac and have made a list of the best you should consider using.
Table of Contents
What Is A PS2 Emulator For Mac?
Basically, an emulator is a device or program that allows a computer system (usually called the host) simulate or host another computer system (guest);—the host system uses an emulator to run software (apps, games, features, programs), which were designed for the guest system.
With that in mind, we can define a PS2 emulator for Mac as a program that allows you run PS2 games and features on your Mac device.
Also Read: Best PS2 Emulators For iOS
What Are The Best PS2 Emulator For Mac?
Over the years, macOS has improved to offer users more features by bringing in more sophisticated chips they'd likely use for performing heavy tasks.
With that released, software developers out there thought I'd be great time to release something most PS2 gamers who use Mac would love—a PS2 emulator for Mac OS.
However, while Windows PC have a plethora of emulators to choose from, Mac does not have plenty of options—making it easier for users to choose what's right for them.
Following our research, we've made the best picks on PS2 emulators for Mac (M1, M2), which are as follows:
- PCSX2.
- AetherSX2.
1. PCSX2—Best PS2 Emulator For Mac
If you've had the opportunity to play PS2 games on other platforms before, then you've certainly come across (if not used) PCSX2 for this purpose.
With over 20 years of existence, PCSX2 is a popular, free, open-source and cross-platform PlayStation 2 (PS2) emulator among the console gamers out there.
It uses MIPS CPU Interpreters, Recompilers and a Virtual Machine to emulate the PS2 components to the host device which uses the emulator.
PCSX2 is highly considered as powerful PS2 emulator for Mac, that lets you play the most insane and heavy PS2 games such as Final Fantasy X and Devil May Cry 3 at full speeds without any lag on your macOS.
For a better reference on what's playable with the emulator, PCSX2 features a compatibility data page, which features the latest data on the emulator's compatibility—making it easier for you to understand if the emulator is the PS2 emulator you need for your Mac.
In addition, PCSX2 works well with M1 and M2 Macbook chips—making it the best PS2 emulators for Mac.
Some of PCSX2 PS2 emulators for Mac include;
- Custom resolutions and upscaling.
- Virtual and sharable memory cards.
- Save-states.
- Patching system.
- Internal recorder to achieve lossless quality at full speed.
While PCSX2 works well with Mac OS, there are, however, some compatibility issues when running the emulator directly on macOS.
To achieve better results, I'll recommend using Wine, which is a compatibility layer that is known for running Windows programs on POSIX-compliant operating systems, such as macOS, Linux and BSD.
In this case, you'll be using two emulators: Wine for running Windows on your Mac, and PCSX2 for running PS2 on Windows OS emulated on your Mac.
If you're confused, there's a Reddit thread that explains how to install this emulator on your Mac either directly or indirectly (through Wine for Windows).
2. AetherSX2
AetherSX2 is another cross-platform emulator that lets you emulate PS2 games Android, Linux, macOS, and even Xbox One.
Unlike PCSX2 that's ideal for M1 and M2 Macbook chips, AetherSX2 is considered as the best PS2 emulator for Mac M1 as it is known to be stable with M1 CPU and GPU and run native ARM code.
However, AetherSX2 will work with M2 Mac too.
Keep in mind that the emulator does not support older versions of Intel Mac.
AetherSX2 download page features the steps you need to install the emulator on your macOS.
Other PS2 Emulators For Mac Worth A Mention
Some PS2 emulators for Mac that are worth a mention include:
- OpenEmu.
- Virtual Gaming Station (VGS).
- ePSXe.
There are some other PS2 emulators for Mac, whose codes were left unfinished by the developers or are still under development, but are worth a mention for those who would like to try them out.
They include:
- NeutrinoSX2.
- PS2EMU.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a ps2 emulator for mac?
Yes, we've featured on this page two PS2 emulators you can use to play or emulate PS2 games on your Mac M1 or M2, which include PSCSX2 and AetherSX2.
Can I run emulators on mac?
Yes, you can run emulators like PCSX2, AetherSX2, and OpenEMu on Mac.
How do I emulate PlayStation games on my mac?
Thanks to its high compatibility, emulators such as PCSX2 let you emulate PlayStation games on Mac at full speeds without any issue.
Final Thoughts
The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling gaming console as of this writing and if you own a Macbook, it is now possible to emulate your beloved PS2 on Mac.
Unlike Windows, Mac does not have plenty of PS2 emulators to choose from.
Thankfully, the improvements on Mac chips (M1 and M2) have made it possible for software developers out there to develop sophisticated PS2 emulators designed for these chips.
With that said, if you're using a Mac M1 chip, I'll recommend using AetherSX2 emulator to emulate your PS2 games on Mac.
On the other hand, if you're using Mac M2, you are free to use either PCSX2 or AetherSX2 to play or emulate PS2 game on your macOS.