Can the Raspberry Pi 3 Emulate PS2?

[Jack_Sparrow]

With this new generation of RPI is this possible?

[piketfencecartel]

This is a very interesting topic I would like to find the answer as well.

[MarkHaysHarris777]

Nein. Streng verboten !

The PS2 is proprietary software, not compiled for Arm; not to mention the hardware of the PI (the GPU) probably couldn't cut it... even if the software WERE in the public domain, and even if it WAS compiled for Arm...

... which it isn't !

[blc]

Nein. Streng verboten !

The PS2 is proprietary software, not compiled for Arm; not to mention the hardware of the PI (the GPU) probably couldn't cut it... even if the software WERE in the public domain, and even if it WAS compiled for Arm...

... which it isn't !

... Are you serious?

PSP software is not compiled for ARM, but the Pi can run PSP games via an emulator.
PS1 software is not compiled for ARM, but the Pi can run PS1 games via an emulator.
N64 software is not compiled for ARM, but the Pi can run N64 games via an emulator.
SNES software is not compiled for ARM, but the Pi can run SNES games via an emulator.
MegaDrive/Genesis software is not compiled for ARM, but the Pi can run MegaDrive/Genesis games via an emulator.
C64 software is not compiled for ARM, but the Pi can run C64 games via an emulator.

Should I continue?

PS2 emulators do exist, I've used a few in my time; the OP is simply asking if they're available for the Pi3. The only part I agree with you on is that the Pi GPU may not be up to the task.

Also, this thread belongs in a different forum; I'll ask for it to be moved.

[Fidelius]

Well said, Bic.

Also there's the OpenSource Dolphin-Emulator which emulates Nintendo's Gamecube (GC), which is Nintendo's match for Sony's PS2.

Dolphin is also compiled for the ARM (Android) but I don't know if somebody tried to use it on the Pi3.

Of course, like already with a PS2 emulator, also a GC emulator could probably overcharge the Pi's GPU.

[adcooney]

Pi couldnt run dolphin. It requires a very good cpu/gpu to get any performance.
Ps2 I think would be the same.

[MarkHaysHarris777]

Pi couldnt run dolphin. It requires a very good cpu/gpu to get any performance.
Ps2 I think would be the same.

Yes, that's really the whole point... even if you could get it to work, would you want it to ?

And I stand by my point, there is NO PS2 emulator; period. This is a nuance of course, but the OP did not ask if the PI3 could emulate PS2 games, nor even if the PI3 could play PS2 games; the OP asked if the PI could emulate the PS2, and the answer is a definitive NO.

[GizmoTheGreen]

but there IS a PS2 emulator.
and it's actually very good. but it 1. can't be ported to ARM without major rewrites ( iirc some stuff is hardcoded asm?) and 2. it would not run well on a Pim at all.

[blc]

Pi couldnt run dolphin. It requires a very good cpu/gpu to get any performance.
Ps2 I think would be the same.

Yes, that's really the whole point... even if you could get it to work, would you want it to ?

And I stand by my point, there is NO PS2 emulator; period. This is a nuance of course, but the OP did not ask if the PI3 could emulate PS2 games, nor even if the PI3 could play PS2 games; the OP asked if the PI could emulate the PS2, and the answer is a definitive NO.

You're being pedantic and splitting hairs. If someone is asking whether or not there's an emulator for a given system, generally they want to play the games for that system on non-native hardware. We use emulators to do that, whether the emulators actually emulate the bare metal hardware (like traditional MAME) or whether they use clever tricks to map/rewrite GPU/CPU calls (like Dolphin); ultimately the distinction is irrelevant to all but a small few. Sure you answered the OP, but you gave a classic engineer's answer: you answered the precise question being asked without actually giving any help.

And if we're going to be pedantic here...

The PS2 is proprietary software, not compiled for Arm; not to mention the hardware of the PI (the GPU) probably couldn't cut it... even if the software WERE in the public domain, and even if it WAS compiled for Arm...

... which it isn't !

Surely you mean the PS2 firmware is proprietary, since "PS2" refers to the whole system, both hardware, firmware, and any other kind of 'ware the phyiscal box contains.



I should know better. I fall for it every damn time, and I should damn well know better.

[ric_rpi]

The short answer is maybe but not in the next 3-5 years.

From quick comparison between the specs for N64 to PS2 and PI B to PI 3 it looks possible just.

Unfortunately though, as far as I am aware, all pre-existing emulators are very closely coupled to x86 and would need a few years of work before a port to different hardware could start. The devs of other emulators are more focused on x86-64bit support for a better game play experience. They are unlikely to take up the effort to develop for hardware which may not be fast enough and which may be unfamiliar.

[Djinny]

I think the pi3 or maybe the next pi series, could probably handle PS2, but very poorly. It would definitely need to take advantage of the 64bit. I'd keep an eye out for an android version first. Generally you'll see an android version before you see a version for the pi. Also once there's the android version, it's just a matter of porting it over. Reicast for example.

[EldritchGuard]

Marcus, could you be any more wrong? there IS in fact a PS2 emulator, it's called PCSX2 and it's been out for a while (even though the posts date to 2016 and this is 2017) its been here during that time, and wth is with the dumb emoji anyways?, anyways regarding whether the Raspberry Pi3 can run the pcsx2 emulator depends on many things, the main thing is OpenGL 3 and up. I have a tower thats running an Intel Celeron CPU and a Radeon cedar 8350 gpu and it can run PCSX2 1.4.0, the question is can the Pi actually RUN it at 30 fps (native for most older consoles) or does it have OpenGL 3. as far as I know it runs N64 games

[ric_rpi]

Actually OpenGL3 is not a requirement - only the development of a graphics plugin that can use GLES hardware. Also pcsx2 has embedded x86 assembler that would need re-writing to ARM before you could even compile the source, let alone run it.

To have any chance of being playable, a dynamic recompiler for ARM to R5900 needs to be written.

[runboy93]

Maybe better luck with RPi 4/5/6, if there will be ones in future.

"Emulate", not able to play in ten years.

[RaspberryPiHobbyist]

well, I would like to see the answer as well.
By the way, what if I make a Raspberry Pi cluster consisting of 2 or more pis, would it work then?

[welshy]

RaspberryPiHobbyist
Welcome to the Forum! Unfortunately a 'cluster' would not increase computational power for an emulator unless specifically programmed for purpose which is very doutfull. PCSX2, a PS2 Emulator is available, however this is for X86 only not ARM. It has been added to RetoPie but again for X86 ONLY. If there was an ARM version the RPi would not be powerful enough to run it too an acceptable performance level (for example the Saturn emulator runs at 1-2 FPS on a Pi and is again, recommended for X86 only). In regards to Emulation the 'Host' system (in this case an RPi) needs to be many time more powerful than the 'Guest' system (PS2) being emulated.

[mahjongg]

By the way, what if I make a Raspberry Pi cluster consisting of 2 or more pis, would it work then?

A cluster would not work here, as there is no way to spread the workload efficiently between two PI's that are connected only trough a relatively slow (in terms of speeds used inside the system) channel. Best you could probably do is to offload sound generation to a second PI.

[Brendanbettison123]

I got ps2 emulator running on retropi but it will only work with small games also you need dolphin emulator on retropi

[Drunken]

The pi and ps2 are roughly the same in term of processing power. But your gonna be taxed for emulation of the cpu/gpu and this tax is much to heavy for emulation on the pi.

[rpiMike]

I got ps2 emulator running on retropi but it will only work with small games also you need dolphin emulator on retropi

Was this on a Raspberry Pi ?

[naim200]

By the way, what if I make a Raspberry Pi cluster consisting of 2 or more pis, would it work then?

A cluster would not work here, as there is no way to spread the workload efficiently between two PI's that are connected only trough a relatively slow (in terms of speeds used inside the system) channel. Best you could probably do is to offload sound generation to a second PI.

What if you used a ps2's cpu/gpu?

[HawaiianPi]

What if you used a ps2's cpu/gpu?

Then you have a PS2 and you can run your games on that.

It's not like you can walk into Best Buy and purchase a PS2 CPU and GPU. They were custom chips (and as such, they would be nearly impossible to use outside of the PS2 itself).

[Imperf3kt]

The pi and ps2 are roughly the same in term of processing power. But your gonna be taxed for emulation of the cpu/gpu and this tax is much to heavy for emulation on the pi.

Well, not really... If you're talking in terms of GFLOPS, maybe, but GFLOPS alone do not determine processing power.