PS5SX2 adds native PS2 disc support and 4K upscaling on jailbroken PS5s
The homebrew release lets jailbroken PS5 consoles run PS2 discs locally, with up to 4K output, and points to PS3 disc support next.
A homebrew developer has released PS5SX2, a native PlayStation 2 emulator for jailbroken PS5 consoles that can run PS2 games from real discs and up to 4K through 6x scaling. The project ports PCSX2 to Sony’s Zen 2-based hardware and uses a modified ps5vk translation layer for Vulkan rendering, rather than streaming emulation from another machine. It supports common PS2 image formats, built-in and USB optical drives, and extras such as FSR, widescreen and 60 FPS patches, smartphone-based settings control, network play, keyboard and mouse, and virtual memory cards. The developer also said PS3 disc support is planned for the related RPCS3 port. That matters because it shows the PS5 homebrew scene is pushing far beyond Sony’s official backward-compatibility limits.
Why it matters
For owners of jailbroken PS5 consoles, this turns the machine into a much broader retro game player than Sony officially allows. It also shows that homebrew developers are extending disc support and visual scaling on the console itself, rather than depending on another device. The planned PS3 disc support in the related RPCS3 port suggests that this reach may widen further on the same hardware.
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Sources
- Tom's Hardware