PCSX2 is a free and open-source PlayStation 2 (PS2) emulator. Its purpose is to emulate the PS2's hardware, using a combination of MIPS CPU [Interpreters](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreter_(computing)>), [Recompilers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_recompilation) and a [Virtual Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine) which manages hardware states and PS2 system memory. This allows you to play PS2 games on your PC, with many additional features and benefits.
PCSX2 has been in development for more than 20 years. Past versions could only run a few public domain game demos, but newer versions can run most games at full speed, including popular titles such as Final Fantasy X and Devil May Cry 3. Visit the [PCSX2 compatibility list](https://pcsx2.net/compat/) to check the latest compatibility status of games (with more than 2500 titles tested).
PCSX2 supports Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms. Our [setup documentation page](https://pcsx2.net/docs/setup/requirements) contains additional details on software and hardware requirements.
Please note that a BIOS dump from a legitimately-owned PS2 console is required to use the emulator. For more information, visit [this page](https://pcsx2.net/docs/setup/bios/).
See the [Contributing Guidelines](https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/blob/master/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) or visit the [GitHub Wiki](https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/wiki) for more info on how to contribute.