A PS5 homebrew update gives old PS2 discs a reason to leave the shelf

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Old PS2 discs can now launch games on a jailbroken PS5 through a new homebrew feature. Developer Sword has added disc autoplay to PS5SX2, a PS2 emulator that copies an inserted game to storage before running it on the newer console.

The feature arrived in version 2.01 as a beta. At release, disc autoplay had been tested on just one original-model PS5. There’s a working starting point here, but results across other setups remain uncertain.

How the disc feature works

Insert a PS2 disc, and PS5SX2 checks whether the game has already been copied. If it hasn’t, the emulator dumps the contents to storage and then launches the game. Previously copied games skip that first step, so repeat visits don’t require another dump.

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Disc autoplay works whether the emulator is open or closed. Ejecting the disc returns players to the game selection screen. If bad sectors interrupt copying, the incomplete game stays visible but won’t launch automatically.

PS5SX2 is based on PCSX2, with the emulation running entirely on the PS5. The console handles processing and graphics itself, without a separate PC streaming gameplay to the television.

What happens to the graphics

Games can render above their original PS2 resolution, with output to a 4K display. Supported titles can also use widescreen and frame-rate patches.

How far those settings can go depends on the game. Pushing the resolution higher can come at the expense of smooth performance, and 4K output alone won’t make an old favorite look remastered. Players can change settings from a phone while the game runs, making it easier to compare the results as they play.

What players need before trying it

A disc drive alone won’t get this working. The PS5 needs compatible jailbreak and homebrew software. Players must also supply a BIOS dumped from their own PS2, since PS5SX2 doesn’t include one.

The project’s tested-games list offers a starting point for checking compatibility. It doesn’t promise trouble-free play, and updates can fix problems or introduce new ones.

For owners with a compatible setup, disc autoplay cuts down the manual work of copying and launching games from their PS2 collection. Those using an unmodified PS5 will still need another way to play the discs they’ve kept.

Paulo Vargas News Writer Paulo Vargas is an English major turned reporter turned technical writer, with a career that has always circled back to…

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