The stable version of Neutrino , the modular emulator for PlayStation 2 console devices , has been released after debuting with the 1.7.0 beta version.

This software, which takes its name from the subatomic particle characterized by almost zero mass, aims to minimize its impact on the emulation to ensure maximum compatibility.

Neutrino does not have a built-in user interface; instead, it is intended to be used as a backend for external front-ends such as uLaunchELF , XEB+ , OPL , or other similar software.

This approach makes maintenance easier and enables the creation of applications that leverage Neutrino as a core component.

Neutrino modules are completely modular and can be configured via TOML files located in the dedicated folder. The user can add new modules or improve existing ones, making the software extremely customizable.

New features include a fix for writing to MMCE, which is used for VMC/ATA emulation, the return of debug colors in a new form, the introduction of a checksum system for verifying IRX modules, and fixes for issues with some games like Ibara , albeit at the expense of slightly slower boot times.

Everything was recompiled using the new GCC 15 toolchain.

Structure of the environments

Neutrino operates through three distinct environments:

Boot Environment (BE): Initial loading via uLE, ps2link or similar, with configuration files and drivers.
Load Environment (LE): Manages booting loader.elfto access virtual disk images.
Emulation Environment (EE): Handles the actual emulation through ee_core.elf, replicating the behavior of physical devices.

Drivers and Support

Neutrino supports various storage types, including USB, MX4SIO, internal HDD (ATA), UDPBD, and iLink/IEEE1394. Partitions support MBR and GPT, with compatible filesystems such as exFAT/FAT32, HDLoader, and Block Devices. However, HDLoader is currently limited to read-only and can only emulate DVDs.

For CD/DVD emulation, three main drivers are supported: Using original discs, ESR-patched DVDs, or ISO files from backing store. For HDD emulation, you can use real ATA disks or virtual HDD images.

Usage

Neutrino is designed to be used via the command line, with configurable options for storage drivers, CD/DVD handling, HDD emulation, and more.

It is also possible to integrate it with third-party graphical interfaces for more intuitive use, although with limited functionality compared to the CLI version.

Usage: neutrino.elf options

Options:
  -bsd=<driver>     Backing store drivers, supported are:
                    - no (default)
                    - ata
                    - usb
                    - mx4sio
                    - udpbd
                    - ilink

  -bsdfs=<driver>   Backing store fileystem drivers, supported are:
                    - exfat (default)
                    - hdl   (HD Loader)
                    - bd    (Block Device)

  -dvd=<mode>       DVD emulation mode, supported are:
                    - no (default)
                    - esr
                    - <file>

  -ata0=<mode>      ATA HDD 0 emulation mode, supported are:
                    - no (default)
                    - <file>
                    NOTE: only both emulated, or both real.
                          mixing not possible
  -ata0id=<mode>    ATA 0 HDD ID emulation mode, supported are:
                    - no (default)
                    - <file>
                    NOTE: only supported if ata0 is present
  -ata1=<mode>      See -ata0=<mode>

  -mc0=<mode>       MC0 emulation mode, supported are:
                    - no (default)
                    - <file>
  -mc1=<mode>       See -mc0=<mode>

  -elf=<file>       ELF file to boot, supported are:
                    - auto (elf file from cd/dvd) (default)
                    - <file>

  -mt=<type>        Select media type, supported are:
                    - cd
                    - dvd
                    Defaults to cd for size<=650MiB, and dvd for size>650MiB

  -gc=<compat>      Game compatibility modes, supported are:
                    - 0: IOP: Fast reads (sceCdRead)
                    - 1: dummy
                    - 2: IOP: Sync reads (sceCdRead)
                    - 3: EE : Unhook syscalls
                    - 5: IOP: Emulate DVD-DL
                    - 7: IOP: Fix game buffer overrun
                    Multiple options possible, for example -gc=23

  -cwd=<path>       Change working directory

  -cfg=<file>       Load extra user/game specific config file (without .toml extension)

  -dbc              Enable debug colors
  -logo             Enable logo (adds rom0:PS2LOGO to arguments)
  -qb               Quick-Boot directly into load environment

  --b               Break, all following parameters are passed to the ELF

Usage examples:
  neutrino.elf -bsd=usb -dvd=mass:path/to/filename.iso
  neutrino.elf -bsd=ata -dvd=mass:path/to/filename.iso
  neutrino.elf -bsd=ata -bsdfs=hdl -dvd=hdl:filename.iso
  neutrino.elf -bsd=udpbd -bsdfs=bd -dvd=bdfs:udp0p0