A new update has been released for XBSX2 , the PlayStation 2 console emulator and port of PCSX2 to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles .

Among the most appreciated features of this program, the ability to scale the resolution up to 4K and beyond stands out, allowing you to enjoy PS2 titles with a clarity and visual detail never seen before on an Xbox console.

The emulator also maintains a high degree of customization, with multiple configuration options that allow the user to shape their gaming experience according to individual preferences.

On the technical side, this new release synchronizes the emulator with the latest upstream commits available as of March 7th, integrating new features including official support for RetroAchievements starting with this release, and eliminating the obsolete emulator warning when opening games.

Additionally, theme compatibility has been introduced, thanks to the latest updates from the PCSX2 team , and the transition to SDL3 version 3.3.0, thanks to the work of @3UR.

Some structural changes include removing the “Enable CDVD Precaching” option due to RAM limit issues, updating assets to no longer include the “.0” suffix in the XBSX2 name , and adapting the User Agent to include the user’s console model.

Finally, an important detail concerns texture packs: these still work, but they must be exclusively in .dds, since support for .pnghas been removed.

Note: Installing this version will make previous save states incompatible, so it is essential to ensure you have saved your game progress to a Memory Card before proceeding, otherwise you risk losing your data .

Improvements made to the original source code

Backported from PCSX2 to both GameDB and various backend tweaks, this led to some improvements such as Spider-Man games now running with Hardware Renderer (don’t get too excited, they crash after a couple of minutes).
Lots of changes to UI elements, the settings page has been heavily changed so that the location of most options makes more sense, it also has a directory settings tab where you can set directories where you want.
Made a few tweaks to the control scheme – I’d recommend showing the little question mark bubble in the top right of the main menu – but essentially LB/RB can be used to jump between Game List entries, pressing Start on an entry opens the Game Properties menu, and the Back button takes you back to the main menu.
Fixed loop settings issue caused by 2 options with the same name.
Changed the default font used by the app to one that users should be more familiar with.
Changed the way most OSD elements are displayed, the FPS counter no longer has [G] and [V], FPS now only shows the game’s internal FPS instead.
Changed the language used for things like switching between software/hardware renderers to not be so verbose.
Removed most of the options found in the game’s Properties menu as they were not working.
Changed the positioning of the quick menu options to be more in line with something we are all familiar with.

Note: It is recommended that you use the question mark bubble in the top right of the main menu to find out the controls as these will be slightly different to what you are used to .

Changelog

Synchronized with the latest upstream commits as of March 7, 2024.
Thanks to new updates from the PCSX2 team, themes are now available!
Updated to SDL3 version 3.3.0 (thanks to @3UR for the quick response).
Removed “Enable CDVD Precaching” option from Settings due to numerous RAM limit issues.
Updated graphics assets to remove the “.0” from the XBSX2 name.
Updated User Agent to include user console model.

Note: Texture packs still work, but must be in .dds; the format .pngis no longer supported .