How to Install PS2 BIOS on PCSX2, AetherSX2 and RetroArch

Installing PS2 BIOS on emulators like PCSX2, AetherSX2, and RetroArch comes differently. Despite how they do the same thing, they work separately in terms of platforms. For mobile users like Android and iOS, the AetherSX2 and RetroArch are known to work better. When it comes to PC, nothing beats PCSX2 in terms of performance and game compatibility.

If you find yourself having any of these emulators installed on your Android, iOS or PC and you want to get the BIOS files to work, we got you covered here. This article covers all the steps needed for a proper PlayStation 2 game emulation on PCSX2, AetherSX2 and RetroArch.

As said earlier, these are popular PS2 emulators with the best experiences you’ll find on the internet. As long as your device meets the requirements to run these emulators, setting up the BIOS on them will be less of a worry.

How to Install PS2 BIOS on PCSX2, AetherSX2 and RetroArch

While each step looks different, they’re almost the same if you follow up closely. We will start with the PC version, which is the PCSX2 before diving into mobile emulators like AetherSX2 and RetroArch.

Installing PS2 BIOS on PCSX2

If you’re using PCSX2 on Windows, Linux or other compatible OS, follow the steps below to install PS2 BIOS on it.

Step 1: Head over to the official PCSX2 website to download the latest version. Or click on this link to download PCSX2.

Step 2: In the download section, click on the link to get the portable version. i.e., it doesn’t need to be installed.

Step 3: Using WinRAR, kindly extract the downloaded PCSX2.zip file on your desktop or any document folder.

Step 4: You’ll need the BIOS file, to get the PS2 BIOS, click on this link to download the latest PCSX2 BIOS for PC.

Step 5: Create a new folder and name it “PS2 BIOS“. Now extract the downloaded BIOS file into the newly created folder.

Step 6: Launch the PCSX2 emulator and navigate to the menu option. Click on Bios and add the BIOS Folder as your default BIOS location.

Step 7: With the BIOS file added, now create a new folder and name it “PS2 Games“. Move all your downloaded PS2 ISO files to this folder.

Step 8: In the same menu option, click on the Games section, and add your “PS2 Games” folder as the default location for games.

Step 9: Once done, now return to the PCSX2 home screen, you’ll see all your available games. From there, you can also run your games without any hassles.

Step 10: With some tutorials available on YouTube, you can watch a few ones for configuring your PCSX2 to work better. Or instead, we have a guide on PS2 BIOS setup on PCSX2.

How to Install PS2 BIOS on AetherSX2

For Android users, the following steps will teach you how to download, install and play PS2 games on AetherSX2. You just need to make sure you’re using a device with a Snapdragon 800+ processor and nothing less than 8GB RAM.

Step 1: Since AetherSX2 is not available on the Google Play Store. You’ll need to get the APK file from their website. Click on this link (https://aethersx2.gitlab.io/) to download it faster.

Step 2: Before installation, go to Settings > Security > Unknown Sources. Tick the button to enable installing apps outside the Google Play Store.

Step 3: Now install AetherSX2 on your Android device and wait while it completes its installation.

Step 4: Once done with step 3, now it’s time to download the PS2 BIOS file. Click on this link to download PS2 BIOS for Android.

Step 5: Extract the BIOS zip file using Zarchiver APK.

Step 6: Launch AetherSX2, on the home screen, choose the option that best determines your Android device performance.

Step 7: On the next screen, you’ll see the option that says “Import BIOS”. Click on Import BIOS and select your preferred BIOS file from the list of options extracted.

Step 8: This step requires choosing a Game Directory. Minimize the app, Go to your File Manager and create a folder named “PS2 Games”. Move all your PlayStation 2 game files there. Then go back to the AetherSX2 app, click on “Browse” then select the PS2 game folder.

Step 9: If you enjoy touch controls, you can modify the button arrangements to suit your needs. Alternatively, the AetherSX2 supports modern game controls like that of the PS4, Xbox and PS5.

How to Setup PS2 BIOS on RetroArch (Android & iOS)

While other emulators are for PC or just Android, RetroArch comes as a multi-platform emulator for Android, iOS, Windows and much more. To learn how to install PS2 BIOS on RetroArch, follow the steps below.

Step 1: If you’re an Android user, you’ll need to download RetroArch from The Google Play Store. For iOS users, RetroArch is also available on the Apple Store.

Step 2: Once the installation has been completed, launch the RetroArch and then close it. “This allows it to create a folder in your internal storage“

Step 3: The next thing to do is download the available versions of the PS2 BIOS image files. Using this link, you’ll be able to download all PS2 BIOS versions in a zipped folder.

Step 4: Now extract the downloaded zipped folder of the PS2 BIOS. You can use Zarchiver (Android) or iZip (iOS) to extract the BIOS files.

Step 5: Move the extracted PlayStation 2 BIOS files to RetroArch/system/pcsx2/bios in your device’s internal storage. For Android users, use “Files by Google” to access your internal storage.

Step 6: Using your Android or iOS device, launch the RetroArch app, then go to settings. Under settings, click on “Load Core” (this allows users to get the PS2 emulation engine installed on RetroArch).

Step 7: After clicking “Load Core” and can’t find anything. You’ll need to click on the “Download Core” option displayed on your screen.

Step 8: On your screen, you’ll see different core files being displayed. Kindly focus on the one that says “Sony – PlayStation 2 (LRPS2)” and download it.

Step 9: Let the core install completely. Once done, go back to the menu options, click on Load Core, then select the available PS2 core which you just downloaded.

Step 10: With the core file out of the way, now it’s time to play a PS2 game to see if everything works.

Step 11: By putting all your PS2 games in one place, launch the RetroArch once again. Go to “Load Content”, then select the folder where your games are stored.

Step 12: Select any of the games of your choice, then wait while it runs on the RetroArch emulator.

Conclusion

In conclusion, that’s all on how to install PS2 BIOS on PCSX2, AetherSX2 and RetroArch. Using the steps above, you’ll be able to play any PlayStation 2 titles using any of the steps above. If you have any issues regarding setting up your BIOS, don’t forget to leave a comment below.