AetherSX2: Download the PS2 Emulator for Xbox and Enjoy Retro Gaming in 2023
How to Download and Play PS2 Games on Your Xbox Series X/S with AetherSX2
If you are a fan of retro gaming and own an Xbox Series X or S, you might be interested in playing some classic PlayStation 2 games on your console. Thanks to a powerful emulator called AetherSX2, you can turn your Xbox into a PS2 gaming machine and enjoy hundreds of titles from the legendary console. In this article, we will show you how to download and install AetherSX2 on your Xbox, how to load and play PS2 games, and what are the benefits of using this emulator.
What is AetherSX2 and why is it the best PS2 emulator for Xbox?
AetherSX2 is an emulator that allows you to run PlayStation 2 games on various platforms, including Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and Xbox. It is based on the code of PCSX2, a well-known PS2 emulator for PC, but it has been optimized and improved for other devices. AetherSX2 was created by a developer named Tahlreth, who got the permission from the PCSX2 team to use their code under the LGPL license.
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A brief history of AetherSX2
AetherSX2 was first released in December 2021 as an open beta on the Google Play Store for Android devices. It quickly gained popularity among emulation enthusiasts, as it offered better performance and compatibility than other PS2 emulators available on Android. In March 2023, however, the app was updated with ads, which annoyed some users who preferred the ad-free version. Fortunately, you can still find the older versions of the app on the fan-run Discord server or via an archived link.
For Xbox users, AetherSX2 became available in late 2021 as well, thanks to the Developer Mode feature that allows you to install UWP apps on your console. You can download the latest version of AetherSX2 for Xbox from its official website or from the web interface of your console in Developer Mode.
The advantages of AetherSX2 over other PS2 emulators
AetherSX2 is not the only PS2 emulator that you can use on your Xbox, but it is definitely the best one for several reasons. Here are some of them:
AetherSX2 is free to download and use, unlike some other PS2 emulators that charge money or display ads.
AetherSX2 supports a wide range of PS2 games, from popular titles like Final Fantasy X, God of War, and GTA San Andreas, to obscure gems like Shadow of Destiny, Okage: Shadow King, and Gregory Horror Show.
AetherSX2 allows you to customize various settings and options, such as internal resolution scaling, save states, controller mapping, audio output, and more.
AetherSX2 uses different cores or plugins to emulate different systems, such as PCSX ReARMed for PS1 games or Flycast for Dreamcast games. You can switch between cores easily and enjoy games from other consoles besides PS2.
AetherSX2 offers better graphics and performance than playing on a real PS2 console, thanks to enhancements like anti-aliasing, texture filtering, frame skipping, and overclocking.
How to install A etherSX2 on your Xbox Series X/S
Installing AetherSX2 on your Xbox is not very difficult, but it does require some steps and prerequisites. Here is what you need to do:
Activate Developer Mode on your Xbox
Developer Mode is a feature that allows you to run UWP apps and games on your Xbox that are not available on the official store. It also gives you access to a web interface that lets you manage your console remotely. To activate Developer Mode, you need to follow these steps:
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Register for a Microsoft Developer account at and pay a one-time fee of $19.
Download the Dev Mode Activation app from the Xbox store and launch it on your console.
Follow the instructions on the screen and enter the code that you receive from the Microsoft Developer website.
Restart your console and switch to Developer Mode from the settings menu.
Note that Developer Mode has some limitations, such as disabling online multiplayer, achievements, and game DVR. You can switch back to Retail Mode anytime, but you will lose all the data and apps that you installed in Developer Mode.
Download and install AetherSX2 from the web interface
Once you have activated Developer Mode, you can download and install AetherSX2 from the web interface of your console. Here is how:
Connect your Xbox and your PC or smartphone to the same network.
Open a web browser on your PC or smartphone and enter the IP address of your console, which you can find in the settings menu of Developer Mode.
Login with the username and password that you set up during the activation process.
Go to the "Add" tab and click on "Browse" to select the AetherSX2 app package file, which you can download from .
Click on "Start" to begin the installation process.
Wait for a few minutes until the installation is complete.
Configure AetherSX2 settings and cores
After installing AetherSX2, you can launch it from the home screen of your console. You will see a menu with different options, such as Load Content, Online Updater, Settings, Information, and Quit. Before you start playing PS2 games, you need to configure some settings and cores for optimal performance. Here is what you need to do:
Go to Settings > Video and set the Output Resolution to 1920x1080 or higher, depending on your TV or monitor. You can also enable or disable V-Sync, Fullscreen Mode, Aspect Ratio, etc.
Go to Settings > Audio and set the Output Device to HDMI or Optical, depending on your sound system. You can also adjust the Volume Level, Audio Latency, etc.
Go to Settings > Input and set the Input Device Type to XInput or DirectInput, depending on your controller. You can also map the buttons and analog sticks of your controller to match the PS2 layout.
Go to Online Updater > Update Cores and download the cores that you want to use for different systems. For PS2 games, you need to download the PCSX2 core. For PS1 games, you need to download the PCSX ReARMed core. For Dreamcast games, you need to download the Flycast core. And so on.
Go to Online Updater > Update Assets and download the assets that are required for AetherSX2 to run properly.
How to load and play PS2 games on AetherSX2
Now that you have installed and configured AetherSX2, you are ready to load and play PS2 games on your Xbox. Here is how:
Transfer PS2 game files to your Xbox
To play PS2 games on AetherSX2, you need to have the game files in ISO or BIN format on your Xbox. You can either rip them from your own PS2 discs using a PC software like ImgBurn or DVD Decrypter, or download them from online sources like EmuParadise or CoolROM (at your own risk). Once you have the game files, you need to transfer them to your Xbox using one of these methods:
Use a USB flash drive or external hard drive formatted in FAT32 or NTFS. Copy the game files to the root directory of the drive and plug it into one of the USB ports of your Xbox. Then, go to Load Content > Scan Directory and select the drive letter of your USB device.
Use a network share or FTP server on your PC or smartphone. Create a folder on your PC or smartphone and copy the game files to it. Then, go to Load Content > Scan Network and enter the IP address, username, and password of your network share or FTP server.
After scanning the game files, you will see them listed under the PS2 playlist on the AetherSX2 menu. You can also add custom thumbnails and metadata for each game by downloading them from Online Updater > Update Thumbnails and Update Databases.
Scan and launch PS2 games from AetherSX2 menu
To launch a PS2 game from AetherSX2, you need to select it from the PS2 playlist and choose the PCSX2 core as the emulator. You can also change some core options before launching the game, such as CPU Mode, EE Cyclerate, VU Cycle Stealing, etc. These options can affect the speed and compatibility of the game, so you may need to experiment with them to find the best settings for each game. You can also save and load different core option presets for different games.
Once you launch the game, you will see the PS2 boot screen and then the game will start. You can use your controller to play the game as if you were playing on a real PS2 console. You can also access the AetherSX2 menu by pressing the Xbox button on your controller. From there, you can do things like save and load states, take screenshots, record videos, adjust video and audio settings, e