PS2 Archives

BetaBeacon

December 2, 2025

Wish your Game Boy was huge and played PS2 games? Meet the RG 477V

ANBERNIC has announced the launch of the RG 477V, a new vertical handheld gaming device with a 4:3 4.7-inch 120Hz screen and powered by a Dimensity 8300 chipset. The release date and pricing are yet to be revealed, but it is expected to hit the market soon.

AppWizard

November 29, 2025

This Half-Life mod reimagines the game as a boomer shooter—yes, even boomier than the original

Half-Life: Element 64 is a new mod that launched its demo on Steam, focusing on fast-paced gameplay similar to earlier classics like Quake. The mod features new levels and music while retaining some elements from the original game. Players can engage in combat against head crabs and vortigaunts in a level-select hub. The developer, Dark Vector, is working on hotfixes for the demo and has plans to unveil Half-Life Arena in two weeks, which is a deathmatch overhaul inspired by the PS2 version of Half-Life. A release date for the complete mod is not yet announced.

AppWizard

November 22, 2025

GTA 5’s character-swapping system was a stroke of genius that was supposed to feature in San Andreas 9 years earlier—this masterclass mod makes that dream a reality

Marvel's Spider-Man 2, released on PS5 in late 2023 and set to launch on Steam in early 2024, features a character-swapping mechanic similar to that of Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V). The character-switching mechanic in GTA V was first discovered by a user named Silent on GTA Forums in 2012 and allows players to switch between three protagonists: Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. A modder named Kaizo has developed a project called Real Multiple Protagonists, which utilizes Rockstar's original source code to enhance this mechanic. Kaizo explains that while GTA: San Andreas had a two-player mode that allowed character switching, it required extensive coding to unlock its full potential. His mod draws inspiration from GTA V's aerial transition and aims to replicate it, although it is limited to free roam mode without mission code. Kaizo faced technical challenges, particularly with camera transitions and UI development, but found the process rewarding. His work has revived interest in San Andreas' two-player mode, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the game and the impact of modding.

AppWizard

November 20, 2025

In October 2025, a full 205 months after the ill-fated life sim Spore first launched, someone walked into a store, found an old DVD copy on a shelf, and bought it

Spore, a PC game released in September 2008, sold a single physical copy in October, making it one of only nine games to achieve this in the U.S. market that month. The list includes titles like Backyard Baseball for PS2 and Burnout Paradise for Xbox 360. Additionally, Spore has recently gained renewed interest with the launch of an official Discord server, marking its revival for the second time since release. Mat Piscatella, an industry analyst, shared these insights on his Bluesky account, which also highlighted the year-to-date top 20 best-selling games, with Battlefield 6 leading the list.

BetaBeacon

November 8, 2025

Gamers take note: Android’s best emulation frontend just got a significant update

The ES-DE 3.4.0 update brings new features and expanded Android support for various systems, including Sony PlayStation 3, Valve Steam, and the Epic Games Store. It also introduces a time tracker feature, DeX support for Samsung users, improved support for dual-screen Android devices, and ARMSX2 as an alternate emulator for PS2 emulation on Android.

AppWizard

October 27, 2025

ARMSX2, the future of PS2 emulation on Android, gets first big release

The ARMSX2 emulator for Android has released its V1.0 on GitHub, with a Play Store launch expected soon. It is open-source and built on a more modern foundation compared to NetherSX2, which currently offers better performance. Users have reported significant bugs affecting gameplay in ARMSX2, and the development team is working to resolve these issues. The emulator's architecture utilizes a recent version of the PCSX2 code, but may experience slower performance due to x86-to-Arm64 translation. Initial tests on devices like the vivo X Fold 5 showed stability problems, prompting the team to prioritize fixes. Future plans include addressing compatibility with Samsung Xclipse and Arm Mali GPUs, updating to the latest PCSX2 core, and improving the user interface. Despite its potential, ARMSX2 is still less robust than NetherSX2 in terms of performance and compatibility.