177 ·GitHub
What is this?
OpenPS2BIOS is an experimental open-source replacement BIOS for the PlayStation 2, built for use with emulators and tested against PCSX2.
OpenPS2BIOS is an experimental open-source replacement BIOS for the PlayStation 2, built for use with emulators and tested against PCSX2.Is this a BIOS ROM or an emulator?It is a BIOS ROM image you load into an existing PS2 emulator, not an emulator itself. It includes an original boot screen and the EE and IOP kernels needed to start PS2 software, but no Sony firmware.
It is a BIOS ROM image you load into an existing PS2 emulator, not an emulator itself. It includes an original boot screen and the EE and IOP kernels needed to start PS2 software, but no Sony firmware.How do I start using it with my emulator?Download the prebuilt OpenPS2BIOS.bin from the project's Releases page and select it as the BIOS in your emulator, or build it yourself from source.
Download the prebuilt OpenPS2BIOS.bin from the project's Releases page and select it as the BIOS in your emulator, or build it yourself from source.Is gameplay fully functional once a game boots?Not necessarily: there's no system menu, memory card browser or clock/language settings, PS1 discs/audio CDs/DVD video aren't supported, encrypted KELF modules aren't handled, and reaching a title screen doesn't confirm gameplay, saving, audio or controller input actually work.
Not necessarily: there's no system menu, memory card browser or clock/language settings, PS1 discs/audio CDs/DVD video aren't supported, encrypted KELF modules aren't handled, and reaching a title screen doesn't confirm gameplay, saving, audio or controller input actually work.Can I flash this onto a real PS2 console?No. It's intended for emulator use only — real console hardware is explicitly unsupported and untested, and installing it could leave a real PS2 unable to boot.
No. It's intended for emulator use only — real console hardware is explicitly unsupported and untested, and installing it could leave a real PS2 unable to boot.How mature is game compatibility right now?Still limited and under active testing. Reaching a title screen or menu doesn't establish that gameplay, saving, sound or controller input work, and results can change between BIOS builds and emulator versions.
Still limited and under active testing. Reaching a title screen or menu doesn't establish that gameplay, saving, sound or controller input work, and results can change between BIOS builds and emulator versions.Does it contain any Sony code?No Sony firmware is included. It's an independent reimplementation built from public hardware documentation and tests against a retail BIOS, with PS2SDK and PCSX2 used only as references, not copied.
No Sony firmware is included. It's an independent reimplementation built from public hardware documentation and tests against a retail BIOS, with PS2SDK and PCSX2 used only as references, not copied.What version is it currently at?The project is at version 0.2 and still in development.
The project is at version 0.2 and still in development.What happens if a game calls a feature the BIOS hasn't implemented?The game stops cleanly when it hits an unimplemented system call, so missing functionality shows up as an obvious failure rather than a later crash.
The game stops cleanly when it hits an unimplemented system call, so missing functionality shows up as an obvious failure rather than a later crash.What are similar projects?ProsperoEden, Xbox360PeerPressure, frank-386, Atmosphere, ReBarUEFI, open-gpu-kernel-modules, PSPRecomp, EQAI
ProsperoEden, Xbox360PeerPressure, frank-386, Atmosphere, ReBarUEFI, open-gpu-kernel-modules, PSPRecomp, EQAIWhich topics is it in?boot, console, emulation, retrogaming, emulator, kernel, low-level, firmware, systems-programming, hardware, reverse-engineering, gaming
boot, console, emulation, retrogaming, emulator, kernel, low-level, firmware, systems-programming, hardware, reverse-engineering, gaming