Alternatives to Play!
An open-source PlayStation 2 emulator for desktop, mobile and the web browser. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Play!
An open-source PlayStation 2 emulator for desktop, mobile and the web browser.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Play!.
PCSX2
The PlayStation 2 emulator, twenty years in development, now running most of the library at full speed.
PCSX2 runs most of the PS2 library at full speed with upscaling and a large compatibility list, but it is desktop only and needs a BIOS dump from your console.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
PPSSPP
A PSP emulator that needs no BIOS file and runs handheld games in HD on phones and PCs.
DuckStation
A fast, accuracy-focused PlayStation 1 emulator. Excellent software, but licensed non-commercial and no-derivatives.
RPCS3
The PlayStation 3 emulator, and the only free and open source one that actually plays the games.
Provenance
Multi-system emulator for iOS and tvOS covering more than thirty consoles.
RetroArch Web Player
RetroArch compiled to WebAssembly, running in a browser tab.
Dolphin
The GameCube and Wii emulator, running those games at higher resolutions than the consoles ever managed.
