A built-in HD video recorder and numerous cheating features make PCSX2 a popular program for speed runners.

Robert Wells is a professional writer and amateur game developer.

His specialties include web development, cryptocurrency, and cybersecurity.

There are emulators for PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 in addition to experimental emulators for the PS4 and PS Vita.

You can even find PlayStation emulators for Android, but youre better off playing PlayStation games on a high-end gaming PC.

Heres a roundup of the best PlayStation emulators available in 2020.

Pc Emulator Best Free To Use

The PlayStation emulators below are free to use unless otherwise noted; however, although emulators are completely legal, it is unlawful in the U.S.

Pc Emulator Best Download Games Others

You can create your own backup copies of games you already own, but you cannot legally share them or download games others have copied.

Nonetheless, theres no shortage of places on the internet where you can find ROMS and disc images of popular PlayStation titles.

Some emulators require you to have the appropriate PlayStation console BIOS, which are also illegal to download or distribute.

The only way to obtain them legally is to transfer them from your console onto a memory card, but doing so might void the console warranty.

See the specific instructions that come with each emulator for help getting started.

RetroArch isnt a single emulator, but rather a collection of emulators, called cores, that let you play thousands of classic games for dozens of consoles all on one PC.

The PS1 core is called Beetle PSX, and its superior to most standalone original PlayStation emulators.

If you love old school video games, RetroArch is worth a look.

If you prefer a standalone PS1 emulator, the obvious choice is PCSX Reloaded.

Its a lot easier to configure than RetroArch, and it supports virtually every game for the classic console.

Trying to set a new world record by speedrunning your favorite game In addition to recording gameplay, BizHawk lets you take advantage of save states and frame-rate manipulation to capture your perfect playthrough.

BizHawk is actually a plugin that runs on top of a PS1 emulator called Mednafen, so youll need to download both programs.

XEBRA is a simple PlayStation emulator for Windows and Android that prioritizes authenticity.

It doesnt add any graphical enhancements or fancy UI elements, but it does hold the distinction of being the only program that can successfully emulate PocketStation games so you can finally play the Japanese version of Chocobo World.

PCSX2 takes advantage of texture filtering and anti-aliasing to give PS2 games a polished look superior to most modern HD remakes.

Mac Pc Emulator Best