How To Play PS2 Games On PS3 [2021]

If you want to learn how to play PS2 Games on PS3 consoles then you came to the right place because in today’s article I will discuss some working method that can help you with this.

Don’t forget to read this guide till the end and never miss any steps (when following any guide) because this is quite sensitive. If you made any sort of mistake you can damage your whole PlayStation 3 console which may not get fixed.

Is Your PS3 Compatible with PS2 Games

The first thing that I want to mention here is to check if your console is already compatible with the PlayStation 2 games or not. There are some various (Fat mostly) that are compatible and can be used to play PS2 games directly from the disc without any mode or anything.

Check Backward Compatibility: The first thing that we can check for the compatibility of PS3 console with Ps2 games is checking backwards compatibility. However, the most (not all) fat PS3 consoles support backwards compatible. If it has 4 USB ports on the back of the console (not in front) then there are chances that you can play PS2 games on PS3.

Check Number of Ports: No matter if you have a backwards-compatible console but having only 2 USB Ports. It won’t work on PS2 games so first check if it is backwards compatible along with having four UBS ports on the backside.

Check Serial: Another thing that we can do is check for the serial number because not all backward compatible consoles support PS2 games but only a few having certain serial number can easily Run PS2 games on PS3. Below is the list of serial and their compatibility:

• CECHAxx (60 GB) and CECHBxx (20 GB) – It is fully supported by backward and also a hardware which runs PS2 games without any issue.
• CECHCxx (60 GB) and CECHExx (80 GB) – These serial numbers supports only a limited number of PS2 discs only. You can check if the game is compatible or not by inserting CD into it and then checking by yourself.
• CECHGxx and above – All the models that end with this serial key are not backwards compatible so you have to purchase another one.

Install PS2 Emulator on PS3 Console

The last thing that I want to share with you is using the PS2 emulator files that can easily make any PS3 compatible with PlayStation 2 Games. In this method, we will replace the original /dev_flash files with the modified ones so make sure to first make a backup before following the process.

Ok, so here are the steps that you can follow:

1. Download /dev_flash files from this link.

2. Open Factory Service Mode using the tool or through Dongle.

3. Now make a backup of /dev_flash and then replace them with the one you downloaded above.

4. After this just insert PS2 Game disc.

5. It will start booting and in a few seconds, you will be able to play games.

Playing PS2 Games Using Emulator

However, if both of these methods don’t work or you don’t want to purchase a new console then here is a bonus guide for you. PlayStation 2 Emulator is available for the Mac and even for the Windows Operating System that let you play ever games without any modification or anything else.

All you need to do is just download the PCSX2 emulator for your desired platform and then install it. After this, you will be required to download PS2 Bios files which I have already uploaded here. So, download these files and then you will see the same boot screen as on the console.

When everything is done now it will require you to play games using an ISO image file because it doesn’t support direct disc. In this way, you can download this ISO image from various sources like CoolRom or WowRom. I have also shared the best PS2 Roms games on this website that you can check and easily download the files.

For complete instructions check out below guides: Which PS2 Bios To Use For PCSX2

Conclusion

These are some working methods that can help you to play PS2 games on PS3 without taking many efforts. However, all the methods are sensitive so please read the instruction twice before applying as it can damage your whole console and it won’t be repaired.

Because modifying the system files is against PlayStation policy so in this way you can void your warranty. The method that I would recommend is buying a console that is already compatible with the PS2 game. You can check the serial numbers above and buy a new console accordingly.