PCSX2 2.8.0 Released - PS2 Emulation Gets a Big Upgrade

The PCSX2 2.8.0 emulator has received a massive update, fixing numerous graphical issues and improving performance. In Gran Turismo 4, the frame rate increase in some cases has quadrupled.

The PS2 emulator remained on version 2.6.x for more than half a year, and the developers unexpectedly released a major update. PS2 emulation remains difficult due to the specific architecture of the Graphics Synthesizer (GS). Essentially, it was a fast rasterizer, while the console's processor calculated geometry and lighting.

Due to architectural peculiarities, many games launched with graphical errors and performance issues. For example, in Black, the background under the text in the menu was missing, and in Armored Core 2, VRAM texture overwrite errors led to artifacts for years.

The developers stated that PCSX2 2.8.0 fixes at least several dozen GS emulation problems and significantly improves performance. In Gran Turismo 4, the increase reaches fourfold.

The interface has also been updated: OSD settings have been added, a cover downloader in Big Picture mode, and updated integration with RetroAchievements.