Speed Performance

Speed Performance


Speed prior to version 0.9 was between 2 and 15 frames per second depending on the game, PC hardware, and plugin configuration―with the PS2 BIOS itself being one of the fastest pieces of software to emulate. Since the release of version 0.9 in April 2006, performance has greatly increased. Most 2D games and menus can reach 60-120 frame/s when specific plugins are used, and with the latest version, in-game 3D performance on a relatively new desktop computer can reach speeds greater than the native PS2 frame rate of 60 frame/s (NTSC) and 50 frame/s (PAL). In version 0.9, PCSX2 also began supporting dual core CPUs, resulting in a very significant increase in frame rate on systems with dual core processors. As of 0.9.1 in summer 2006, dual-core CPUs (Athlon 64 X2 and Core 2 Duo running at approximately 3.0 GHz) can run popular 3D games, such as Final Fantasy X, at well over 60 frame/s (when combined with an adequate video card such as a Radeon X1000 series or GeForce 6+ series, or midrange Radeon HD2600xt or Geforce 8600 card). The developers and beta testers claim that Final Fantasy X is fully playable to completion. The PCSX2 team continues to remain actively involved in the development of PCSX2.