XBSX2 Guide

Guide Author: Stern/Jeen

XBSX2 is an emulator that allows you to play PlayStation 2 (PS2) games on your Xbox Series X/S, taking advantage of the hardware to provide smooth gameplay with features such as:

  • Higher resolutions (up to 4K)
  • HD texture packs
  • 60fps patches
  • Multiplayer (local and online)

Requirements Checklist

  • Xbox Series X|S Make sure you have an Xbox Series X or Series S. Note: Xbox One can run some PS2 games, but it’s not powerful enough for most of them.
  • External USB Drive (Optional but Highly Recommended) You will need a properly formatted USB drive to store the BIOS, games and other files. The USB drive must be formatted in NTFS and have the correct permissions - see the Dev Mode Setup Guide for the steps. We recommend using an external SSD for smoother performance when using HD textures or large games.
  • Developer Mode on Xbox To run homebrew applications such as XBSX2, you need to enable Developer Mode. This allows you to install applications that aren’t available from the Microsoft Store. If you haven’t enabled Developer Mode yet, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered here.

Setting up XBSX2 on Xbox

Download the Necessary Files

  1. On your computer, go to GitHub or the Xbox Dev Store.
  2. Download the latest version of XBSX2 and dependencies.
  3. You’ll get two files: the .MSIX file (XBSX2 itself) and the .APPX dependencies (needed to run the app).

Transfer the Files to Xbox

In order to install XBSX2 on your Xbox, you’ll need to use the Xbox Device Portal on your computer.

  1. Go to Xbox Dev Mode on your Xbox. Look for the IP address of your Xbox on the Developer Home Screen (it looks like 192.168.x.x).
  2. On your PC, open a web browser and enter the Xbox IP address in the URL bar. This opens the Xbox Device Portal.
  3. Sign in using your Xbox Developer credentials.

Upload XBSX2

  1. In the Device Portal, go to My Games & Apps.
  2. Click Add, then select Choose File.
  3. Upload the XBSX2 .appx file and the .APPX dependencies.
  4. Click Next and follow the prompts to install.

Troubleshooting: If the app doesn’t install correctly or gets stuck, refresh the page and retry.

Setting Up BIOS Files

A BIOS file is a core system file for running PS2 games. You’ll need to legally obtain a PS2 BIOS from a PlayStation 2 console you own.

Get the PS2 BIOS File

Important: You must obtain the BIOS from your own PS2 hardware. There are several legal ways to do this:

  • Use tools like FreeMcBoot on your PS2 console.
  • Dump the BIOS using a modded PS2 or PS3.
  • You can also extract a PS2 Bios from the PS3 firmware without a console. Watch this tutorial to learn how to do this.

Option 1: Using a USB drive

  1. Format your USB drive to NTFS and apply permissions. Click here if you don’t know how to do this.
  2. Create a folder named XBSX2 on the USB drive.
  3. Inside that folder, create another folder called BIOS.
  4. Copy the PS2 BIOS file to the BIOS folder on your USB drive.
  5. Make sure your BIOS should be like in the Picture. (Note: Image was referenced but not provided)

Option 2: Internal storage

  1. Upload the PS2 BIOS file using the Xbox Device Portal: Go to Dev portal > File explorer > LocalAppData > XBSX2 > Localstate
  2. Create a BIOS folder (if it doesn’t already exist).
  3. Copy the BIOS files into this folder.

Configure BIOS on Xbox

  1. Plug the USB drive into your Xbox.
  2. Open XBSX2 on the Xbox.
  3. Navigate to Settings > BIOS Directory.

  4. Point the BIOS directory to the BIOS folder on your USB drive or internal storage. Once You’ve done BIOS Part then Click BIOS Selection to see if your BIOS show up like this: (Note: Image was referenced but not provided)

    But if your BIOS does not show up then you need to redump your BIOS.

Adding PS2 Games

You need to legally dump your PS2 games. If you have physical PS2 discs, you can use a tool like ImgBurn on a PC to convert them into ISO files. Your ROMs should be ISO, BIN/CUE, or CHD files.

Option 1: Transfer Games via USB

  1. On your USB drive, create a folder named Games.
  2. Inside the Games folder, create another folder called PlayStation 2.
  3. Copy your PS2 game ISOs into the PlayStation 2 folder.

Optional: If you want cover art for your games, download images (e.g., from GameFAQs) and rename them to match the game files.

Option 2: Upload Games to Internal Storage

Use the Xbox Device Portal to upload games: Go to Dev portal > File explorer > DevelopmentFiles > WindowsApps > XBSX2.

  1. Create a folder named Games in this directory.
  2. Upload the ROMs as .ISO, BIN/CUE, or CHD files. You can upload them as .zip files, and the Dev Portal will prompt you to unzip them automatically.

Configure Games Directory on Xbox

  1. Open XBSX2 on the Xbox.
  2. Go to Games List > Games Directory Tab.
  3. Point the games directory to the PlayStation 2 folder on your USB drive or the Games folder in internal storage.

Configuring Memory Cards

To save your games in XBSX2, you need virtual memory cards.

Option 1: USB Memory Cards

  1. On your USB drive, go to the XBSX2 folder.
  2. Create a folder named MemoryCards.

Option 2: Internal Storage Memory Cards

  1. Using the Xbox Device Portal, go to Dev portal > File explorer > LocalAppData > XBSX2 > Localstate.
  2. Create a MemoryCards folder (if it doesn’t exist).

Set Up Memory Cards in XBSX2

  1. Open XBSX2 on your Xbox.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Memory Card Settings.
  3. Set Slot 1 to use the MemoryCards folder on your USB drive or internal storage.

Tip: Use folder-based memory cards so you never run out of save space.

Controller Setup

Mapping the Xbox Controller

  1. Open XBSX2, go to Settings > Controllers.
  2. In Controller Port 1, set the controller type to DualShock 2.
  3. Use Automatic Mapping to automatically map the Xbox controller buttons to their PS2 counterparts.

Note: You can also manually customize each button mapping for more control.

Multiplayer Setup

For multiplayer, set up the controllers as:

  • Player 1: Controller Port 1
  • Player 2: Controller Port 2, and so on. Enable the Multitap setting if you plan on using more than 2 controllers.

Adding Cheat Codes

Find and Download Cheat Codes

Find cheats for your desired games. Recommended websites:

  • Emulation Collective Discord
  • Revives Community Server Discord
  • Gamehacking.org
  • PCSX2 forums

Download the cheats in PCSX2 PNACH format.

Rename the PNACH File

Each game has a unique identifier called a CRC32 code. To apply the cheat code to your game, you must rename the downloaded PNACH file to match the CRC32 code of your game.

Finding the CRC32 Code:

  1. Open XBSX2 and navigate to your game list.
  2. Highlight the game in question and press Y (or the menu button).
  3. The CRC32 code will be displayed on the right side of the screen. Write it down.

Edit the Cheat File (Optional)

If you want to manually add or tweak cheats:

  1. Open the PNACH file in a text editor (e.g., Notepad).

  2. Cheats are written as follows: /patch=1,EE,XXXXXXXX,extended,YYYYYYYY

    Replace XXXXXXXX with the memory address and YYYYYYYY with the cheat value.

Option 1: Add Cheats to USB

  1. Go to the XBSX2 folder on your USB drive.
  2. Create a subfolder called Cheats.
  3. Place the renamed PNACH files in the Cheats folder.

Option 2: Add Cheats to Internal Storage

Use the Xbox Device Portal to access: Dev portal > File explorer > LocalAppData > XBSX2 > Localstate

  1. Create a Cheats folder here (if it doesn’t exist) and add the PNACH files.

Enable Cheats in XBSX2

  1. Plug the USB drive back into the Xbox.
  2. Open XBSX2 and go to the Cheats Menu.
  3. Enable the desired cheats from the list, then launch the game.

Applying 60FPS Patches

Some PS2 games run at 30fps by default. With 60fps patches, you can double the frame rate.

Find 60FPS Codes

  1. Go to forums like the PCSX2 forums or GameHacking.org.
  2. Search for the 60fps patch for your game.

Add the 60FPS Patch to the Cheat File

If you find the 60fps patch in raw format (hex codes), add it to your PNACH file as follows:

  1. Open the existing PNACH file for the game.
  2. Add a new line: patch=1,EE,XXXXXXXX,extended,YYYYYYYY Replace the XXXXXXXX and YYYYYYYY with the values provided by the patch.

Option 1: Transfer by USB Drive

  1. On your USB drive, create a folder named Cheats inside your XBSX2 folder.
  2. Copy the renamed PNACH file into the Cheats folder.

Option 2: Transfer to Internal Storage

Use the Xbox Device Portal to upload the PNACH file: Go to File Explorer > LocalAppData > XBSX2 > Localstate.

  1. Create a Cheats folder (if it doesn’t exist) and upload the PNACH file there.

Enable 60FPS Patch in XBSX2

  1. Open XBSX2 on your Xbox.
  2. Go to the Cheats Menu.
  3. Toggle the 60fps patch and launch the game.

Setting Up HD Texture Packs

HD Texture Packs replace the original textures in PS2 games with high-resolution versions, making old games look sharper and more detailed.

Download HD Texture Packs

There’s no central hub for texture packs, but there are still plenty of places to find them:

  • Xboxdev.store
  • GBATEMP.net
  • Community Discords like: Emulation Collective & Revives Community Server.

Steps:

  1. Search for an HD texture pack for your game.
  2. Download it.

Prepare the Texture Pack

  1. Once downloaded, extract the texture pack.
  2. The extracted files should be in a folder named after the game’s SLUS/SLES code (you can find this code on the game’s box or in XBSX2 under Game Details).

Option 1: Add Textures via USB

  1. On your USB drive, go to the XBSX2 folder.
  2. Create a subfolder named Textures.
  3. Inside the Textures folder, add the folder with the game’s SLUS/SLES code.

Option 2: Upload Textures to Internal Storage

Use the Xbox Device Portal to upload the texture files.

  1. Go to Dev portal > File explorer > LocalAppData > XBSX2 > Localstate > Textures.
  2. Upload the game-specific texture folder here.

Enable HD Textures in XBSX2

  1. Open XBSX2 on your Xbox.
  2. Go to Settings > Graphics.
  3. Toggle Enable Texture Replacement.
  4. Launch your game, and the HD textures will automatically be applied.

Widescreen Patches

  • Enable widescreen patches for games that didn’t support widescreen natively.
  • In Settings > Graphics, toggle Enable Widescreen Patches.
  • This stretches the image without distorting the game.

Frame Pacing and VSync

  • For smoother performance, enable Optimal Frame Pacing in Settings > Performance.
  • Turn on VSync to prevent screen tearing, which can occur when the game’s frame rate doesn’t match the TV’s refresh rate.

Resolution and Performance Tuning

  • In XBSX2, you can change the internal resolution (e.g., from native PS2 resolution to 1080p or 4K) to enhance game visuals.
  • Go to Settings > Graphics and adjust the Internal Resolution to 2x, 4x, or even 8x native resolution for crisper textures.

Note: Higher resolutions may reduce performance, especially in demanding games.