Best Settings Recommendation of AetherSX2 to Play PlayStation 2 Games on Android - AGameDroid (2024)

What is AetherSX2? You might have your favorite PS2 games that you want to play anytime you have spare time. Nevertheless, you cannot be in front of your PS2 console all the time. You cannot bring the console around, as well. It will be great if you can play your favorite PS2 games on your Android device.

Well, it is not impossible to play your favorite PS2 games without using a console device. All you have to use is to use this PS2 console emulator for the Android platform. You have no choice but to use a BIOS image for playing PS2 games because it is not optional. That is why you need the console.

However, by using a homebrew app, you can eliminate the BIOS image from your console. This emulator will allow you to use your Android device for playing PlayStation 2 games easily. You will be satisfied with the experience you have when playing your favorite PlayStation 2 games on your Android device using this emulator, for sure.

Of course, you will need recommendations of the emulator settings for making sure that your PlayStation 2 games playing session on your Android device can be optimized. You can try these settings to make sure that you can play PS2 games smoothly on your Android platform. You can be worry-free from any lagging experience while playing the games on your phone.

This is the tutorial for the recommendation for the best AetherSX2 Emulator settings so you can play PS2 games smoothly without lag on your Android phone.

General Settings

First things first, we can start with the general settings for the AetherSX2 emulator for Android. You have to enable the frame limit in the general setting of the app. If the frame limit is disabled, your Android device might be burdened because the system will run as fast as possible.

You also need to enable game fixes to make sure that the compatibility settings for known games are applied automatically when you play PS2 games on your Android device. Because you need to dump the BIOS images if you want to play PlayStation 2 games on your Android device, the fast boot must be applied, as well. This way, the BIOS intro or shell can be skipped. The system will boot directly into the game.

You can disable the patch codes, but if you use a cheat code for playing the games, this setting must be enabled, for sure. The emulation screen orientation will be landscape to meet the requirement of the game just like when you play it using a console.

Do not forget to enable expansion to the cutout area so that the notch or cutout area can be included on the display. Meanwhile, the language for the user interface will use the language setting of your device. The theme will also follow your system theme.

• Enable Frame Limit: Yes
• Enable Game Fixes : Yes
• Fast Boot: Yes
• Enable Patch Codes: No (But Yes if you use cheat code)
• Emulation Screen Orientation: Yes
• Expand To Cutout Area: Yes

System Settings

Download AetherSX2 will not be the end of your effort to get the best experience of playing PS2 games on your Android device. After making some adjustments to general settings, you also need to pay attention to the system settings.

To ensure performance when playing PlayStation 2 games on your Android phone, you need to set the EE Cycle Rate (Underclocking) at 50% (-3). On the other hand, the EE Cycle Skip (Underclocking) can be set at normal (0).

You can toggle on the option to enable multi-threaded VU1. By enabling this setting, you can use a second thread for VU1 microprograms for a sizeable speed boost.

In the system setting, you can also make adjustments for speed control. Normal speed can be kept at 100%. The turbo speed can be set at 200% and the slow-motion speed at 50%.

Some advanced adjustments will also be necessary for the system setting. Enabling Fastmem is a must because you need to use memory aliasing and backpatching to reduce access overhead. However, you also need to keep in mind that this setting can improve performance although it will be unstable.

Affinity control should be enabled, as well, since it will try to pin the heavy emulation threads on the processor core with the fastest performance. Nevertheless, you should not enable Fast CDVD.

Performance

• EE Cycle Rate (Underclocking): 50% (-3)
• EE Cycle Skip (Underclocking): Normal (0)
• Enable Multi-Threaded VU1: Yes

Advanced

• Enable Fastmem: Yes
• Enable Afinity Control: Yes
• Enable Fast CDVD: No

Graphics Settings

Of course, we cannot forget about the graphic setting of AetherSX2 Bios. Some things must be done with rendering to get the optimum result. The system will use Vulkan as GPU Renderer. To get more HD graphics, the upscale multiplier should be set to 1x narrative. The filtering for texture is set bilinear (PS2).

You will also find some default settings, such as disabled mipmapping, disabled trilinear filtering, and upscaled dithering. The last rendering setting is the interlacing which should be made automatic.

The graphics setting cannot be separated from the game display, for sure. For the best game display experience, you need to set the aspect ratio at stretch. You should use the normal aspect ratio and that is why the FMC switch aspect ratio should be turned off.

You should not enable widescreen patch, host VSync, and integer scaling. However, bilinear upscaling must be used while FXAA shader should not be used. There is no need to use a TV shader since you will not use a TV for displaying the gameplay. Zoom must be set at 100% and the same thing goes for vertical stretch.

For the advanced graphics setting, you need 2 frames for the VSync queue size. The blending accuracy can be kept basic while the CRC hack level can be made automatic. You will not need GPU palette conversion, but you will need to preload textures and disable hardware readbacks. The presenting duplicate frames can be skipped and you will need 3 threads for software rendering threads.

Rendering

• GPU Renderer: Vulkan
• Upscale Multiplier: 1x Narative (More For HD Graphic)
• Texture Filtering: Bilinear (PS2)
• Mipmapping: Disabled (Default)
• Trilinear Filtering: Disabled (Default)
• Dithering: Upscaled (Default)
• Interlacing: Automatic

Game Display

• Aspect Ratio: Stretch
• FMC Switch Aspect Ratio: Off (Use Normal Aspect Ratio)
• Enable Widescreen Patches: No
• Host VSync: No
• Integer Scaling: No
• Bilinear Upscaling: Yes
• FXAA Shader: No
• TV Shader: None
• Zoom: 100%
• Vertical Stretch: 100%

Advanced

• VSync Queue Size: 2 Frames
• Blending Accuracy: Basic
• CRC Hack Level: Automatic
• GPU Palette Conversion: No
• Preload Textures: Yes
• Disable Hardwere Readbacks: Yes
• Skip Presenting Duplicate Frames: Yes
• Softwere Rendering Threads: 3 Threads

Advanced Settings

Finally, it is time to do something with the advanced setting of the AetherSX2 emulator. First, you have to pay attention to some detailed settings for system options. You have to make sure that the EE recompiler, VU0 recompiler (micro mode), VU1 recompiler, and IOP recompiler are enabled.

Nevertheless, you will not need EE FPU correct add or sub for playing PS2 games on an Android phone. The EE FPU Round Mode must be set toward zero or chop. You do not need the EE FPU Clamp Mode, as well.

Let’s move on to the upscaling fixes. Upscaling hacks, alight sprite, and merge sprite will be needed for the best performance. Nevertheless, you will not need memory wrapping, frame buffer conversion, and fast texture invalidation. There is no need to disable depth emulation and safe features, as well. Auto flush (hardware) will not be necessary, at all, for playing PS2 games on the Android platform.

Last but not least, you also have to make some adjustments to the graphics driver for advanced settings. You should use threaded presentation, but you do not need to debug the GPU device. You do not need to disable frame butter fetch and texture barriers. It is also optional to show device or version information.

System Options

• Enable EE Recompiler: Yes
• Enable VU0 Recompiler (Micro Mode): Yes
• Enable VU1 Recompiler: Yes
• Enable IOP Recompiler: Yes
• EE FPU Correct Add/Sub: No
• EE FPU Round Mode: Towards Zero/Chop
• EE FPU Clamp Mode: None

Upscaling Fixes

• Upscaling Hacks: Yes
• Align Sprite: Yes
• Merge Sprite: Yes
• Memory Wrapping: No
• Frame Buffer Conversion: No
• Fast Texture Invalidation: No
• Disable Depth Emulation: No
• Disable Safe Features: No
• Auto Flush (Hardwere): No

Graphics Driver

• Threaded Presentation: Yes
• Debug GPU Device: No
• Disable Framebuffer Fetch: No
• Disable Texture Barriers: No
• Show Version/Device Info: Optional

There is no longer a need to worry that you will lose most of the enjoyment when playing PlayStation 2 games on your Android device as long as you apply the setting recommendations. You will find that installing this emulator on your Android phone will be a great way to bring your PS2 games anywhere you go with no hassle.

The AetherSX2 games you can play on Android devices can be all games that can be played on PlayStation 2 games. The emulator with the right settings will bring you the best performance and experience when playing PS2 games on any Android platform.