In big news for PS2 fans, a PS Store listing could hint that a new PS2 emulator for PS4 and PS5 is on the way next month. The good folks at Gematsu clocked a new store listing for the PS2 version of Star Wars: The Clones Wars is set to arrive on the PlayStation Store on the 11th of June 2024, making it the first new PS2 game added to the digital PlayStation storefront since 2019.
What’s notable about this entry though is the inclusion of several modern quality-of-life enhancements such as “up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters”. While original PlayStation and PSP games on Sony’s latest consoles offer these features as standard, the current line up of PS2 games, which formed part of Sony’s PS2 games on PS4 collection, do not.
The additional features seemingly suggest that a new emulator for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 is finally becoming a reality, hopefully opening the doors for more PS2 games to arrive on the PlayStation Store.
PlayStation Plus Premium members gain access to a selection of new classic games each month, with Sony adding plenty of PS1 and PSP titles recently, including a whole bunch of old Star Wars games like Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and Star Wars Rebel Assault II.
A Showcase Reveal
With the new PS2 emulator, subscribers could finally see classic PlayStation 2 titles such as Timesplitters 2, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, and Silent Hill 2 become playable on PS5.
As somebody that still feverishly collects PlayStation 2 games, the potential for a new modern emulation solution on PS5 is an enticing proposition indeed. While there’s currently no official word from Sony about the updated PS2 emulator for PS4 and PS5, the long-rumoured PlayStation Showcase could provide the perfect place for a big reveal.
A recent post on Sony Interactive’s blog suggests that rumoured showcase could arrive sooner rather than later, as the post announcing PlayStation’s new Co-CEOs Herman Hulst and Hideaki Nishino concludes with “later this month you will learn more about the long-term vision for Sony Group and the essential role SIE plays in that vision”. Watch this space!
