u/Whoahurfloating

(disclaimer: the performance may vary from device to device)

Hello everyone!

Here’s a small comparison of the massive performance improvements made in the new ARMSX2 2.5.0 version thanks to bmdhacks’s new recompiler changes. And also thanks to the rest of the team for their hard work!

Oh also all these photos were taken on my iPhone SE 2020 on iOS 26.5.2, so imagine how much better it’ll be on newer iPhones and iPads XD

ARMSX2 iOS version 2.4.1 has finally arrived!

This update brings a ton cool features to the app like:

1: Video library backgrounds support (as you can see in the video).

2: MetalFX upscaling.

3: Save-state preview.

4: More flexible controller and RetroAchievements settings.

5: UI polish + performance & compatibility improvements.

And much more! You can read the full extensive changelog and grab the ipa here.

A MASSIVE thanks to the amazing developers for their hard work and their crazy dedication to keep advancing not only the iOS, but the whole PS2 emulation scene.

ARMSX2 version 2.4.0 is finally here and it’s incredible!!

This update brings so many amazing features including the brand new pause menu, 55+ new settings to tinker with, massive performance improvements & game fixes, new app icons (thanks to Bagas ^^), and many MANY more.

Guys I can’t stress enough how amazing this update is and how hard the developers have worked on it :>

Many thanks to Jeen, Global Tanos, Trakons, and everyone involved!!

You can read the full release notes & grab the ipa here (trust me it’s worth reading :D)

I’ve been enjoying playing persona 4 upscaled with a texture pack, which i thought would be impossible due to ram limitations. but it’s runs smoothly… well at least until my phone start to inevitably thermal throttle due to the se2 shitty thermal regulation 😭

I also would like mention that i had to modify the texture pack for it to work on my phone. I downscaled it to 720p and converted all the files from a .dds format to .png using xnconverter on pc, because the previous format would semi immediately crash my phone (the original file format might not be supported but i can’t confirm that)

here’s the texture pack for anyone that might want it, enjoy! :D

ARMSX2 version 2.3.0 is finally here, and it’s amazing!

This update brings the much anticipated Retroachievements hardcore support! Major performance improvements, cool vpad customizations and many more QoL features!

ARMSX2’s developers have been working their butts off ever since the first iOS release and they continue to deliver crazy updates constantly XD

This app has so many features like airplay support, online play, custom skins and many many more!

Please if you’re interested in ps2 emulation, you’ve GOT TO try ARMSX2!

You can grab the ipa and read the full changelog (which is pretty big) here

The gameplay footage shown here and the awesome custom skin is by the amazing @bagas in the discord server! :>

ARMSX2 amazing developers recently released a new native arm64 version that will hopefully exceed the og version soon (the developers has been releasing new updates almost daily for two weeks now) while the og is using an x86 translation layer, the newer version is fully native arm64 now and it has better potential :0

It’s only been a couple of days since the native version was released, and it already performs better in some cases like Shadow of the Colossus, which had a massive performance boost.

The sotc gameplay below is by user @yuliangao over on the ARMSX2 discord server. he’s running it at a 3x upscale using an Iphone 17PM which is crazy!

I’ll like to remind you guys that this game and many others would’ve been genuinely impossible to play decently on IOS a few weeks ago, this is a dream come true 😭

P.s the new version might have some problems on ios 18, so maybe try version 1.3.2 if it doesn’t work for you :p

Man, Armsx2 is definitely the highlight of this past week!

I’ve been waiting for a decent Ps2 emulator ever since i got interested in emulation back in 2024, and ever since they announced their planned ios port, i’ve been patiently waiting, and it was definitely worth it :D

Now i can finally play some of the Ps2 games i wanted to play on my phone for a long while, like persona 3 fes! And with the latest update out (version 1.3), the heating issue has been largely improved! persona 3 and kingdom hearts 1 no longer slow down for me like it used to XD

All the games I’m showing here are 3x upscaled and they play nicely now!! And they looks sooo nice upscaled!! Especially kingdom hearts 1.

A huge thanks to everyone involved in this project, i can’t put into words how much i appreciate you guys<3

From Armsx2 discord server:

ARMSX2-iOS has been updated to version 1.1, what's included:

Fixed game file picker import.

Fixed BIOS file picker import.

Added BIOS compatibility picker fallback.

Added better import logging for picker issues.

Added safer file-copy fallback for iOS Files providers.

Expanded supported game import formats.

Added BIOS size validation so large .bin games are not treated as BIOS files.

Added automatic default BIOS selection after import.

Added BIOS region detection.

Added BIOS region/country display.

Added reset ROM behavior.

Fixed frame limiter crashes/freezes.

Restored custom FPS slider.

Added in-game Speed / FPS Target quick menu.

Added FPS preset buttons: 30, 45, 60, 90, 120.

Added FPS limiter value clamping/safety checks.

Fixed oversized OSD showing by default.

Cleaned up Compatibility Lab quick menu.

Removed duplicate Compatibility Lab controls.

Added per-game compatibility presets.

Added manual advanced Compatibility Lab flags.

Added per-game Compatibility Lab memory.

Added “Forget this game’s override” for Compatibility Lab.

Fixed save state action button layout.

Fixed per-game settings from quick menu.

Fixed per-game settings detecting the active game.

Fixed per-game settings freezing/hiding the game view.

Added long-press Game Info panel.

Game Info shows region, serial, CRC, format, size, and file path.

Added per-game settings from the game list.

Added per-game internal resolution override.

Added per-game aspect ratio override.

Added per-game texture filtering override.

Added per-game blending accuracy override.

Added per-game PNACH cheats toggle.

Added per-game GameDB patches toggle.

Added PNACH / 60 FPS patch import from game long-press menu.

Added PNACH / 60 FPS patch import from in-game quick menu.

Improved PNACH import compatibility with text-like patch files.

Added automatic cover download after importing games.

Made auto-cover download silent unless there is a real issue.

Added ARMSX2 refresh-style touch controls.

Added higher-resolution touch control assets.

Added crisp vector fallback rendering for touch controls.

Fixed touch controls disappearing/failing at low transparency in landscape.

Removed unsupported OpenGL ES renderer option on iOS.

Added renderer safety fallback to supported iOS renderers.

Added Network settings page.

Added DEV9 Ethernet toggle for PS2 online.

Added DEV9 Sockets mode support/settings.

Added DEV9 adapter selection with Auto.

Added Intercept DHCP toggle.

Added DHCP logging toggle.

Added DNS logging toggle.

Added DEV9 Virtual HDD toggle.

Added default DEV9 HDD image option.

Added iOS local network permission text.

Fixed DEV9 auto-adapter detection on iOS.

Added DEV9/network startup diagnostics.

Added controller rumble support (not working in game yet).

Added controller rumble test button in settings.

Added controller rumble test in quick menu (not working currently).

Added rumble diagnostics/logging.

Added support for up to 4 controllers (untested).

Added Local Multiplayer settings page.

Added multitap mode setting.

Added auto Port 1 multitap for 3+ controllers.

Added manual Port 1 multitap.

Added manual Port 2 multitap.

Added manual Port 1 + Port 2 multitap.

Added controller slot mapping for multitap.

Added warning/logging when multitap needs a reset after controllers connect.

Fixed gamepad connection/disconnection cleanup.

Added more stable settings reload behavior.

Added better explanations/help text for FPS, PNACH, network, and renderer settings.

Retroacheivements (soft core) and Online play now fully supported.

Make sure to enable the "Enable DEV9 ethernet" toggle in network settings for online to work.

Thank you @Jeen for rigorous testing.

GitHub 🔗: https://github.com/ARMSX2/ARMSX2/releases/tag/iOSv1.1k

The website also now supports iOS builds for distribution https://armsx2.net/

I wasn’t expecting it to run this good without jit even though it’s a light weight 2d game. It runs a little bit better without screen recording, well at least before my phone heats up :p

Here’s the link if anyone wanna try it out https://jarrodnorwell.com/vion/ use the TestFlight version because the ipa doesn’t work atm. (also keep in mind it’s still pretty early in development so expect some bugs and some games might not work at all)