Are Emulators Illegal and Can You Use Them to Boot PS2 Discs?

[fizzzzzzzzzzzy]

1. Are they illegal?
2. Should you be able to put a PS2 disc in the computer, open the emulator and boot the disc?

 

[ceptimus]

The general pattern with emulators is that it's often considered ok to emulate most of the parts of the emulated device - the display, sound chips, microprocessor etc., but not the firmware in the ROM (or equivalent).

To make a working simulator, the firmware is almost always required, and as Sony probably won't want to license the firmware to run on any hardware except an actual PS2, it probably means that such a simulator would be illegal.

Sony might decide to sell a legal licenced simulator, but probably not.

Once the PS2 becomes obsolete, you'll probably find that there will eventually be legal simulators for it. This has already happened with many old computers from 20 years ago or thereabouts.

 

[ravenprp]

1. The legality of emulators is a complex and debated topic. In general, emulators themselves are not illegal, as they are simply software programs that allow a computer or device to mimic the hardware and software of another system. However, using emulators to play copyrighted games or software without permission from the copyright holder may be considered illegal. It is important to research and understand the laws and regulations in your specific country or region before using emulators.

2. It is not recommended to use emulators to play games from discs, as this may also be considered illegal if you do not own the original copy of the game. Additionally, most emulators do not support discs and require the game files to be downloaded separately. It is important to respect copyright laws and only use emulators for legal purposes.