Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The ARMSX2 emulator on Android now supports playing PS2 games via system link.
- Participating Android devices generally need to be connected to the same internet connection.
- A recent update also brings an easy way to back up and restore save states, memory cards, screenshots, and other data.
ARMSX2 has quickly become the best PS2 emulator on Android, owing to a steady stream of additions, improvements, and fixes. The team isn’t stopping here, as it’s just released a few more updates in the last few days. And one update brings a fantastic multiplayer feature.
ARMSX2 v2.6.5.1 was released on GitHub and the Play Store two days ago and adds support for system link gameplay. For the uninitiated, system link or LAN functionality allowed PS2 owners to physically connect their consoles together to play supported games. This functionality was particularly popular prior to the widespread adoption of broadband internet connections.
The team says participating Android devices need to be connected to the same internet connection, but a phone hotspot will work too. The changelog notes that you can play system link games over the internet, too, but it sounds like you’ll need a VPN.
This is great news either way, as there are dozens of PS2 games that support system link functionality. Supported titles include Gran Turismo 4, the SOCOM series, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, the Star Wars: Battlefront games, and several Tony Hawk titles.
Meanwhile, ARMSX2 v2.6.5.3 brings a handy backup and restore option to the app. Choosing the “Back up app data” option creates a single zip file containing your memory cards, save states, cover art, per-game settings, controller profiles, cheats, screenshots, and other preferences. The team notes that this is useful for people doing a fresh install to the default internal storage. But those who chose a custom install folder didn’t apparently have to worry about their data being wiped after uninstalling the app. This is useful for Play users too, as Google doesn’t allow custom folders.
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