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Dolphin vs PCSX2

Side-by-side comparison for macOS

Dolphin

8.0
Games

Emulator to play GameCube and Wii games

PCSX2

8.0
Games

Playstation 2 Emulator

Metric Dolphin PCSX2
Category Games Games
AI Score 8.0 8.0
30-day Installs 261 167
90-day Installs 733 476
365-day Installs 2.5K 1.5K
Version 2603a 2.6.3
Auto-updates Yes No
Deprecated No No
GitHub Stars 14.7K 14.5K
GitHub Forks 3.0K 1.9K
Open Issues 422 744
License NOASSERTION GPL-3.0
Language C++ C++
Last GitHub Commit 1mo ago 1mo ago
First Seen Oct 25, 2013 Jul 6, 2025

Reviews

Dolphin

Dolphin is a popular emulator for playing GameCube and Wii games on modern hardware. It offers improved performance and compatibility, benefiting retro gaming enthusiasts looking to enjoy classic titles on their PCs.

Emulates GameCube and Wii consoles to play their games on PC.

Pros

  • + Actively maintained with frequent updates
  • + Supports multiple platforms including macOS
  • + Large and engaged community
  • + Open-source

Cons

  • - Unclear license terms
  • - Performance may vary depending on hardware

PCSX2

PCSX2 is an open-source PlayStation 2 emulator that enables users to play PS2 games on their Mac. With a large, active community and ongoing development, it's a top choice for retro gaming enthusiasts seeking to relive classic PS2 titles.

Emulates PlayStation 2 games on macOS.

Pros

  • + Open-source with a large, active community contributing to its development.
  • + Supports a wide range of PlayStation 2 games, offering compatibility and performance improvements over time.
  • + Regular updates and active issue tracking, showing commitment to quality and functionality.

Cons

  • - Lacks auto-update functionality, requiring manual checks for new versions.
  • - Some performance issues, such as stuttering and AMD-related problems, are still being addressed.