Jailbroken PlayStation 5 consoles can now emulate PlayStation 2 games by reading physical PS2 discs, thanks to an update to the PS5SX2 emulator. This development, detailed by lead coder Swordpdf on GitHub and X, allows users to insert a PS2 disc into their PS5, dump its contents to the console's SSD or an external HDD, and then emulate it. This bypasses the need to acquire game ROMs from external sources.
PS5SX2 version 2.01 specifically adds the capability to read and dump physical PS2 discs. As described in the release notes, the emulator will automatically dump the disc if it hasn't been already and then launch the game. This functionality has been shared by Swordpdf on social media platforms.
However, a significant limitation exists due to the PS5's hardware. The console's disc drive is only capable of reading Blu-rays and DVDs, not CDs. Consequently, PS2 discs that are CD-ROM based, identifiable by their blue tint, cannot be read by the PS5's optical drive. This also affects original PlayStation 1 discs, which are also CD-ROMs, meaning these games cannot be dumped and emulated using this method.
The PS5SX2 project is noted as being AI-assisted, with Claude listed as one of the contributors on its GitHub repository. Swordpdf has also indicated that future development aims to support the dumping of PlayStation 3 discs for emulation on the PS5. There is also an ongoing effort to enable PS1 disc support, though the feasibility of this is uncertain given the aforementioned CD-ROM limitation.