Two friends have used Claude to help bring the open-source PS2 emulator PCSX2 to a browser. Their project, TabStationToo, has been tested with games including GTA San Andreas and Final Fantasy XII.
The developers say Claude did most of the programming while they directed the work and tested the results. It’s still experimental, but games run locally without installing a desktop emulator.
We’ve seen Claude help build smaller projects, including a Mac app that tracks posture through AirPods. Adapting a PS2 emulator brings a different set of technical challenges.
How did Claude help it work
PCSX2 speeds up emulation by translating PS2 instructions into code a computer’s processor can run. Getting that working in a browser required replacements that generate WebAssembly, a format browsers can execute.
The pair says Claude helped write those replacements and adapt PCSX2’s renderer to WebGPU for browser graphics. Automated tests compare the output against PCSX2 to catch errors after changes.
Those changes build on more than 20 years of work by PCSX2’s team and contributors, whom the developers explicitly credit. PCSX2 also underpins PS5SX2, which runs PS2 games on jailbroken PS5 consoles.
How well do the games run
I played Final Fantasy XII and Burnout on a GMKtec M8 mini PC, and both ran flawlessly. That’s two games on one computer, so performance across the PS2’s library still needs broader testing.
The developers report near-full-speed performance in many games on their own machines, though heavier scenes can still slow down. They’ve tested on an M1 Max Mac and a Linux system with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor.
What do you need to play
TabStationToo is free and open source. You’ll need a BIOS dumped from your own PS2 and disc images made from games you own. The project says those files stay on your computer.
Start with desktop Chrome or Edge. Phones aren’t supported yet, but keyboard and gamepad controls are available. Memory card saves and save states let you keep your progress.
Try one game on your setup before assuming the rest of your collection will run as smoothly.