Why Dump Your Own BIOS?

Extracting the BIOS directly from a PS2 you own is the legally unambiguous route. The resulting file is identical in function to a downloaded BIOS and will work with PCSX2, AetherSX2, and all other PS2 emulators.

What You Need

  • A PlayStation 2 console (any model)
  • A PS2 memory card with FreeMCBoot installed
  • A USB flash drive (FAT32 formatted, any size)
  • The PS2 BIOS Dumper homebrew application

About FreeMCBoot

FreeMCBoot is a free, widely-used PS2 homebrew exploit that runs from a memory card. Pre-installed FMCB memory cards are available from many online retailers for a few dollars if you do not want to install it yourself.

Step-by-Step: Dumping with FreeMCBoot

  1. Copy the PS2 BIOS Dumper (BIOSDUMP.ELF) to the root of your USB drive.
  2. Insert the FreeMCBoot memory card into your PS2, then power on. The FreeMCBoot menu will launch automatically.
  3. Insert the USB flash drive into the PS2's USB port.
  4. In the FreeMCBoot menu, select uLaunchELF (or HDD-OSD depending on your setup), then browse to mass:/BIOSDUMP.ELF and launch it.
  5. The dumper will run automatically. It reads the BIOS chip and writes all files to your USB drive. This takes approximately 30–60 seconds.
  6. When complete, power off the PS2 and connect the USB drive to your PC. You will find a folder containing .bin, .mec, and .nvm files — your complete BIOS dump.

After Dumping

Copy the extracted files into your emulator's BIOS folder. In PCSX2, go to Settings → BIOS, click Refresh, and your dumped BIOS will appear. It functions identically to any other valid BIOS file of the same region and version.

Which PS2 Models Work?

FreeMCBoot works on all fat and slim PS2 models except the very late slim models (SCPH-90000 series, the last hardware revision). For those models, you need a different exploit called FreeDVDBoot or a modchip.

Don't have a PS2?

Download a verified BIOS for your region directly.

Download BIOS