Are game emulators safe and legal?

[Jacksongosnell4256]

I'm wondering cuz I wanna play old ratchet and clank and need for speed, but don't have a ps2.

[adarw]

i think you need the ps2 to emelate it on pc legally. im not sure tho.

[Amenadiel]

It's like using a pirated software, they aint gonna do anything to you. Unless you make a business out of it. 

Btw, been using PS1 & PS2 emulators since 2015 or something. I remember there's this one thing you needed (bios or something) to extract from your ps2 but if you don't have one you could just download one from the internet (which is what i did). Not sure if you can play online tho, i only played offline games.
 

I've been watching PS3 emulator (RPCS3) several years ago but haven't tried it since. Iirc, its becoming more and more stable like the ps1 & ps2 emulators so there's that.

[RONOTHAN##]

This is in a legal grey area. For the most part, it's not considered piracy if you rip the game ROMs yourself and the emulator you use is opensource. If you have to download anything that isn't opensourced on the internet, like a PS2 BIOS or a game ROM, then it's technically considered piracy. Sony won't go after you for downloading it though, they'll go after the people hosting the files. 

 

The question then becomes whether it's morally right to download the software. The general consensus is that if you are able to play the games without emulation, with a PS2 and a game disk, then it's morally right to download the ROMs and the BIOS to be able to play. If you don't have those things, then it's a bit more frowned upon. 

[TetraSky]

As long as you get the emulators from the proper websites and not some random one, yes. They are safe.

If you see some emulator on youtube for PS5 or Xbox one X and all that, saying it works click the link down below.... Yeah no, avoid those.

I suggest you check out the Emulation Wiki, where they have a repertory of actual emulators and not scams.
http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page
 

As for the legalities... Well, with the PS2, you need to own a PS2 to get your own firmware/BIOS off it. That's the only "legal" way to play a PS2 emulator. Same with the games. You need to own physical copies of the games, which you can then either rip or put in your dvd drive and play off those with the emulator. If you want to go a different route than this, then it would be 100% piracy.

 

Maybe consider PS Now? Which you can play on your PC without a console. Just need a PS4 controller.

While they don't have the PS2 titles, they have a few Ratchet and Clank games for PS3 on there. And need for speed rival.

https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/ps-now/ps-now-games/#all-ps-now-games

[Guest]

IBTC

 

No and no.

[Middcore]

Yes, mainstream emulators like PCSX2 are perfectly safe. 

 

Running ROMs of commercial games on them, unless you actually own a copy of the same, is technically not legal. 

[SansVarnic]

-= Topic moved to Programs, Apps and Websites =-

[Chronified]

Emulation itself is completely legal, where it gets into the gray-zone is how you load your games. 

-Ideally, you own each copy of the game and rip the .iso yourself

-Gray-zone you own/have owned the games and download the .iso files

-Illegal is not owning / ever having owned the game and downloading said .iso

 

For PS2 emulation you're supposed to own a PS2 Slim as the BIOS you're downloading from the web has the same legality issues, you need to own it to use it.

As far as actual legality issues, no government has ever gone after a single user for playing emulators, it's only the hosts that provide these semi-legal downloads that get pinged. If you want to be super-safe download them through a VPN. 

[Rusty Proto]

18 hours ago, ShrimpBrime said:

IBTC

 

No and no.

Sony v Bleem actually set a precedent otherwise. So long as you aren't using any copyrighted code for anything other than its intended purpose (to run the hardware) all is legal. Same if you're using clean room reverse engineered software to emulate, which is what Bleem was--a reverse engineered Playstation 1 emulator. With that, I see no reason why running the published game under an emulator from the original disk would be an issue, unless you had to install the ROM that was ripped from original hardware--unless you have said hardware in your possession.

 

From a safety aspect, downloading the tools needed for emulation, as well as the games, can be sketchy. Do your research on where to get your tools.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Rusty Proto said:

Sony v Bleem actually set a precedent otherwise. So long as you aren't using any copyrighted code for anything other than its intended purpose (to run the hardware) all is legal. Same if you're using clean room reverse engineered software to emulate, which is what Bleem was--a reverse engineered Playstation 1 emulator. With that, I see no reason why running the published game under an emulator from the original disk would be an issue, unless you had to install the ROM that was ripped from original hardware--unless you have said hardware in your possession.

 

From a safety aspect, downloading the tools needed for emulation, as well as the games, can be sketchy. Do your research on where to get your tools.

This debate is against forum policy in the first place. So it's no and no. Technically.