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Windows Setup

This section will help you through the process of setting up PCSX2 on Windows.

Required software​

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Make sure to install all the required software first before proceeding with the setup.

Visual C++ redistributable​

FFmpeg (Optional)​

  • PCSX2 requires some additional FFmpeg libraries to enable video capture.
    • Grab the FFmpeg Windows files here.
    • Extract the .zip file, then place the extracted .dll files in your PCSX2 folder. They should be in the same folder as the main PCSX2 .exe file.

Setup process​

Extracting PCSX2​

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  • Head over to the download page and grab the latest build if you haven't done so already! PCSX2 is offered as both a Stable build (updated every several months) and as a Nightly build (updated as PCSX2 is developed).

  • Use 7-Zip to extract the .7z archive.

    • Install 7-Zip.
    • Right-click on the archive.
    • Find the entry for 7-Zip.
    • Click on Extract to [folder name] option.
    • This will extract PCSX2 to the same folder where you put the .7z file.

Launching PCSX2​

  • Run the pcsx2-qt.exe file

  • Follow the setup wizard, and you are ready to play!

Build from source (Advanced users)​

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For details on building PCSX2 from source, check out our GitHub Wiki.