Developer Sword has demonstrated a PlayStation 2 DVD being read by a PS5 and launched through PS5SX2, a homebrew port of the PCSX2 emulator. The clip posted on October 9 shows the physical disc entering the console. Sword credited Al Azif for the disc-reading work.
This is not official backward compatibility, and a retail PS5 will not simply play PS2 discs when one is inserted. The demonstration requires a jailbroken console and a homebrew setup. The disc also has to be dumped once before the emulator can run the game, so the drive is part of a preparation process rather than a plug-and-play way to boot any PS2 title.
Compatibility has limits. The PS5’s internal drive cannot read CD-based PS2 games, and the clip does not establish that every DVD title works. The PS5SX2 project describes itself as a native PS2 emulator port for jailbroken PS5s; its repository asks users to provide their own BIOS and game files and lists only a subset of tested console and firmware combinations. It is an independent homebrew project, not a Sony feature.
The advance is most interesting for preservation: owners may be able to use original DVD-based games with newer hardware, once they meet the setup and compatibility requirements. The practical questions are how many games run reliably and how much preparation each one needs. The developer’s demonstration is a milestone, not evidence of universal compatibility.
Source: [VideoCardz report](https://videocardz.com/newz/modders-make-ps5-play-original-ps2-discs-a-feature-sony-never-added) and [PS5SX2 project](https://github.com/Swordpdf/PS5SX2). Visual: screenshot from Sword’s demonstration, via VideoCardz.
~PS5 ~PlayStation