PS2 Emulator Development Ceases Following Death Threats - Kotaku

The sole developer down AetherSX2, a PlayStation 2 emulator for Android devices, announced that they are discontinuing improvement of the app owed to the “neverending” online impersonation, complaints, demands, and decease threats they’ve endured.

“AetherSX2 was ever meant to beryllium a amusive hobby for me, not nett driven. It doesn’t marque consciousness to proceed moving connected a hobby which isn’t amusive anymore,” the developer said successful a little station connected the AetherSX2 website announcing the suspension of development. “Thanks to everyone who wasn’t a d*ck for the past year.”

Prior to AetherSX2, the lone viable emulation enactment for radical who wanted to play PS2 games connected their Android devices was DamonPS2. However, folks successful emulator circles appreciated having AetherSX2 arsenic an alternative due to the fact that DamonPS2, a for-profit closed-source app, was accused of stealing root codification by the squad down escaped open-source PS2 emulator PCXS2 successful a now-deleted station that you tin presumption done the Wayback Machine.

Leading up to the developer’s determination to discontinue moving connected AetherSX2, folks connected the r/EmulatiotnonAndroid subreddit voiced interest implicit the unit that the AetherSX2 developer dealt with portion being inundated with demands from users. In a screenshotted Discord post, the AetherSX2 developer, who goes by the grip Tahlreth, explained wherefore they disabled their Discord channel. According to the screenshotted post, “some moron” requested that they get the emulator to enactment connected ioS.

“Congrats guys, you prodded and pushed different developer excessively overmuch and they’re earnestly considering conscionable stopping for good,” Tahlreth wrote successful the screenshotted Discord post.

Kotaku reached retired to Tahlreth for comment.

According to the developer’s station connected the AetherSX2 website, folks tin inactive download and usage existent builds of AetherSX2 “for the foreseeable future.” As a footnote, the developer warned radical to signifier “good information hygiene” and not instal immoderate Android bundle files from random corners of the internet.