r/EmulationOnPC • u/AnyAcanthocephala559 • 2d ago

Unsolved Need Help

I'm trying to get a mini pc just to play PS2 and original Xbox games and I'm not trying to go over $500 as I'm just trying to buy one purely for emulation any recommendations that are good for their price

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u/andjamwar_real 2d ago

Beelink always have decent options

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u/Inevitable_Spare7503 2d ago

Alternatively if you had a ps5 on firmware 13.60 or lower you could run all emulation options as well but beelink is a good choice as well

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u/TheJiltedGenerationX 2d ago edited 1d ago

I had a Beelink SER5 Max about 2 years ago and that was great at emulating pretty much anything up to PS2 and could even handle some PS3 games fine.

I can't entirely say I'd recommend or get a Beelink again though as mine died on me after about a year and a half.

If PS2 is about as far as you intend to go with emulation you can pick up much cheaper Mini PCs, especially used ones.

I have a Lenovo ThinkCentre m710q that does fine for me, though for some of the more intensive PS2 games it could be janky so I'd get something a bit more current.

Emulation for the original Xbox is incredibly rough even now, so keep in mind that whatever PC you go for you probably won't be getting many original Xbox games running super smoothly.

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u/rowdypiepurr 1d ago

Beelink is a Chinese brand. I don't know how you feel about that, but it's likely to break down sooner rather than later. Quality Control is pretty bad in China. As far as mini PC's go, you can't beat the price.

Raspberry Pi is a decent option if you can figure out how to flash the firmware and build your own machine.

Steam Deck used to be a good sub $500 option, but tariffs and greed on PC parts have driven the prices through the roof. It's about 800+ now, which is crazy.

There are bootleg USB sticks on Amazon and whatnot. Can't guarantee how well they're built.

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u/batryoperatedboy 1d ago

Most 780m options will have you well taken care of. Feel free to search the sub. 

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u/Comfortable-Ad7338 1d ago

I bought a geekom a7 32gb ram 1tb ssd for 300 brand new on mercari. It was still in the plastic. Look around some deals are still out there. Xbox is always hit or miss.

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u/RageOfLeoEX 1d ago

If you're mostly worried about ps2 emulation most on Amazon around $300 could work. Xbox is a wild card atm.

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u/dau125 1d ago

Which three or four Xbox games are must-haves, and are you aiming for native resolution or upscaling? I’d decide that before choosing a mini PC.

xemu’s own documentation explains that compatibility reports describe a particular game, emulator version and reporter’s computer; they aren’t a guarantee for every machine. PCSX2 also separates its requirements by workload and notes that requirements vary substantially between games.

For a shortlist, compare footage of your actual games on the exact CPU/GPU model, including gameplay rather than just menus, and check whether the price includes RAM and storage. A generic “runs PS2” listing isn’t enough evidence for your Xbox requirement.

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u/ThanosReXXX 1d ago

Based on your budget, I'd recommend getting an HP EliteDesk 800 G5 mini PC. Either a Core i5 or Core i7, and then put Batocera on it. That will easily run both PS2 and OG Xbox, and even some PS3 and Xbox 360.

Here's a video on how to set one up, with some game demos at the end, to show you what to expect, performance-wise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYka8Ug9TWU

And here's an example of a complete ready to go EliteDesk bundle:
https://www.amazon.com/HP-EliteDesk-800-G5-Business/dp/B0D8YM7MFG/

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u/Prestigious_Aerie464 1d ago

I bought an HP laptop w/ Ryzen 7 a few months ago for less than $300 on backmarket.com that runs PCSX2 and Xemu with no issues.

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u/Prestigious_Aerie464 1d ago

I bought an HP laptop w/ Ryzen 7 a few months ago for less than $300 on backmarket.com that runs PCSX2 and Xemu with no issues. It also runs Dolphin and PPSSPP flawlessly.