NetherSX2 Turnup Review: A New PS2 Emulator Fork for Android

Introduction

PlayStation 2 emulation on Android has come a long way since the release of AetherSX2 in late 2021. That app was a major breakthrough, allowing a large portion of the 4,000-plus PS2 game library to run on mobile hardware. After the original developer abandoned the project and kept it closed source, NetherSX2 emerged in 2023 as the main successor, with two versions: Classic and Patch. Now a new fork called NetherSX2 Turnup adds Adreno driver support, which could improve graphics performance on Snapdragon devices.

The key advantage of NetherSX2 Turnup is that it can be installed alongside the standard NetherSX2 apps. This means you can switch between them depending on which one performs better for a particular game. The results so far are mixed: some games see significant improvements while others play a bit worse. This review compares NetherSX2 Classic against the Turnup Patch version across four devices with different Snapdragon chipsets.

What Is NetherSX2 Turnup?

NetherSX2 Turnup is a fork of NetherSX2 that adds built-in Adreno drivers for Snapdragon devices. It includes three different drivers: one specifically for Snapdragon 865 devices, experimental Snapdragon 8 Elite drivers, and a version of Mesa Turnip 26 for chipsets like Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3.

There are two versions of NetherSX2 Turnup available: one for the Patch version and another for the Classic. The developer recommends the Patch version because it offers the biggest gains with Vulkan driver support, which is the video backend that works best with the Adreno Turnip drivers.

The testing covered four devices: the Retroid Pocket 5 with Snapdragon 865, the Retroid Pocket 6 and AYN Thor with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the AYN Odin 3 with Snapdragon 8 Elite. The comparison focused on NetherSX2 Classic, generally the recommended version, against the NetherSX2 Turnup Patch version.

Performance on Snapdragon 865

On the Snapdragon 865, the classic version of NetherSX2 with the Vulkan backend is usually the best choice for performance. Most games run at 2x resolution with some exceptions. However, the Vulkan backend is often less accurate than OpenGL, creating a trade-off with graphical fidelity.

Beyond Good and Evil is a good example. The game runs well in most areas but has lighting and flickering issues with the classic version, including a weird black shadow under the main character. The Turnup Patch version fixes these flickering and shadow issues, making it look noticeably better with similar performance.

Jak and Daxter also looks better with the Turnup drivers. The classic version appears washed out with overly bright greens and sand, plus graphical glitches in the background ocean. The Turnup version has better shadowing on grass and sand, closer to the original console look, though some black panels in the distant sea remain.

When unlocking the frame rate to test performance headroom, the classic version often hits higher maximum speeds. For example, one game ran at about 220% speed with the classic version but closer to 200% with Turnup. Still, 200% speed headroom is plenty for full-speed gameplay.

Champions of Norrath runs better on the Turnup Patch version. The classic version shows noticeable slowdown during fire effects, while the Turnup version plays smoothly with no slowdowns. This is likely a combination of the Patch version’s inherent advantages plus the Turnip drivers.

Sly Cooper 3, which generally works better on the classic version, actually improves with Turnup. In a demanding spotlight area, the classic version drops to about 80% speed while the Turnup Patch version averages around 90%. This is a significant leap for a game that previously played worse on the Patch version.

Some games perform about the same between the two. Gran Turismo 4 averaged 140% speed at 2x resolution on both versions. Soulcalibur 3 runs slightly better on Turnup, hitting 145% speed compared to 125% on classic.

However, some games play worse with NetherSX2 Turnup. God of War II runs at almost full speed on the classic version but has frequent speed dips with Turnup, making it less playable. Jak 3 also shows more slowdowns with the Turnup fork. The original Ratchet and Clank has GPU driver reload issues with Turnup, causing distracting black screens and inconsistent performance.

Performance on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Testing on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used a 2.5x resolution, which is full 1080p. Sly Cooper 3 hovers around 100% speed on the classic version in the demanding spotlight area, but the Turnup Patch version averages about 110 FPS in the same section, showing a clear improvement.

Gran Turismo 4 plays fine on both versions once readbacks are disabled in the graphics settings. The classic version averages 125% speed while Turnup reaches about 140%, offering a bit more headroom. Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition runs at 275% speed on classic and about 300% on Turnup, both fully playable.

Okage shows improvement with Turnup, averaging 180% speed near the village gate compared to 130% on classic. The Getaway, a game that has always been problematic, can reach about 250% speed with the classic version using recommended settings, and about 300% with Turnup.

God of War II performs the same on both versions at about 150% speed. NBA Street Volume 2 runs slightly worse on Turnup at 180% speed compared to 200% on classic, though both are fully playable.

Jak 3 struggles with the Turnup version on this chipset, dipping below the target frame rate frequently in the first area. The classic version averages 170% speed in the same section. Dragon Quest VIII also runs worse with Turnup at about 60% speed compared to 70% on classic in a market area.

Area 51 has black panel glitches on the floor in many areas with both versions. The game plays at 100% speed on classic but dips below 60 FPS with Turnup, making the classic version the better choice.

Performance on Snapdragon 8 Elite

The AYN Odin 3 with Snapdragon 8 Elite can play nearly every PS2 game without problems. Need for Speed Most Wanted averages 175% speed on classic and about 200% with Turnup at 2.5x resolution. Both are fully playable.

Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2, which uses the same engine as Champions of Norrath, runs at about 400% speed on classic and an impressive 500% with Turnup. The Patch version generally works better for this game anyway, and the Odin 3 has plenty of power.

Dragon Quest VIII is mostly playable on the classic version, running near 100% speed with slight dips. The Turnup version stays under the target frame rate most of the time, showing more slowdown. Even with the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite, the new drivers do not make this game more playable.

Buying Advice

NetherSX2 Turnup is a work in progress, but its biggest strength is that it can be installed alongside the standard NetherSX2 apps. This lets you choose which version works best for each individual game, which is valuable given the mixed performance results.

For Snapdragon 865 devices, the Turnup Patch version offers better graphical fidelity in some games like Beyond Good and Evil and Jak and Daxter, plus improved performance in Champions of Norrath and Sly Cooper 3. However, games like God of War II, Jak 3, and Ratchet and Clank play worse.

On Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Turnup version generally provides small performance gains in most games, with notable improvements in Sly Cooper 3 and The Getaway. A few games like Jak 3 and Dragon Quest VIII perform worse.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite results are similar, with improvements in Need for Speed Most Wanted and Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2, but Dragon Quest VIII still struggles.

Conclusion

PlayStation 2 emulation on Android remains a complex landscape with no perfect solution. NetherSX2 Turnup adds valuable Adreno driver support that improves some games while making others worse. The ability to install it alongside the standard versions is the most practical feature, allowing you to pick the best app for each game.

While the new drivers are a welcome addition, they do not replace true emulation development. The future may lie in open-source projects that continue to receive active development. For now, having more options is a good thing, and NetherSX2 Turnup is worth trying alongside the existing versions to see which games benefit on your device.