The PS2 Eclipse is the handheld PS2 you’ve always wanted

Ever played a game on the PS2 that was so good that you couldn’t put it down, even if you already had to leave to get some groceries with your parents? Was it Metal Gear Solid 3? Or maybe even Final Fantasy X? Either way, for some games that required a save point, it wasn’t fun getting caught at a bad time, which meant losing your recent progress.

Fast forward 15-20 years and some dude out there has managed to make a fully portable PS2 called the PS2 Eclipse. For smarty pants out there, no this isn’t the PSP nor is it a Vita, but it is a literal PS2 packed into a handheld.

The PS2 Eclipse is created by modder GingerofOz, best known for his Gameboy-sized portable Wii. It involves a trimmed-down PS2 motherboard in a 3D printed chassis combined with PS Vita buttons, Nintendo Switch joysticks, batteries (that last for 2.5 hours), custom circuit boards, and a 5-inch 480p display.

It’s a literal Frankenstein of parts, but also is an actual PS2 shrunk down, and the results are fantastic.

Despite having no compatibility issues, loading from a USB drive causes long load times. Other issues include the handheld not being able to detect a controller and some games being unplayable. Though it is looking like a great handheld as it runs directly from PS2 hardware because the PS2 Eclipse is not emulating anything.

You can watch the full build process below:

GingerofOz isn’t producing this prototype to sell like his Gameboy Wii, as the stress from producing made-to-order hardware was a miserable affair.

That being said, you can always use your Xbox Series S to play your PS2 games if you want.

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