The 1.0 launch
AetherSX2 v1.0-2233 APK Download
This is the build where AetherSX2 stopped being a test and became a product. 2233 is the first stable 1.0, the release that turned 'PS2 on a phone' from a demo people shared into something a normal person could install and play — which makes it the single most historically significant file on this page.
This archive APK stays available for people who need this exact build. The pages Google should index for version choice are the older versions hub, the current v1.5-4248 download, and the Mali-friendly v1.5-3668 build.
File details
| Version | v1.0-2233 |
|---|---|
| Released | June 2022 |
| File size | 17 MB: 3 MB smaller than the final v1.5-4248 release |
| Position | Build 10 of 12 in our archive, newest first : the release directly after it is v1.1-2468 |
| Requires | Android 8.0 or newer (ARM64) |
| Developer | Tahlreth (development ended 2023) |
Download AetherSX2 v1.0-2233
AetherSX2 v1.0-2233 v1.0-2233
Android 8.0+ (ARM64) · 17 MB · No bundled installers, no adware
- SHA-256:
- 6851f22f2ff27990a4c615838f2caac8c1f37b1233bbdfc4dbbfc906a9591205
Always verify the checksum after downloading. We never repackage binaries — this is the unmodified community build.
Should You Use v1.0-2233? Real-World Notes
v1.0-2233 is where AetherSX2 crossed from alpha into a public 1.0. It is the first build most users associate with the emulator becoming a real, install-and-play thing — the one that made "PS2 on a phone" go from party trick to real option.
In 2026 it is mainly a historical build: a lot of the graphics-core polish that landed later is missing here, and the per-game compatibility list is much shorter than in the 1.5 line. For genuinely old phones, though, it retains a niche use: it is the leanest complete-featured AetherSX2 you can install.
If you install it out of curiosity, do not expect the modern experience — set a modest game to native resolution, use the default renderer, and treat any performance beyond that as a bonus.
What to Know Before Installing v1.0-2233
- It is only days newer than alpha-2230 and very close to it in behaviour — the 1.0 label marks a milestone in the project, not a large technical jump from the final alpha.
- 'Complete' here means complete for June 2022. Later builds accumulated a great deal that is simply absent, not broken.
Recommended Settings for v1.0-2233
| Renderer | Default — leave it alone on a build this old |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Native (1x) |
- Change as little as possible. On a build from this era the defaults are the configuration that received the most testing, and wandering through options rarely improves things.
- Choose one modest game and judge the build on that. A broad survey of your library will mostly tell you which titles had not been fixed yet in June 2022.
- Treat anything beyond basic playability as a bonus rather than a target.
Installing v1.0-2233
A standard single-file APK: enable "Install unknown apps" for your browser or file manager, tap the download, and approve the install.
Coming down from a newer release: v1.1-2468 or anything above it: means uninstalling that first, because Android refuses to install an older version over a newer one. Back up your memory cards before you uninstall. Those survive the move between builds; save states do not, so save inside the game rather than relying on a state you made on v1.1-2468.
The rest of setup is the same for every AetherSX2 release, so we publish it once rather than repeating it here: see the illustrated 12-step install and BIOS walkthrough, or go straight to the PS2 BIOS guide if that is the part you are stuck on. Once the app boots, apply our baseline graphics tuning before raising upscaling.
If v1.0-2233 Isn't Right for You
Skip this build if: Playing games seriously. Unless you are specifically interested in the emulator's history or running genuinely ancient hardware, every newer build on this page is a better tool.
AetherSX2 alpha-2230 →
May 2022 · 17 MB
The final alpha, released days before this one — the pair together shows exactly what the 1.0 milestone did and did not change.
AetherSX2 v1.1-2468 →
July 2022 · 17 MB
The next line forward, and the first build with a meaningfully longer compatibility list than the launch release.
All 12 archived builds, with a comparison table, are on the AetherSX2 older versions page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes v1.0-2233 significant?
It is the first stable public release — the point at which AetherSX2 moved out of alpha. That is the moment mobile PS2 emulation became something you could recommend to someone who was not already an enthusiast, and it is why this specific build number comes up in retrospectives. Its importance is historical rather than technical; the alphas immediately before it were not dramatically different.
How different is it from the final build, honestly?
Very. Roughly fourteen months of development separate 2233 from 4248, and that period covers the graphics rework in 1.4, the maturing Vulkan path in 1.5, and a long accumulation of per-game fixes. Expect a substantially shorter list of games that render correctly, and expect the ones that do work to look rougher.
Is it worth installing on a modern phone?
Only out of interest. There is no scenario where a current phone is better served by this build than by 4248 or NetherSX2 — every advantage it has is about asking less of weak hardware, which a modern device does not need. Install it to see where the project started, then go back to a 1.5 build to actually play.