Worklog [2026 Contest Entry] NEXUS-M — PS2 Reimagined with Custom Multi-Chip System

[Mister M]

NEXUS-M — PlayStation 2 Reimagined with a Custom Multi-Chip System

Hey everyone! This is Mister M, entering the Summer 2026 Build Competition with what I believe to be one of the most ambitious PlayStation 2 hardware projects ever attempted.

What is NEXUS-M?

NEXUS-M is a complete reimagining of the PlayStation 2, built around the console's actual hardware.

The project retains the EE (Emotion Engine) and GS (Graphics Synthesizer) from a PS2-7900x board, but redesigns the rest of the architecture with custom hardware. The idea is to create a system based on the real PS2, smaller, smarter, and more advanced, while maintaining 100% native compatibility with PlayStation 2 games.

NEXUS-M is not a software emulation project. It uses the actual PS2 hardware and replaces the supporting subsystems with modern modules, each with a specific function.

The 4 main modules of the NEXUS-M

The Brain

The NEXUS CORE is responsible for the fundamental functions of system initialization, authentication, and storage.

It replaces and recreates essential functions of the original PS2, including:

BIOS emulation
MECHACON emulation
Memory Card emulation
Optical Disc Emulator function — ODE
Game loading via microSD card
Fast ROM bus response
PS1 game support via DKWDRV

In short, the NEXUS CORE is the module that allows the system to start, authenticate games, manage saved data, and load titles without relying on the original optical drive.

The Eyes

The NEXUS VISION is the video subsystem of the NEXUS-M.

It is based on the ECP5 FPGA and is designed to process the PS2 video signal directly from the GS, before the traditional analog video output.

Its functions include:

Custom video pipeline
24-bit RGB capture directly from the GS
Deinterlacing
Line doubling
Scaling
1080p HDMI output
Support for different display modes. Compatible with all MIPI DSI, TFT TTL, EDP and more screens. Hardware OSD overlay

The goal of the NEXUS VISION is to deliver a modern, clean and configurable video output, while maintaining the true behavior of the PlayStation 2.

System Beat

The NEXUS PULSE is the central system controller. It coordinates power, control, sensors, and communication between modules.

Its main functions include:

Power management
USB-C PD and battery control
DualShock 2 controller emulation
Rumble support
OSD control
Thermal monitoring
Automatic fan control
Subsystem coordination via SPI

The NEXUS PULSE acts as the “nervous system” of the NEXUS-M, monitoring the hardware status in real time and ensuring that the modules work together stably.

The Bridge

The NEXUS LINK adds modern connectivity to the NEXUS-M.

It connects the system to the outside world via WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and USB, enabling features the original PS2 never had.

Its functions include:

WiFi
Bluetooth LE
Wireless controller support
USB OTG
OTA firmware updates
Web console management
Network capabilities
Streaming and communication with external tools

The NEXUS LINK is the module responsible for expanding the NEXUS-M to modern connectivity, application integration, and remote system control.

The Main Interface

The NEXUS LAUNCHER is the main menu of the NEXUS-M.

It replaces the original PS2 OSDSYS with an XMB-style interface, inspired by the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita, running directly on the actual PlayStation 2 via JavaScript.

The launcher is based on:

AthenaEnv as the JavaScript runtime in EE
Fork of the OSD-XMB
Boot via OSDMenu MBR
Storage via microSD card using MX4SIO
Game launching via Neutrino
Plugin system
Shareable themes
Multi-language support
Communication with the NEXUS-M hardware

The interface has tabs for PS2 games, PS1 games, applications, settings, media, and hardware diagnostics.

The NEXUS LAUNCHER is not just a visual menu. It communicates with the system's custom modules to display information such as battery, temperature, WiFi, fan, video modes, and overall hardware status.​

Additional Features
Wireless controller support via Bluetooth LE
NEXUS LAUNCHER with XMB-style interface
Multiple SPECTRA display modes
Experiments with image filters and post-processing
Automatic widescreen patches
Video profiles per game
Intelligent power management
Quick Resume experiments on real hardware
Screen capture via FPGA
PS1 compatibility
Custom case/enclosure

Summary

The NEXUS-M is a reimagining of the PlayStation 2 based on real hardware.

It retains the core of the original console—EE and GS—but replaces the surrounding subsystems with a modern, modular, and customized architecture.

It's a project of advanced integration between classic hardware and modern technology, focusing on native compatibility, improved video, modern storage, connectivity, control, and its own interface.

Real hardware. Native compatibility. Advanced integration.

The future isn't emulated. It's NEXUS.

​

 

[Stitches]

This is lofty AF, but you have my interest

 

[Mister M]

View attachment 43403
NEXUS-M — PlayStation 2 Reimagined with a Custom Multi-Chip System

Hey everyone! This is Mister M, entering the Summer 2026 Build Competition with what I believe to be one of the most ambitious PlayStation 2 hardware projects ever attempted.

View attachment 43387

What is NEXUS-M?

NEXUS-M is a complete reimagining of the PlayStation 2, built around the console's actual hardware.

The project retains the EE (Emotion Engine) and GS (Graphics Synthesizer) from a PS2-7900x board, but redesigns the rest of the architecture with custom hardware. The idea is to create a system based on the real PS2, smaller, smarter, and more advanced, while maintaining 100% native compatibility with PlayStation 2 games.

NEXUS-M is not a software emulation project. It uses the actual PS2 hardware and replaces the supporting subsystems with modern modules, each with a specific function.

The 4 main modules of the NEXUS-M


View attachment 43388
View attachment 43389
The Brain

The NEXUS CORE is responsible for the fundamental functions of system initialization, authentication, and storage.

It replaces and recreates essential functions of the original PS2, including:

BIOS emulation
MECHACON emulation
Memory Card emulation
Optical Disc Emulator function — ODE
Game loading via microSD card
Fast ROM bus response
PS1 game support via DKWDRV

In short, the NEXUS CORE is the module that allows the system to start, authenticate games, manage saved data, and load titles without relying on the original optical drive.



View attachment 43392

View attachment 43393
The Eyes

The NEXUS VISION is the video subsystem of the NEXUS-M.

It is based on the ECP5 FPGA and is designed to process the PS2 video signal directly from the GS, before the traditional analog video output.

Its functions include:

Custom video pipeline
24-bit RGB capture directly from the GS
Deinterlacing
Line doubling
Scaling
1080p HDMI output
Support for different display modes. Compatible with all MIPI DSI, TFT TTL, EDP and more screens. Hardware OSD overlay

The goal of the NEXUS VISION is to deliver a modern, clean and configurable video output, while maintaining the true behavior of the PlayStation 2.

View attachment 43391

View attachment 43394

System Beat

The NEXUS PULSE is the central system controller. It coordinates power, control, sensors, and communication between modules.

Its main functions include:

Power management
USB-C PD and battery control
DualShock 2 controller emulation
Rumble support
OSD control
Thermal monitoring
Automatic fan control
Subsystem coordination via SPI

The NEXUS PULSE acts as the “nervous system” of the NEXUS-M, monitoring the hardware status in real time and ensuring that the modules work together stably.

View attachment 43390

View attachment 43395

The Bridge

The NEXUS LINK adds modern connectivity to the NEXUS-M.

It connects the system to the outside world via WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and USB, enabling features the original PS2 never had.

Its functions include:

WiFi
Bluetooth LE
Wireless controller support
USB OTG
OTA firmware updates
Web console management
Network capabilities
Streaming and communication with external tools

The NEXUS LINK is the module responsible for expanding the NEXUS-M to modern connectivity, application integration, and remote system control.


View attachment 43396

View attachment 43397
The Main Interface

The NEXUS LAUNCHER is the main menu of the NEXUS-M.

It replaces the original PS2 OSDSYS with an XMB-style interface, inspired by the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita, running directly on the actual PlayStation 2 via JavaScript.

The launcher is based on:

AthenaEnv as the JavaScript runtime in EE
Fork of the OSD-XMB
Boot via OSDMenu MBR
Storage via microSD card using MX4SIO
Game launching via Neutrino
Plugin system
Shareable themes
Multi-language support
Communication with the NEXUS-M hardware

The interface has tabs for PS2 games, PS1 games, applications, settings, media, and hardware diagnostics.

The NEXUS LAUNCHER is not just a visual menu. It communicates with the system's custom modules to display information such as battery, temperature, WiFi, fan, video modes, and overall hardware status.​

View attachment 43398


Additional Features
Wireless controller support via Bluetooth LE
NEXUS LAUNCHER with XMB-style interface
Multiple SPECTRA display modes
Experiments with image filters and post-processing
Automatic widescreen patches
Video profiles per game
Intelligent power management
Quick Resume experiments on real hardware
Screen capture via FPGA
PS1 compatibility
Custom case/enclosure

View attachment 43399
Summary

The NEXUS-M is a reimagining of the PlayStation 2 based on real hardware.

It retains the core of the original console—EE and GS—but replaces the surrounding subsystems with a modern, modular, and customized architecture.

It's a project of advanced integration between classic hardware and modern technology, focusing on native compatibility, improved video, modern storage, connectivity, control, and its own interface.

Real hardware. Native compatibility. Advanced integration.

The future isn't emulated. It's NEXUS.

View attachment 43400
View attachment 43402
​

View attachment 43404

To the members of the BitBuilt community,

I would like to inform you that I am withdrawing from the Summer 2026 Building Competition.

The reason: after my registration, I was contacted privately by the moderators with concerns about the use of AI in the creation of my post's banner. I used an image tool to design the banner—the text, logo, and layout were all my own work and direction, but the tool performed the final assembly. The moderators considered that this falls under the rule of "all work must be done by you."

I respect their decision as moderators. However, I disagree with the interpretation. The original rule did not mention AI at any point, and I believe that the interpretation is being applied retroactively. In a building competition, I expected the focus to be on the physical hardware—PCBs, soldering, reverse engineering, assembly—and not on the format of a presentation banner.

About me and my project: I've been studying the PlayStation 2 since 2018. In 2022, I published here on this forum the complete recreation of the PS2 79003 PCB, with mapping of all voltages and identification of each component. My current project, the NEXUS-M, replaces almost all of the PS2's subsystems with modern chips while maintaining 100% native compatibility with games — something that, as far as I know, has never been done before. The project is real, the work is mine, and it will continue independently of any contest.

I will share the progress of the NEXUS-M through other channels. If in the future the rules regarding AI are clearly defined before the start of the contest, I will be happy to participate again.

Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in my work. The BitBuilt community is excellent and has incredible people. It's not about the community — it's about how this specific competition is being conducted.

Keep building amazing things.

— Mister M

 

[YveltalGriffin]

Is this a joke? @loopj used an AI-generated banner image in his 2024 contest entry and won second place.

I really hope the staff walks this decision back. AI is becoming more and more commonplace in tech hobby spaces (just look at JoypadOS) and a stance like this is just going to result in less cool stuff being posted in the community.

 

[subierekt]

:-(

 

[Mrak408]

As long as the text content is human-made this should be fair game. The use of em dashes seems kinda off but I don't believe the original post had any AI-generated writing. Seems like a double standard if AI was only used for the pictures and icons.

 

[Stitches]

Is this a joke? @loopj used an AI-generated banner image in his 2024 contest entry and won second place.

I really hope the staff walks this decision back. AI is becoming more and more commonplace in tech hobby spaces (just look at JoypadOS) and a stance like this is just going to result in less cool stuff being posted in the community.

No decision has been made yet. M was simply asked to replace the flat image with searchable plaintext that meets web accessibilty standards, and informed that talks were happening and that the verdict may affect aspects of his entry if generative ai was used in the course of the build.

We believe M when he says that he wrote his presentation all by himself. The discussion is on to what extent generated resources are permitted. A mere banner would never be enough to kill an entry, but things like code and meshes generated on request could constitute having customised "work" or comission done by a service. That distinction must be made so everyone knows the fair bounds of the comp and no-one gets snagged.

This was meant to be a quiet talk until the final parameters could be given to all users. M has jumped the gun here.

 

[Mister M]

As long as the text content is human-made this should be fair game. The use of em dashes seems kinda off but I don't believe the original post had any AI-generated writing. Seems like a double standard if AI was only used for the pictures and icons.

I am not a native English speaker; I use Google Translate to communicate here. My language certainly has different expressions and ways of being said, and punctuation is a personal matter, since almost no one uses it regardless of the language. Assumptions and more assumptions lead to no progress.

 

[Stitches]

The court of old fucks has finished convening, and also venconing, and delivers the following verdict:

The use of AI tools was not defined in the rules before the contest opened and does not fit neatly into a common interpretation of the existing rules, so in accordance with International Maritime Law page 420 paragraph D subsection E.Z(nuts), we henceforth declare: "No jebait"

Translation: We totally forgot that ai was a thing, and changing the rules mid-comp is, as mentioned above, kinda dog and unfair. Use of ai tools for the build comp will be unrestricted this year, with the exception of text in forum posts which must be typed by human hands in plain text to keep compliant with accessibility standards.

This text requirement applies to the whole forum btw. Aside from accessibility compliance concerns, we don't want to risk another generation of knowledge being lost to the next Great Photobucketing.

I personally apologise for the surprise and unease caused by my mishandling of this outreach. It won't happen again.

 

[CrashBash]

Felt I should chime in here.
First I'd like to to apologize to everyone for any undue confusion or alarm that was raised from this thread's earlier posts. There were some discussions that happened, but formal decisions were not made yet. The earlier communications were by all means too hasty and by no means finalized.

We completely understand that AI can be a tool. A tool that can be abused or used improperly, but also a tool which has the potential to empower people to achieve lofty goals that could benefit the community if done well, documented, and made available.

I'm going to be working with staff to make it known that before acting on things like this, it needs to be fed up the chain and confirmed prior to outcomes being publicized.