The latest AI-generated trend going viral on social media is transporting people to the early 2000s by making themselves look like PlayStation 2 videogame characters. The nostalgic feeling the filter erupts has encouraged many people over the last few days to hunt down what app and prompts were used to make the AI PS2 filter.

Here's a quick guide with everything you need to make your own PS2 graphics picture, and an explanation of what the trend is all about.

What Is The 'AI PS2 Filter' Trend?

The AI PS2 filter started as a Midjourney prompt dedicated to replicating the same videogame graphic aesthetic as the 2000's PlayStation 2 console. The prompt was shared by Redditor @Wear_A_Dam_Helmet in November 2023, who demonstrated the results in a series of pictures (shown below).

Later in March 2024, an unknown netizen decided to use this prompt in the freemium application Replicate, which deploys custom models at scale, all with one line of code. TikTok^[2] user @hurtabdu1 posted the earliest viral slideshow featuring images of him in a PS2-styled filter (shown below).

How To Do The 'AI Yearbook' Trend

To join the PS2 Filter trend you first need to be aware, like all the latest AI trends on the internet, that some of your personal data will be shared with the AI program. The first thing you'll need to do is go to the Replicate website and create an account. The service, however, is not free and you might need to pay a fee to generate and download your PS2 filter pictures.

Here's a simple guide to creating your AI PS2 Filter photo:

1. Open the app, and select fofr/ face-to-many
2. Upload your favorite pictures– Higher-quality images are also indicated to get a more in-depth graphics image generated.
3. Select the videogame option under the style section "Style"
4. Add the following text in the "Prompt" section: pixelated glitchart of close-up of {subject}, ps2 playstation psx gamecube game gta, dreams screencapture, bryce 3d --style ddCHhSumaNyOrL1Q
5. Once the images are ready, the app allows you to edit and download the image
6. Tap 'Run' to save your selection and it's all good to go.

For the full history of the AI PS2 filter, check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.