PS/2 Cables

PS2 to USB adapter and USB to PS2 adapter

In our range here at AvXperten, you will find both PS2 to USB adapters and USB to PS2 adapters. With a PS/2 to USB adapter, you can easily convert a PS2 plug to a USB plug, allowing you to connect an older mouse or keyboard with a PS2 plug to a newer computer with USB ports. Conversely, a USB to PS2 adapter can be used if you want to connect a USB mouse or USB keyboard via a PS2 plug when, for example, there are no more available USB ports to use.

What is a PS2 plug?

The PS2 plug was developed in the late 1980s and is a connector used to connect mice and keyboards to computers. The PS2 plug is a small round plug that consists of 6 pins, of which pin number 2 and number 6 are not connected. There are both a PS2 port suitable for keyboards and a port suitable for mice, as the two devices often use different commands. Typically, the color purple is used to indicate a PS2 port for keyboards, and the color green is used to indicate a PS2 port for mice.

As times have changed, the PS2 plug has gradually been replaced by the USB plug. The majority of newer computers today can only be obtained with USB ports, and USB plugs are now the preferred way to connect mice and keyboards to computers. However, you can still purchase computer motherboards with PS2 ports, as some users still prefer to use the PS2 plug. For example, some users involved in gaming believe that keyboards connected via PS2 have lower latency compared to USB keyboards. At the same time, the PS2 plug is energy-saving in the sense that it is interrupt-driven, while USB requires periodic polling, which makes PS2 preferred for many laptops' internal keyboards and mice. There is still a need for the PS2 plug in certain contexts.

Connect old devices to new computers with a PS2 to USB adapter

If you have some old PS2 devices lying around that you can no longer use because your new computer no longer has PS2 ports, you can benefit from purchasing a PS/2 to USB adapter. With a PS2 to USB adapter, you have the opportunity to give your old PS2 keyboard and mouse new life, as you can convert their PS2 plugs to USB and thus connect them via a USB port.

If you conversely need to convert a newer USB keyboard or mouse to a PS2 plug so you can connect it via a PS2 port, for example, in your stationary computer's motherboard, you can benefit from purchasing a USB to PS2 adapter.

With a PS2 to USB adapter or a USB to PS2 adapter from AvXperten, you can easily convert your PS2 plugs to USB and your USB plugs to PS2 according to your needs.

The difference between active and passive PS2 to USB adapters

When talking about a PS2 to USB adapter, it can be useful to know that both active and passive adapters exist and to understand the difference between them.

As a general rule, a passive PS/2 to USB adapter works fine with newer PS2 mice and keyboards. However, there can be problems if you try to use older PS2 mice and keyboards with a passive adapter. For this reason, many older PS2 mice and keyboards require an active PS/2 to USB adapter to function.

Keyboards and mice that are specifically designed to support both USB and PS2 typically come with a USB plug connection and a passive adapter that allows connection via a PS2 port. However, the passive PS2 to USB adapter is not standard, so this type of adapter will most often only work with the specific device it came with. This means that these passive adapters cannot be used to convert other devices for connection via a PS2 port.

While it is still possible today to find keyboards and mice that support both USB and PS2, most USB mice and keyboards from 2010 onwards no longer support PS2. This means that you need an active USB to PS2 adapter to be able to connect them via a PS2 port.

Protect your PS2 plugs with a PS2 to USB adapter

PS2 plugs are not designed to be connected and disconnected very often, unlike USB plugs, where it's almost standard to be able to plug them in and out all the time. This is because PS2 plugs can easily break, as the plug's pins can easily bend or break from being connected and disconnected too much. This also means that the PS2 plug can only be connected when it is turned in a certain way. Therefore, it should also be turned correctly before attempting to connect it to avoid potential damage to the plug.

Today, however, there is an easy way to get around the problem. With a PS2 to USB adapter, you can protect your PS2 plugs by allowing them to remain connected to the adapter, while you can worry-free plug and unplug the adapter's USB plug as you please. In this way, you do not risk damaging your PS2 plug to the same extent if you want to connect your PS2 devices to different places and therefore want to move the plug.

If you, on the other hand, need a USB to PS2 adapter, you can avoid the problem by keeping the adapter connected to your computer and instead plug in and out different USB plugs to the adapter as you see fit.

Here at AvXperten, we have both PS/2 to USB adapters and USB to PS2 adapters, so you can quickly get started protecting your PS2 plugs.