RPCS3

RPCS3 is an open-source PC emulator for PlayStation 3 that lets you play your favorite PS3 games on your Windows PC. RPCS3 is an experimental open-source Sony PlayStation 3 emulator and debugger built in C++ for Windows and Linux. It is released under the GNU General Public License, Version 2. According to the licensing, you are free to use RPCS3 Emulator and its source code for any purpose; however, distributing the application requires that the source code be supplied and attribution is provided.

The purpose of this project is to explore, research, and teach about PlayStation 3 emulation on suitable devices and operating systems. The information was obtained legally by purchasing PlayStation 3 hardware and software. Additional information was collected from a variety of online sources, including, but not limited to, system hardware and software documentation. 

"Join our Discord group, which has over 37,000 members, for project announcements, developer interactions, and emulator configuration support. With regular contact from our team, we hope to foster a close-knit community of emulation enthusiasts and PlayStation 3 fans alike. Our site includes a custom-designed compatibility bot that allows users to request and retrieve the status of over 2800 tested PlayStation 3 titles."

Most Common Queries

Q. Installing PlayStation 3 firmware files. 
"Due to legal reasons, we cannot distribute official PlayStation 3 firmware files." The game emulator requires the most recent PlayStation 3 firmware update file, which may be downloaded from PlayStation.com. Once downloaded, the firmware must be installed using the app's built-in firmware installer, which can be located under File > Install Firmware. 

Q. Managing PS3 titles 
PlayStation 3 titles cannot be released online for legal reasons and must be self-dumped from your PlayStation 3 console or a computer equipped with a suitable Blu-ray drive. Both Blu-ray and PlayStation Network (PSN) titles must be stored in the same folder with their respective files, and the folder name must match the title's ID. If you don't know what your dropped title's region ID is, look for it on the bottom side of your game case. 

Q. Installing PlayStation 3 title updates. 
Title updates are handled in the same manner as PSN.pkg files. The.pkg update file must be installed with the tool's built-in package installer, which can be located under File > Install.pkg. The update will be saved in the title folder corresponding to the right region ID. Please keep in mind that title updates must be in the same region to be effective. Cross-mixing title regions could cause irrevocable damage to the title. 

Q. How stable is the RPCS3 game emulator now? 
It is steady enough to boot into games and play many of them comfortably. Stability is more of a game-specific characteristic that may vary with new releases when new features are incorporated. As PS3 emulators grow in accuracy, various regressions may occur, with stability being one of them. Rest assured, the developers are continually working hard to maintain the app as stable as possible both now and in the future. 

Q. Which input devices can I use with the program? 
"We presently support keyboard, mouse, and native DualShock 4 controllers. We also support XInput and MMjoy-based controllers. Unfortunately, we do not currently support DualShock 3 controllers. You can, however, utilize third-party software such as SCP Driver Package to make your DualShock 3 controller work like an XInput controller. We intend to introduce more input modalities in the future as we incorporate more relevant features into the emulator." 

Q. Where can I buy PS3 games and software? 
"Typically, you want to remove your PlayStation 3 games and software from your own system. We feel this is the most efficient and secure way to transfer disc-based and digital games from your console to your PC. You may also dump games onto compatible Blu-ray drives. Because of the way data is formatted on the disc, not all Blu-ray drives will identify PlayStation 3 games. 

Is it possible to play multiplayer games online with real consoles or other users? Unfortunately, this is not currently planned for RPCS 3. We are considering online multiplayer, however we may not proceed until it is as stable and accurate as possible. Playing games online with genuine PlayStation 3 systems would necessitate a connection to PlayStation Network, which is not very possible due to apparent technological and legal constraints." 

Q. Can I at least import my saved data from my original PlayStation 3? 
Yes, saves can be imported from a genuine PlayStation 3 machine via the regular USB flash drive transfer technique. Because of the way the user account system works on a genuine PlayStation 3, you may need to re-sign your save in some circumstances. 

Q. Will the emulator be ported to platform X and incorporate feature Y? 
"As long as the platform has adequate capability to imitate the PlayStation 3, the answer is undoubtedly yes. At the time, we solely target Windows and Linux. macOS is currently unsupported because it only supports OpenGL 4.1 and does not support Vulkan. The same goes for other features. If they are sensible and requested by a sufficient number of individuals, we will almost certainly agree and implement them. It now prioritizes the PS3 emulation over all other secondary features like as GUI translations, higher rendering resolutions, PlayStation Move support, and so on."