RPCS3 on PS5 is now a thing, sort of, because a developer called LavaVex has put an experimental port of the PS3 emulator up on GitHub that runs as a native homebrew app on a jailbroken PS5, and the headline game, Need for Speed Carbon, is reportedly fully playable at 60fps.
Before anyone runs off to poke at their console with a screwdriver, there are a lot of asterisks attached to this one, and I mean a lot, but it’s still one of the most interesting bits of emulation news in ages, mostly because it’s doing something Sony still hasn’t done nearly six years into the PS5’s life. Let me explain.
What Is RPCS3 on PS5, and Why Is It Different This Time?
People have actually run RPCS3 on a PS5 before, but those setups worked by booting a full Linux install on an old, hackable firmware, which, as Windows Report covered back in May, was a fiddly, enthusiast-only affair.
This new build, called RPCS3-PS5, is different because it runs inside the PS5’s own system as a homebrew title, with no separate Linux installation needed, and as PlayStationInfo points out, that makes it the first time RPCS3 has run natively on the console. That’s a genuinely big step, isn’t it?
Which PS3 Games Actually Run, and How Well?
According to the project’s GitHub page, the testing so far has been done on a PS5 Pro on firmware 13.60, and the list of tested games is, let’s be honest, tiny:
- Need for Speed Carbon: described as fully playable at 60fps
- inFAMOUS: boots and plays, but stutters and drops below full speed in places
- Everything else: mostly untested, with the developer warning that many games may crash or freeze
- Under the hood: Vulkan through a custom RADV driver, native audio, DualSense support, and RPCS3’s Big Picture Mode as the menu
The first launch of each game is also slow because it has to compile shaders and code, so if you’ve ever stared at a shader compilation bar for what felt like a geological age… welcome home!
Quick NoteThere’s no ready-made download here. The repo is source code and build scripts only, it needs a Linux PC to build, you have to supply your own PS3 firmware and game dumps, and the official RPCS3 team doesn’t support it, so please don’t go bothering them with bug reports.
Is This Actually Something Normal Players Should Try?
I’ll be upfront with you all, no, not really, because this only works on a jailbroken console, the jailbreak and payloads come with their own risks, and you’re very much a beta tester for something the developer openly says will crash, so this is for tinkerers who enjoy the hobby as much as the games.
It’s also worth remembering that a jailbroken PS5 is not a console you’ll want to take online with your main account, and while some people, definitely not me, will be very excited about “legally” sourcing a pile of PS3 games for it, the proper way to do this is dumping discs you actually own. [ADD PERSONAL NOTE: any PS3 games you’d most want to see running this way]
If this has given you the homebrew itch but you’d rather start somewhere far less risky, my guide to homebrewing your 3DS is a much gentler first step, and a 3DS is a lot cheaper to accidentally turn into a paperweight, trust you me!
Why Is a Hobbyist Doing Sony’s Job for It?
This is the bit that genuinely gets me, because Sony still offers no way to play PS3 games locally on a PS5, and the only official route is streaming a selection of them through PlayStation Plus Premium, which means paying a subscription for the privilege of input lag.
Meanwhile, a single developer has got a PS3 racing game running at 60fps on Sony’s own hardware, which isn’t proof that Sony could flip a switch tomorrow, because the PS3’s Cell processor is famously nasty to emulate, but it does make “it’s just not possible” a much harder line to swallow, doesn’t it?
So Should You Care About RPCS3 on PS5?
My take is that you should absolutely care, but you shouldn’t do anything about it yet, because this is an early, experimental proof of concept rather than a usable product, and the safest thing for most people is to sit back and watch the compatibility list grow.
If you already have a jailbroken PS5 on the right firmware and you like building things from source, it’s a fascinating project to follow, and for everyone else, it’s a very loud hint that proper PS3 support on PS5 is possible… if anyone at Sony fancies listening!
FAQ
Can you run RPCS3 on PS5 without a jailbreak?
No. The RPCS3 on PS5 port only works as homebrew on a jailbroken console, and it was tested on a PS5 Pro running firmware 13.60.
Which PS3 games work with RPCS3 on PS5?
Need for Speed Carbon is reportedly fully playable at 60fps, while inFAMOUS runs with stutters. Most other games haven’t been tested yet.
Is RPCS3 on PS5 an official RPCS3 release?
No, it’s an unofficial, experimental port by developer LavaVex, and the RPCS3 team doesn’t support it.
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