ShadPS4: Difference between revisions
updated link for compatibility list |
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|website = [https://shadps4.net shadps4.net] | |website = [https://shadps4.net shadps4.net] | ||
|source = [https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4 GitHub] | |source = [https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4 GitHub] | ||
|issuetracker = [https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4/issues GitHub] | |||
|license = {{license|GPLv2}} | |license = {{license|GPLv2}} | ||
|support = [https://ko-fi.com/shadps4 Ko-fi] | |support = [https://ko-fi.com/shadps4 Ko-fi] | ||
Revision as of 16:01, 27 January 2026
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| Developer(s) | shadPS4 team |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 0.18.0 [+] |
| Active | Yes |
| Platform(s) | Windows Linux macOS |
| Architecture(s) | x86_64 |
| Emulates | PlayStation 4 |
| Compatibility | Compatibility list |
| Website | shadps4.net |
| Support ($) | Ko-fi |
| Programmed in | C++ |
| License | GPLv2 |
| Source code | GitHub |
| Issue tracker | GitHub |
| BIOS/Keys | Required |
shadPS4 (also known in the community as ChadPS4 🗿) is a free and open-source PlayStation 4 compatibility layer for Windows, Linux and macOS. It is the best PS4 compatibility layer around.
shadPS4 is a project started by George Moralis, also known as Shadow, in 2022. He is one of the founders of PCSX2 and PCSX (both popular emulators). The name "shadPS4" comes from his nickname "Shadow."
shadPS4 works by taking low-level hardware driver commands called PM4 packets from the PS4 and turning them into Vulkan commands. Each PM4 packet maps to one or multiple Vulkan commands.[1] ShadPS4 doesn't try to rebuild the original PS4's Graphics API calls (GNM) like some other emulators attempt to do, such as GPCS4.
Unlike wrappers such as DXVK or vkd3d, ShadPS4 is different in that it turns a low-level format (PM4) into a higher-level one (Vulkan), instead of converting high-level formats to lower-level ones (DXVK), or between two similar levels (vkd3d).
shadPS4 reached some important milestones:
- On July 5, 2024, it was able to run Bloodborne.
- By August 18, 2024, it successfully got into the game for the first time.
- In December 2024, ShadPS4 made a big step by making Unity games work on Windows, which improved its compatibility majorly.
Download
  
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Latest release Nightly builds |
Requirements
Decrypted BIOS
The official firmware released by Sony cannot be used with ShadPS4. Instead, a decrypted BIOS must be used, as detailed in the files referenced in the Emulator Files for PlayStation 4 section.
Decrypted games
The official PS4 game packages (.pkg) are encrypted for DRM, and raw .pkg files cannot be directly used in shadPS4. The games must be dumped and decrypted from an actual PS4 system, typically into a folder/file structure containing decrypted executable files (e.g., EBOOT.BIN), data files, and metadata.
PS4 games do not have a widely recognized decrypted archive format analogous to Loadiine archives for Wii U or WUA files for Cemu.
.pkg extraction tools
- Linux, and macOS: ps4-pkg-tools - https://github.com/xXJSONDeruloXx/ps4-pkg-tools