Changes

|version = 0.0.7 Alpha{{Version|RPCS3}}<ref group=N name=version>The developers are currently treating version increments as milestones, not as stable builds.</ref>

|platform = [[Emulators on Windows, |Windows]]<br/>[[Emulators on Linux|Linux, BSD]]<br/>FreeBSD<br/>[[Emulators on macOS|macOS]]

 '''RPCS3''' is a very promising an open-source, multi-platform [[PlayStation 3 emulators|PlayStation 3 (PS3)]] emulator/debugger written in C++for Windows and Linux. RPCS3 It is the only emulator that can run commercial games, with over 12,000 commercial titles without major glitches (see the [https://rpcs3.net/compatibility compatibility list])considered playable. It also emulates the PSN versions of supports the PS3's internal [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation Classics1 emulator]]. The emulator is making huge progress, improving every month. (See through the [https://rpcs3PlayStation Classics digital re-releases.net/blog/ progress reports])

{| cellpadding="4"|-|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac|BSD}}|'''[https://rpcs3.net/download Latest builds] Originally, you needed to extract the firmware from a modded PS3, but since these files are also distributed with updates, the developers added the ability to extract them from there instead. '''<br/><small>[https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/system-updateshardware/ps3/ This is where you would get them.] Then install it by going to File system-> Install software/ Official Firmware] needed. Fonts can be found on the [[Emulator Files#PlayStation 3|Emulator Files]] page.}

RPCS3 was started by programmers 'DH' and 'Hykem' (Who began beta-testing and coding for [[JPCSP]] in 2008) in May 23, 2011. The developers initially hosted the project on Google Code and eventually moved it to GitHub later in its development. The emulator was first able to successfully boot and run simple homebrew projects and was then later publicly released in June of 2012. Then-[[Orbital]] founder, Alex Altea, even joined these two developers in the late summer of 2013, and worked on a number of aspects and maintained the project up till early 2015. DH left the project in mid 2016 and started doing [https://github.com/RPCS4 PlayStation 4 related research]. Hykem was forced to leave the emulation scene in mid 2016 for a number of legitimate reasons.<ref>[http://www.emunewz.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=174735 [IMPORTANT] Hykem says goodbye] (August 18, 2016)</ref> Three years into its development, it could load the intros to some games with sound,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOcUcD9y51w Rpcs3 Update Quality Sound s end- Intro Video - The Guided Fate Paradox] (Mar 26, 2014)</ref> as well as play some portions of Disgaea 3 and The Guided Fate Paradox, but with heavy graphical glitches and no sprites.<ref name="Disgaea3 video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQEv6B6fIgA RPCS3 WIP - Disgaea 3 - Ingame!] (Mar 22, 2014)</ref> Today RPCS3 is dubbed one of the most complex video game console emulators of all time with an endless goal to effectively emulate the Sony PlayStation 3 and all of its aspects. The goal of this project is for its programmers developers to experiment, research, and educate on the topic of PlayStation 3 emulation that can be performed on compatible devices and operating systems.<ref>[https://rpcs3.net/about RPCS3: About Us page]</ref> Developer Nekotekina opened [https://www.patreon.com/Nekotekina a Patreon campaign] in 2017As it is under active development, with kd-11 joining it does not long afterhave a stable release.

As of August 2018===History===RPCS3 began on May 23, RPCS3 has been able to play more than 33% of 2011 as an experimental project by DH and Hykem (who beta-tested and coded for [[JPCSP]] in 2008). They initially hosted the PS3 library from start to finish. The emulator is capable of running over 1,000 games at a playable speed with no major glitches<ref name="Compatibility Page">project on [https://code.google.com/archive/p/rpcs3.net/compatibility<source/default/ref>source Google Code], though and eventually moved it requires very demanding hardware to GitHub later in its development, making the repository publicly available in June of 2012. AlexAltea joined in late summer 2013 and worked on most gamesseveral components of the emulator, maintaining the codebase up until early 2015. On June 2018 after a few improvements and fixesDH left the project in mid-2016, at least most turning his attention to the PlayStation 4 with the similarly named [https://rpcs3github.netcom/blogRPCS4 RPCS4]. Hykem was pushed out of the scene in mid-2016 due to drama behind the scenes.<ref>[http:/2018/07www.emunewz.net/15forum/progress-report-june-2018showthread.php?tid=174735 <nowiki>[IMPORTANT]</ PlayStation 1 Classic titlesnowiki> Hykem says goodbye] became playable. CurrentlyAugust 18, only the PSN versions work (No PS1 discs are able to be loaded in-game yet)2016.</ref>

Since After getting small homebrew apps working, the emulator started getting funded on Patreoncould load the intros to some games with sound,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOcUcD9y51w Rpcs3 Update Quality Sound - Intro Video - The Guided Fate Paradox] (Mar 26, 2014)</ref> as well as play some portions of Disgaea 3 and The Guided Fate Paradox, development has been progressing quicklybut with heavy graphical glitches and no sprites.<ref name="Disgaea3 video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQEv6B6fIgA RPCS3 WIP - Disgaea 3 - Ingame!] (Mar 22, so more games are expected 2014)</ref> Successive improvements brought with it the ability to be playable in play lightweight titles like After Burner Climax with almost no glitches.<ref>John GodGames. (February 1, 2016) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsuKQfsu-zk RPCS3 PS3 Emulator - After Burner Climax Ingame #2! DX12]. YouTube.</ref> After getting Persona 5 working, Atlus infamously sent the near futuredevelopers an erroneous DMCA takedown notice to help inforce a timed-exclusivity agreement with Sony,<ref>[https://atlus.com/atlus-and-emulation/ Atlus and Emulation].</ref> creating a [[wikipedia:Streisand effect|Streisand effect]] of spotlighting RPCS3 as a viable PS3 emulator.

* For a long time, it was commonly thought that the original firmware files could only be extracted from a modded PS3, which would have greatly increased the barrier to entry. However, one of the developers discovered all the libraries were actually bundled with each system update, and that the emulator could include the ability to extract the files. Nekotekina opened [https://codewww.googlepatreon.com/archiveNekotekina a Patreon campaign] in 2017, with kd-11 joining not long after. In June 2018, after a few improvements and fixes, most PlayStation 1 Classic titles became playable.<ref>[https:/p/rpcs3.net/blog/2018/07/source15/defaultprogress-report-june-2018/source Source code#major Progress Report: June 2018] for original RPCS3 code from 2011. § PlayStation 1 Classics.</ref> Only the PSN re-releases work; no discs can be loaded into the PS1 emulator yet.<!--2013They also got the VSH working.todo: cite-->

RPCS3 has (or works with) some enhancements for gameplay, such as:;[https://rpcs3.net/blog/2018/08/08/eliminating-stutter-with-asynchronous-shader-implementation/ Asynchronous Shader Recompilation]:Makes games run Compiles shaders as the game runs, allowing for [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu-HwEEU5K0 virtually stutter freeperformance] at the cost of some objects and textures [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59q7wbeJLOo new shaders/textures popping into existence]as you play. Note: It only gives a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGWk1p7pCVk tiny performance boost] - a powerful computer and further optimizations from the emulator will be needed to get the more demanding titles to run at full frame rate speeds, i.e. like 30 FPS or 60 FPS. Many demanding games may utilize multiple secondary cores plus the primary core of the PS3's CPU so parallelization techniques will be needed, perhaps running on a user's GPU or 8-core and better CPU. This recompilation mode only simulates the shaders coming through the RSX graphics processor.

;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sag4SF7dDrw ReShade]:ThirdA third-party suitethat hooks into the renderer. Makes many games appear [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPcHjnTZC_o more vibrant or saturated], particularly more pronounced in those with dull textures like the Tales of series, Naruto series, and other anime-based titles.

===Installing the Firmwarefirmware===RPCS3 does not work without firmware. This uses the original system firmware contains libraries used to interface with the games in different ways, like such as Bluetooth, PlayStation Eye, and so on. For a long time, it was commonly thought that these libraries could only be extracted from a modded PS3, which would have greatly increased the barrier to entry, however one of the developers discovered all the libraries were actually bundled with each system update, and that  [https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps3/system-updates/ps3software/ You can extract them from the official update files that Sony also supplies these updates distributes through their website.]. This is the preferred method of installing the firmware; download Download the latest update from Sonyfile, then in RPCS3 go to File -> Install Firmware, and select the downloaded update file.

===Installing Games games and Updatesupdates===

Newer versions of RPCS3 is compiled to 7z files using AppVeyor. To feature an automatic update RPCS3, [[{{PAGENAME}}#Download|download the latest build]], and replace the necessary fileschecker. For most minor The emulator will automatically check for updateswhen loaded, you only need to extract and replace the <code>RPCS3.exe</code> executable for them to take effect, but it's recommended that will prompt you backup old builds so that you can revert to the older ones update if a new problems crop up, or you can extract the whole 7z archive file and replace files to their respective foldersversion is detected.

RPCS3 is compiled to AppImages using TravisAzure. To update RPCS3, [[{{PAGENAME}}#Download|download the latest build]], and replace your previous AppImage with the new one. Reenable executable permissions if they were disabled during the update. Most file managers can let you change it from their properties window.

===Audio Stutterstutter===Cannot be completely eliminated in most cases, but you can at least try to mitigate it by playing around with the "Preferred SPU Thread" setting as well as the "lower SPU thread priority" and "Bind SPU thread" to secondary core settings.

===Unavailable Setting(s)Locked PSN demos===If you Some PSN titles use an '''.EDAT''' file to differentiate between "trial" and "full version" states rather than a '''.RAP''' file; these games are often referred to as "c00" games, stemming from the c00 folder in their installation which contains parameters for the full version. This cancause issues with unlocking certain titles, with a notorious example being 't find ''Castlevania: Harmony of Despair'''. If a specific setting in title utilizing an .EDAT file will not unlock its full version, renaming the .EDAT to .RAP will usually unlock as intended. ==Netplay==[https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Netplay RPCS3uses RPCN for netplay, you could be using an old build] which emulates some P2P matchmaking servers for PS3 games. Only a few titles are supported, and should probably update itbut more are expected. See [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Xp-662d12W13CZSzSiaBfB4BHwU2PyOFMdp_W4sA5Bo/edit#gid=0 this compatibility list].