Changes

|version = {{RPCS3VerVersion|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])

|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac|BSD}}|'''[https://rpcs3.net/download Latest builds]'''<br/><small>[https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps3/system-software/ Official Firmware] and [[Emulator Files#PlayStation 3|Fonts]] needed</small>.

RPCS3 was started by programmers 'DH' and 'Hykem' (Who began betas end-testing and coding goal is for [[JPCSP]] in 2008) in May 23, 2011. The its 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]] founderexperiment, Alex Altea, even joined these two developers in the late summer of 2013research, and worked educate on a number the topic 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 3 emulation scene in mid 2016 for a number of legitimate reasonsthat can be performed on compatible devices and operating systems.<ref>[httphttps://www.emunewzrpcs3.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=174735 [IMPORTANTabout RPCS3: About Us page] Hykem says goodbye] (August 18, 2016)</ref>As it is under active development, it does not have a stable release.

Three years into its development===History===RPCS3 began on May 23, it could load 2011 as an experimental project by DH and Hykem (who beta-tested and coded for [[JPCSP]] in 2008). They initially hosted the intros to some games with sound,<ref>project on [https://wwwcode.youtubegoogle.com/watch?v=oOcUcD9y51w Rpcs3 Update Quality Sound - Intro Video - The Guided Fate Paradoxarchive/p/rpcs3/source/default/source Google Code] (Mar 26, 2014)</ref> as well as play some portions and eventually moved it to GitHub later in its development, making the repository publicly available in June of Disgaea 3 2012. AlexAltea joined in late summer 2013 and The Guided Fate Paradoxworked on several components of the emulator, maintaining the codebase up until early 2015. DH left the project in mid-2016, but turning his attention to the PlayStation 4 with heavy graphical glitches and no sprites.<ref name="Disgaea3 video">the similarly named [https://www.youtubegithub.com/watch?v=IQEv6B6fIgA RPCS3 WIP - Disgaea 3 - Ingame!RPCS4 RPCS4] (Mar 22, 2014)</ref> Today RPCS3 is dubbed one . Hykem was pushed out of the most complex video game console emulators of all time with an endless goal scene in mid-2016 due to effectively emulate drama behind the Sony PlayStation 3 and all of its aspects. The goal of this project is for its programmers to experiment, research, and educate on the topic of PlayStation 3 emulation that can be performed on compatible devices and operating systemsscenes.<ref>[httpshttp://rpcs3www.emunewz.net/about RPCS3: About Us pageforum/showthread.php?tid=174735 <nowiki>[IMPORTANT]</nowiki> Hykem says goodbye]. August 18, 2016.</ref>

Developer Nekotekina opened After getting small homebrew apps working, the emulator could 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, 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> Successive improvements brought with it the ability to play lightweight titles like After Burner Climax with almost no glitches.<ref>John GodGames. (February 1, 2016) [https://www.patreonyoutube.com/Nekotekina a Patreon campaignwatch?v=MsuKQfsu-zk RPCS3 PS3 Emulator - After Burner Climax Ingame #2! DX12] in 2017. YouTube.</ref> After getting Persona 5 working, Atlus infamously sent the developers an erroneous DMCA takedown notice to help inforce a timed-exclusivity agreement with kdSony,<ref>[https://atlus.com/atlus-11 joining not long afterand-emulation/ Atlus and Emulation].</ref> creating a [[wikipedia:Streisand effect|Streisand effect]] of spotlighting RPCS3 as a viable PS3 emulator.

As of April 2020For a long time, RPCS3 has been able to play over 50% of it was commonly thought that the original firmware files could only be extracted from a modded PS3 library from start , which would have greatly increased the barrier to finishentry. The emulator is capable However, one of running over 1the developers discovered all the libraries were actually bundled with each system update,000 games at a playable speed with no major glitches<ref name="Compatibility Page">and that the emulator could include the ability to extract the files. Nekotekina opened [https://rpcs3www.patreon.netcom/compatibility</ref>Nekotekina a Patreon campaign] in 2017, though it requires very demanding hardware on most gameswith kd-11 joining not long after. On In June 2018 , after a few improvements and fixes, at least most PlayStation 1 Classic titles became playable.<ref>[https://rpcs3.net/blog/2018/07/15/progress-report-june-2018/ #major Progress Report: June 2018]. § PlayStation 1 Classic titles] became playableClassics. Currently, only </ref> Only the PSN versions re-releases work (No PS1 ; no discs are able to can be loaded ininto the PS1 emulator yet.<!--game yet)They also got the VSH working.todo: cite-->

Since Today, RPCS3 is able to play almost two thirds of the emulator started getting funded PS3's commercial library from start to finish. Emulating most games is demanding on Patreonhardware, development though work has been progressing quickly, so more games are expected done to be playable in reduce the near futurerequirements.

* [https://code.google.com/archive/p/rpcs3/source/default/source Source code] for original RPCS3 code from 2011-2013On May 5, 2022, RSXAudio was implemented, adding audio to the XMB.

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.

RPCS3 does not work without uses the original system firmware. This 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 Download the preferred method of installing the firmware; download the latest update from Sonyfile, then in RPCS3 go to File -> Install Firmware, and select the downloaded update file.

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.

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.

<!--==Netplay==* [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Netplay RPCS3 uses Kaillera clientsRPCN for netplay,] which emulates some P2P matchmaking servers for PS3 games. Only a few titles are supported, but more are expected. See [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Xp-->662d12W13CZSzSiaBfB4BHwU2PyOFMdp_W4sA5Bo/edit#gid=0 this compatibility list].