PlayStation 3 emulation has hit a significant new milestone, with the ability to boot any PS3 game to successful graphic output. The extremely sophisticated Cell CPU utilised by Sony’s seventh-generation system was a considerable barrier for emulator makers, although significant progress has been made in this arena in the last several years.
The PS3 is currently regarded as a legacy platform, yet many players still find Sony’s system to be somewhat relevant because of the high calibre of games it managed to acquire over its lifespan. Metal Gear Solid 4, the original Demon’s Souls, and Gran Turismo 6 were among the exclusives, and the ability to mimic them on PC was a crucial factor for many players.
Due to the complexity of the original machine, PlayStation 3 emulation is primarily restricted to RPCS3, however, there has been significant improvement recently. Indeed, the official RPCS3 Twitter account just stated that the software can now boot every PS3 game ever published. This features the top PlayStation Plus Premium PlayStation 3 titles, such as Infamous and Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time. It should be noted, however, that this does not necessarily imply that all PS3 titles are now playable on PC.
We are delighted to announce that as of today, the RPCS3 Loadable compatibility category has reached 0 GAMES!
This means there are no PS3 games left that boot to a black screen on the emulator – every PS3 game at the very least boots and shows image output.
Happy holidays! pic.twitter.com/3ZAWFzbyGP
— RPCS3 (@rpcs3) December 25, 2022
It is noteworthy that only around 68% of the total number of PS3 games can be finished with playable performance without encountering game-breaking issues, with the remaining 32% or so booting but staying unplayable. Naturally, RPCS3 will improve over time, and it now seems almost certain that all PS3 exclusives will ultimately run properly on PC. Because Sony has so many exclusive titles, it’s hardly surprising that a functional PS3 emulator is as popular as it is.
Of course, Sony has not commented on the topic. While some firms, such as Nintendo, are vehemently opposed to any kind of emulation, Sony hasn’t been nearly as zealous. Valve recently removed a Steam Deck video containing Switch emulation to prevent any possible issues caused by Nintendo’s attorneys targeting the new gadget.
It’s probable that Sony is working on PS3 game emulation for the PlayStation 5. Earlier in 2022, leaker Jeff Grubb suggested that Sony might be investigating methods to run vintage classics on its upcoming platform launch. Nothing has come of this rumour as of yet, but given how long these things take, it’s anyone’s guess if anything similar may occur in the future.
