This week, the team behind the PlayStation 3 emulator, RPCS3, proudly revealed that they’ve achieved a major milestone: stable, native support for the Arm64 architecture across Windows, macOS, and Linux. What’s particularly exciting about this achievement is that it even extends to the Raspberry Pi 5, really pushing the boundaries of what we thought was feasible on Raspberry Pi hardware. Historically, we’ve seen the Raspberry Pi 5 handle GameCube and Wii emulation—though the Wii was a bit more challenging—but with some tinkering, it appears that even PlayStation 3 emulation is within reach on today’s entry-level Arm devices.
PlayStation 3 emulation on the Raspberry Pi 5 isn’t without its challenges. To operate smoothly, developers scaled down the resolution to match that of a PlayStation Portable’s 273p, rather than the PlayStation 3’s original 720p. This trick allows some 3D games, such as God of War and its sequel, God of War II, to be playable on the device. Other titles like Catherine and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm are also running with surprising playability. While 2D games generally perform even better, achieving workable framerates for these complex titles on a Raspberry Pi 5 is an impressive feat many might not have anticipated.
On the macOS front, Arm architecture support has led to significant performance improvements on Apple Silicon. By bypassing the need for x86 emulation, PlayStation 3 games now run natively with framerates seeing boosts of 50-100%. What was once a hopeful ambition of smooth PS3 emulation on Arm devices has turned into an exciting reality.
While the Raspberry Pi 5’s capabilities resemble that of a handheld PlayStation Portable, Apple Silicon devices show off remarkable performance with demanding PS3 titles. Games like God of War III and Skate 3, which are far more challenging to emulate than HD remakes of previous-generation games, are running smoothly. This shows that with the right Arm-powered equipment, even the most demanding PS3 games can be enjoyed.
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