Sony PlayStation 3 Emulator RPCS3 Gains Native Arm64 Architecture Support, Compatible with Raspberry Pi 5

This week brought exciting news for the gaming community as the developers behind RPCS3, the PlayStation 3 emulator, announced a significant milestone: stable and native Arm64 architecture support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. What’s surprising is this breakthrough includes support for the Raspberry Pi 5, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on this compact device. Historically, the Raspberry Pi 5 has dabbled in emulating GameCube and Wii games (albeit with mixed results for Wii). Yet, with some fine-tuning, emulating PS3 titles is now a feasible option on this entry-level Arm hardware.

Attempting to emulate the PS3 on a Raspberry Pi 5 is truly an exercise in testing limits. To make this happen, settings are adjusted to mimic a PlayStation Portable, reducing resolution to a mere 273p compared to the PS3’s native 720p. This scaling might seem drastic, but it opens doors to running some impressive 3D games like God of War (and its sequel God of War II) HD, originally from the PS2, as well as titles like Catherine and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. While 2D games are naturally more manageable, achieving playable framerates in these 3D classics is a remarkable feat for a Raspberry Pi 5’s capabilities.

Turning our attention to macOS, the switch to native Arm architecture support, instead of relying on x86 emulation, has delivered impressive performance boosts on Apple Silicon devices. Frame rate improvements range from 50 to 100% simply because the games now run natively instead of having to process through x86 translation layered with demanding PS3 hardware emulation. This step forward has made high-performance Arm-powered PS3 emulation less of a lofty ambition and more of a tangible reality.

While the Raspberry Pi 5’s performance mirrors that of a PSP, Apple Silicon machines are showcasing the true potential of PS3 games. Titles like God of War III and Skate 3, which pose a challenge to even the most robust emulators, are now quite playable on Arm architecture devices—provided they have the necessary power to handle the experience.

These developments signify a thrilling era for emulation enthusiasts, unlocking experiences previously deemed impossible on smaller or different devices and opening up new avenues for old games to be enjoyed on modern hardware.