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

Recently, the team behind the PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 made an exciting announcement. They’ve reached a milestone with stable support for the Arm64 architecture across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. What’s particularly intriguing is that this support extends to the Raspberry Pi 5. It’s a remarkable achievement that expands the possibilities of what can be emulated on this small device. Previously, the Raspberry Pi 5 could handle GameCube emulation quite well and Wii games to a lesser extent. Now, with the right tweaks, even some PS3 games can run on today’s Arm-based entry-level hardware.

The efforts to run PS3 emulation on the Raspberry Pi 5 are pushing boundaries, utilizing settings that make it feel akin to a PlayStation Portable experience. By downgrading to the PSP’s display resolution of 273p, instead of the PS3’s native 720p, some 3D games can be enjoyed. This approach has enabled titles like God of War HD (and its sequel God of War II), Catherine, and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm to be part of the playable roster. While 2D games naturally run more smoothly, achieving playable framerates for PS3-era 3D titles on a Raspberry Pi 5 is an incredible leap that defies initial expectations.

Switching gears to the MacOS environment, native Arm architecture support over traditional x86 emulation has brought notable performance improvements on Apple Silicon devices for PS3 gaming. Framerates have seen a remarkable boost, improving by 50-100% simply by operating natively. This change has turned the concept of efficient Arm-powered PS3 emulation from a distant possibility into a tangible achievement.

While the Raspberry Pi 5 might mimic a PSP in its emulation capabilities, tests on Apple Silicon hardware demonstrate impressive performance levels. It handles demanding PS3 games like God of War III and Skate 3 with ease. These are more complex to emulate compared to the PS2-to-PS3 HD conversions like God of War HD. But they remain playable on Arm architecture devices, provided the hardware can deliver the necessary performance.

In summary, native Arm64 support has opened up new avenues for emulation on both modest and powerful hardware, illustrating the tremendous progress in the capabilities of emulators like RPCS3.