This week brought exciting news from the developers working on the PlayStation 3 emulator, RPCS3. They’ve announced that RPCS3 now boasts stable and native Arm64 architecture support across all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This breakthrough is particularly exciting for tech enthusiasts, as it even extends to devices like the Raspberry Pi 5, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with emulation on this versatile little computer. The Raspberry Pi 5 has already shown its prowess by emulating GameCube and Wii games—though the Wii with a bit less success. Now, with fine-tuned settings, even PS3 games can run on this surprisingly capable Arm hardware.
In an intriguing development, PS3 emulation on the Raspberry Pi 5 is really testing the waters by scaling down game resolution to a PSP’s 273p from the PS3’s native 720p. This clever workaround allows the system to play some 3D games such as God of War (and its sequel), Catherine, and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. While this might make the graphics resemble a PSP more than a full-fledged PS3, it opens up a realm of playable possibilities for these resource-intensive games.
Switching gears to macOS, the situation is just as promising. By adopting native Arm architecture support instead of leaning on x86 emulation, the RPCS3 team has achieved a quantum leap in performance on Apple Silicon. Users have reported frame rate boosts ranging from 50% to 100%. This leap means that what was once a tough task—emulating the robust PS3 hardware—is now a convenient reality on Arm-powered devices.
While the Raspberry Pi 5 offers a throwback experience resembling a PSP more than a PS3, the emulation tests on Apple Silicon have showcased high performance on some heavyweight PS3 titles like God of War III and Skate 3. These games present a much steeper challenge to emulate compared to their PS2-HD port counterparts. Yet, with the robust capabilities of Arm architecture, these powerful and demanding games are becoming increasingly playable, provided the hardware can handle the load.
These advancements in emulator technology are not just inching towards possible— they’re redefining it. The tech world will surely be watching closely as developments continue to elevate our gaming experiences to new heights.
