RPCS3 Emulator for Sony PlayStation 3 Gains Native Arm64 Support, Including Compatibility with Raspberry Pi 5

In an exciting update this week, the developers behind the PlayStation 3 emulator, RPCS3, have unveiled that RPCS3 now boasts stable support for the native Arm64 architecture across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. This impressive achievement also extends to the Raspberry Pi 5, a device not typically associated with such high-level emulation capabilities. Traditionally, the Raspberry Pi 5 has been known to handle GameCube and, albeit less effectively, Wii emulation. However, with some tweaking, it’s now possible to emulate PS3 games, even on this entry-level Arm hardware.

As for the Raspberry Pi 5’s newfound ability to run PS3 games, it’s all about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. By configuring settings to scale down the resolution to PSP’s 273p, making them resemble PSP games rather than PS3’s native 720p, some 3D games become playable. This includes titles like God of War (and its sequel), Catherine, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, among others. While 2D games are expected to perform well, the fact that such hardware can manage playable framerates on PS3-era 3D games is nothing short of remarkable.

On the other hand, Apple’s macOS users enjoy significant benefits from native Arm architecture support, foregoing the need for x86 emulation. This advancement translates to a performance boost ranging from 50% to 100% in framerates on Apple Silicon, resulting in a highly efficient and native PlayStation 3 emulation experience—an aspiration previously thought distant.

While the Raspberry Pi 5 setup offers an experience reminiscent of a PlayStation Portable, Apple Silicon’s capabilities allow for authentic, high-performance emulation of true PS3 powerhouse games. Spectacular titles such as God of War III and Skate 3, which are typically challenging to emulate, can now be played effectively on Arm architecture hardware, provided it has the necessary power to support the tasks at hand.

With these developments, both entries in the Raspberry Pi and Apple ecosystems are rewriting the possibilities of what our devices can achieve through emulation, pushing us closer to seamlessly experiencing past gaming epochs on modern hardware.