Emulating consoles is a difficult task. Simulating the exact hardware and software conditions required to run many console games can take years in the best-case scenario. As the first Xbox, some consoles are thought to be impossible to duplicate on a computer properly. Fortunately, while the PlayStation 3 remains tough, it appears to be slightly easier to duplicate.
The developers of the PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 stated yesterday that the emulator will now be used to launch all PS3 games. Unfortunately, not all of them work smoothly, and it is deceptive to claim that all PS3 titles are now playable on PC. Nonetheless, this is a remarkable achievement and a significant milestone for the RPCS3 emulator.
The RPCS3 Twitter account reported yesterday that there are currently 0 games with a “Nothing” compatibility rating. That means all 3,233 PS3 games will at the very least run on the emulator on a PC. On the emulator, 2,054 of them, or around 63.5 percent, are rated as “Playable.” The remaining 36.5 percent are at the very least moderately functional.
We're delighted to announce that RPCS3 now has a total of ZERO games in the Nothing status!
This means that all known games and applications at least boot on the emulator, with no on-going regressions that prevent games from booting.
We look forward to emptying out Loadable too! pic.twitter.com/fE1iDpAvQo— RPCS3 (@rpcs3) October 20, 2021
To elaborate, the RPCS3 compatibility rating system is divided into five levels. A game with a rating of nothing will either not launch or crash the emulator. The next stage up is Loadable, which includes games that launch with a black screen and nothing else.
Intro games, on the other hand, will load the main menu. Finally, games with an Ingame rating, such as God of War 3, will run in the emulator, albeit with significant difficulties. They’re either too unstable, perform horribly, or feature game-breaking problems.
Only the Playable games listed above will be worth most people’s time, thus it’s lucky they make up the vast majority of PS3 games. Only six PS3 games have a Loadable rating, implying that it won’t be long until the team does away with that category as well.
Intro, which is equally unplayable, is a small category, accounting for less than 6% of all games. White Knight Chronicles 2 in the Loadable category, and Ace Combat Infinity and Battlefield 1943 in the Intro category are two famous instances.
Surprisingly, many of the PS3’s most popular titles are still classified as semi-functional Ingame categories. Major blockbusters like The Last of Us, Gran Turismo 5, and the Uncharted titles are among them. Their high status is most likely due to the games’ intricacy and high-performance requirements compared to the console’s many lesser games. It’s also worth mentioning that the majority of these AAA games can be played on at least one newer console. As a result, the RPCS3 team may regard them as a lower priority.
Nonetheless, yesterday’s announcement marks the end of ten years of sluggish development on the RPCS3 emulator. The sheer amount of effort and attention required is mind-boggling. Before all PlayStation 3 games are fully playable, RPCS3 still has a long way to go. However, the initiative has already come a long way.
