Emulation allows us to go back in time for a while. Thanks to them, we can remember those moments in which we discovered those video games that have been part of our childhood, and that have shaped our tastes. Throughout this post we will talk about the best emulators that exist for each Sony console :
PlayStation 1/PSX emulators
Let’s start at the beginning, with the console that completely changed the landscape of video games. The original PlayStation is by far the one with the most emulators. We will keep only those that have shown the best performance over the years:
ePSXe (PlayStation) – PC (Windows, Mac and Linux)
It is the most used. For many, this emulator has no competition. It has a huge compatibility of titles and is a modular type emulator. It has a series of plugins that serve to improve the experience and adapt the emulator to the ROMs that we are going to use.
It hasn’t been updated for a few years now, but it’s still easy to get it working. After executing it, we will configure the keymap that we are going to use and we will be able to load all the convenient modules.
Regarding its weak points, we must mention a few. Its interface is not the most modern thing in the world. On the other hand, for it to work, it is necessary to have the PlayStation BIOS . For legal reasons, it does not come in the installation itself, so you have to find it elsewhere —if you know how to search on Google, you will have it in less than a minute.
RetroArch – Cross-platform
Currently, the most modern way to enjoy PSX titles is through RetroArch. RetroArch is an application available on practically all platforms that allows you to load different types of kernels.
It doesn’t matter if you use Mac, Windows, Linux, Android or even a Smart TV. With RetroArch, you can emulate a multitude of consoles, as long as the machine you run it on is powerful enough.
Within RetroArch, there are several cores that you can use to emulate PlayStation. The best known are:
- beetle psx
- DuckStation
- PCSX ReARMed
Positive points? From the same application you will be able to organize your games, play games, set cheats or even change platforms when you get bored. RetroArch is the paradise of every video game lover. Regarding the negative, we have to admit that it costs a bit to get the hang of it. Despite the fact that it has a simple interface, you will need some time to get used to it and get the most out of this emulator frontend .
PlayStation 2 emulators
The PlayStation 2 is one of the most nostalgic consoles. It is rare that you do not have one at home, but if you want to play on your computer, you can do it with these programs:
PCSX2 (Windows)
This emulator was developed by the same team that made PCSX. In fact, if you use this emulator, you will get better results than with an original PS2. PCSX2 allows resolution to be scaled up to modern dimensions. It has an anti-aliasing filter , and it also allows you to load textures. Come on, if you put it together well, you will be able to play your favorite video games with the quality of a remaster .
PCSX2 is compatible with the entire PlayStation 2 catalogue, which, as you know, was not exactly small. To make it work, you will need the BIOS, a file that they will not provide you from the official website.
Play! ps2 emulator
This open source program is not as advanced as PCSX2 . However, its goal is not to take away ground, but rather to be a simple alternative to emulate PlayStation 2 games.
Play! PS2 Emulator is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android . It requires virtually nothing to configure, so getting it up and running is a matter of installing and running. It also does not require loading a BIOS, so there are many advantages that we obtain if we use this emulator.
PlayStation 3 emulators
For years, the PlayStation 3 has been a machine that resisted emulation. Its processor was so complex that it was not easy for the programmers to come up with a quick solution to emulate the console. In fact, if you want to play PS3 on your PS5, you have to make use of Sony’s own cloud, because not even they are capable of finding a program as good as to emulate their own console.
Emulate the PS3 are already big words. It takes a relatively powerful machine to run your games. These are the best programs you can use for it:
RPCS3
It is the best PS3 emulator and the most complete that you will find. It is an open source emulator that can be used on Windows and Linux.
RPCS3 is still under development . In fact, it is estimated that it is compatible with just over half of the PS3 catalogue. The team is currently working on improving game compatibility.
With this emulator you can get to play with better quality than with the original console. Many games can be enjoyed in RPCS3 at 60Hz. Titles can also be scaled and rendered at 4K resolution with numerous filters and textures.
PSP emulators (PlayStation Portable)
Sony’s laptop wasn’t as successful as its competition, but we can’t deny that it wasn’t an outstanding machine. If you want to enjoy their titles again, there are several emulators, but we prefer to stay with the one that works best:
PPSSPP (Multiplatform)
This open source project can be moved on virtually any machine. It’s intuitive, easy to use, and even has a version for Android phones. In fact, many of the apps you see on the Play Store use the PPSSPP source code.
You can use PPSSPP from any Mac, Windows or Linux computer. The program allows you to play even at Full HD resolution. In Core is also available within RetroArch .
PS Vita Emulators
Vita3K
If you’re looking to emulate the PS Vita, there’s not much to choose from. The only option that exists at the moment is Vita3K . It is an open source program for Windows and Linux, although it is still in a very early stage of development.
PlayStation 4 emulators
As with the PS3, emulating the PlayStation 4 requires a machine with modern and powerful hardware . These are the most interesting emulators out there to move this Sony console:
Orbital
It works in a very similar way to the ESX Emulator. Taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of some early versions of PS4, Orbital developers took the opportunity to make a firmware dump. Thanks to this, Orbital can virtualize the console and make its XMB work.
Unfortunately, only games that support that firmware version (4.55 and 5.00) are supported. It works on Mac, Linux and Windows.
Spine
It is only for Linux , since it is programmed with dependencies that only exist in that operating system, although it can be made to work from the Linux subsystem for Windows.
Its performance is quite decent, and currently, it is capable of moving more than 50 titles. Of course, we are only talking about basic games, without complex graphics.
GPCS4
Nor are we facing another finished program, but it has a lot of projection for the future . It is capable of loading games and moving them, albeit at a very low frame rate.
Once the optimization is finished, it is likely that GPCS4 will give a lot to talk about.
PlayStation 5 emulators
It is still too early to talk about PlayStation 5 emulators. However, there are several development teams that are already focused on this new generation console.
The most advanced at the moment is KyTy , an emulator developed by InoriRus that has already overcome the most difficult barriers in its development. However, he still has a lot of work ahead of him.
