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Translation layer

shadPS4

PlayStation 4 shadPS4 running on PC through translation layer. Free and complete.

Screenshots

Screenshot of shadPS4 running on PC
Screenshot of shadPS4 running on PC 2Screenshot of shadPS4 running on PC 3
Screenshots published by the project itself at shadps4-emu/shadPS4

How this port works

This is a translation layer: the original executable runs directly on your CPU and only system and graphics calls are converted at runtime. It sits between a native port and an emulator — faster than emulating everything, less predictable than a hand-built port.

PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD written in C++

How to install

  1. 01shadPS4 is free and complete — no external files are needed.
  2. 02Download the latest release from the project's GitHub page.
  3. 03Pick the build for your system: Windows, Linux, macOS.
  4. 04Extract it into an empty folder outside Program Files.
  5. 05Run the program.
  6. 06Set resolution, frame cap and input before playing.

These projects ship no game data. Supply your own copy.

Frequently asked

Do I need the original game to play shadPS4 on PC?

No. shadPS4 is free and complete: download the release and run it, with no ROM, dump or commercial game copy.

What does "translation layer" mean?

This is a translation layer: the original executable runs directly on your CPU and only system and graphics calls are converted at runtime. It sits between a native port and an emulator — faster than emulating everything, less predictable than a hand-built port.

Will shadPS4 run on a low-end PC?

Native ports and recompilations skip CPU emulation entirely, so they are usually far lighter than an emulator for the same console. With no published measurement for this project, though, any estimate would be guesswork — test it on your own machine.

Which systems does it support?

The current release (v.0.20.0) ships builds for Windows, Linux, macOS. The game originally shipped on PlayStation 4.

Is it legal to use?

The project is public and open source, maintained by shadps4-emu, and contains nothing from the commercial game. Responsibility for the game copy you use is yours — which is why the developers require you to supply your own.

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