Nobody wants to wait for Grand Theft Auto VI on PC. With Rockstar still promising only PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions for November 19, a sudden burst of PS5-emulation progress has naturally attracted plenty of attention.
Two open-source projects, KytyPS5 and SharpEmu, can now boot genuine commercial PS5 software on computers. Both remain extremely experimental, so anyone picturing GTA VI running on a gaming laptop this November should lower their expectations considerably.
PS5 games are beginning to boot on PC
KytyPS5 is an open-source Windows emulator written in C++. Its developers say it can boot 2D games and a selection of 3D titles built using Unreal Engine, Unity, and custom technology. Screenshots published by the project show Disgaea 6, Dreaming Sarah, Minecraft Legends, and Silent Hill: The Short Message reaching various stages of execution.
But these are still far from a polished experience that you’d expect on an actual PS5. The project openly warns users to expect crashes, graphical errors, poor performance, and extremely limited compatibility. Development currently prioritizes getting more software to boot reliably rather than delivering perfect visuals or high frame rates.
SharpEmu is another early-stage project, built from scratch in C# for Windows, Linux, and Intel-based Macs. It can load PS5 executable files, run native CPU instructions, read game information, and perform some graphics and kernel operations. Its current testing list includes Demon’s Souls, Poppy Playtime, Silent Hill: The Short Message, and Dreaming Sarah.
The PS5’s Game of the Year isn’t so exclusive anymore
Astro Bot launched exclusively for the PlayStation 5 in September 2024. It later won Game of the Year at The Game Awards, alongside awards for game direction, action-adventure, and family game. We also selected it as our own 2024 Game of the Year. Seeing such a recent first-party release boot through an emulator is pretty impressive, even if we’re not exactly seeing a native PS experience yet.
These projects are still fighting to boot much smaller and older games, while Rockstar’s latest open-world blockbuster will likely rank among the most technically demanding PS5 releases. However, these are still significant steps for game preservation. With Sony also moving towards disc-free releases post January 2028, future titles will completely rely on storefronts and online serves. So working emulators could eventually give legally owned games another route to survival once the original ecosystem disappears.
