shadPS4: The PS4 Emulator, Official Download and Forks

Last updated Oct 17, 2026

shadPS4 is a free, open-source PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux and macOS, written in C++ and released under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence (shadPS4 README). The project’s repository dates back to October 2022 and its first public release, v0.0.1, came out in September 2023. In October 2026 it is still, in its own words, early in development: do not expect every game to run well. It also became the base of a wave of fan “PC ports” of PS4 games in autumn 2026. This page explains what it is, where to get it safely and how those ports relate to it.

This site is not affiliated with the shadPS4 team. We do not host any files.

The only official download source

shadPS4 is distributed through GitHub:

• Source code: github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4
• Official builds: shadPS4 Releases. On 2026-10-17 the latest release was v.0.20.0, published 2026-10-14, with Windows, Linux and macOS packages.
• Graphical launcher: the emulator core has no GUI of its own. The README tells end users to get the QtLauncher, published by the same GitHub organisation.

The team also runs a website and an X account, both linked from the README. Any other site offering “shadPS4 downloads”, bundles with games or “pre-configured” packs is not run by the developers. Avoid them.

What you need

• Games dumped from your own PS4. shadPS4 includes no games, firmware or keys. We do not explain how to get or extract game files, and we do not link third-party tools for that.
• A reasonably modern PC with a Vulkan graphics card. Emulating a PS4 is demanding, and game-specific forks often say performance depends mostly on the CPU.
• On macOS: an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 26.0 or newer. The README says Intel Macs are not supported.

What it runs

The README says shadPS4 can run games such as Bloodborne, Dark Souls Remastered and Red Dead Redemption. For any other game, check the community shadPS4 Game Compatibility list, which tracks each game and region as “nothing”, “boots”, “menus”, “in-game” or “playable”, with notes on graphics, crashes and performance. Results differ between Windows, Linux and macOS, and between emulator versions.

Game-specific forks and “native” ports

Because shadPS4 is open source, fans have reused its code for single games. They fall into two groups:

1. Tuned emulator builds. Still shadPS4, with changes and patches for one game. Example: inFAMOUS Second Son on PC, a fork called shadPS4-AYOUB1080p.
2. Game-specific runtimes (“native ports”). The PS4 and PC share the x86-64 architecture, so these projects run the game’s own code directly on the CPU, replace the PS4 system libraries with a runtime written for that one game, and keep a version of shadPS4’s video core for the graphics. Examples: Bloodborne on PC (deadinside28’s bbport and Supermedo’s Windows fork) and the God of War III PC port, which is a fork of Supermedo’s Bloodborne work.

We also track community projects for Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Gran Turismo; see each entry for how it is built and its current status.

None of these forks is made or supported by the shadPS4 team. The bbport README, for example, says the project is not related to shadPS4 and asks users not to take its questions to the shadPS4 Discord. Report problems with a fork to that fork’s own issue tracker or community.

What about Xbox 360 games? They take a different route. The Xbox 360 used a PowerPC processor, so its games can’t run their code directly on a PC; instead, projects translate the code ahead of time into native PC programs (static recompilation). See Xbox 360 games recompiled for PC.

Is shadPS4 legal?

shadPS4 is ordinary open-source software, published openly on GitHub under the GPL. It ships no games, firmware or keys, and the game-specific forks’ READMEs say the same thing: use only games you own. The legal risk lies in where your games come from, and the rules differ by country, so this is not legal advice. Only use dumps of copies you own, and stay away from sites that offer game downloads.

Getting help

• Read the official Quickstart in the project wiki.
• Check the compatibility list before assuming a game should work.
• For bugs, follow the project’s debugging documentation and use the official Discord linked from the README.

Browse all PC ports on this site, or read why so many old games are being ported right now.