Active
bbport: Bloodborne Native PC Port for Windows, Linux and Steam Deck, Requirements and Performance (2026)
A native PC port of Bloodborne, not an emulator: high frame rates, DLSS, ultrawide and mouse support
- Emulates
- PS4
- Latest
- 0.7 · 2026-10-28
- Based on
- shadPS4
- Team
- deadinside28
- License
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Started
- 2026-10
Key points
- bbport isn't an emulator. Its developer calls it 'Wine + DXVK for a single game': Bloodborne 1.09's own x86-64 code runs directly on the PC, and the graphics are translated to Vulkan.
- First released 2026-10-01. The latest version, 0.7 (2026-10-28), adds a native Windows build; before that it was Linux only (Steam Deck included).
- Developer's numbers on an RX 7800 XT: about 90 fps at 4K with FSR 4, about 150 fps at 1440p. Supports DLSS, frame generation, ultrawide, mouse and keyboard, and online play.
- The README says plainly that it isn't related to the shadPS4 team, though its renderer and shader translator started from shadPS4's code.
- The Bloodborne ports for Mac, Android and iPad are separate projects forked from bbport by other people.
bbport is an unofficial native PC port of the PS4 version of Bloodborne, first released on 2026-10-01. It isn't an emulator. Its developer calls it "Wine + DXVK for a single game": Bloodborne's own x86-64 code runs directly on your CPU, and the graphics are translated to Vulkan. As of November 2026, the latest version is 0.7 (2026-10-28), which added a native build for Windows 10/11. Before that it ran only on Linux, including the Steam Deck. The developer's own status line is "experimental, playable": the game boots, loads saves and plays, but a full playthrough hasn't been verified.
How it works
The PS4's CPU is x86-64, like a PC's. So bbport doesn't emulate the CPU at all:
- CPU: Bloodborne's executable (the eboot) is converted offline into a memory image with the PS4's C library and file library linked in as native code. The game runs at full speed with no per-instruction translation.
- System libraries: Just as Wine replaces the Windows API, bbport has a small runtime that implements only the PS4 OS functions Bloodborne calls: memory, threads, files, audio, gamepad and saves.
- Graphics: Just as DXVK turns DirectX into Vulkan, bbport's own renderer and shader translator turn the PS4's GPU commands into Vulkan. That code started from shadPS4's and was rewritten. The README says "without shadPS4 there would be no bbport."
- Threading: According to the developer, shadPS4 handles the whole GPU command stream on one thread, which is Bloodborne's bottleneck; early on that capped the game at about 26 fps. bbport decodes and records draws on separate threads and now runs at 90–150 fps depending on resolution and scene.
The first line of the README: this project is not related to shadPS4, so send questions to bbport's own Discord, not the shadPS4 server.
Releases
| Date | Version | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | 0.1 | First release, Linux only |
| 2026-10-03 | 0.2 | AppImage for Linux desktops and the Steam Deck |
| 2026-10-10 | 0.5 / 0.51 | 0.51 adds online play |
| 2026-10-19 | 0.6 | New memory model becomes the default; bbport's own renderer replaces shadPS4's |
| 2026-10-28 | 0.7 | Native Windows build with a Windows 11-style launcher; online play on Windows; old memory model removed |
Requirements and performance
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | x86-64 Linux, or 64-bit Windows 10/11 |
| GPU | Vulkan 1.3 with a current driver |
| Tested most | AMD RX 7800 XT (Mesa RADV on Linux and AMD's Windows driver), Steam Deck |
| Also tested on Windows | GTX 1050 and GeForce 930MX laptops; other NVIDIA and Intel GPUs by players |
| Game | An extracted Bloodborne 1.09 folder (base game with the 1.09 update merged in) |
On an RX 7800 XT, the developer reports about 90 fps at 4K with FSR 4 Balanced and about 150 fps at 1440p with FSR 4 Quality. These are the developer's own tests, not independent benchmarks.
Features
- Unlocked frame rate: hooks make the simulation use real frame time; 30, 60 and 90 fps modes, and F3 toggles a 30 fps cap (some cutscenes are safest at 30).
- Any aspect ratio: 4:3, 16:10, 16:9, 21:9 and 32:9, with the HUD at the screen edges and widescreen cutscenes.
- Upscaling and frame generation: FSR 3.1, FSR 4, FSR 4.1.1, DLSS Super Resolution and DLSS Frame Generation (2x on RTX 40, up to 4x on RTX 50), plus FSR 3.1 frame generation. Bloodborne has no motion vectors, so bbport computes its own.
- Mouse and keyboard: mouse look drives the camera directly, menus get a pointer, and the layout is close to Dark Souls III. (DSOGaming's early coverage said there was no mouse support; later versions added it.)
- In-game settings: resolution, upscaler and effects live inside the game's own System menu, plus an overlay menu on Insert (or L3+R3).
- Shaders before you play: a pack of shader recipes from players' caches compiles in the background, so repeat sessions don't stutter.
- Mods and patches: community Bloodborne patches and loose-file mods are supported.
Online play
bbport uses community servers, not PSN. The networking code comes from shadPS4 0.20:
| Pool | Sign-in | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Seamless Hunt (default) | Account from seamlesshunt.com | Bells, summons, messages, bloodstains, and seamless co-op (BBSC) for up to five hunters |
| The Hunter's Dream | Discord | Standard online, no seamless co-op |
Projects forked from bbport
bbport is open source (GPL-2.0-or-later) and was ported to other platforms within days. These are independent projects run by other people:
| Project | Platform | Status (2026-11-01) |
|---|---|---|
| Lantern Engine | Windows, Linux beta | Performance rework of bbport and shadPS4 with near-daily betas; had Windows builds before bbport did |
| bloodborne_mac_port | Apple silicon Mac | Game code under Rosetta 2, native Metal rendering; the developer reports a locked 60 fps at 1080p and 1440p on an M4 Max |
| bloodborne-mac (bloodborne-native) | Apple silicon Mac | Its own CPU recompiler, no Rosetta 2; says it's less stable than other Bloodborne projects |
| Bloodborne-Android | Android (Snapdragon) | Translates the game's code to native ARM ahead of time; playable on the AYN Thor handheld |
| Several iPad / iPhone projects | iOS | Proofs of concept only: unreleased, or never run on a real device yet |
The same approach has been used for other PS4 games, such as native PC ports of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and UFC 3.
Other ways to play Bloodborne
| Option | Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| bbport | Linux, Windows | Tuned for this game, high frame rates, lots of features | Bloodborne 1.09 only |
| shadPS4 | Windows, Linux, Mac | One emulator for many games, official shadNet online play | Limited by its single-threaded GPU path in Bloodborne |
| Mac forks | Apple silicon Mac | More focused on Bloodborne than shadPS4's Mac build | Personal projects that change quickly |
| Bloodborne-Android | Android | Plays on phones and handhelds | Snapdragon (Adreno) only; you build the native code first |
Who it's for
- You only want Bloodborne on PC: bbport or one of its Windows forks is the most complete option right now. On Steam Deck, use the AppImage.
- You want other PS4 games too: use shadPS4.
- Mac users: see the Mac forks above or the Mac hub.
More PC options are on the PC hub.
FAQ
What's the difference between bbport and shadPS4?
shadPS4 is a general PS4 emulator that runs many games. bbport only does Bloodborne 1.09: it converts the game's executable ahead of time into an image the PC can run directly, replaces the PS4 system libraries with a small Bloodborne-only runtime, and splits GPU command decoding and draw recording across two threads. The developer says shadPS4 processes the whole command stream on one thread, which is Bloodborne's bottleneck.
Does bbport work on Windows?
Yes. Since 0.7 (2026-10-28) there's a native Windows build for 64-bit Windows 10/11 with a Vulkan 1.3 GPU. Unzip it, run Bloodborne.exe and pick your game folder. Before that, community forks such as Lantern Engine already offered Windows builds based on bbport.
What are the bbport system requirements?
An x86-64 PC running Linux or Windows 10/11 with a Vulkan 1.3 GPU. The developer tested mostly on an RX 7800 XT and the Steam Deck, plus GTX 1050 and GeForce 930MX laptops on Windows. FSR 4 needs extra shader features; unsupported GPUs fall back to FSR 3.1 automatically.
Which version of Bloodborne does bbport need?
Version 1.09 only. The retail releases (US CUSA00900, EU Game of the Year CUSA03173, Asia CUSA03023 and others) share the same 1.09 executable. The 1.00 base game alone crashes at start, and executables with a 60 fps patch baked in crash when the gestures menu opens, so use a clean one (bbport has its own 60 fps mode).
Can you play Bloodborne online with bbport?
Yes, through community servers rather than PSN. There are two pools: Seamless Hunt (the default, with bells, summons, messages, bloodstains and seamless co-op for up to five hunters; needs an account from seamlesshunt.com) and The Hunter's Dream (Discord sign-in, no seamless co-op). The networking code comes from shadPS4 0.20.
Does bbport work on Mac?
bbport itself only supports x86-64 Linux and Windows. Mac users have forks: bloodborne_mac_port runs the game's code under Rosetta 2 and renders with native Metal, and its developer reports a locked 60 fps at 1080p and 1440p on an M4 Max. bloodborne-native's bloodborne-mac is building its own CPU recompiler that doesn't need Rosetta 2 and describes itself as less stable.
Is bbport an official Bloodborne PC port?
No. Sony has never released Bloodborne on PC. bbport is a community project with no ties to Sony, FromSoftware or AMD, and it contains no game files.