What are the minimum PC requirements for shadPS4?

Per the official wiki: a CPU with at least 4 cores / 6 threads at 2.5GHz or faster that supports x86-64-v3 (AVX2); a GPU with Vulkan 1.3, the VK_KHR_swapchain and VK_KHR_push_descriptor extensions and at least 2GB of VRAM; 8GB of RAM; and Windows 10, Ubuntu 22.04 or macOS 26 or newer.

My CPU doesn't support AVX2. Is there a workaround?

Not for shadPS4. It's compiled for the x86-64-v3 instruction set, which includes AVX2, so CPUs without it can't start the program. Intel 2nd- and 3rd-gen Core and older, most Pentium and Celeron chips before Tiger Lake (2020), and AMD FX chips all lack AVX2. The only fix is a different CPU.

How do I check whether my CPU supports AVX2?

Look up your CPU model on Intel's or AMD's site and check the instruction set extensions for AVX2, or use a tool like CPU-Z and look for AVX2 under Instructions. In general, Intel 4th-gen Core and newer and every AMD Ryzen support it.

Is 8GB of RAM enough?

8GB is the official minimum and will start games. There's no official recommended amount. For high-resolution patches Digital Foundry recommends adding 6000MB to shadPS4's DRAM allocation, which uses more system memory, so more RAM gives you more room. Integrated graphics also borrows system RAM as VRAM.

Can integrated graphics run shadPS4?

An iGPU that meets Vulkan 1.3 and 2GB VRAM can start it, but performance is limited. The high-end iGPU with public testing is the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo): Digital Foundry measured Bloodborne at native 1080p in the high 50s to about 70fps at 35W and said the chip fully unlocked is roughly RTX 4060-class. There's no reliable public testing for typical laptop iGPUs.

What do PS5 emulators need?

Neither SharpEmu nor KytyPS5 lists specific models. SharpEmu supports Windows x64 and Linux x64 and needs a Vulkan-capable GPU with current drivers. KytyPS5 needs a 64-bit x86 CPU and a Vulkan 1.3 GPU on Windows 10 1803+, Linux or an Apple Silicon Mac. Both are very early, and no amount of hardware gets more than a few games in-game.

shadPS4 System Requirements 2026: CPU, AVX2, GPU, RAM

Q: Does the CPU or GPU matter more for PS4 emulation?

Both matter, but the CPU is the more common bottleneck. In Digital Foundry's 2025 Bloodborne test on a Ryzen 7 5700X and RTX 4080, one CPU core was maxed out and crowded areas dropped to about 45fps. In its 2026 testing, running above 60fps still maxed out many CPU threads. The GPU decides how high a resolution patch you can use.

Per the official shadPS4 wiki (November 2026): a 4-core / 6-thread CPU at 2.5GHz or faster that must support x86-64-v3 (AVX2); a Vulkan 1.3 GPU with 2GB+ VRAM; 8GB RAM; Windows 10, Ubuntu 22.04 or macOS 26 or newer. That's the bar for starting games, not for playing them well. For reference, Digital Foundry ran Bloodborne at a near-locked 4K60 on an i9-13900K and RTX 4080 in January 2026 and said weaker GPUs get similar results at 1440p or 1080p; a handheld like the ROG Xbox Ally X manages 50 to 70fps at 720p. PS5 emulators haven't published specific requirements.

shadPS4 official minimum requirements

Part	Minimum	Notes
CPU	4 cores / 6 threads, 2.5GHz+	Must support x86-64-v3: Intel Haswell (4th-gen Core) or newer, AMD Excavator or newer; on Mac, Apple M1 or newer with Rosetta 2
GPU	2GB+ VRAM	Vulkan 1.3 with the `VK_KHR_swapchain` and `VK_KHR_push_descriptor` extensions
RAM	8GB+	Integrated graphics takes part of it as VRAM
OS	Windows 10, Ubuntu 22.04, macOS 26 or newer	Intel Macs are not supported
Drivers	Latest	Update every GPU in the PC, including integrated graphics

CPU: AVX2 comes first

shadPS4 is compiled for the x86-64-v3 instruction set. x86-64-v3 is a feature level defined in 2020 by AMD, Intel and others; it includes AVX2, FMA, BMI and more. A CPU missing any of them simply can't run the program; it isn't a matter of being slower.

CPU	AVX2?
Intel Core 4th gen (Haswell, 2013) and newer	Yes
Intel Core 2nd / 3rd gen (Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge) and older	No
Intel Pentium and Celeron	Yes from Tiger Lake (2020) on; most earlier ones no
AMD Ryzen, all models	Yes
AMD Excavator (2015) and newer APUs	Yes
AMD FX (Bulldozer, Piledriver)	No

How to check: look up your CPU on Intel's or AMD's site and check the instruction set extensions for AVX2, or open CPU-Z and look at the Instructions field.

Why it's CPU-heavy: the PS4 has 8 CPU cores, and shadPS4 has to run the game's CPU code while also translating PS4 GPU commands into Vulkan. In Digital Foundry's January 2025 test of Bloodborne (shadPS4 0.5.1 at the time) on a Ryzen 7 5700X and RTX 4080, one CPU core was maxed out and crowded areas dropped to about 45fps, while a viewer's i5-12600K with the same GPU held 60. 2026 builds are much faster, but DF still saw many CPU threads maxed when running above 60fps.

GPU: Vulkan 1.3 and two extensions

shadPS4 only uses Vulkan. There's no DirectX or OpenGL option.
Your GPU and driver must report Vulkan 1.3. Otherwise you get Vulkan 1.3 is required, but only 1.x is supported by device! at startup, or Required Vulkan extension unavailable: VK_KHR_push_descriptor and similar when an extension is missing.
How to check: update your driver, then search for your GPU on the Vulkan Hardware Database (vulkan.gpuinfo.org) to see the Vulkan version and extensions other users report.
At least 2GB of VRAM.
On dual-GPU laptops, pick the dedicated GPU under Graphics Device in settings.

The GPU decides how high a resolution patch you can run. DF's RTX 4080 hit about 80fps at 4K, about 100fps at 1440p and about 110fps at 1080p in a heavy Bloodborne scene (the Yharnam bonfire, frame rate unlocked). DF also warns that above 120fps Bloodborne's running turns into sliding, so cap it at 120.

RAM

8GB official minimum; no official recommended amount.
DF recommends adding 6000MB to the DRAM allocation in the game-specific settings when running Bloodborne above 1080p; otherwise textures fail to load and the image distorts. That uses more system memory, so more RAM gives you more room at high resolutions.
On integrated graphics, count the VRAM it borrows too.

Tested results (Bloodborne, public tests available as of November 2026)

Hardware	Settings	Result	Source
i9-13900K + RTX 4080	4K, resolution patch (measured with the shader cache off)	60fps 99% of the time; heavy scenes about 80fps unlocked	Digital Foundry, 2026-01-17
GPD Win 5 (Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 35W)	Native 1080p	High 50s to about 70fps; roughly RTX 4060-class	Digital Foundry, 2026-01-17
ROG Xbox Ally X (Z2 Extreme, 35W plugged in)	720p patch, unlocked frame rate and more	50 to 70fps; native 1080p 33 to 40fps; about 10% lower at 25W on battery	Digital Foundry, 2026-01-17
i5-13500 + RTX 3060 Ti	1440p, unlocked	Average FPS more than doubled in some scenes on 0.12.6 vs. the previous build (no exact figures)	PC Gamer, 2025-11-24
Steam Deck OLED	Handheld unlocked / docked	Often near 60 handheld, about 40 in big fights; locked 30 docked	PC Gamer (Deck Wizard's test, 0.12.6)

All of these are Bloodborne, mostly with game-specific patches. Other games vary widely, and many still don't reach gameplay, so check the game page and the official compatibility list first.

Matching a goal to tested hardware

Not official recommendations, just the public tests above grouped by goal:

Goal	Hardware with public tests
Boot games and try things	Meeting the official minimum (AVX2 CPU + Vulkan 1.3 GPU + 8GB)
Bloodborne at about 1080p60	Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (roughly RTX 4060-class fully unlocked, per DF); the ROG Xbox Ally X needs 720p
Bloodborne at 1440p to 4K60	i9-13900K + RTX 4080 (DF's test PC)
Handheld	ROG Xbox Ally X 50 to 70fps at 720p; Steam Deck about 40 to 60 unlocked handheld, locked 30 docked

Mac and phones

Device	Requirements / status
Mac	Apple M1 or newer with macOS 26, runs under Rosetta 2; Intel Macs are not supported. See the Mac guide
Android	No official version; unofficial ports were tested on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / 8 Elite phones with 16GB. See Android status
iPhone / iPad	No working PS4 or PS5 emulator. See iPhone status
Windows on ARM (Snapdragon X laptops)	shadPS4 has no official word; SharpEmu says its Windows x64 build can run through Windows' built-in x64 emulation

PS5 emulator requirements

Emulator	What the developers list
SharpEmu	Windows x64 or Linux x64; a Vulkan-capable GPU with current drivers; the Mac version is a separate experimental project
KytyPS5	Windows 10 1803+, a current Linux distro or an Apple Silicon Mac (Rosetta 2); a 64-bit x86 CPU; a Vulkan 1.3 GPU (bundled MoltenVK on Mac)
AnyPS5	A tool that converts PS5 executables into Linux / Windows programs; no separate spec list

None of them names specific CPU or GPU models, and as of November 2026 only a few games reach gameplay. More hardware doesn't fix compatibility.

For setup after you've checked your hardware, see the Windows guide and shadPS4 settings and crash fixes.

shadPS4 System Requirements (2026): Minimum PC Specs, AVX2, GPU and RAM, Plus PS5 Emulators

Key points