shadPS4 Setup Guide for Windows: Install, Configure and Play PS4 Games on PC (November 2026)

As of November 1, 2026, the way to play PS4 games on a Windows PC is shadPS4. It is the only emulator that runs a large number of commercial PS4 games. The latest stable release is v0.21.0 (2026-10-30), and nightly pre-releases come out daily. The steps: check your hardware, install the runtime and drivers, download the QtLauncher, download an emulator build inside it, add your game folders, then add firmware modules and adjust settings as needed. The official site is shadps4.net. The project's own showcase games include Bloodborne, Dark Souls Remastered, Yakuza 0 and Project DIVA Future Tone.

The launcher and the emulator are separate downloads

Since September 2025 the shadPS4 GUI lives in its own app, the QtLauncher. The official Downloads page offers two things:

The QtLauncher does not include an emulator. On first run you download one from its Version Manager. The upside: you can keep several versions and switch back if a game breaks on a new build.

Requirements

Minimum requirements from the official wiki (November 2026):

The key part of x86-64-v3 is AVX2. shadPS4 is compiled for that instruction set, so CPUs without it can't run it. PS4 emulation is CPU-heavy too. In January 2026 Digital Foundry ran Bloodborne at a near-locked 4K60 on an i9-13900K with an RTX 4080, and said weaker GPUs can expect similar results at 1440p or 1080p. Tiered recommendations are in PS4 emulator PC requirements.

Install shadPS4 (QtLauncher)

1. Update your GPU drivers from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. The wiki stresses that every GPU in the PC needs current drivers, including integrated graphics. An old driver on a GPU you don't use can still interfere.
2. Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2022 runtime (x64). The launcher won't start without it.
3. Go to the Downloads page on shadps4.net and get the Windows QtLauncher (the file name contains win64).
4. Extract it to a folder you own, for example D:\Emu\shadPS4. Don't use Program Files, the root of C: or any folder that needs admin rights. The wiki says this causes strange issues or stops shadPS4 from running at all.
5. Run shadPS4QtLauncher.exe. If SmartScreen appears, click More info, then Run anyway.
6. Click Version manager at the top right. Optionally click Refresh List, then pick a version, click Yes, and click OK when the download finishes. Start with the latest Stable. Add a Nightly later if a fix you need is only there.
7. Close the Version Manager. The version number at the top right switches between downloaded builds.
8. Open Settings, go to Paths, and add your game folders under Game Folders.

For a portable install (settings and data stay next to the program), click Create Portable User Folder on the User tab, or create a folder named user in the program folder, then restart. Otherwise data lives in %AppData%\shadPS4.

Games, updates and DLC: folder layout

shadPS4 reads extracted game folders, not PKG installers. As of November 2026 the launcher has no PKG install option.

Regions use different title IDs (Bloodborne, for example, is CUSA00900 in the US and CUSA03173 for the European GOTY edition). Patches and saves follow the ID. Enable Separate Update folder in settings keeps the 1.0 game and its update apart so you can compare versions.

Firmware modules (sys_modules): what they are and where they go

PS4 system libraries are .sprx files. shadPS4 has HLE (its own reimplementation) for many of them. For the ones it hasn't finished, it can load the console's original library instead, which is called LLE. Modules listed in the official README:

• Where: the sys_modules folder in the user folder. Quickest way to find it: right-click any game, Open Path, Open Log Path, then go up one level. You can also point PS4 Sysmodules Path (Settings, Paths) somewhere else.
• For one game only: make a subfolder named after the title ID (for example sys_modules\CUSA03173\). Modules there apply only to that game and take priority over the shared ones.
• If one is missing: for modules with HLE, the log says Can't Load libSceXxx.sprx switching to HLE and the game carries on. For modules without HLE it says No HLE available for ... module, and the game may fail.
• Firmware version: the official docs don't specify one.
• Fonts: some games need PS4 system fonts. They go in fonts in the user folder (Settings, Paths, PS4 Fonts Path), with font and font2 subfolders inside.
• Trophies: enter a trophy key under Manage Cryptographic keys. Games run without it; you just don't get trophies.

Graphics settings

Global settings are in the launcher's Settings. Right-click a game and choose Game-specific Settings to save a separate profile for it (stored in custom_configs).

Resolution and frame rate: shadPS4 has no resolution multiplier; games render at their PS4 resolution. For 1440p, 4K or 60fps, use that game's patches under right-click, Cheats / Patches. Digital Foundry notes that above 1080p you also need to raise the DRAM allocation in the game-specific settings, or textures fail to load. Details are in shadPS4 settings and crash fixes.

F10 shows the frame rate, Ctrl+F10 shows debug info, F12 takes a screenshot.

Controllers and keyboard

• Xbox and DualShock controllers work out of the box. No extra drivers needed.
• Default keyboard layout: WASD left stick, IJKL right stick, triangle / circle / cross / square on numpad 8 / 6 / 2 / 4 (or C / B / N / V), L1 = Q, R1 = U, L2 = E, R2 = O, Options = Enter, touchpad = Space.
• Click the Controller button in settings to remap. Bindings are saved per game, up to three keys per binding, and mouse movement can drive a stick.
• Settings, Input has toggles for motion controls and for controller input while the window is in the background.

Patches and cheats

1. Right-click the game and open Cheats / Patches.
2. Pick a patch repository and click Download Patches (or Download Cheats). It downloads everything in that repository.
3. Tick the patches you want, then start the game.

The developers say they don't help with problems while cheats, patches or mods are active. Reproduce the issue without them before reporting it.

Saves and logs

• Saves: right-click the game, Open Path, Open Save Data Path. The folder is home\1000\savedata\<title ID> in the user folder (1000 is the default user).
• Log: right-click, Open Path, Open Log Path. The file is shad_log.txt, and only the latest session is kept. Read it from the bottom up when something breaks.
• Clear shaders: right-click, Delete..., Delete Shader Cache. Worth trying after a driver change or emulator update causes graphics problems.

Updating shadPS4

• When a new version is out, click Refresh List in the Version Manager and download it. You can keep older versions.
• The launcher can check for its own updates (GUI Updates in settings).
• Release gaps range from about a week to over two months. October 2026 alone had v0.19.0, v0.20.0 and v0.21.0. v0.20.0 added shadNet online play, which brought Bloodborne online.

What about PS5 games?

shadPS4 is PS4 only. On Windows, PS5 emulation means SharpEmu and KytyPS5, plus AnyPS5, which converts PS5 executables into PC programs. All three are early. New releases like GTA 6 don't run on any emulator; see the GTA 6 page.

If it won't start or keeps crashing, go to shadPS4 settings and crash fixes. On Linux or Steam Deck, see the Steam Deck and Linux guide. Other PC topics are on the PS PC hub.