Guides
Is There a PS5 Emulator Yet? SharpEmu, KytyPS5 and AnyPS5 in 2026
Key points
- PS5 emulation only got going in July 2026: SharpEmu went public on 7-15, KytyPS5 released its source on 7-16, and AnyPS5 shipped its first build on 9-28.
- As of 2026-11-01, what actually plays is indie and small games. Hollow Knight is Playable at 60fps on SharpEmu; Dreaming Sarah hits about 60fps on SharpEmu and AnyPS5.
- Big games only reach in-game: Demon's Souls, Astro Bot and the PS5 version of GTA V run for a while, with low frame rates, broken graphics and crashes.
- Three approaches: SharpEmu is a from-scratch C# emulator focused on accuracy; KytyPS5 is a heavily modified Kyty fork pushing 3D games; AnyPS5 relinks games into native PC programs.
- All three need an x86-64 PC (mainly Windows and Linux). Every "PS5 emulator" for phones is an unofficial experiment or a scam.
On this page
Yes, PS5 emulators exist, but as of November 2026 they only play a batch of indie and smaller games. Big releases are nowhere near playable. The three main projects, SharpEmu, KytyPS5 and AnyPS5, all went public in summer 2026. Hollow Knight is Playable at 60fps on SharpEmu. Demon's Souls, Astro Bot and the PS5 version of GTA V get in-game, with low frame rates, broken graphics and crashes. All of them need an x86-64 PC; there are no official phone versions.
SharpEmu vs KytyPS5 vs AnyPS5
| SharpEmu | KytyPS5 | AnyPS5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | PS5 emulator written from scratch in C#, with a PS4 backward-compatibility mode | Heavily modified fork of Kyty; calls itself a "translation layer" | Not an emulator: relinks PS5 executables into native Windows or Linux programs |
| Went public | 2026-07-15 (after about four months in private) | Source released 2026-07-16 | Repo created 2026-08-03, v0.1.0 on 09-28 |
| Latest (2026-11-01) | v0.0.7-pulse (2026-11-01) | Automatic daily builds named by date | v0.1.4 (2026-10-30) |
| Platforms | Windows x64, Linux x64; macOS in a separate project | Windows 10 1803+, Linux; macOS experimental via Rosetta 2 | Windows, Linux |
| GPU | Vulkan | Vulkan 1.3 | Vulkan (shaders compiled to SPIR-V) |
| Strength | Most complete compatibility list, most playable indies | Furthest with 3D games (Demon's Souls, GTA V) | New approach, no emulator process after conversion |
| Official site | sharpemu.app | kytyps5.github.io | boykopovar.github.io/AnyPS5 |
All three are free and GPL-2.0. SharpEmu's README states that only sharpemu.app and the links in its repository are official.
What runs today (2026-11-01)
Playable: indies and smaller games.
- On 9-25 SharpEmu reported 55 games tested, 12 in-game, and 6 "playable" at 60fps, including Dreaming Sarah, Void Terrarium, Tetris Forever and Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered. "Playable" here means it runs properly with possible minor graphics or audio glitches, not that anyone has finished it.
- SharpEmu's own list: 100 games tested on Windows, 44 marked Playable and 26 Ingame. Hollow Knight was marked Playable at 60fps on 10-14.
- AnyPS5: Dreaming Sarah runs at about 60fps after conversion (OC3D, October).
In-game only: the big releases.
| Game | SharpEmu | KytyPS5 |
|---|---|---|
| GTA V (PS5) | Ingame, very heavy (10-03) | Menus only in July; opening mission at 40–60fps in September, then a crash |
| Demon's Souls | Ingame, very heavy (10-05) | Went from single digits to about 30fps in September |
| Astro Bot | Ingame, very heavy (10-06) | About 11fps on first reaching gameplay; a fork hits 30–60fps in the opening area |
| Ghost of Tsushima | Ingame, about 0.5fps at 4K with severe rendering bugs | — |
| Gran Turismo 7, Elden Ring | Ingame (late October, missing draws) | — |
| Marvel's Wolverine, Ghost of Yōtei | — | In-game at single-digit fps (September) |
| God of War Ragnarök | Does not start (July) | — |
In short: big PS5 games currently "show something on screen" in emulators, and that is a long way from playable. Those results also come from high-end PCs. Tom's Hardware's 40–60fps GTA V run used a Ryzen 9 9950X3D and an RX 7900 XT, and Engadget relayed a report of an RTX 5090 reaching Wolverine's main menu in slow motion.
Three different approaches
SharpEmu: from scratch, accuracy first. It is written in C# (.NET). CPU instructions run directly on the PC, system functions are reimplemented (HLE), and GPU shaders are translated to SPIR-V for Vulkan. The README says the current focus is "accuracy and infrastructure setup rather than game-specific compatibility." It does not chase speed in big games, but it covers the widest range.
KytyPS5: an old codebase aimed at 3D games. The original Kyty was a PS4/PS5 emulator started in 2021 and abandoned in 2022. Developer Nmzik rebuilt it as a PS5-only project in 2026. It recompiles PS5 (RDNA 2) GPU shaders to SPIR-V for Vulkan 1.3, and its README says external low-level system modules are "neither required nor planned." There are many forks tuned for specific games, so frame rates in the press often come from forks or private builds, not the official one.
AnyPS5: convert instead of emulate. A relinker rewrites the PS5 executable into a Windows PE or Linux ELF program and pairs it with reimplemented PS5 system libraries. Shaders become SPIR-V as well. The idea is similar to Proton on Steam. The project's badges show 100% shader instruction coverage, but only part of the known system library functions. Progress is tracked one forum thread per game, and very few games run fully yet.
Why PS5 emulation started fast and why big games are so hard is covered in PS4 vs PS5 emulation explained.
Other projects
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| RPCSX | Experimental PS4/PS5 project from RPCS3 developers. Linux only; on PS5 it reaches Safe Mode and shows the PS logo |
| Kyty (original) | Abandoned in 2022; ran PS5 homebrew only |
| PS5X | A port of KytyPS5 to Xbox Series X/S developer mode. Runs a few games like Quake II at 25–45fps |
| KytyPlus, craziiEmu, Ryty and others | Forks of KytyPS5, SharpEmu and AnyPS5 with new UIs or iGPU tuning |
| prosper | Emulation General Wiki says it is almost entirely AI-generated and does not recommend it |
| sharpdroid, MagnusPS5 | Unofficial phone experiments with no guarantee of working |
On 7-17 the RPCS3 team posted on X that there were only two active PS5 emulators at the time, SharpEmu and KytyPS5, and warned people about scam sites.
Why it all happened in 2026
The PS5 CPU is AMD x86-64, just like the PS4, so the techniques PS4 emulators (especially shadPS4) built up over several years carry straight over. Interest also spiked after a March 2026 report that Sony had stopped porting first-party single-player games to PC. Ghost of Yōtei and Wolverine are not coming to PC, which leaves emulation as the only route for PC players.
Should you install one now?
- You like indies and do not mind tinkering: try SharpEmu and pick games marked Playable on its compatibility list.
- You want PS5 exclusives: you will only see the opening. Wait.
- You want PS4 games: use shadPS4, which is far more mature. See the best PS4 emulator in 2026.
Only download from the three official sites above. In October 2026 NordVPN found GitHub repositories impersonating KytyPS5 and AnyPS5 that spread password-stealing malware. See how to spot fake PS5 emulators. For GTA 6, see can you play GTA 6 on PC.
FAQ
Is there a working PS5 emulator?
Yes, for tinkering. As of November 2026, SharpEmu, KytyPS5 and AnyPS5 all run some PS5 games on Windows and Linux PCs. The games that play well are mostly indies such as Hollow Knight and Dreaming Sarah. Big releases get in-game but are not playable.
What is the best PS5 emulator?
It depends on the game. SharpEmu has the most complete official compatibility list and the most playable indie games. KytyPS5 has gone furthest with 3D games like Demon's Souls and GTA V. AnyPS5 converts games into native programs but runs very few so far. All three are free and open source; their sites are sharpemu.app, kytyps5.github.io and boykopovar.github.io/AnyPS5.
Can a PS5 emulator run GTA 6?
No. GTA 6 launches on 2026-11-19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and no emulator can run it. Even the PS5 version of GTA V, out for years, only runs for a stretch on KytyPS5 before crashing or dropping to single digits.
Is there a PS5 emulator for Android?
Not an official one. SharpEmu, KytyPS5 and AnyPS5 only release PC builds. Android projects like sharpdroid are unofficial experiments. Apps and videos claiming smooth PS5 games on Android are not credible.
What PC do I need for a PS5 emulator?
An x86-64 PC with a Vulkan 1.3 GPU. KytyPS5 needs Windows 10 1803 or newer or a current Linux distro. SharpEmu supports Windows x64 and Linux x64, with a separate macOS project. Even a Ryzen 9 9950X3D with an RX 7900 XT cannot run big PS5 games smoothly yet.
Why is PS5 emulation moving so fast?
The PS5 CPU is x86-64 like the PS4, so game code runs directly on a PC and lessons from PS4 emulators carry over. The hard part is translating the PS5 GPU's commands and shaders, and that is where big games get stuck.
Sources
- SharpEmu official site
- SharpEmu compatibility list
- KytyPS5 official site
- Emulation General Wiki: PlayStation 5 emulators
- Tom's Hardware: PS5 titles now booting across different emulators (2026-07-15)
- VideoCardz: Two major PS5 emulation projects become community-driven (2026-07-17)
- Kotaku: PS5 emulator can boot up GTA V menus (2026-07-14)
- Tom's Hardware: PS5 emulator runs console GTA V at up to 60fps, then crashes (2026-09-06)
- Tom's Hardware: PS5 emulator runs six titles at a playable 60fps (2026-09-27)
- Tom's Hardware: AnyPS5 dumps emulation to run PS5 games natively on PC (2026-09-26)
- Wccftech: Astro Bot 5x faster on a KytyPS5 fork, Wolverine in-game (2026-09-30)
- Tom's Hardware: Wolverine reaches gameplay with KytyPS5, single-digit fps (2026-09-30)
- OC3D: AnyPS5 achieves 100% PS5-to-PC GPU shader instruction translation (2026-10-09)
- Notebookcheck: PS5 software running on Xbox Series X (2026-09-22)
- Engadget: PS5X emulator on Xbox Series X and its issues (2026-10-18)
- Push Square: Sony stops single-player PC ports, report says (2026-03-04)
- Engadget: Fake PS5 emulators on GitHub are spreading password-stealing malware (2026-10-28)