Release
shadPS4 v0.16.0, the PS4 emulator's biggest update yet: local multiplayer, Big Picture mode, new config system
Key points
- shadPS4 v0.16.0 (codename Plutie-fueled) came out June 1, 2026. The team calls it "our largest update to date," with hundreds of changes from dozens of contributors.
- New: local multiplayer, Big Picture mode, screenshots, an OpenAL audio backend, early PlayStation Camera support, and a new configuration system with save and trophy migration.
- Graphics: many Vulkan stability and mipmapping fixes, more PS4 Pro (Neo) GPU instructions, and combined geometry plus tessellation pipelines.
- Android Authority counted six newly playable games, including Final Fantasy I and II, Inside and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
- As of November 1, 2026, shadPS4 is on v0.21.0; later releases added shadNet online play.
The PS4 emulator shadPS4 released v0.16.0, codename Plutie-fueled, on June 1, 2026. The announcement calls it "our largest update to date," with "hundreds of changes from dozens of contributors." The headline features are local multiplayer and a controller-friendly Big Picture mode, joined by screenshots, an OpenAL audio backend, early PlayStation Camera support and a new configuration system. Android Authority counted six more playable games on the compatibility list after the update.
New features
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Local multiplayer | "One of the most requested features": several players on one PC in supported games |
| Big Picture mode | A console-like full-screen UI for controllers and living-room setups, with settings and game folder management |
| Screenshots | Capture from inside the emulator, with or without overlays |
| OpenAL audio backend | First version, a base for future audio work |
| Camera | Initial PlayStation Camera emulation |
| New config system | New architecture for global and per-game settings, with save and trophy migration |
| Notifications | Positionable, with icons |
| Mods folder | A simpler folder layout for game mods |
On the network side, the first large chunks of the PS4 HTTP library landed, which helps games and apps that call online APIs.
Graphics and compatibility
- Vulkan stability: fixes for validation errors, synchronization, resource destruction order, swapchains and presentation. The team says crashes drop significantly.
- Memory and sync: GPU hazards, stale GPU memory, write-after-write and image layout transitions, which means less graphical corruption.
- Mipmapping: a large batch of fixes for texture quality and artifacts.
- PS4 Pro (Neo) instructions: VOP3P, SDWA, packed float16 and integer math, bit manipulation and new min/max/median ops.
- Combined pipelines: geometry shaders together with tessellation, which newer PS4 games need.
Controllers got DualShock compatibility fixes, better deadzone defaults and an option to swap the confirm button between Cross and Circle. The notes say several Unity games and Driveclub benefit from input regression fixes.
Platforms: initial x64 FreeBSD support, an updated MoltenVK for macOS, and file handling fixes on Linux and macOS.
Android Authority reported six newly playable titles, including Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II, Inside and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. At the time, 111 games were listed as playable on Windows and 144 on Linux.
Around the same time
- The same week, modder Serotoniner released BB Reborne, a visual overhaul of Bloodborne that runs on shadPS4 (see our BB Reborne story).
- In late June the team announced shadNet, its own online service, which at first only tracked scores. v0.17 (July) integrated it and v0.20 (October) made Bloodborne online official, covered in shadPS4 v0.20 and v0.21.
What this means for players
v0.16.0 is where shadPS4 started to feel like a usable front end and not just a working core: launching games from the couch with a controller and playing local multiplayer on one PC both start here. It is no longer current, so grab the latest stable build from the official site. For status and requirements, see the shadPS4 page. Game pages: Bloodborne and Driveclub.
FAQ
When was shadPS4 v0.16.0 released?
June 1, 2026 (GitHub time). Some sites say late May, but the official release date is June 1. It is no longer the latest version: as of November 1, 2026, that is v0.21.0.
Does shadPS4 support local multiplayer?
Yes, since v0.16.0. Several players can play supported local multiplayer games on one PC with multiple controllers. Whether a specific game works well depends on the compatibility list and player reports.
What is Big Picture mode in shadPS4?
A full-screen, controller-driven interface built for TVs and handhelds such as the Steam Deck. You can browse games, change settings and manage game folders without a mouse.
Did v0.16.0 improve PS4 Pro games?
Yes. It added a large set of PS4 Pro (Neo) GPU instructions to the shader recompiler, including VOP3P, SDWA and packed float16 and integer math, which helps games that use PS4 Pro features.
Sources
- shadPS4 blog: v0.16.0 Plutie-fueled
- Android Authority: The best PS4 emulator just got its biggest update, including local multiplayer (2026-06-02)
- Wccftech: ShadPS4 v0.16.0 Is The PlayStation 4 Emulator's Biggest Update To Date (2026-06-04)
- Wccftech: ShadNet Lets PlayStation 4 Emulation Players Go Online Without Sony (2026-06-26)