How to Setup RPCSX PS4 Emulator on Linux

Are you eager to explore the world of PS4 game emulation on your Linux system? The RPCSX emulator offers you the opportunity to do just that. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of compiling the RPCSX emulator on various Linux distributions. By following these instructions, you’ll be ready to delve into the exciting realm of PS4 game emulation.

Dependencies Installation

Before embarking on the compilation journey, ensure you have the necessary dependencies installed. The specific packages you need to install vary depending on your Linux distribution:

For Debian-like Distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, etc.):

sudo apt install build-essential cmake libunwind-dev libglfw3-dev libvulkan-dev vulkan-validationlayers-dev spirv-tools glslang-tools libspirv-cross-c-shared-dev libsox-dev git

Note: The ‘git’ package is only required for Ubuntu 22.04

For Fedora Distributions:

sudo dnf install cmake libunwind-devel glfw-devel vulkan-devel vulkan-validation-layers-devel spirv-tools glslang-devel gcc-c++ gcc spirv-tools-devel xbyak-devel sox-devel

For Arch Distributions:

sudo pacman -S libunwind glfw-x11 vulkan-devel sox glslang git cmake

You’ll need to install ‘spirv-cross‘ from the AUR. Use the following steps:

sudo pacman -S --needed git base-devel git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git cd yay makepkg -si yay -S spirv-cross

Obtaining SPIRV-Cross

In order to proceed, you’ll need the SPIRV-Cross library. Here’s how to get it on Fedora and Arch Linux:

git clone https://github.com/KhronosGroup/SPIRV-Cross cd SPIRV-Cross mkdir build cd build cmake .. cmake --build . sudo make install

Cloning the Repository

Now that you have the dependencies in place, let’s clone the RPCSX repository and its submodules:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/RPCSX/rpcsx cd rpcsx git submodule update --init --recursive

Compiling the Emulator

We’re getting closer to having the emulator ready. Let’s compile it:

mkdir -p build cd build cmake .. cmake --build .

Creating a Virtual HDD

Lastly, to enhance your emulation experience, you’ll need to create a virtual HDD with a case-insensitive filesystem. Here’s how:

truncate -s 512M ps4-hdd.exfat mkfs.exfat -n PS4-HDD ./ps4-hdd.exfat mkdir ps4-fs sudo mount -t exfat -o uid=`id -u`,gid=`id -g` ./ps4-hdd.exfat ./ps4-fs

Once you are done setting up RPCSX, use the How to Use Guide to play games on it.

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Congratulations! You’ve successfully compiled the RPCSX emulator on your Linux system and set up a virtual HDD. You’re now poised to explore the world of PS4 game emulation. Feel free to refer back to this guide whenever you need assistance or wish to tweak your setup. Enjoy your gaming journey!