The ShadPS4 emulator for PlayStation 4 has taken another big step forward: Unreal Engine–based titles now launch more reliably, and some are already playable on PC.

The latest version of the ShadPS4 PlayStation 4 emulator is now available for download, bringing significant improvements to the emulation of certain games. Version 0.11.0 introduces numerous technical updates that may not look groundbreaking to casual users. In practice, however, these changes represent a major step forward for Unreal Engine–based games: many titles now boot, and a few are even playable. Still, the most advanced games will take time to run smoothly, as emulating the engine remains highly demanding due to complex shader pipelines and other technical factors.

ShadPS4 is currently the most advanced and fastest-developing PlayStation 4 emulator. Last year, FromSoftware’s cult classic Bloodborne – still lacking an official PlayStation 5 or PC port – went from barely bootable to fully playable within weeks, even on older hardware, with better graphics and performance. This progress was largely thanks to modders like fromsoftserve, who released a visual overhaul rivaling many official remasters.

After pushing Bloodborne as far as possible, the emulator’s developers shifted their focus to other PlayStation 4 exclusives. With each new release, more games are running better, making it likely that many titles will eventually be fully playable on PC despite never receiving official ports. One example is The Last Guardian, from the creator of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Since Sony only realized toward the end of the PlayStation 4 generation how lucrative the PC market could be, there are still several PS4-only games left behind.

Source: WCCFTech, ShadPS4