If you have a PlayStation 3 and a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots collecting dust in your closet, then RPCS3 might come in handy.
Thanks to a major update, the emulator is now easier to use and allows you to run games directly from ISO files. Previously, you had to unpack the contents of the game’s ISO files for RPCS3 to run the game, but this step has now been eliminated. A contributor named Functionable submitted the code that eliminates the long-standing inconvenience of having to unpack disc images into folders.
This may seem minor, but it’s significant and has many advantages. While the previous method of unpacking ISO files was reliable, it required nearly twice the storage space, unless the user deleted the original ISO file. The new update allows disc games to be loaded directly from the ISO file, eliminating the need for manual extraction. This means there is one less step to start the game and no need for additional storage space. Note that currently, only decrypted ISO files are supported; encrypted ISO files are not yet supported. However, loading disc games from folders is still supported.
RPCS3 now supports loading disc games from ISO files, thanks to code submitted by Functionable!
Note that only decrypted ISO loading is supported for now, encrypted ISO loading is not yet supported.
Loading disc games from folders continues to be supported without any changes.
— RPCS3 (@rpcs3) January 9, 2026
Therefore, encrypted ISO images copied directly from retail PlayStation 3 discs will not run. The PlayStation 3 has the necessary hardware and firmware-based encryption channel to decode the discs, but RPCS3 does not. However, the emulator’s developers have said that loading encrypted ISO files may be possible in the future. This would make emulating games from the platform even easier. The platform is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
You can condemn emulation, but running a game this way is still easier than running it on your console. You get higher resolution and a better frame rate, and of course, multiplayer is in a whole different category. For single-player titles, though, emulation is perfectly acceptable if you have the original game disc.
Source: WCCFTech
