4 best PS4 emulators for PC to enjoy your favorite games
- If you have a soft spot for PlayStation games, you will be pleased to know you can enjoy PS4 action on your PC.
- Check out our top picks for durable emulators that are absolutely free of charge.
- Dive into our PlayStation 4 section and take in all the information you can absorb.
- Don't forget to take a look at our Emulators Hub for even more handy solutions to perfect your gameplay.
Are you a game enthusiast? Do you have a special likeness for PlayStation games? If so, we have good news for you: You can now enjoy your favorite PS4 games on your PC, at absolutely no cost.
This article brings you short reviews on some of the best PS4 emulators for PC, which you can use to play PS4 games on your PC.
PlayStation 4 (PS4) is arguably the most advanced game console in the market today. It is the eighth model of the popular PlayStation gaming franchise, which has over 80 million users worldwide.
However, in terms of portability and affordability, it is not suitable for low-budget game lovers.
Not to worry though, as there are now durable emulators that would enable you to enjoy your favorite PS4 games on your personal computers, without paying a dime.
Although there are still controversies surrounding the durability/effectiveness of PS4 emulators; however, a handful (four) of them have proven their effectiveness.
Let us look at some of these PS4 emulators for PC.
What PS4 emulators should I install on PC?
PS4Emus
PS4Emus is probably the best PS4 emulator for PC today. It has managed to rack up a number of positive reviews, in the midst of the raging controversies, which center around whether PS4 games can be emulated on PC or not.
This emulator was initially launched in 2013, and after over half-a-decade of tweaking, upgrade and modifications, the latest update (optimized package) was released.
Furthermore, the PS4 Emus emulator supports both desktop and mobile devices, including Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.
This makes it extremely flexible to use and you can easily enjoy exclusive PS4 gaming experience on your Windows PC or even on the go, on your mobile devices.
Also, the emulator offers a commendable frame per second (fps) rate, and its graphics and soundtrack are only slightly different from what is obtainable on the original console.
The bottom line, you might encounter some lags while playing PS4 games (using PS4Emus) on your PC, but you are less likely to even notice them.
Let’s quickly look at its key features:
- Hosted online server with PlayStation games that you can easily download or play directly online
- Built-in support for BIOS
- Optimized graphics, sound system, and the overall layout for PC and mobile alike
The interesting thing is, all these are offered to you at absolutely no cost. And considering the cost of a typical PS4 console, this emulator sure offers you a real deal, for free.
PS4Emus
Enjoy exclusive PS4 gaming experience on your Windows PC or on the go!Android user? Check out the 5 fastest emulators for a lag-free experience.
PCSX4
PCSX4 is one of the recently developed programs for emulating the PS4 console on PC. It is an open-source application that grants you the opportunity to emulate and play PS4 games on your computer (Windows and Macbook).
At the moment, the program has a record of 290,000+ downloads (for Windows) and still counting.
Moreover, PCSX4 is compatible with only high-powered computer systems for now. Specifically, the emulator is able to work perfectly on only 64-bit Windows 7/8/8.1/10 and Mac OS 10.13.6 (and higher).
Also, your computer must be running on a 4-core processor (or higher), as well as AXV and SSE-4.2 GPU, to optimally support the PS4 emulator.
Let’s quickly look at its key features:
- Game-cache image (GCI) adequately encrypted with the 256-bit protocol
- Able to run at a frame per second rate of 60fps, provided you are running a high-end computer that is equipped with an advanced GPU system, like AMD Radeon 780 or GTX 60 (or higher)
- Near-perfect graphical imitation of your favorite PS4 games on your PC
Setting up PCSX4 on your computer is very easy: All you need to do is to download the program from the source website, extract the executable (.exe) file and run it as an admin, to install the program.
Also, you will be required to extract the PlayStation device identifier file (.pdix) and link it to your account. After the whole set-up, you can download your favorite PS4 games and enjoy exclusive gaming experience on your PC.
PCSX4
Step 1: .exe, step 2: .pdix, step 3: download your favorite PS4 games and enjoy!Check out the best Windows console emulators to use today!
PS4 EMX (Under development)
PS4 EMX is a PS4 emulator, which was developed in 2014 by Ghaststeam. Although the program is currently closed (unavailable), its developers are still working toward reinventing it.
According to the program’s lead developer, they are currently working on the program’s GUI, for Windows. The finished package is expected to launch any moment between now and the coming years.
Upon its initial launch in 2014, PS4 EMX is supported on modern Windows PC i.e. Windows 8 and later versions. Also. your system must be equipped with all of the following GPU and CPU parameters:
- Pixel Shader (Model 3)
- 2GB RAM (minimum)
- 50 GHz Processor (for Windows)
- AMD/NVidia GPU
While the program is currently undergoing redevelopment, not much is made known to the public about its updates, fixes or modifications.
Nevertheless, upon completion, PS4 EMX is expected to be one of the few available PS4 emulators in the market. So you can wait for it.
⇒ Check out more information on PS4 EMX on SourceForge or GitHub.
Orbital PS4 Emulator
Orbital is the only genuine PS4 emulator that is globally accepted, and it was developed by the prominent developer – AlexAltea.
However, the program is still under development and cannot be used to emulate commercial PS4 games yet. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made in its build; hence, it makes our list of best PS4 emulators for PC.
Orbital is a low-level emulator, which virtualizes the PS4 console OS and not the full x86-64 CPU. It is specially built for Windows and Linux, and upon completion, users would be able to download and play their favorite PS4 games on their PC.
For now, the program is designed to support only top-end Windows and Linux PCs, with a minimum RAM of 16GB and a PS4-mirrored processor of x86-64 (with AVX extensions).
In layman terms, you would need a high-powered modern Windows or Linux computer to effectively run the Orbital emulator.
Lastly, Orbital is an open-source project, with inputs/contributions from several quarters of the tech community. So if you are a developer, you can contribute (financially or intellectually) to the program’s development here.
⇒ Check out Orbital PS4 Emulator on GitHub.
PS4 is, without a doubt, the most advanced game console in the market today. It runs on the powerful x86-64 architecture, which is highly difficult to emulate.
As a result of this, there is serious controversy surrounding the possibility of emulating PS4 on PC.
However, in the midst of the raging controversy, a host of emulators have been developed, and some are still under development.
These sets of emulators stand out as the best PS4 emulators for PC, and we have provided succinct reviews on each of them in this article. Which one will you try? Share our thoughts in the comments section below.
FAQ: Learn more about PlayStation 4 emulators
- Is there a PlayStation 4 emulator?
There are quite a handful of specialized PS4 emulators that you can use and some are still in the development stage. Check out the available solutions in this article to learn more.
- Is pcsx4 safe?
PCSX4 is indeed a trustworthy solution that allows you to emulate PS4 action directly on your PC. Using the most powerful 256-bit encryption protocol, this open-source emulator guarantees the ultimate protection while playing online games. Also, it has a strict no-piracy policy.
- Is there ps4 emulator for Android?
PS4Emus is the most flexible tool out there. This emulator supports both desktop and mobile devices, including Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been since revamped and updated in May 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.