Xbox Series X Just Ran PS5 Games, Thanks to an Experimental KytyPS5 Emulator Port

The Xbox Series X has found itself on the other side of the console divide after developer Devran Cosmo Uenal demonstrated an experimental PS5 emulator running on Microsoft’s gaming console. The project, called PS5X, is an Xbox port of the open-source KytyPS5 emulator and currently works through Xbox Developer Mode.

PS5X already has several games running

The early results are more interesting than simply getting the emulator to boot. Uenal has demonstrated GEX Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Quake II running through PS5X, with Xbox controller input working across the tested games and audio available in some cases.

Quake II provides the best look at the current performance. The footage shows the game running at roughly 25 to 45 FPS, although performance can drop below 20 FPS in some situations. Input latency is also noticeable in the demonstration, so there is still plenty of optimization work ahead.

KytyPS5’s PC implementation uses Vulkan for its graphics renderer, while Xbox does not natively provide Vulkan support. Uenal therefore has to translate the graphics work to Microsoft’s DirectX environment, meaning improvements made to the PC version cannot simply be copied over to Xbox.

This is still a technical experiment, not a PS5 replacement

KytyPS5 itself remains an early-stage project. Its official GitHub repository says compatibility is limited, although it can already boot 2D games and selected 3D titles. Uenal has also acknowledged using AI during development, although the exact amount of AI-generated or AI-assisted code is unclear. The project does not include PS5 firmware or decryption keys, and the developer describes PS5X as a research project rather than a finished emulator.