We’re also talking about a ~2 Tflops GPU in the Deck vs the PS5’s 10, right? And half the CPU, being generous.
I’m not sure it’s even theoretically practical on the deck, for all but the absolute lightest of games.
Has there ever been a case of emulation working with less compute than the original platform? I can’t think of any. But with the pricing in 2026+ that’s kinda the situation for many gamers.
I know RPCS3 saw a lot of benefits from avx512, doubt it was to the point of running quicker than the original - but I could see dedicated silicon being the reason negative overhead emulation exists.
Has there ever been a case of emulation working with less compute than the original platform?
That would be a valid concern if we emulated the entire CPU on a different CPU. But in fact the CPU type is the same on PS5 and Deck (and your desktop PC). That means it does not need to emulate the entire CPU. From: https://github.com/sharpemu/sharpemu
Native CPU instruction execution doesn’t guarantee 1:1 throughput, let alone account for the fact that the PS5 has over double the raw power of a Steam Deck.
Translating API calls from the guest software to the host’s equivalent isn’t free, either. If the emulator uses hardware virtualization, you can also add the extra cycles spent every time the guest needs to perform a hypervisor call.
In a decade, maybe the IPC gains would be enough for something with fewer cores and lesser clock speeds to be able to do the equivalent work of a PS5. Right now? With a Steam Deck? Good luck running anything more intensive than an indie title at full speed.
That’s my point. I don’t know what else to say and what you think I’m saying. No one asks for AAA PS5 games to run at 60 fps on Steam Deck through emulation… Can’t I be happy just to run ANY PS5 game on the Deck? That alone would be enough, because that proofs so much alone. My point was, we can expect PS5 games to run soon. That was my reply to the response that we cannot expect anything anytime soon.
Fair enough. This is true, apologies for being so hostile.
I’m pretty stoked about PS5 emulation in the future too, though honestly I have a pile of other console games I should have, but have not tried to, emulate yet.
Did you read the comment I’m responding to? Not everyone has the same argument, as there are different people responding with different. Some say it will not happen with any game, others say it will only happen with trivial games. And I explain why that may happen sooner than you think.
We’re strictly talking about games that are more-or-less trivial for a PS5 to run.
and
With a Steam Deck? Good luck running anything more intensive than an indie title at full speed.
We’re also talking about a ~2 Tflops GPU in the Deck vs the PS5’s 10, right? And half the CPU, being generous.
I’m not sure it’s even theoretically practical on the deck, for all but the absolute lightest of games.
Has there ever been a case of emulation working with less compute than the original platform? I can’t think of any. But with the pricing in 2026+ that’s kinda the situation for many gamers.
I know RPCS3 saw a lot of benefits from avx512, doubt it was to the point of running quicker than the original - but I could see dedicated silicon being the reason negative overhead emulation exists.
Yeah, the PS3 was weird. It wasn’t just a “different ISA” like the Xbox 360, the PS3’s processor was a completely different programming paradigm.
I haven’t kept up, but it makes sense that AVX512 helps. That brings desktop CPUs closer to “vector processors” like cell.
That would be a valid concern if we emulated the entire CPU on a different CPU. But in fact the CPU type is the same on PS5 and Deck (and your desktop PC). That means it does not need to emulate the entire CPU. From: https://github.com/sharpemu/sharpemu
Native CPU instruction execution doesn’t guarantee 1:1 throughput, let alone account for the fact that the PS5 has over double the raw power of a Steam Deck.
Translating API calls from the guest software to the host’s equivalent isn’t free, either. If the emulator uses hardware virtualization, you can also add the extra cycles spent every time the guest needs to perform a hypervisor call.
In a decade, maybe the IPC gains would be enough for something with fewer cores and lesser clock speeds to be able to do the equivalent work of a PS5. Right now? With a Steam Deck? Good luck running anything more intensive than an indie title at full speed.
I don’t think anyone said or expect AAA games running at full speed over PS5 emulation on the Steam Deck. Nobody said that.
But even if you set engineering concerns aside, and Sony makes a the Steam deck PS5 native themself, the gulf is still large.
We’re strictly talking about games that are more-or-less trivial for a PS5 to run.
I’m not trying to rag on the Deck, but that’s just what the specifications dictate.
That’s my point. I don’t know what else to say and what you think I’m saying. No one asks for AAA PS5 games to run at 60 fps on Steam Deck through emulation… Can’t I be happy just to run ANY PS5 game on the Deck? That alone would be enough, because that proofs so much alone. My point was, we can expect PS5 games to run soon. That was my reply to the response that we cannot expect anything anytime soon.
Fair enough. This is true, apologies for being so hostile.
I’m pretty stoked about PS5 emulation in the future too, though honestly I have a pile of other console games I should have, but have not tried to, emulate yet.
Your point is we can expect PS5 games to run soon on the steam deck.
Their point is that we cannot expect ps5 games to run at any playable framerate, maybe ever, due to serious hardware hurdles.
Not AAA games, any games. You disagree on a key point there, and they were just trying to explain why they disagree with you.
Did you read the comment I’m responding to? Not everyone has the same argument, as there are different people responding with different. Some say it will not happen with any game, others say it will only happen with trivial games. And I explain why that may happen sooner than you think.
and
So clearly it is not about any games.
I suppose an aside, why would you emulate those games when they are available on PC anyway?