Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A native PS3 emulator called aPS3e is now available on Android.
- It’s still early in development, and it’s not immediately clear where it comes from or how safe it is.
- This eliminates the need for workarounds like Winlator for PS3 emulation, potentially increasing performance and compatibility.
While there has been a flurry of improvements for PS3 emulation via RPCS3, Android users have largely been left in the dust. The developer has explicitly said it won’t make an Android version, so the only way to emulate PS3 on Android was via a workaround like the Winlator tool. But now, there’s a new, native PS3 emulator on the block called aPS3e.
But first, a disclaimer: It’s not immediately clear who developed it or where it comes from, which should raise some red flags. If you plan on downloading and testing this, do so at your own risk. We only know it’s from a Chinese developer who goes by Aenu, who “missed the nine-year compulsory education, is unemployed, and now lives a life of idleness in the countryside” (via Google Translate).
The app comes from a Chinese developer, but we don’t know much else.
For now, the app is very barebones, with a simple menu listing your library of games. Compatibility is also very limited, with none of the games Android Authority tested on newer flagship phones managing to boot. That said, other users on Reddit have managed to launch lightweight games like Terraria and Limbo, although performance lags behind RPCS3 on Winlator. The L3 and R3 buttons are also handwritten, for some reason. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support controllers just yet.
The app requires Android 7 or higher and Vulkan support, and you’ll need to supply your own ROMs and firmware. The emulator was briefly available on Github, but has since been removed. For now, you can only download it from a Chinese host.
Regardless of where this ends up, seeing PS3 emulation on Android move forward after being stuck for years is great. Most developers are working on two-layer emulation solutions via Windows or Linux containers, which is far more demanding than a native app like aPS3e. For now though, it’s best considered a work in progress.
