The short answer
AnyPS5 is the most-starred PS5 project these searches turn up on GitHub, and it is not an emulator. It converts a PS5 executable into a normal Windows or Linux program. If you specifically want an emulator-style program that you open and load games into, the active project in that space is KytyPS5. shadPS4, which often appears in the same searches, is for PS4 software only.
All of these are early. Expect a handful of working titles, frequent breakage and a lot of command-line work, not a console replacement.
Projects side by side
| Project | Runs | How it describes its approach | Host systems | Stars | Last push | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnyPS5 | PS5 | Relinks the executable into a native program and links it against re-implemented system libraries. No emulation, no host process. | Windows, Linux. macOS output is experimental. | 29,410 | Oct 11, 2026 | GPL-2.0 |
| KytyPS5 | PS5 | Describes itself as a PlayStation 5 translation layer, based on a heavily modified Kyty. You load titles into it. | Windows, Linux. macOS support is experimental. | 7,498 | Oct 11, 2026 | GPL-2.0 |
| RPCSX | PS4 and PS5 | Describes itself as an experimental PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 emulator. | Linux. | 2,006 | Jun 29, 2026 | GPL-2.0 |
| Kyty | PS4 and PS5 | The original “PS4 & PS5 emulator” that KytyPS5 builds on. | See the repository. | 3,154 | May 13, 2024 | MIT |
| shadPS4 | PS4 only | A PlayStation 4 emulator. Listed because it tops most “PlayStation emulator GitHub” searches; it does not run PS5 software. | Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD. | 33,410 | Oct 11, 2026 | GPL-2.0 |
Stars, push dates and licences are read from the GitHub API on Oct 11, 2026. Descriptions paraphrase each repository's own README.
Relinking versus emulating: what changes in practice
Both routes rely on the same fact: a PS5 has an x86-64 CPU, so game code does not need to be translated instruction by instruction the way it would for a different processor. The hard part is everything around the code, namely the operating system services and the graphics API. That is where the designs differ.
AnyPS5: convert once, run natively
- A relinker rewrites the executable into a Linux ELF or Windows PE file ahead of time.
- The result is its own program. Your OS loader starts it and binds it to AnyPS5's
.prxlibraries. - There is no window to “open a game” in. Each title becomes a folder with an executable.
- Anything unimplemented throws an error and exits, by policy.
Emulator or translation layer: load at run time
- You start the host program and point it at a game.
- The host loads the game's modules itself and services its system calls.
- Usually ships with a launcher or interface and per-game settings.
- Behaviour on missing features varies by project.
What they share is the bulk of the work. Either way someone has to re-implement the console's system libraries and translate its shaders for a PC graphics API. AnyPS5's progress numbers track exactly that.
Which should you try?
- You want to see the relinking approach work, or to contribute to it: AnyPS5. Start with the setup guide and a title from the compatibility list.
- You want an emulator-style workflow: look at KytyPS5 and its own compatibility list, linked from its repository.
- You want to play PS4 games: that is shadPS4's territory, not AnyPS5's.
- You care about one specific game: search both projects for it. For AnyPS5, the bring-up tracker covers 28 titles with open threads.
Popular projects attract clones that add “download” buttons. Use the repositories linked in the table, check the owner name in the URL, and be wary of any page that offers a prebuilt “PS5 emulator” bundled with games.
Do not forget the official PC ports
Many PlayStation-published games have been released for PC by their publishers, through stores such as Steam. Where an official PC version exists it is the simplest and best-supported way to play that game on a computer, and no conversion tool will match it soon. Tools like AnyPS5 matter most for preservation, research, and titles that have no PC release.
Common questions
Is there a working PS5 emulator on GitHub?
There are open-source projects that run some PS5 software on a PC, at an early stage. KytyPS5 and RPCSX take the emulator or translation-layer route; AnyPS5 converts the executable instead. None of them offers broad compatibility yet. AnyPS5's official table lists 2 verified titles.
Which is better, AnyPS5 or KytyPS5?
It depends entirely on the title, and the answer changes week to week. They are separate code bases with different designs and different lists of working games. Check each project's own compatibility list for the game you care about rather than relying on star counts.
Can shadPS4 run PS5 games?
No. shadPS4 describes itself as a PlayStation 4 emulator. PS5 titles are out of its scope.
What does “PS5 port” mean in the AnyPS5 description?
The repository's tagline is “Tool for automatic PS5 executables porting to Linux and Windows”. Port here means the relinker's output: a native executable for your OS made from the original one. It is not a hand-made PC port with new graphics options, and it is not source code for any game.
More in the full FAQ, or go straight to the AnyPS5 repository.