Tech YouTuber unlocks native PS3 emulation on PS5 hardware

A tech YouTuber recently experimented with PS5 hardware to prove it can run PS3 games. Lowest Logan’s experiment used an AMD BC-250 mining card and was able to run games like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. The YouTuber also noted that game performance could be improved through optimization.

Game emulation has remained a contentious area within the gaming world, with many gamers opting for PCs to emulate games across the board. However, with many tech developments, console gamers have joined in on the fun, with PlayStation emulation steadily growing and techies performing experiments.

In one such case, a YouTuber experimented using underclocked hardware to debunk beliefs such as those stating that PS5 cannot run PS3 games. 

YouTuber proves that the PS5 can run PS3 games

A tech YouTuber named Lowest Logan successfully used PS5 hardware to run PS3 games in a groundbreaking experiment. Logan used the AMD BC-250 mining card, which has a system-on-chip (SoC) similar to the PS5’s native chip but with limited CPU and GPU capabilities.

The chip has six cores and 12 threads, and only 24 out of the original 32 GPU compute units are active. The BC-250 chip was limited to 450MHz clock speed with the Youtuber’s setup using 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. The YouTuber’s experiment also used RPCS3, the popular open-source PS3 emulator compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD. 

Logan’s experiment proved that the PS5’s setup can run PS3 games built using the complex CELL-based model by converting them to x86-compatible instructions. Logan’s improvised setup ran games such as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Watch Dogs, and LittleBigPlanet 2 at 60fps.

The experiment was able to run the games with occasional shader compilation stutters being the only major issue despite increasing the resolution to 1440p. Logan’s experiment upstages previous attempts at backward compatibility on Sony consoles, which left many believing it was impossible.

Watch Dogs notably had more glitches than the other games. The tech YouTuber attributed the extra glitches to the game’s original PS3 optimization issues. 

Logan reignited backward compatibility debates

After his successful experiment, Logan reignited debates about the PS5’s untapped potential for backward compatibility without requiring cloud streaming. The YouTuber’s approach overcame many technical and software limitations while also using an underpowered setup to run PS3 games.

Gamers pointed out that Logan’s experiment disproved Sony’s initial stance that implied that native PS3 emulation on the PS5 is not feasible due to technical barriers and high costs. 

Many gamers argued that Sony’s staff are not as competent or motivated when working towards providing backward compatibility for previous PlayStation consoles. The gamers stated that the problem was not the hardware but rather the PS3’s software issues that Sony was unwilling to address.

Some gamers stated that Sony should do a better job since most PS1, PS2, and PS3 games could be properly emulated using a PC or other consoles such as the Steam Deck.

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