PS5 Linux Unlocks PS3 Emulation, Elevating Some Games to 4K While Highlighting SPU Bottlenecks

Digital Foundry’s PS5 Linux tests with RPCS3 show PS3 games can run on PS5, with titles like Ridge Racer 7 and Resistance scaling to 4K/60 and 4K/30 (40–60fps range) and Heavenly Sword reaching 5K upscales, but CPU-emulation of the PS3’s SPUs cripples others (GTA4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2/3). Turning off MLAA helps Killzone 3, yet performance remains spotty and not polished. The results underline CPU bottlenecks and suggest true PS3 emulation on PS5 may hinge on future architectures (e.g., Zen 6), even as PS5 Linux enables deeper hardware exploration.