Installing shadPS4 in 2026: the simple beginner's guide
shadPS4 is now the most advanced PlayStation 4 emulator around, capable of running well over a hundred games on PC. Unlike RPCS3 for the PS3, it doesn't require installing a full firmware image: you just need to supply a handful of system modules pulled from your own PS4.
⚠️ Check the version before you start. This guide reflects the situation as of August 20, 2026: the latest stable release is now shadPS4 0.18.0 (nicknamed "UltraPersona"), released August 18, 2026, which fixes Shadow of the Colossus hanging on boot, broken shadows in Persona games, and some effects in inFAMOUS and Gravity Rush 2, along with an experimental workaround for a crash affecting 12th-gen and newer Intel CPUs on Windows. The project moves fast: always check the official releases page to see if a newer version has come out since.
Prerequisites
You'll need: a PC with a Vulkan-capable graphics card (most cards from the last decade qualify); the system modules (.sprx files) extracted from your own PS4, ideally via a console jailbroken with GoldHEN (see our PS4 jailbreak guide); and your own games dumped as PKG files from that same console.
Installation steps
1. Download the latest shadPS4 release with QtLauncher (the recommended GUI) from the official releases page, for your operating system.
2. Extract the archive to a folder of your choice.
3. Copy the system modules (.sprx) extracted from your PS4 into shadPS4's sys_modules user folder.
4. Launch QtLauncher, open the settings and configure the Vulkan renderer (pick your dedicated graphics card if you have more than one) as well as your controller.
5. Add the folder containing your PKG-dumped games from the dedicated tab.
6. Launch a game from the library; tweak resolution and graphics options if performance isn't satisfying.
Important warnings
shadPS4 only works with system modules and games you've extracted yourself from a PS4 you legally own: RetroVault endorses no other source. Compatibility is improving fast but remains partial, and some games will crash or run poorly depending on the version. On Mac, only Apple Silicon devices running macOS 26 or newer are supported, not Intel Macs.
For full documentation and up-to-date files, check the official shadPS4 GitHub repository.
Image credit: “Shadps4” by Xphalnos, licensed under GPLv2, via Wikimedia Commons.