emulator: shadps4
type: standalone
source: "https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4"
upstream: "https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4"
profiled_date: "2026-03-26"
source_commit: "f73709cada28e77523e37806fee5c454711d24ba"
core_version: "pre-release 2026-08-08"
display_name: "shadPS4 (PlayStation 4)"
cores:
  - shadps4
  - "shadps4-gui"
systems:
  - ps4
mode: standalone
analysis_date: "2026-08-10"
analysis_commit: "891612c8"

notes: |
  shadPS4 is a standalone PlayStation 4 emulator. Most PS4 system libraries
  are reimplemented in HLE. For better game compatibility, real firmware
  modules (.sprx) can be loaded in LLE mode from the sys_modules/ directory.

  Modules are loaded by sysmodule_internal.cpp via loadModuleInternal().
  If a module exists in sys_modules/, it is loaded as LLE. If absent and
  an HLE implementation exists, the emulator falls back to HLE. If neither,
  the module is stubbed and games needing it may fail.

  Game-specific overrides are supported: sys_modules/{CUSA_ID}/ takes
  priority over the global sys_modules/ directory.

  System fonts are mounted from fonts/font/ (/preinst/common/font on real
  PS4) and fonts/font2/ (/system/common/font2 on real PS4). These are SST
  (Sony Standard Text) typeface files in OTF format. The emulator mounts
  the directories wholesale; games load individual fonts by name. Without
  fonts, the emulator warns "No dumped system fonts, expect missing text
  or instability."

  All firmware files are extracted from a real PS4 via FTP:
  - .sprx modules from /system/common/lib/
  - font/ from /preinst/common/font/
  - font2/ from /system/common/font2/

  Batocera configgen (shadps4Generator.py) configures display, input, and
  saves but does not map BIOS/firmware paths. The emulator uses its own
  user directory for sys_modules/ and fonts/.

files:
  - name: "libSceLibcInternal.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceLibcInternal.sprx"
    description: "PS4 C standard library"
    source_ref: "src/core/linker.cpp:80-91"

  - name: "libSceNgs2.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceNgs2.sprx"
    description: "PS4 next-generation audio system"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:217"

  - name: "libSceUlt.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceUlt.sprx"
    description: "PS4 user-level threading library"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:218"

  - name: "libSceRtc.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceRtc.sprx"
    description: "PS4 real-time clock library"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:221"

  - name: "libSceJpegDec.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceJpegDec.sprx"
    description: "PS4 JPEG decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:222"

  - name: "libSceJpegEnc.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceJpegEnc.sprx"
    description: "PS4 JPEG encoder"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:223"

  - name: "libScePngEnc.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libScePngEnc.sprx"
    description: "PS4 PNG encoder"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:225"

  - name: "libSceJson.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceJson.sprx"
    description: "PS4 JSON parser"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:226"

  - name: "libSceJson2.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceJson2.sprx"
    description: "PS4 JSON v2 parser"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:227"

  - name: "libSceCesCs.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceCesCs.sprx"
    description: "PS4 character encoding conversion"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:228"

  - name: "libSceAt9Enc.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAt9Enc.sprx"
    description: "PS4 ATRAC9 encoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:229"

  - name: "libSceAudiodec.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAudiodec.sprx"
    description: "PS4 audio decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:230"

  - name: "libSceAudiodecCpu.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAudiodecCpu.sprx"
    description: "PS4 CPU audio decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:231"

  - name: "libSceAudiodecCpuDdp.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAudiodecCpuDdp.sprx"
    description: "PS4 CPU Dolby Digital Plus decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:232"

  - name: "libSceAudiodecCpuM4aac.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAudiodecCpuM4aac.sprx"
    description: "PS4 CPU AAC decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:233"

  - name: "libSceAudiodecCpuDtsHdLbr.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAudiodecCpuDtsHdLbr.sprx"
    description: "PS4 CPU DTS-HD LBR decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:234"

  - name: "libSceAudiodecCpuHevag.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceAudiodecCpuHevag.sprx"
    description: "PS4 CPU HEVAG decoder"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:235"

  - name: "libSceFont.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceFont.sprx"
    description: "PS4 font rendering library"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:236"

  - name: "libSceFontFt.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceFontFt.sprx"
    description: "PS4 FreeType font library"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:237"

  - name: "libSceFreeTypeOt.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceFreeTypeOt.sprx"
    description: "PS4 FreeType OpenType library"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:238"

  - name: "libSceFreeTypeOl.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceFreeTypeOl.sprx"
    description: "PS4 FreeType outline library"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:239"

  - name: "libSceFreeTypeOptOl.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceFreeTypeOptOl.sprx"
    description: "PS4 FreeType optimised outline library"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:240"

  - name: "libSceRudp.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceRudp.sprx"
    description: "PS4 reliable UDP library"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:243"

  - name: "libSceWkFontConfig.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceWkFontConfig.sprx"
    description: "PS4 WebKit font configuration"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:244"

  - name: "libSceSystemGesture.sprx"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceSystemGesture.sprx"
    description: "PS4 system gesture recognition"
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:249"

  - name: "libSceXml.sprx"
    required: false
    path: "shadps4/sys_modules/libSceXml.sprx"
    description: "PS4 XML parser"
    note: "No HLE implementation; the module is stubbed when absent."
    source_ref: "src/core/libraries/sysmodule/sysmodule_internal.cpp:250"