The dream of some PS3 fans might become reality: playing PlayStation 3 games on an Android smartphone! For a few weeks now, a new emulator called aPS3e has been available on the Google Play Store. Developed by someone named aenu, this project is based on a mix of code from RPCS3 (the PS3 emulator on PC), Vita3K, and Termux.

After a chaotic launch in February — with the GitHub repo being pulled and a questionable donation request — aenu seems to want to restore their reputation. The source code is now online, although it comes without an official license, which still raises legal questions.

aPS3e only runs on arm64 smartphones with a Vulkan-compatible GPU, and requires at least Android 7. But to expect smooth PS3 gameplay, a high-end device (such as a Galaxy S23, Pixel 8, or RedMagic) is essential.

The emulator supports games in ISO or PKG format, and requires installing the official PS3 firmware. A Bluetooth controller is highly recommended, although touch emulation is also offered.

The good surprise is that some games run surprisingly well: Terraria, Rayman Origins, and Limbo provide a smooth experience. But don’t celebrate too quickly: compatibility remains very limited, and many games crash or refuse to launch. The emulator is actively being developed, and bugs are common.

aPS3e is offered for free with ads on the Play Store, and an ad-free version is available for $5. The developer states they are not seeking profit, which is a good sign after the launch controversies.

If you’re curious, equipped with a powerful smartphone, and aware that this is a very experimental version, you can give it a try. PS3 emulation remains a huge challenge, especially on mobile, but this project shows progress for PS3 emulation, which is still very young. For the more cautious, it might be better to wait a few more months... or turn to RPCS3 on PC.

Let’s recall that a few months ago, PS3 emulation came back into the spotlight due to a request from a studio working on SONY ports — we covered this here.

🔔 From the Recalbox side, we remind you that we do not offer PlayStation 3 emulation.

Images: Google Play Store