RPCS3 - RetroBIOS¶
| Type | standalone |
| Source | https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3 |
| Version | 0.0.35 |
| Profiled | 2026-03-18 |
| Cores | rpcs3 |
| Systems | sony-playstation-3 |
No BIOS or firmware files required. This core is self-contained.
RPCS3 requires the official PS3 firmware (PS3UPDAT.PUP) from Sony. The PUP file is a signed update package containing multiple TAR archives prefixed with "dev_flash_". During installation, RPCS3 extracts these TARs into the dev_flash/ directory structure.
The most critical component is dev_flash/sys/external/liblv2.sprx - without it, no PS3 game can boot. RPCS3 checks for its presence and shows a firmware install prompt if missing.
Most sys/external modules can run in either LLE (real firmware code) or HLE (RPCS3 reimplementation) mode. By default, liblv2.sprx loads libsysmodule.sprx which chains all other modules. Users can toggle individual modules between LLE/HLE.
The dev_flash/ structure mirrors the real PS3 NAND layout: - sys/external/ : Loadable firmware PRX modules - sys/internal/ : Internal system modules - vsh/ : Visual Shell (XMB interface) - data/font/ : System TTF fonts (16+ files) - data/cert/ : SSL certificates - ps1emu/ : PS1 backward compat emulator - ps2emu/ : PS2 backward compat emulator (fat models only) - pspemu/ : PSP emulator - bdplayer/ : Blu-ray disc player
Firmware versions follow the X.XX format (e.g. 4.90). RPCS3 reads the version from dev_flash/vsh/etc/version.txt at startup.
Generated on 2026-03-20T19:12:20Z