Sony shocked the gaming community this month by announcing the closure of the digital stores for the PS3 and Vita platforms, a move that will completely end access to many exclusive digital games, including Infamous: Festival of Blood, House of the Dead 4, and Ratchet: Deadlocked HD.
This decision marks a painful blow to efforts to preserve gaming history and documentation, and fans' fears for future generations grow even more dire with Sony also announcing its intention to completely cease production of physical game discs starting in 2028 and beyond. However, fortunately, this is where “emulators” come into play to save what can be saved!
According to RespawnFirst, the team behind the popular PS3 emulator RPCS3 confirmed that 75% of the platform's game library is now fully playable on PC, meaning these games can be completed from start to finish without any fatal programming errors.
To grasp the magnitude of this achievement: the 75% figure translates to successfully emulating 2,681 games out of a total of 3,559 titles! The team hasn't stopped there, also delivering good news to players by confirming the emulator will run “in the near future” without needing to install the original PS3 operating system (Firmware).
The list of 75% playable games includes exclusive digital titles that were doomed to be lost and turn into “abandonware”, such as Ratchet: Deadlocked HD and House of the Dead 4. Meanwhile, other games continue to see ongoing improvements, like Infamous: Festival of Blood, which is currently categorized under the “ingame” label.
Currently, there are 826 games carrying this label, meaning they are playable but cannot be fully completed, suffer from sharp graphical glitches, or performance issues.
75.33% fully playable games without issues (Playable).
22.93% games that work but with some technical problems (Ingame).
1.69% games that only reach the start screens and menus (Intro).
0.06% games that show only a black screen with a frame counter (Loadable) – most of which are demos and trial versions.
This amazing technical achievement ensures that even if Sony abandons the old PS3 store, the legacy of this platform will not fade into obscurity.
With this technical victory, the RPCS3 team is keen to clarify its ethical stance; firmly stating: “We do not endorse piracy in any form.” The team strictly prohibits the sharing or discussion of illegal links to download games within its communities, explaining:
“Purchasing original and legal copies of games – either through the PlayStation Store or by acquiring physical discs – and running them via the RPCS3 emulator is the best and safest way to get a clean and ideal gaming experience.”
But reality dictates itself; abandoned games are technically under the umbrella of piracy, yet there is a vast sea of deleted PC games available for free download online without any interference from publishers to stop them. You can download a copy of Battlefield 1942 or even Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions today without fear, and these games are freely circulated and discussed on social media without any consequences.
It’s a definite “gray area”; although it constitutes an infringement of intellectual property rights legally, the original rights holders are no longer making a dime from these games after they stopped selling them, making it rare for publishers to pursue defenders of “lost digital history.”
I have loved video games since the days of the family console, particularly adventure games like Tomb Raider and Assassins Creed (before they turned to RPGs); I have no favoritism towards any home console – for me, the best is the one that offers the most exceptional games. What matters to me are the experiences with compelling narratives; the story is the essence of enjoyment beyond gameplay.
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