Developer Devran Cosmo Uenal has managed to run several PlayStation 5 games on an Xbox Series X using PS5X, his Xbox port of the open-source KytyPS5 emulator.
In a YouTube video published on September 8, Uenal booted the PS5 version of Quake II on an Xbox Series X and played it using an Xbox controller. He has since managed to get three more PS5 games working.
However, PS5X currently only works through the Xbox’s official Developer Mode, where Microsoft limits games to just 5GB of memory. That restriction rules out most current-generation games, and PS5X is not currently available as a public download.
How PS5X Runs PS5 Games on Xbox
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X use similar AMD hardware.
Both consoles feature eight Zen 2 CPU cores, RDNA 2 graphics and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. PS5 games also use the same x86-64 processor architecture found in PCs.
Because of this, KytyPS5 can run PS5 game code directly on the host CPU instead of fully recreating the PS5’s hardware through software.
Its developer describes KytyPS5 as a compatibility layer. In practice, it works more like a translator, converting instructions from a PS5 game into something the host system can understand.
KytyPS5 normally translates PS5 graphics commands and recompiles shaders for Vulkan, requiring Vulkan 1.3-compatible graphics hardware on PC.
Xbox Developer Mode, however, only supports DirectX 11 and DirectX 12.
Uenal explained that because Vulkan is unavailable, PS5X must translate everything to DirectX instead. He also acknowledged using AI during development.
This means improvements made to KytyPS5’s PC renderer must be adapted before PS5X can use them.
Four PS5 Games Are Already Running
PS5X currently runs the PS5 versions of:
GEX Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Quake II.
All four support Xbox controller input, while some also have functioning audio.
TweakTown estimated that Quake II runs at roughly 25 to 45 frames per second in Uenal’s footage.
However, all four games are also available on other platforms. There is currently no evidence of PS5X successfully running a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Uenal also describes PS5X as an early-stage research project with limited compatibility.
PS5 Emulation Is Also Improving on PC
KytyPS5 itself continues to make progress on PC.
Android Authority reported on September 28 that the emulator can now enter gameplay in several PS5 titles.
One user also demonstrated Marvel’s Wolverine reaching its main menu, although slowly, on a system equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 5090.
The footage did not show actual gameplay, and it was unclear whether the test used the standard KytyPS5 build.
PS5 emulation remains at an early stage, and PS5X cannot immediately benefit from every improvement because fixes must first be converted for DirectX and made to work within Xbox Developer Mode’s limited memory.
Xbox Developer Mode’s 5GB Limit Is the Biggest Problem
Microsoft limits games running in Developer Mode to 5GB of memory, while apps receive just 1GB. Requests exceeding those allocations fail.
By comparison, retail Xbox Series X games can use 13.5GB of the console’s 16GB, with the remaining memory reserved for the operating system.
That means PS5X can access only about 37% of the memory available to a normal Xbox game.
Microsoft allows developers to exceed the restriction when using the Visual Studio debugger, but that setup is intended for developers testing their own software.
Without a jailbreak or another way around the memory restriction, large current-generation PS5 games are effectively out of reach for PS5X.
Microsoft Already Blocks Emulators in Retail Mode
Microsoft blocked emulators from Xbox’s normal retail mode in 2023, citing a store policy that prohibits products that emulate game systems.
The company later reportedly issued 15-day suspensions to users who found ways around the restriction.
As a result, Xbox users who want to run emulators such as Dolphin for GameCube titles or software for PS2 games generally have to use Developer Mode.
There is another inconvenience: an Xbox running in Developer Mode cannot launch normal retail games until the console is switched back.
PS5X Is Intended for Homebrew and Legal Game Backups
Uenal describes PS5X as a research project intended for running PS5 homebrew and game backups in Developer Mode.
He says the project does not contain PS5 firmware or decryption keys, while KytyPS5’s documentation advises users to work only with game files they obtained legally.
Legal issues around copy protection have previously caused major emulator projects to shut down. The developers of Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, for example, settled Nintendo’s lawsuit in 2024 for $2.4 million and ended the project.
The RPCS3 team currently lists KytyPS5 and SharpEmu as the two active open-source PS5 emulators capable of booting games.
It also warns users about fake emulator websites.
That caution also applies to PS5X. Scammers have reportedly taken advantage of interest in PS5 emulation by distributing malware under similar names, including PCS5X, in an attempt to trick users into downloading malicious software.
For now, PS5X demonstrates that PS5 software can run on Xbox Series X hardware, but the 5GB Developer Mode memory limit prevents it from becoming a practical way to run most modern PS5 games.
The post You Can Run PS5 Games on Xbox Series X This Way appeared first on ProPakistani.