Unofficial RPCS3 port runs PS3 games natively on jailbroken PS5 without Linux
A modder known as LavaVex has released RPCS3-PS5, an unofficial native port of the open-source PlayStation 3 emulator that runs on jailbroken PS5 hardware without a separate Linux installation, according to Wccftech and PlayStationInfo.de. Testing so far has been limited to a PS5 Pro, where Need for Speed Carbon is reported as fully playable while the first inFAMOUS has performance problems. Sony still offers PS3 titles on PS5 only through PlayStation Plus Premium cloud streaming.
Bottom line — Sony has announced no official PS3 emulation plan, and the port remains experimental with only a handful of tested games.
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PCsofter notes that RPCS3 under Linux, and this native port, can already drive some PS3 games to 60 FPS, suggesting hardware limits are not the main obstacle, according to the outlet's reading of the two builds.
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PCsofter and Wccftech both argue the real barrier is the engineering effort needed to polish emulation across the whole PS3 library to Sony's store quality bar.
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PlayStationInfo.de reports Digital Foundry tested RPCS3 on a standard PS5 in May 2026, with performance varying widely between titles, though that build ran inside Linux.
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PlayStationInfo.de says the port works only on jailbroken consoles and was tested on firmware 13.60, and the developer warns of likely crashes and freezes.
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The official RPCS3 team does not endorse the PS5 build, according to PCsofter and PlayStationInfo.de.
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PlayStationInfo.de states that original PS3 discs cannot be played on the PS5 and digitally bought PS3 titles usually cannot be installed locally.
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Wccftech expects Sony may address PS3 support with the PlayStation 6, whose CPU it says will have enough headroom to run PS3 games without heavy optimisation.