Key Takeaways
- Developer Devran Cosmo Uenal has managed to run several PS5 games on an Xbox Series X.
- PS5X, an Xbox port of the open-source KytyPS5 emulator, currently works through Xbox’s official Developer Mode.
- Four PS5 games are already running on Xbox Series X via PS5X: GEX Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Quake II.
Developer Devran Cosmo Uenal has successfully run several PlayStation 5 games on an Xbox Series X using a custom emulator, PS5X, which is an Xbox port of the open-source KytyPS5 emulator.
In a YouTube video published on September 8, Uenal demonstrated the PS5 version of Quake II running on the Xbox Series X, showcasing the potential for cross-platform gaming.
Uenal has since managed to get three more PS5 games working, bringing the total to four titles that can now be played on the Xbox Series X.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X share similar AMD hardware, including eight Zen 2 CPU cores, RDNA 2 graphics, and 16GB of GDDR6 memory, which allows for the direct execution of PS5 game code on the host CPU.
PS5X works as a translator, converting PS5 game instructions into something the host system can understand, with KytyPS5 normally translating PS5 graphics commands and recompiling shaders for Vulkan.
However, due to limitations in Xbox Developer Mode, which only supports DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, PS5X must translate everything to DirectX, impacting performance and functionality.
The four PS5 games currently running on Xbox Series X via PS5X are: GEX Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Quake II. All four support Xbox controller input, with some also having functioning audio.
TweakTown estimated that Quake II runs at roughly 25 to 45 frames per second in Uenal’s footage, indicating the current performance limitations.
While PS5X cannot currently run PlayStation 5 exclusives, it is described as an early-stage research project with limited compatibility, suggesting potential for future improvements.
On PC, KytyPS5 continues to make progress, with one user demonstrating Marvel’s Wolverine reaching its main menu on a system equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 5090, although the test did not show actual gameplay.
The biggest limitation of PS5X is the 5GB memory limit imposed by Xbox Developer Mode, which restricts the amount of memory available to games, making it challenging to run full-scale PS5 games.
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.
Devran Cosmo Uenal, Developer
