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ShadPS4 is an expoerimental Sony Playstation 4 Emulator.

Website: https://shadps4.net/

FAQ: https://shadps4.net/index.php/faq/

GitHub: https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4

Compatibility List: https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadps4-game-compatibility

shadps4 Wiki: https://wiki.shadps4.net/index.php?title=Main_Page

shadps4 Table of Contents

  1. Getting Started with shadps4

Getting Started with shadps4

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In order to play a game on shadps4, you need to the games through the shadps4 UI. In desktop mode, open shadps4, either in the application menu or through its shortcut in Emulation/tools/launchers/shadps4.sh. In shadps4, click File, click Install Packages(PKG) and select your game, this will install it to Emulation/storage/shadps4/games

Read the Configuration section to learn more about shadps4 and its folder locations.

To launch your ROMs in game mode, use Steam ROM Manager and use one of the following parsers to play your Playstation 4 ROMs:

shadps4 Configuration

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  • Type of Emulator: AppImage
  • Config Location: /home/deck/Applications/shadps4-qt.AppImage
  • Storage Location: Emulation/storage/shadps4/games
  • DLC Location: Emulation/storage/shadps4/dlc
  • ROM Location: Emulation/roms/ps4

  • Saves:

    • Folder: Emulation/saves/shadps4/saves

  • Your game will not show in the shadps4 UI until you add it manually through the Install Packages(PKG) option under File in the top left.

Works With

  • Steam ROM Manager
  • ES-DE
  • Pegasus

shadps4 Folder Locations

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These file locations apply regardless of where you chose to install EmuDeck (to your internal SSD, to your SD Card, or elsewhere). Some emulator configuration files will be located on the internal SSD as listed below.

The Basics

$HOME or ~ refer to your home directory. On a Steam Deck, the full path will be /home/deck. When navigating using the file manager, the file manager may not display the username visually in the full file path.

Emulation/.. refers to either your home/deck directory or SD Card/removable media depending on your installation location.

Directories with a . in front of their name, like /home/deck/.steam, are hidden by default. In Dolphin (a file manager), click the hamburger menu in the top right and toggle on Show Hidden Files. The setting may vary depending on which file manager you are using.

~/.config/shadps4

~/.local/share/shadps4

Emulation/storage/shadps4

shadps4/
└── games
└── dlc

How to Update shadps4

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  • Through the Update your Emulators section on the Manage Emulators page in the EmuDeck application
  • Through binupdate.sh in Emulation/tools/binupdate, double click to launch

How to Launch shadps4 in Desktop Mode

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  • Launch ShadPS4 AppImage from the Applications Launcher (Steam Deck icon in the bottom left of the taskbar)
  • Launch the script from Emulation/tools/launchers, shadps4.sh
  • Launch the emulator from Steam after adding it via the Emulators parser in Steam ROM Manager

shadps4 File Formats

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PKG and RAP File Format

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Install .pkg files directly through the shadps4 GUI. .pkg files are installed to Emulation/storage/shadps4/games/.

After that right click on the installed game and select "Create Desktop", copy the new .desktop file you'll find in your Desktop to Emulation/roms/ps4/shortcuts/

Steam ROM Manager Parsers

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  • PKG Format: Use the Sony PlayStation 4 - ShadPS4 (Shortcut) parser

How to Configure shadps4 to Work With ES-DE and Pegasus

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AppImage

  1. In Desktop Mode, open shadps4
  2. Skip this step if you have already added your games to shadps4:
    • Either:
      • In the top left click, File, click Install Packages (PKG), and install your PKG
      • For more information, read the File Formats section
  3. Right click your game, click Create Shortcut, click Create Desktop Shortcut
  4. On your desktop, you should see an icon for your game. Move this icon to Emulation/roms/ps4/shortcuts
    • If your desktop shortcut contains special icons any special symbols (Ex: the copyright symbol, ©), rename the desktop file to remove these symbols.
      • For example, rename God Of War® Collection.desktop to God Of War Collection.desktop, removing the © after War
  5. (Optional) If the desktop file is opening shadps4 instead of the game:
    • In Desktop Mode, right click the desktop file
    • Click Properties
    • On the General tab, click Change to the right of the Open With line
    • Under Application Preference Order, click shadps4
    • Click Remove on the right
    • Click Apply in the bottom left and click OK
    • The desktop file will not work in Desktop Mode, but will launch the game directly either through a terminal or through ES-DE
  6. Your game should now show up in and launch directly from ES-DE and Pegasus

If you get an Invalid file or folder error message, you will need to change the Alternative Emulator in ES-DE for PlayStation 4 to shadps4 Shortcut [Standalone].

You may also do this on a per-game basis if you are using a mix of folders and PKGs. On a game, press the select button, scroll down and select EDIT THIS GAME'S METADATA, scroll down and select ALTERNATIVE EMULATOR, select PS4 and select the corresponding format.

Refer to https://gitlab.com/es-de/emulationstation-de/-/blob/master/USERGUIDE.md#sony-playstation-4, for additional information.