The developers of RPCS3, the popular PlayStation 3 emulator, have updated their recommended GPU requirements for Windows users. The change comes as a result of AMD and Nvidia ending driver support for several of their older graphics cards.
From now on, RPCS3 officially recommends using a Radeon RX 5000 series or GeForce RTX 20 series GPU—or newer—to ensure full compatibility and stability on Windows systems.
Why the Change Doesn’t Affect Performance
We have updated our recommended GPU requirements to reflect the end of driver support from AMD and NVIDIA for old GPUs
AMD: Polaris (RX 400) -> RDNA (RX 5000)
NVIDIA: Maxwell (GTX 900) -> Turing (RTX 2000)We also clarified that Intel GPUs are not recommended and unsupported pic.twitter.com/ZWedr2KZ1P
— RPCS3 (@rpcs3) October 27, 2025
The new GPU recommendations are not tied to performance. RPCS3’s performance still depends far more on CPU power than graphics hardware. What prompted the update is simply driver support.
RPCS3 requires a graphics card that supports Vulkan 1.2 and has active driver updates from its manufacturer. Without updated drivers, users risk stability issues, visual glitches, or crashes.
Because CPU performance remains the biggest bottleneck for PS3 emulation, the RPCS3 team maintains a detailed “CPU Tier List” to help players choose processors capable of running the most demanding titles.
Why Linux Users Are in Better Shape
Interestingly, the stricter GPU recommendations only apply to Windows. On Linux, RPCS3 still supports much older hardware. That’s because open-source GPU drivers continue to receive updates for legacy AMD and Nvidia architectures.
Thanks to these community-driven drivers, GPUs as old as the Radeon HD 5000 and GeForce GTX 400 series can still handle PS3 emulation under Linux—something that’s no longer viable on Windows.
What About Intel GPUs?
The RPCS3 team has made it clear that Intel GPUs aren’t recommended for either Windows or Linux. The exact reason hasn’t been specified, but it could stem from driver instability, limited Vulkan support, or incomplete testing on Intel hardware.
For now, the safest bet for anyone interested in PS3 emulation remains a modern Radeon or GeForce GPU paired with a strong CPU.
