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shadps4-emu
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shadps4-emu/shadPS4

PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD written in C++

C++ ◇ cpp GPL-2.0
★33.5KSTARS
⑂2.7KFORKS
!259ISSUES
🏆#412GLOBAL RANK
🔥3DAYS TRENDING
🚀
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Momentum

+838

STARS · LAST 30 DAYS

28

PER DAY

#21

MOST-STARRED C++

Window7 days30 days90 days
Stars gained+196+838+2.5K
Per day282828
Forks gained+14+55+137

shadPS4 gained 838 stars in the last 30 days, about 28 a day, and now has 33.5K. It is about 4 years old and has averaged roughly 8.4K stars a year. It ranks #21 among C++ repositories and #412 across all languages on GitHubRepo.

Trending Record

shadPS4 has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #490. Below is the 30-day activity profile:

💡 Overview

shadPS4 is an open-source project written in C++: PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD written in C++.

Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in cpp, cpp23, emulation. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.

⚡ Key Features

1

Optimized execution pipeline written in C++ for predictable speed.

2

Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.

3

Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.

4

Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.

5

Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.

6

Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.

📥 Installation

terminal
$ git clone https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4.git
cd shadPS4

⚙ System Requirements

Platforms

  • • macOS
  • • Linux
  • • Windows

Runtime & Dependencies

C++20 compliant compiler (GCC 11+, Clang 13+, MSVC)

Architecture

x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)

🧠 How It Works

shadPS4 coordinates its core functionality through a modular C++ pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.

🎯 Production Use Cases

Modern Web Interfaces

Build dynamic, responsive user experiences with component-driven architecture.

Enterprise Design Systems

Standardize design tokens, accessible widgets, and themes across engineering teams.

Interactive Data Dashboards

Render real-time telemetry, user feeds, and analytics with sub-millisecond updates.

Cross-Platform Web Apps

Deploy performant single-page applications optimized for both mobile and desktop browsers.

🚀 Getting Started

1

Install shadPS4 using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4.git`

2

Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for shadPS4.

3

Import shadPS4 into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.

4

Execute your test suite or run `shadPS4 --help` to verify successful setup.

👍 Strengths

Active community backing with 33,442 GitHub stars and verified adoption.
Permissive open-source distribution under the GPL-2.0 license.
Built in C++ for high execution speed and developer familiarity.
Cross-platform compatibility across modern Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Clean modular design allowing flexible configuration and pipeline integration.

⚠️ Considerations

Requires familiarity with C++ and modern CLI workflows.
Ecosystem extensions may require manual configuration depending on environment constraints.
Active development roadmap means breaking API changes may occur across major versions.

⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors

T
tensorflow/tensorflow ★ 201K C++

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ggml-org/llama.cpp ★ 130.6K C++

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react/react-native ★ 126.8K C++

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E
electron/electron ★ 123.4K C++

:electron: Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS

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👥 Who Should Use This

Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.

🏆 Nearby in the Rankings

shadps4-emu/shadPS4 is currently ranked #412 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:

RankRepositoryLanguageStarsAction
#407 apache/kafka Java ★ 33.9K Compare ↗
#408 SerenityOS/serenity C++ ★ 33.9K Compare ↗
#409 FreeCAD/FreeCAD C++ ★ 33.9K Compare ↗
#410 tinygrad/tinygrad Python ★ 33.7K Compare ↗
#411 lutzroeder/netron JavaScript ★ 33.6K Compare ↗
#412 shadps4-emu/shadPS4 This Project C++ ★ 33.5K
#413 xai-org/x-algorithm Rust ★ 33.5K Compare ↗
#414 OWASP/CheatSheetSeries JavaScript ★ 33.5K Compare ↗
#415 tokio-rs/tokio Rust ★ 33.4K Compare ↗
#416 zeromicro/go-zero Go ★ 33.4K Compare ↗
#417 telegramdesktop/tdesktop C++ ★ 33.1K Compare ↗
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Frequently Asked Questions

What does shadPS4 do? +

PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD written in C++

What language is shadPS4 written in? +

The primary language is C++. Topics include: cpp, cpp23, emulation, emulator, imgui.

Is shadPS4 actively maintained? +

Yes, the last recorded push was on Oct 13, 2026 with 259 open issues being tracked.

How many stars does shadPS4 have? +

shadPS4 has 33,535 stars and 2,734 forks on GitHub.

How does shadPS4 rank among GitHub repositories? +

With 33,535 stars, shadps4-emu/shadPS4 is ranked #412 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #21 among C++ projects.

What license is shadPS4 distributed under? +

The repository reports a GPL-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.

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