The PS5 emulation scene has achieved its most significant milestone yet, with the open-source KytyPS5 emulator running Grand Theft Auto V at up to 60 frames per second on PC — albeit briefly — before crashing, demonstrating the astonishing pace of development as modders work toward getting Grand Theft Auto VI playable on the platform.
The KytyPS5 emulator, one of the most prominent projects in the PS5 emulation space alongside ShadEmu, has made rapid progress in recent weeks, according to reports from the emulation community.
A user on X (formerly Twitter) demonstrated the PS5 version of Grand Theft Auto V running at between 40 and 60 frames per second on a high-end PC equipped with a Ryzen 7 9950X3D processor and an RX 7900 XT graphics card. The footage shows the game's opening mission, though the emulator crashes when the player character reaches a shutter opening to police waiting outside.
In a separate test, another user managed to get past the starting mission and into the open world, but the game ran below 15 frames per second and crashed when a real-time cutscene between characters Franklin and Lamar ended. The cutscene itself ran at mid-40s FPS.
Beyond GTA V, KytyPS5 now supports several other PlayStation 5 titles in a playable state, including Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, Pac-Man World Re-Pac, and Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons.
The development comes just over a month after Kyty could only render 2D games and had 3D titles stuck at splash screens. The community's stated goal is to make Grand Theft Auto VI playable on PC before an official port becomes available.
While GTA V itself is not particularly demanding — even Android flagships from the past three years can emulate it at 60 FPS — running the PS5 version on PC is a far more complex task that highlights the emulator's rapid maturation.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- For PC gamers: The eventual possibility of playing GTA VI on PC without waiting years for an official port — Rockstar has historically released PC versions of GTA titles well after console launches.
- For the emulation community: This progress demonstrates that PS5 emulation is advancing at an unprecedented rate compared to prior console generations, potentially reaching playable states for major titles faster than expected.
- For Sony and Rockstar Games: A functional PS5 emulator could impact console sales and game licensing, though legal challenges have historically been limited when projects avoid distributing copyrighted code.
Background
PS5 emulation has historically lagged behind emulation for older consoles due to the complexity of the console's custom architecture and the need for reverse-engineering. KytyPS5, an open-source emulator, has emerged as the leading project in this space alongside ShadEmu. The scene's momentum has accelerated notably in mid-2026, with developers achieving milestones in rendering 3D graphics and getting games to a playable state — a process that took years for the PS3 and PS4. GTA VI, expected to launch first on consoles, is the implicit target for many in the community.
Key Perspectives
PC gamers and emulation enthusiasts: See the progress as a breakthrough, reducing the wait for GTA VI on PC and demonstrating the power of open-source reverse-engineering. The high-end hardware requirement for current tests is seen as a temporary limitation.
Rockstar Games and Sony: Neither has publicly commented on emulation efforts. Historically, console manufacturers and publishers have opposed emulation that enables piracy or circumvents sales of official ports, though they have rarely pursued legal action against emulator developers who comply with clean-room reverse-engineering.
Critics: Note that current performance requires top-tier hardware and still results in crashes within minutes. Playable GTA VI on emulation remains speculative, and official ports are likely to offer superior, stable performance years earlier than emulation can achieve.
What to Watch
- Progress toward stable open-world rendering in GTA V without crashes.
- Whether the community can extend current work to support GTA VI within the first year of its console release.
- Legal responses from Sony or Take-Two Interactive if the emulator becomes capable of running commercially significant titles reliably.