Developer Devran Cosmo Uenal managed to run several PlayStation 5 games on an Xbox Series X using PS5X, which is his Xbox port of the open-source KytyPS5 emulator.
On September 8, Uenal published a YouTube video showing him boot the PS5 version of Quake II on an Xbox Series X and play it with an Xbox controller. Since then, he has gotten three additional PS5 games to work.
However, PS5X currently functions only through the official Xbox Developer Mode, where Microsoft restricts games to a 5GB memory limit. This restriction prevents most current-generation games from running, and PS5X is not currently offered as a public download.
How PS5X Runs PS5 Games on Xbox
Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X use similar AMD hardware components.
Each console contains eight Zen 2 CPU cores, RDNA 2 graphics, and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. Furthermore, PS5 games use the same x86-64 processor architecture found in personal computers.
Because of this shared architecture, KytyPS5 executes PS5 game code directly on the host CPU rather than fully recreating the PlayStation 5 hardware through software.
The developer refers to KytyPS5 as a compatibility layer. In practice, it functions similarly to a translator by converting instructions from a PS5 game into a format the host system understands.
Normally, KytyPS5 translates PS5 graphics commands and recompiles shaders for Vulkan, which requires Vulkan 1.3-compatible graphics hardware on a PC.
In contrast, Xbox Developer Mode only supports DirectX 11 and DirectX 12.
Uenal explained that because Vulkan is absent, PS5X must translate everything into DirectX instead. He also stated that he used AI during the development process.
Consequently, any updates made to the PC renderer of KytyPS5 must be adapted before PS5X can use them.
Four PS5 Games Are Already Running
At present, PS5X successfully runs the PS5 versions of GEX Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Quake II.
All four titles support input from an Xbox controller, and some also feature working audio.
Footage recorded by Uenal led TweakTown to estimate that Quake II runs between roughly 25 and 45 frames per second.
Nevertheless, all four games are also available on other gaming platforms, and there is currently no proof that PS5X has successfully run a PlayStation 5 exclusive title.
Uenal characterizes PS5X as a research project in its early stages with restricted compatibility.
PS5 Emulation Is Also Improving on PC
Progress on the KytyPS5 emulator itself continues on PC platforms.
On September 28, Android Authority reported that the emulator now successfully enters gameplay in several PS5 titles.
Additionally, a user demonstrated Marvel's Wolverine reaching its main menu on a system featuring an NVIDIA RTX 5090, although the process was slow.
Actual gameplay was not shown in the footage, and it remained uncertain whether the test employed the standard build of KytyPS5.
PlayStation 5 emulation remains in an early phase, and PS5X cannot immediately take advantage of every enhancement because fixes must be converted for DirectX and adapted to the strict memory constraints of Xbox Developer Mode.
Xbox Developer Mode's 5GB Limit Is the Biggest Problem
Microsoft limits games running in Developer Mode to 5GB of memory, while allocating only 1GB to applications. Any requests exceeding these limits fail.
By comparison, retail games on the Xbox Series X are permitted to use 13.5GB out of the console's total 16GB, with the operating system reserving the remaining memory.
This means PS5X can access roughly 37 percent of the memory available to a standard Xbox game.
Although Microsoft permits developers to bypass this limit while using the Visual Studio debugger, that environment is meant specifically for developers testing their own applications.
Without a jailbreak or an alternative workaround for the memory restriction, large current-generation PS5 games remain out of reach for PS5X.
Microsoft Already Blocks Emulators in Retail Mode
In 2023, Microsoft blocked emulators from the standard Xbox retail mode by citing store policies that forbid products capable of emulating game systems.
Reports later indicated that the company issued 15-day suspensions to users who bypassed this restriction.
As a consequence, Xbox users wishing to run emulators such as Dolphin for GameCube software or applications for PlayStation 2 games must rely on Developer Mode.
An additional drawback is that an Xbox operating in Developer Mode cannot launch standard retail games until the console is switched back.
PS5X Is Intended for Homebrew and Legal Game Backups
Uenal defines PS5X as a research initiative designed for executing PS5 homebrew and legal game backups within Developer Mode.
He noted that the project does not include PS5 firmware or decryption keys, and the documentation for KytyPS5 instructs users to work exclusively with legally acquired game files.
Legal challenges concerning copy protection have previously forced major emulator projects to close. For instance, the creators of the Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu settled a lawsuit with Nintendo in 2024 for $2.4 million and shut down the project.
At present, the RPCS3 team identifies KytyPS5 and SharpEmu as the two active open-source PlayStation 5 emulators capable of booting games.
The team also cautions users against deceptive emulator websites.
This warning applies to PS5X as well, as scammers have exploited interest in PS5 emulation by spreading malware under similar titles, such as PCS5X, to deceive users into downloading malicious software.
For now, PS5X proves that PlayStation 5 software can execute on Xbox Series X hardware, but the 5GB memory cap in Developer Mode stops it from functioning as a practical method for playing most modern PS5 games.
