Side by side
DuckStation vs Vita3K
Both stand on playstation emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+2
DuckStation offers a broad set of graphics, controller, and play options for PS1 emulation at no cost. Prospective users should check its platform requirements and be prepared to provide their own BIOS image and games.
Visit DuckStation Free plan Open source AndroidLinuxMac+1
Vita3K offers an experimental, cross-platform way to emulate PlayStation Vita, with compatibility that varies by game. Check the listed format and system requirements, and use only games you have dumped yourself.
Visit Vita3KThe facts
| DuckStation | Vita3K | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | Android, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | duckstation.org | vita3k.org |
| On playstation emulators | #3 of 25 | #1 of 25 |
DuckStation: what it does well
- Free to use.
- Supports several hardware rendering APIs.
- Includes save states, rewind, and runahead.
- Supports up to eight devices through multitap.
- Works with multiple listed game file formats.
What to know first
- BIOS image and games are not provided.
- Android app support is not provided.
- Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 are unsupported.
- macOS 13.3 or newer is required.
Vita3K: what it does well
- Free and open-source.
- Builds listed for four platforms.
- Keyboard and mouse work out of the box.
- Ad-Hoc multiplayer works for some commercial games.
What to know first
- Not every game is supported or plays flawlessly.
- Vitamin dumps are unsupported; Maidump is unstable.
- Some games require PS Vita system modules.
- PC minimum includes at least 4 GB RAM.
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