Bluepoint’s 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus never made it to PC. Sony brought plenty of its PlayStation catalog over, but Wander, Agro and sixteen very large problems stayed locked to the PS4. That’s finally changing: a fan-made Shadow of the Colossus PC port is in development, and it’s taking an unusual route to get there.
The project, developed by AjncSystem and hosted on GitHub, runs the PS4 version natively on Windows. It isn’t a full emulator. It’s a lot closer to a real port than anything we’ve seen for this game so far.
How the Shadow of the Colossus PC Port Works
The PS4 runs on an x86-64 CPU, the same architecture as your PC. That means the game’s original code can run directly on your processor instead of being translated instruction by instruction. The port acts as a loader: it provides the system functions the game expects from the PS4’s operating system and translates the console’s GPU calls to Vulkan.
If that sounds familiar, it should. The project is built on the same foundation as the community Bloodborne PC port, reusing its loader, native runtime and launcher. It also borrows the Vulkan video core from the shadPS4 emulator, plus performance work from the Pink-shadPS4 fork.
The short version: less overhead than emulation, and more room to add real PC features.
Features in the Current Build
The project is at version 0.0.9, and the feature list is already solid:
- Windows 10 and 11 support (64-bit)
- Optional 60 FPS mode, which doubles the original 30 FPS cap
- Resolution options from 720p up to 4K, with FSR 1 and RCAS upscaling from a 1080p render
- PS4 Pro graphics mode
- 16x anisotropic filtering
- Controller support for DualShock 4, DualSense and Xbox pads
- Keyboard and mouse support, including mouse camera control and key remapping in the launcher
- A game library launcher in the style of shadPS4, with automatic game detection and import of existing shadPS4 saves
- Performance improvements, including multithreaded Vulkan command recording and fewer GPU stalls
Mouse camera control is a bigger deal than it sounds. Shadow of the Colossus is a game about clinging to moving giants and fighting the camera while you do it. Precise mouse aim could make some of those fights feel very different.
Performance So Far
The developer’s own numbers come from a single test machine with an RTX 2060 SUPER. With 60 FPS mode enabled, the title-screen demo averaged around 67 FPS. The heaviest section dropped to roughly 29 to 34 FPS, so it’s not a locked 60 everywhere yet.
That’s a decent starting point for mid-range hardware from 2019, and it’s the kind of thing that usually improves as a project matures.
What You Need to Play
This is where it gets important. The port doesn’t include the game, and it never will. To use it you need:
- Your own PS4 game dump of Shadow of the Colossus (the project targets CUSA08809, EU version 1.01)
- Your own decrypted PS4 sound modules (libSceNgs2.sprx and libSceUlt.sprx) if you want audio. Without them, the game runs silently.
- A GPU with Vulkan 1.3 support and up-to-date drivers. DirectX isn’t used at all.
The 60 FPS and 16x filtering patches only work with the EU 1.01 version, so check which copy you have before you get excited. The project states it has no affiliation with Sony or Bluepoint, and its packaging scripts actively refuse to bundle Sony firmware files.
Setup is simple once you have the files: download the release, extract it, run SotC.exe, and let the launcher find your game dump, sound modules and saves.
Known Issues
It’s a work in progress, and the readme is upfront about it:
- No sound without the two system modules
- 60 FPS and 16x filtering are limited to EU 1.01
- Two of the GPU submission options are NVIDIA-only by default. AMD and Intel users can turn them on, but they’re untested. If your screen goes black, switch the option back to Automatic.
- Performance drops in heavier areas, as covered above
Why This Matters
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most influential games ever made, and the Bluepoint remake is the best way to play it. Right now that still means owning a PS4 or PS5.
Projects like this one, the Bloodborne PC port and the Forza Horizon 2 Azimuth project show a pattern forming. Because the PS4 and Xbox One share their x86-64 CPU architecture with PC, their games can be brought over with lightweight loaders and wrappers instead of heavy emulation. Each project that succeeds makes the next one easier, and the Shadow of the Colossus PC port won’t be the last PS4 exclusive to get this treatment.
Shadow of the Colossus PC Port FAQ
Is Shadow of the Colossus officially on PC?
No. The Bluepoint remake is still a PlayStation release. This is an unofficial fan project with no affiliation to Sony or Bluepoint.
Is the Shadow of the Colossus PC port an emulator?
No. It runs the PS4 game’s original x86-64 code directly on your CPU and translates graphics to Vulkan, using a loader instead of full console emulation.
Does the port include the game?
No. You need your own PS4 game dump, plus your own PS4 sound modules if you want audio.
Does it run at 60 FPS?
There’s an optional 60 FPS mode for the EU 1.01 version. It holds around 60 in lighter scenes on an RTX 2060 SUPER, but drops in the heaviest areas.
Final Thoughts
It’s early, it needs your own legally dumped copy, and it isn’t flawless yet. But 60 FPS, 4K and mouse camera support for a game that never officially left PlayStation make this Shadow of the Colossus PC port a very good start.
We’ll keep an eye on the Shadow of the Colossus PC port as it develops. If you’ve got a PS4 copy and a compatible setup, the project’s GitHub page has the latest release and changelog.
