Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- ARMSX3 has received several updates in the last few days, bringing support for online play, the ability to import save data, and more.
- We also get plenty of compatibility improvements, with an entire class of games now booting up.
ARMSX3 is the latest PS3 emulator on Android, following in the footsteps of aPS3e and RPCSX-UI Android. Development has proceeded at a breakneck pace, and the last few updates have brought some major additions.
ARMSX3 v0.9.3 was released on GitHub yesterday and brings support for online play in PS3 games. This uses the open-source RPCN framework for matchmaking in lieu of the PlayStation Network. The developer notes that your RPCN password is stored in plain text in a YML file, as is the case with RPCS3 on desktop. They therefore caution people not to reuse passwords from other services for their RPCN credentials. The update also lets you save and switch between servers.
Other recent ARMSX3 updates also bring some noteworthy improvements. This includes the ability to import save data within the app, access to PS3 console settings via advanced settings, and USB keyboard emulation.
Perhaps best of all, these recent updates also bring a ton of compatibility improvements. For one, the team fixed two bugs that were causing games like Borderlands 2 and Bleach: Soul Resurrección to crash before entering gameplay. Another bug fix, also affecting RPCS3 on desktop, means that a variety of games that didn’t boot before now start up. The developer also fixed the emulator stalling for “seconds at a time” during gameplay. Another notable tweak puts shader compilation on an Android device’s little CPU cores, as opposed to using big cores that would be better served for gameplay/visuals.
Either way, it’s clear that ARMSX3 continues to make significant progress. Taken together with the impressive Xendroid Xbox 360 emulator, and enthusiasts are currently spoiled for choice when it comes to cutting-edge emulators.
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