This is unprecedented: PS4 emulator ShadPS4 adds online play. It works without PSN and without a subscription

PlayStation 4 emulation has taken another big step. The team behind the ShadPS4 emulator, which once brought the cult classic Bloodborne to PCs — in higher resolution and more smoothly than on the console itself — has now announced ShadNet. This is its own server solution designed to allow players to play online without having to connect to the Sony network or pay for a subscription.

What ShadNet can do and what it can’t yet

The principle is simple and proven. ShadNet builds on the RPCN infrastructure, which has been used for years by the popular PS3 emulator called RPCS3. Instead of official Sony servers, players connect to their own community network, eliminating the need for a PSN account and an active PlayStation Plus subscription. In the future, this should open up online modes for a number of games — including the aforementioned Bloodborne with everything that comes with it.

However, before you start planning game nights, it’s important to temper your enthusiasm. ShadNet is still in the testing phase and currently only supports score tracking. Account registrations are already underway, but integration with the emulator launcher is still missing, and the team has not promised when it will arrive. The announcement came shortly after the release of version 0.16.0, the biggest update in the project’s history, which brought a new configuration system, local multiplayer, and better support for PS4 Pro console features.

The Gray Zone Called Emulation

Here comes the more interesting question that foreign media usually omit: is this even legal? The answer is “probably yes, but”. Emulation itself has a strong precedent — as early as around 2000, a US court in the case of Sony vs. Connectix ruled that creating an emulator through reverse engineering does not infringe on the manufacturer’s copyrights. The vast majority of emulators still rely on this ruling today.

The catch is in the details. A cautionary example is the Nintendo vs. Yuzu case from 2024, where the emulator’s creators paid $2.4 million and completely shut down the project. Nintendo was not bothered by emulation itself then, but by circumvention of game encryption and support for piracy. ShadNet is in a different position — it doesn’t break game protection, it “just” replaces Sony’s servers. Nevertheless, it directly impacts the Japanese company’s subscription business, and thus Sony can issue a cease and desist order at any time. The fact that Sony has not lifted a finger in the two years of ShadPS4’s existence is no guarantee of anything.

What this means for players

For the average user, a simple rule applies. Downloading and using an emulator is fine, but you must legally own the games — downloading a title you haven’t purchased is a copyright infringement regardless of what software you use to run it. This is a distinction that is easily lost in enthusiastic headlines about emulation.

In any case, ShadNet is a fascinating example of how far community development can go. Just two years ago, ShadPS4 barely made it to Bloodborne’s main menu; today, it boasts over 31,000 stars on GitHub and is heading towards full-fledged online gaming. Whether it becomes a stable solution or a target for Sony’s lawyers, only time will tell.

Are you tempted to play emulated games online, or will you stick to original consoles?

Sources: Notebookcheck, ShadPS4