GoKawiilRPCS3 emulator devs bypass Nvidia driver bug, boost PS3 game speeds up to 37%
Developers of the open-source PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 identified a workaround for a bug in Nvidia's GPU drivers that was limiting performance. Testing on Red Dead Redemption's Blackwater boat scene showed frame rate gains of 20% on an RTX 3080 setup and 25% on an RTX 5090 setup, while Gran Turismo 5 saw up to 37% faster performance and lower VRAM usage. AMD GPUs were unaffected, suggesting the issue is specific to Nvidia's drivers.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
If this bottleneck extends beyond emulation into native PC gaming, it could point to a broader inefficiency in Nvidia's driver stack affecting millions of gamers. The find also highlights how open-source communities can uncover hardware-level issues that even large manufacturers miss, pressuring Nvidia to investigate and potentially patch the bug.
- RPCS3 developer 'Yahfz' found a workaround for an Nvidia driver bug bottlenecking emulator performance.
- Performance gains ranged from 20-25% in Red Dead Redemption tests to 37% in Gran Turismo 5, with reduced VRAM use.
- AMD GPUs are unaffected, indicating the issue is isolated to Nvidia's driver architecture.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super — If you're into emulation and PC gaming performance tweaks like the RPCS3 Nvidia bug fix, a solid RTX GPU is essential for squeezing out every frame. The RTX 4070 Super offers strong performance for demanding emulation workloads and modern games alike, making it a great match for enthusiasts chasing the kind of FPS gains discussed in this story.
See NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tomshardware.com — Mark Tyson, 2026-09-21
Published there as: “PlayStation 3 emulation devs work around an Nvidia bug for up to 37% faster performance — open-source coders reach out to Nvidia to over uncovered bug”
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