FAQ

Short answers to questions people often ask about PC5, with links to the pages that explain more.

General

Does PC5 come with games? No. PC5 contains no games and downloads none. You install the games you own, from a USB drive.

Which games run? Whether a game runs is only known by trying it. PC5 makes no promise about any game. Games that need Steam, Epic, EA or Ubisoft's launcher running, online DRM or anti-cheat don't run. See What runs and what doesn't.

Is there a list of games that work? Yes: the Game compatibility list. A game that runs comes from a player's report in Discussions: to add one, open the report form, fill it in and post it, and the game appears in the list within a minute or two. A game that doesn't run comes from its issue: being looked at while it is open, then working perfectly once it is closed as completed, unresolved (it doesn't run) once it is closed as not planned, or needing testing when its reporter didn't answer for two days.

Does PC5 need internet? No. PC5 itself only goes online to find covers and to check for a newer version. Without internet, games get a cover made from their icon, or your own picture.

Do I need a Steam, GOG or other account? No. Covers come from public sources with no account and no key, and PC5 doesn't run any store's launcher.

How many games can PC5 hold? Up to 128, as long as the console has the space.

What does PPSA11018 mean? It is PC5's title ID: the name of the app's folder and of the release's zip file.

Installing

Can I install from the console's own storage or the network? From USB drives formatted as exFAT, and from PC5's INSTALL folder, which you can fill over FTP or with the file manager. See The INSTALL folder.

Do I need to keep the USB drive plugged in to play? Not for an installed game: PC5 copies each game to the console, and the USB drive is only read while installing. A game you chose to play from USB needs its drive plugged in.

Can I install a game's installer (setup.exe)? No. Install the game on a PC first, then copy the installed folder to the USB drive.

PC5 picked the wrong .exe. What now? Choose the game, press △ and use Manage › Change program. See Choosing the right program.

What happens if the console switches off during an install? The unfinished copy is deleted the next time PC5 starts. Install the game again.

Playing

How do I leave a game? Hold the touchpad and Options together for two seconds. See Leaving a game.

Can I use a keyboard and mouse? Yes. A USB keyboard and mouse work in every controller mode. For games without controller support, set the game's controller to Keyboard & mouse and map the buttons to keys. See Controllers.

Can more than one player play? Yes, up to four, in a game with local multiplayer: each player turns on their own controller and signs in with it on the console, as another user or a guest. See More than one player.

Can I make a game run at 60 fps? For a game that keeps 30 fps, turn on △ › Graphics › Frame generation. It shows the game at 60 fps with frames made in between. See Frame generation.

Do .NET games run? Since 1.5.0, yes: .NET Framework games and tools (XNA through FNA, MonoGame, WinForms) run with Wine Mono, the open-source stand-in for Microsoft's .NET that Wine itself uses. The first time a .NET game starts, PC5 sets it up once for every game. Programs that mix .NET and C++ (C++/CLI) don't run, and some WPF doesn't. See .NET games.

How do I type into a game? Click the touchpad with two fingers: the PS5's on-screen keyboard opens over the game, and what you type is typed into the game when you choose Done. See Typing in a game.

Can I make a 4:3 game fill the screen? Yes: △ › Graphics › Aspect ratio › Stretch. The picture gets wider than it was drawn. See Aspect ratio.

My game has its own launcher. Does it work? Since 1.6.0, usually: when the launcher starts the game, PC5 closes the launcher and starts the game in its place. A launcher that needs a store's client (Steam, Epic, EA, Ubisoft) still doesn't work. See What runs and what doesn't.

Can a game run at 1440p or 4K? Yes, a game drawn with Direct3D, Vulkan or OpenGL: △ › Graphics › Resolution. 1080p is the default. 4K is four times the work of 1080p, so a game that is already slow gets slower. See Resolution.

A game shows empty boxes instead of Japanese, Chinese or Korean text. Update PC5. Since 1.5.0, games find Windows' Chinese, Japanese and Korean fonts (Droid Sans Fallback stands in for them), and Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New (Liberation). A game that draws text with its own font isn't changed.

A game says the PC doesn't meet its minimum specs, or has too little memory. Update PC5. Before 1.4.0, games were told the console had about half a gigabyte of memory. From 1.4.0 they're told it has 16 GB, and how much of it is free.

Which language do games use? The PS5's. Each game's Windows language is the console's, so a game that follows the Windows language follows the console.

Can I start a game straight from the home screen? Yes, with a home screen tile. It needs ShadowMountPlus and elfldr.

Saves and updates

Where are my saves? In the game's own Windows folder, /data/prospero-win/prefixes/<game>/. See Files and folders.

Does uninstalling a game delete its saves? You choose. Keep saves deletes the game and keeps its saves and settings for when you install it again; Delete all deletes everything, with no backup and no undo. See Uninstalling a game.

How do I update a game to a newer version? Put the newer copy's folder on the USB drive, then choose the game, press △ and choose Manage › Update. Its saves, settings and options stay. See Updating a game.

Do I lose my games when I update PC5? No. Games, saves and settings are in /data/prospero-win, not in the app's folder. Replace the app's folder and everything stays. See Updating PC5.

Do I need to reinstall games after updating PC5? No. When a new version brings something games need, each game gets it the next time it starts.

How do I know a new version is out? With Settings › System › Check when PC5 opens on (the default), PC5 asks GitHub each time it opens and offers to update when a newer version is out.

Problems

A game crashed. What should I do? Update to the newest PC5 and try again. If it still crashes, report it on GitHub with the log PC5 kept.

Where do I report a problem? As an issue on GitHub, https://github.com/bornaradusin/PC5/issues, with the game's log attached. Not in ProsperoStore comments. See Reporting a problem.