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Emulator DuckStation

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digdat0 edited this page Jul 23, 2026 · 1 revision

Systems: Sony PlayStation (psx) · Runs as: homebrew NRO · Get it: stenzek/duckstation · see the note below on the RetroArch route

Best effort: this guide is community-maintained and may lag behind new releases. The emulator's own project (linked above) is the authoritative source — if anything here doesn't match what you see, trust their instructions.

DuckStation is a high-accuracy PlayStation 1 emulator. A standalone Switch build gives you enhancements (upscaling, texture filtering, widescreen) that the console handles well, since PS1 is comfortably within the Switch's reach.

Which PS1 route to use. Two paths exist on Switch and both are good:

  • Standalone DuckStation — the nicer UI and enhancement options, but Switch builds are community nightlies and can lag behind upstream. Grab the current one from the Homebrew App Store or the project's releases.
  • RetroArch's PCSX-ReARMed core — the most reliable, no-fuss option on Switch. If you already run RetroArch, you may not need a second app for PS1 at all. Its Beetle PSX / SwanStation cores are the accuracy-focused alternatives.

If you just want games running, PCSX-ReARMed in RetroArch is the path of least resistance. Use standalone DuckStation when you want the extra visual polish.

BIOS files

PlayStation emulation needs a console BIOS — this is not optional. Provide the region you play:

File Region
scph5501.bin (or scph7502.bin) US / EU
scph1001.bin US (older)
scph5500.bin JP

In standalone DuckStation, set the BIOS folder under Settings › BIOS (default is a bios/ folder next to the app). In RetroArch, BIOS go in sd:/retroarch/cores/system/. Full list on the BIOS Files page.

Point it at your HaulNX library

  1. Download PS1 games with HaulNX — they land in sd:/roms/psx/.
  2. In DuckStation: Settings › Game List › add /roms/psx as a search directory, then rescan.
  3. In RetroArch: Load Content → /roms/psx, or add it as a Manual Scan directory.

File formats

  • PS1 games are disc images: .cue+.bin, .chd, or .pbp. .chd is strongly recommended — one compressed file per disc, and it plays nicely with multi-disc games.
  • Multi-disc titles (Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, etc.) should use an .m3u playlist so in-game disc swaps work without reloading. See Disc Images & Multi-Disc Games.
  • If HaulNX delivered a game as a .zip wrapping a .cue/.bin, extract it — emulators load the disc image, not the archive.

Tips

  • Memory cards are created by the emulator (not on the disc); DuckStation keeps them under its own folder — back them up before pruning the library.
  • Upscaling and widescreen are the main reasons to run standalone; both cost performance, so dial them back if a game stutters.

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