DuckStation
The PS1, with the wobbling polygons fixed and the timing left alone.
What it does
DuckStation emulates the original PlayStation with unusual care about the parts that produce its look: the console had no sub-pixel precision, so geometry visibly jitters, and no perspective-correct texture mapping, so textures warp. DuckStation can emulate both faithfully or correct both, per game.
Around that: upscaling to any internal resolution, PGXP for stable geometry, texture replacement, rewind, save states, achievements and per-game settings from a compatibility database.
Notes
- Needs a PS1 BIOS image from a console you own. None ships with it.
- No Homebrew cask. The macOS build is a universal
.zipon the project’s releases page, and it self-updates afterwards. - Emulation is lawful; the BIOS and the discs are yours to dump.
Alternative to
| Alternative | Type | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| PCSX2 | Open source | The PlayStation 2 instead |
| RetroArch | Open source | Runs Beetle PSX or SwanStation, with shaders and run-ahead |
| OpenEmu | Open source | Mednafen’s PS1 core inside a native library |
| A PlayStation Classic or a real PS1 | Paid | Original hardware, original 240p |
Install
Download the macOS build from the project’s releases — there is no cask:
duckstation.org · releases on GitHub
# unquarantine after extracting, as with any unsigned download
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/DuckStation.app