# Build shadPS4 for Windows This tutorial reads as if you have none of the prerequisites already installed. If you do, just ignore the steps regarding installation. > [!WARNING] > If you are trying to compile older builds for testing, do not provide the `--depth 1` flag in `git clone`. > This flag omits the commit history from your clone, saving storage space while preventing you from testing older commits. Note: **ARM64 is not supported!** As of writing, it will not build nor run. The instructions with respect to ARM64 are for developers only. ## Option 1: Visual Studio 2022 ### (Prerequisite) Download the Community edition from [**Visual Studio 2022**](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/) Once you are within the installer: 1. Select `Desktop development with C++` 2. Go to "Individual Components" tab then search and select both `C++ Clang Compiler for Windows` and `MSBuild support for LLVM` 3. Continue the installation ### (Prerequisite) Download [**Git for Windows**](https://git-scm.com/download/win) Go through the Git for Windows installation as normal ### Cloning the source code 1. Open Git for Windows, navigate to a place where you want to store the shadPS4 source code folder 2. Clone the repository by running `git clone --depth 1 --recursive https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4` ### Compiling with Visual Studio GUI 1. Open up Visual Studio, select `Open a local folder` and select the folder with the shadPS4 source code. The folder should contain `CMakeLists.txt` 2. Change Clang x64 Debug to Clang x64 Release if you want a regular, non-debug build. 3. Change the project to build to shadps4.exe 4. Build -> Build All Your shadps4.exe will be in `C:\path\to\source\Build\x64-Clang-Release\` ## Option 2: VSCode with Visual Studio Build Tools If your default IDE is VSCode, we have a fully functional example for that as well. ### Requirements * [**Git for Windows**](https://git-scm.com/download/win) * [**LLVM 19.1.1**](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/releases/download/llvmorg-19.1.1/LLVM-19.1.1-win64.exe) * [**CMake 4.2.3 or newer**](https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v4.2.3/cmake-4.2.3-windows-x86_64.msi) * [**Ninja 1.13.2 or newer**](https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/releases/download/v1.13.2/ninja-win.zip) **The main reason we use clang19 is because that version is used in CI for formatting.** ### Installs 1. Go through the Git for Windows installation as normal 2. Download and Run LLVM Installer and `Add LLVM to the system PATH for all users` 3. Download and Run CMake Installer and `Add CMake to the system PATH for all users` 4. Download Ninja and extract it to `C:\ninja` and add it to the system PATH for all users * You can do this by going to `Search with Start Menu -> Environment Variables -> System Variables -> Path -> Edit -> New -> C:\ninja` ### Validate the installs ```bash git --version # git version 2.49.0.windows.1 cmake --version # cmake version 4.2.3 ninja --version # 1.13.2 clang --version # clang version 19.1.1 ``` ### Install Visual Studio Build Tools 1. Download [Visual Studio Build Tools](https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vs_BuildTools.exe) 2. Select `MSVC - Windows SDK` and install (you don't need to install an IDE) * Or you can install via `.vsconfig` file: ``` { "version": "1.0", "components": [ "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Roslyn.Compiler", "Microsoft.Component.MSBuild", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.CoreBuildTools", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.MSBuildTools", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows10SDK", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.CoreBuildTools", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Redist.14.Latest", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows11SDK.26100", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.TestTools.BuildTools", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.ASAN", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.TextTemplating", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentGroup.NativeDesktop.Core", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools" ], "extensions": [] } Save the file as `.vsconfig` and run the following command: %userprofile%\Downloads\vs_BuildTools.exe --passive --config ".vsconfig" Be carefull path to vs_BuildTools.exe and .vsconfig file. ``` __This will install the necessary components to build shadPS4.__ ### Project structure ``` shadps4/ ├── shared (shadps4 main files) └── shadps4.code-workspace ``` ### Content of `shadps4.code-workspace` ```json { "folders": [ { "path": "shared" } ], "settings": { "cmake.generator": "Ninja", "cmake.configureEnvironment": { "CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD": "23", "CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED": "ON", "CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS": "ON" }, "cmake.configureOnOpen": false, "C_Cpp.intelliSenseEngine": "Disabled", "clangd.arguments": [ "--background-index", "--clang-tidy", "--completion-style=detailed", "--header-insertion=never", "--compile-commands-dir=Build/x64-Clang-Release" ], "editor.formatOnSave": true, "clang-format.executable": "clang-format" }, "extensions": { "recommendations": [ "llvm-vs-code-extensions.vscode-clangd", "ms-vscode.cmake-tools", "xaver.clang-format" ] } } ``` ### Cloning the source code 1. Open your terminal and where to shadPS4 folder: `cd shadps4\shared` 3. Clone the repository by running `git clone --depth 1 --recursive https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4 .` _or fork link_ * If you have already cloned repo: ```bash git submodule update --init --recursive ``` ### Requirements VSCode extensions 1. CMake Tools 2. Clangd 3. Clang-Format _These plugins are suggested in the workspace file above and are already configured._    ### Building 1. Open VS Code, `File > Open workspace from file > shadps4.code-workspace` 2. Go to the CMake Tools extension on left side bar 3. Change Clang x64 Debug to Clang x64 Release if you want a regular, non-debug build. 4. Click build. Your shadps4.exe will be in `shadps4\shared\Build\x64-Clang-Release\` ## Option 3: MSYS2/MinGW > [!IMPORTANT] > Building with MSYS2 is broken as of right now, the only way to build on Windows is to use [Option 1: Visual Studio 2022](https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4/blob/main/documents/building-windows.md#option-1-visual-studio-2022) or [Option 2: VSCode with Visual Studio Build Tools](#option-2-vscode-with-visual-studio-build-tools). ### (Prerequisite) Download [**MSYS2**](https://www.msys2.org/) Go through the MSYS2 installation as normal If you are building to distribute, please omit `-DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-O2 -march=native"` within the build configuration step. Normal x86-based computers, follow: 1. Open "MSYS2 MINGW64" from your new applications 2. Run `pacman -Syu`, let it complete; 3. Run `pacman -S --needed git mingw-w64-x86_64-binutils mingw-w64-x86_64-clang mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-rapidjson mingw-w64-x86_64-ninja mingw-w64-x86_64-ffmpeg` 4. Run `git clone --depth 1 --recursive https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4` 5. Run `cd shadPS4` 6. Run `cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER="clang.exe" -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER="clang++.exe" -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-O2 -march=native"` 7. Run `cmake --build build` 8. To run the finished product, run `./build/shadPS4.exe` ARM64-based computers, follow: 1. Open "MSYS2 CLANGARM64" from your new applications 2. Run `pacman -Syu`, let it complete; 3. Run `pacman -S --needed git mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-binutils mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-clang mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-rapidjson mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-cmake mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-ninja mingw-w64-clang-aarch64-ffmpeg` 4. Run `git clone --depth 1 --recursive https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4` 5. Run `cd shadPS4` 6. Run `cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER="clang.exe" -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER="clang++.exe" -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="-O2 -march=native"` 7. Run `cmake --build build` 8. To run the finished product, run `./build/shadPS4.exe` ## Note on MSYS2 builds These builds may not be easily copyable to people who do not also have a MSYS2 installation. If you want to distribute these builds, you need to copy over the correct DLLs into a distribution folder. In order to run them, you must be within the MSYS2 shell environment.