After work, I crash in bed, wake my tiny PC, grab a Bluetooth controller, and boot into my old favorites. This little setup is cheap, quiet, and—most importantly—powerful enough to emulate PS3 for a ton of games at native 720p with the right settings.
My pick: Beelink SER5 MAX (Ryzen 7 6800U/6800H)
- Why it works for emulation: Inside is AMD’s Zen 3+ 8-core/16-thread CPU with the Radeon 680M iGPU (RDNA 2, 12 CUs up to ~2.2–2.4 GHz). It’s one of the strongest integrated GPUs you can get in a budget mini PC, and paired with 32 GB LPDDR5, it has the grunt for demanding emulators.
- What you get for the money: Up to triple 4K@60 output (HDMI/DP/USB-C), Wi-Fi 6 + BT 5.2, fast NVMe storage, and a tidy, near-silent box that VESA-mounts to a monitor or tucks on a nightstand. (Most SER5 MAX listings show these exact specs.) Amazon
“Can it really do PS3?”
Short answer: Yes—often at native 720p, but it depends on the game. RPCS3 performance is game-by-game; plenty of titles are playable, and you’ll see great results on this APU, while some heavier games will need tweaks or won’t hit full speed. That’s normal for PS3 emulation. Check the RPCS3 compatibility list and expect variability.
What I see in practice: On 6800U/6800H handhelds and mini PCs, creators regularly showcase PS3 titles running well via RPCS3, which tracks with my experience on this box (720p base, Vulkan).
SteamOS-style setup (optional but awesome)
I run a SteamOS-style Linux so I can bounce between Steam and emulators with a living-room UI. You can do this a few ways:
- Bazzite (my favorite): Steam Deck-like experience for generic PCs; installs easily and plays great with AMD APUs like the 6800H/6800U.
- HoloISO (unofficial SteamOS 3): Also works on mini PCs; people have reported success on Beelink SER5 variants.
Legal note: RPCS3 requires Sony’s PS3 firmware and your own game dumps. See the official quickstart. RPCS3
My couch setup
- Controller: The 8BitDo SN30 Pro (Hall-effect sticks = no drift) pairs instantly over Bluetooth and works with PC/Steam Deck/Switch/Android. It’s perfect for emulation.
🛒 8BitDo SN30 Pro Bluetooth (Hall Effect) - Input from bed: A little wireless keyboard + mouse makes web browsing and quick tweaks painless.
Quick tips for smooth PS3 emulation on this box
- Renderer: Vulkan.
- Resolution: Start at 100% (720p); only scale up if you have headroom. RPCS3
- Per-game tuning: Some titles need specific fixes—always check the RPCS3 wiki page for that game. RPCS3
Why this is the “cheapest that works”
Mini PCs with the Ryzen 7 6800U/6800H + Radeon 680M hit a sweet spot: way cheaper than discrete-GPU rigs, yet powerful enough to emulate a large chunk of the PS3 library at native res with sensible settings. Just know that not every game is perfect—that’s the current reality of PS3 emulation.