Sony may never support PS3 games again, but at least the platform's best emulator is getting massive improvements on PC handhelds like Steam Deck

Rumors regarding a PS6 handheld abound, but there's one thing I figure is pretty much set in stone: you won't be playing PS3 games on it. Sony cut off backwards compatibility with that notorious hardware the instant the PS4 launched, and it seems unlikely that the PS6 will change that – much less a companion handheld. But you can still enjoy PS3 games on the go, especially now that RPCS3 has gotten a massive update making the handheld experience much better.

"For the past few weeks," the folks behind RPCS3 explain in a new video, "our developers have been working on improving the user experience by reworking the overlay!" That includes a redesigned settings menu, which will let you make more tweaks than before without restarting the game. All manner of performance and rendering options, including frame rate limits and resolution scaling, can now be tweaked through the in-game overlay.

That should all help make tweaking your settings and finding an ideal performance balance a whole lot simpler and easier. RPCS3 has developed dramatically over the past few years, but it can still take some work to get games running the way you want them, especially on lower-powered handheld devices. Anything to make that process easier is a tremendous benefit.

RPCS3: Improving the Handheld Experience - YouTube

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"As handhelds become better and more accessible RPCS3 also becomes more authentic and seamless," the devs explain, and it's great to hear that improving the experience on the best gaming handhelds is such a focus. I still keep my actual PS3 ready for action, but knowing that I've got the option of loading the classics up on my Steam Deck and taking them on the go? That's wonderful.

Getting something like RPCS3 up and running certainly isn't as easy and seamless as official backwards compatibility would be, but… well, there's no official way to play PS3 games anyway. It's one of the most notable holes in official access to older games, and for now it's still up to unofficial devs to fill in that gap.

Check out all the best PS3 games you might want to pack onto your handheld.