You Can Play MGS3 on PC Right Now (March 2023) 

If you try to emulate something with poor performance you can often come back in a year or 2 and it's excellent. Hats off to the work of these great communities.

These faceless and nameless people that make these emulators are truly heroes. And theyre free?! Insane

Hello, The 3DS version had support for the Circle Pad Pro, in fact a patched rom was available to trick the game into think the Circle pad pro is connected, so you could map and use the right stick normally. Unnecessary to say, it gets MUCH BETTER that way.

Played it on RPCS3 a year ago and it was a lot of fun. Though it was extremely laggy during the last hour or so.

Xenia's my personally-preferred way to play on PC since you don't need to worry about the pressure-sensitive buttons. It is pretty resource-intensive though especially if you want to increase the resolution. You'll want to make sure to keep vsync on and keep the game at a resolution your system can handle to mitigate the audio latency issues.

I played the game on pcsx2 about 6 years ago. It was absolutely fine with some rare minor graphical glitches and rare framedrops here and there. Considering I had a PC back then, the right technical term for which is a potato, I think it's the best option for people with older configs or playing on devices like steam deck

Something worth noting is for audio desync on Xenia, some have mentioned that changing the max_queued_frames to 8 under [APU] in the config fixed their audio problems, I tested this myself and it happened only once to me after that. Someone else has mentioned that capping your FPS at 60 in your GPU driver also works, haven't tested it myself but with both solutions combined this might solve the issue entirely.

In Citra you can push a key to switch between screen layout, you can have the game full screen and just switch when you need to

Im a 42yo Construction worker and i can say proudly that mgs3 has a place in my Heart! :D

Having played this game on every console (and 100%ed on at least one of them), I can say with confidence that a 60 fps patch for the 3DS version would be the superior way to play the game. I can't remember how I did it back in the day, but you can set up the controls to read the circle pad pro from the new 3DS in Citra. That completely fixed the second analog issue. You can play it with MGS4 style controls, aiming while walking, crouching, and switching camera angles like Gears of War, hell you can play the whole thing in first person mode if you want to. Oh yeah, and the modding community surely will have made new textures by now if that's something you want. But there's still some work to be done before the game is 100% stable. I look forward to that day.

Great video :) For anyone wanting to play on PCSX2 with a non-pressure sensitive controller, go to: > Controller Settings > (your controller port) > Bindings = (i use an xbox1 controller so it is all preset settings) > Macros = in the [Binds/Buttons] section check the "Cricle" and "Apply Pressure" options, in the [Pressure section] i use 100% and on [Trigger section] map it to the "Circle" button I only tested in early game and so far no accidental deaths and it is also working on menus/ CQC. Let me know if this works for you.

Thank you very much for your videos, discovered your channel today and I really enjoyed your MGS/SH videos. Helped me a lot !

Very useful video, congrats. It'll be great a new version with the pachinko graphics.

Truly a man of culture, that final comparison really helped!

The last graphics comparison was definitely the most important part of the video 😊

I used to play a demo of this game on my ps2 when I was 8 😂 I still feeling the same thing that I felt when I watched this introduction, I played that demo a lot of times and never knew what happens after a certain part of the beginning of the game, but I remember that the game was really good

Thank you for making this video. It is extremely helpful to me in finding the best option. Please keep the videos coming

Holy shit this upload blows my mind, I've been on a marathon and just tinkering with emulators a month ago to find the best MGS3 experience. I enjoy Citra the most cause it feels almost like a remake, bonus points if you have an extra monitor for the second screen. My girlfriend loved Snake Eater the most so far. My ideal setup for each game: 1: The Twin Snakes on Dolphin, widescreen patch, HD texture pack, PS1 music patch 2: PC version with V's fix and Substance of Subsistence mod (adds 3rd person cam) 3: Citra with 60fps patch, HD texture pack (update the game version or patch won't work, also you need to GRAB A SAVE with CIRCLE PAD PRO ENABLED!!! so you can use analog stick properly!) 4: RCPS3 (remember to update the game version too) V: PC, stuff the OSTs of the entire saga in the Walkman folder.

Man, this video is gold, I just started MGS saga and this helps a lot

The 3DS version has had a host of great patches to make it one of the best versions playable on Citra. There's an HD texture pack, control fix and 60fps hack which makes the game run really amazingly well.

you should consider making this a series for other classic games, I think it'd be pretty well received.

I finish this game for more than 10 times in the ps2 console. Very sure 100% the game unless I miss something. Truly a masterpiece of a game

its funny how 2 months after this video knami unveils the remake

Peacewalker plays perfectly for me I just downloaded and set rpcs3 the other day for guns of the patriots and figured I'd give PW a shot and it plays beautifully, gonna get a rom for snake eater as well but I replayed it pretty recently

Very cool video. Keep them coming!

Whoa I was just thinking about this the other day thinking to myself "Hmm what was that video I watched that showed the best way to play MGS3 on PC" and here you are with another video on it haha! I don't have a PS3 controller and I don't have a GPU so I'm gonna stick with the PS2 version. Especially since the file size is WAY smaller to keep the game around compared to the HD remaster.

I think that citra would be an awesome option for portable emulation on the new wave of portable PC based devices like the steam deck, as the new lighting system is higher contrast that makes things somewhat more readable on a smaller screen or in poor lighting conditions and the lower res textures are less noticeable on the smaller screen as well, but that all assumes that you can get the emulators running on one of those devices

Nice video, subscribed. Clear information no gimmicks.

I'd recommend Xenia Canary for the optimal performance on X360 emulation. The drawbacks which it really pushes your CPU to the limit for the best experience. If you don't have sufficient cooling or playing on the laptop, you might get overheat easily.

Played the HD Collection on the Steam Deck recently (RPCS3), runs fine apart from slowdown when things get hectic, as well as the final Boss fight.

great video! super informative!!! thank you for making this!

Love videos like this, awesome content.

Damn, back? Big dub.

I've been playing all the PS exclusive on my SteamDeck. Absolutely glorious.

Great Video! I'd love to see you cover mgs2 again

Thank you Ocelot, you're pretty good

Thanks man for this awesome tips and seeing your video i think the game still have beautiful graphics , i just love the brown wash tone 😁

Despite the technical issues and 3DS limitations, MGS3D was my preferred way of playing the game. MGS4 style controls and the touchscreen for changing camouflage suits were a step obove over the original, as long as you use the circle pad pro or the second stick of the New N3DS (the circle pad was more comfortable though). I'd like the remake was based in this version.

Glad to see your videos get the views they deserve

I would love to see a MGS4 updated RPCS3 settings vid. Love the content

Glad to see you’re back

Nice video! I'll probably just be playing via backwards compatibility on Series X because my PCs are old. It's nice to see how this runs on affordable hardware.

Awesome work!

Thanks for this, these types of videos showing a "best way to play" a game with a bunch of different methods are incredibly useful

AWESOME job dude, nice vid.

Citra does have cheats that allow 60 fps on MGS3D, and you can get analog aim if you set up Citra to emulate the circle pad pro. But you also have to download a save file that has the Circle pad pro already enabled, as citra crashes when the game tries to enable it. Played the whole game on Citra, was a pretty good experience, aside from a few crashes during the last cut scenes. The save states in Citra allowed me to just quickly reload if there was a crash. Played it on my steam deck, was fun and I think one of the best ways to play the game. Aside from the shittier graphics, the aiming and crouch walking make up for it.

Been rocking the Rpcs3 emulator with a 13900k and 4090 and it makes those older games look soooo good with the scaling. Emulation has come a long way.

Great video! I wasn't even aware there was a Nintendo 3DS version of MGS3

well, I'm happy to be the first to say in this comments, that konami is finally going to release a port of mgs3, besides a remake :D (I'm crying).

Good video. The 3DS ver had second stick support though

Great video, yeah definitely revisiting this one on PCsX2, just download it and I'll be playing Silent Hill: The Room for the first time too.

Great video. Really informative.

Hey I friggin love what ur doing keep it up! I bet u'll be huge in no time!

The broken rain effect present in both Xenia and RPCS3 is not a result of an emulation error but the HD Port itself, I Compared the two on real hardware using the PS2 and PS3 to confirm.

This makes me glad I have all the OG stuff. I like messing with some stuff but mgs just feels good on the og hardware

All you have to do is bind pressure sensitive buttons to triggers and you can use any controller.

Thanks! Looks like RPCS3 is getting better.

There are texture packs and cheat codes that do work on vita. Also that game was compatible with the circle pad pro, so you should be able to use the right pad

For the RPCS3 button sensitivity issue, if you go into the emulator control settings you can actually map a button that softens your next inputs while holding the key. You can also set it to toggle to make it more of a switch.

Love your job! Thanks

Ngl I laughed pretty hard seeing ocelot just standing in the background staring at you after he supposedly "left" 😂

Marvelous breakdown!

Did a playthrough a little over a year ago on RPCS3. It was my first completed Extreme playthrough. Went very smooth the whole way through up until the motorcycle chases after the Volgin fight which would crash, but you could at least save from room to room if it didn't crash.

Downloading now, thanks!

In citra you can enable the circle pad pro in-game, and then you can map the right stick to that

Just completed the game about 20 minutes ago PS2 emulator. Loved it aside from the camera which seriously hindered my enjoyment of the game at some points. No crashes, only audio bugs was during the bigger actions scenes containing the Shagohad and escape scene after the last fight. Other than that. No issues

Amazing work!

3ds version was the one which I completed and oh God the 3d effects on real new 3ds console was outstanding! + cstick helps a lot with control

HD collection was great. I didnt even know there was a 3DS port and a vita port!

Played it on RPCS3 recently for the first time and it was great the whole way through

Will you be doing an updated mgs4 guide in the future? Over the past 2 weeks ive been playing the mgs games for the first time and mgs4 is the only one ive had huge problems with. I keep getting bad audio during gameplay if i even make it in and im starting to think i should just watch a video on what happens and skip it. A shame really but ive been getting really frustrated and its probably going to ruin my experience with the game which i dont want.

Thank you, with this video I now know about some great emulators.

Great video! Cheers!

I play the game on my android phone using touch controls. I use the Aether sx2 emulator app to emulate the ps2 version. I sometimes play with a bluetooth connected ps5 controller.

great work

Audio lag can be fixed in Xenia. In its cfg file "max_buffered_frames" is 64 by default, change it to something like 8.

this is very cool especially since I lost my mgr cd collection for the ps2 years ago was wondering where you got the game files from

You can set citra to display one or the other screen with a button

I cant wait to see this fight scene with ocelot in MGS3 Delta...man thats going to be INSANE.

Good video but this update has some errors and misconceptions mostly centered around MGS3D. 7:34 Check that they are entered correctly and enable cheats to use the frame rate code. It might be dependant on if it's a US or EU copy. 7:43 You can enable dual analog via the circle pad pro pad in the options, that said Citra has a bug where it can crash if you enable it. 🫤 (One solution is dumping/using a save/copy that already has it enabled) General heads up but make sure MGS3D is patched to 1.1 as well. General trivia that will sound absurd/stupid but MGS3D is believed to run off a fork of MGS4's engine, it's map files can even be loaded into MGS4 and it's animation format is the same too. MGS3D has Peacewalker styled hit markers (that can also be toggled off) and without the circle pad pro it defaults to a control scheme/bindings similar to Peacewalker. In addition to over the shoulder and unlike PW you can still switch to first person, swap shoulders, crawl (you can even crawl sideways) etc. 1:51 Annnd unrelated "fun" fact, water for the Sorrow cutscene and the cutscene where Snake and Eva first reach the WIG are broken in the HDC. The only way to have the effect display correctly in those versions is to swap to letterbox mode (21:9) for some reason. During that cutscene with Ocelot at 1:50 it's also fixed by being cropped zoomed in more during letterbox mode.😮

Regarding Citra Metal Gear Solid 3 D has support for an accessory called the circle pad pro, which mitigates the problem of not having a second analog stick Enabling that option in the game (if there's a way to make it work on Citra) should fix that issue so you don't have to remap any buttons.

I was wondering if you had tried Vita3K and sure enough you did. Never played through this series but did do my own testing a while back with Superbeat Xonic as a reference. Vita3K ran the game but audio was scratchy compared to running the same game in Yuzu

Still gets me everytime once I realized Pearl from spongebob was the same voice actress for The Boss.

Wich of these 2 ports have the best frame rate the mgs3 subsistence on ps2 or the mgs3 hd on the ps vita ?

I can’t lie I really enjoy the 3DS version on a new Nintendo 3DS and it’s the version I’d want to emulate in the future. Once the emulator and mod communities fix the game to be more pc friendly I love the little gameplay changes and the new textures (I haven’t seen those textures on a high resolution screen so my mind might change when I do) It’s not as fundamentally flawed as it seems because the new 3D there is c-stick support (second analog stick) and it feels like it run at about 30 on that hardware because I remember it being significantly slower on my brothers og 3ds. And I very clearly remember Being able to map c stick in citra last time I used it allowing for 2nd stick support

The audio lag in Xenia can be fixed; max_queued_frames = 3 saludos!

Use nightly build of PCSX2 and you'll see a way better performance!

Will you do another vid on mgs4 since that vid is very outdated.

Hi ocelot, great video thanks for the info, im on an amd apu, with no graphics card, but im also a huge fan of metal gear solid, played almost all games on consoles and handheld, can i get atleast 60fps on xenia at 720p?

Does this go over the pressure sensitive controls?

thank you for this effort !

Welcome back. I noticed you havent posted in a while so i was wondering if u were ok lol

You're pretty good! And thank you for the video, maybe someday we will get a remake on fox engine

Great effort

I've been emulating the original PS2 version on PCSX2. Definitely gotta check some of the other methods out and compare!

3ds does have two analog sticks with the circle pad pro which mgs3 does support

you prety good... show the details of diferant ways of that... nice work! you essy hend wan wi talk abalt nature performacy of MGS 3 on PC... are you excite for the finaly and oficial port for PC ?? and the remake the loled delta? i will play the all .. thanks for the help Ocelot

Nice video. Just a bit about PCSX2/RPCS3 pressure sensitivity buttons on MGS2\MGS3, you only need it for [] and 0 buttons and you can easyli map them to triggers. For me PS3/RPCS version runs the best. I recently wanted to play whole series in chronological order even tough I own original hardware I wanted to play them on emulator on higher resolution.

does your rpcs3 ver have stable frame rates during the bike chase and boss fight dual ??

Thx for the great video, very informative. Have you finished the game on RCP3? The wiki states that some sections like the final boss fight have huge slowdowns that make them borderline unplayable.