The unofficial native Windows port of the PS4 version of Shadow of the Colossus usually fails for a small number of identifiable reasons: an incorrect CUSA08809 dump, missing Sony sound modules, a shader cache rebuilding after an update, Vulkan driver or GPU issues, or an input device being intercepted by Steam or a bad controller driver. Verify the game files first, update the port, then troubleshoot the symptom-specific setting below.
This guide covers the native port and the documented RPCS3 and PCSX2 cases that can look similar. It does not provide copyrighted game data or Sony firmware; you must supply files from your own legally obtained software.
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What the native port is and what your PC needs
This project is an unofficial native Windows conversion of the PS4 release identified as CUSA08809. Its x86-64 game code runs directly on the PC CPU, while PS4 GPU work is translated through Vulkan. That architecture is why the port depends heavily on the game build, Vulkan support and graphics-driver behavior.
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| Requirement | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Operating system | 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 |
| Graphics API | Vulkan 1.3-capable GPU and a current driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel |
| Game directory | A CUSA08809 folder containing eboot.bin, sce_module and sce_sys |
| Preferred dump | European 1.01 dump when you want the documented 60 FPS and 16x filtering modes |
| Sound modules | Your decrypted libSceNgs2.sprx and libSceUlt.sprx |
| Renderer | Vulkan; DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 are not supported by the port |
The launcher can copy the two sound modules from shadPS4’s user/sys_modules directory, or you can provide them from your own console. They are Sony firmware components and are not included in the distributed port archive.
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Check the installation before changing settings
Many apparent crashes are file-selection errors. Perform these checks in order so that later diagnostics are meaningful.
- Confirm the title and region. The launcher expects the PS4 CUSA08809 game folder, not an unrelated PS4 or PS3 release. If you have several dumps, select the one whose folder contains the expected CUSA08809 data.
- Open the selected folder. At its top level, verify that
eboot.bin, thesce_moduledirectory and thesce_sysdirectory are present. A folder one level too high or too low can make the launcher appear to start without finding a usable executable. - Use the EU 1.01 build for the documented enhanced modes. The project identifies that dump as the preferred choice for 60 FPS and 16x filtering. Other builds may not expose those options or may behave differently.
- Check Vulkan outside the game. Make sure the GPU driver is current and that the adapter you intend to use supports Vulkan 1.3. On systems with integrated and discrete graphics, set the launcher to use the Vulkan-capable adapter you actually tested.
- Keep the port current. Older builds contain crashes already fixed in later releases. Do not diagnose a historical failure until you know which port version you are running.
Fixing crashes on startup, in the menu or while loading a save
Update past known crash fixes
Two release notes are especially relevant. Version 0.0.13 fixed an intro and menu crash that occurred when the game requested more textures than the available pool could hold. Version 0.0.12 fixed memory corruption that could close the game after loading a save. If you are on an earlier build, updating is the first corrective action rather than changing texture or memory settings at random.
Allow the first shader rebuild to finish
After an update, the first launch can be slow and may stutter while shaders are rebuilt. That is expected cache work, not proof that the installation is corrupt. Give the initial load time to complete, avoid repeatedly killing the process, and launch again after the cache has been written. A later launch should not repeat the entire first-run delay unless the cache was removed or the driver changed.
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Separate a missing executable from a runtime crash
If the launcher cannot see eboot.bin, sce_module and sce_sys in the selected CUSA08809 folder, fix the path or dump before investigating Vulkan. If those items are present and the program reaches the intro or menu before closing, the failure is more likely a version, shader, memory or GPU issue.
Collect the exact log when the process still closes
When the port exits without an explanation, open user/last_run.log immediately after reproducing the problem and preserve it before another launch overwrites useful context. The project README gives this direct instruction: “The game closed by itself? Open an issue with user/last_run.log.” Include the port version, the CUSA08809 build, Windows version, GPU model, driver version and the step that triggered the close.
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Restoring missing sound
A silent game is normally a missing-module problem, not a missing redistributable package. The native port requires two decrypted Sony modules:
libSceNgs2.sprxlibSceUlt.sprx
The launcher can copy them from shadPS4’s user/sys_modules directory. Alternatively, extract the modules from your own console and point the launcher to them according to its module-copy option. Do not search the distributed ZIP for these files: the README states that they are Sony firmware and are not redistributed.
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After copying both modules, restart the game and test a scene with music and effects. If the game remains silent, check that the files are decrypted, that both names are spelled exactly as shown, and that the launcher copied them into the location it uses at runtime. Keep the original files backed up so an update does not force you to repeat the extraction.
Black screens, pink or green fog, and incorrectly colored characters
Use Vulkan and check the AMD fix level
The port supports Vulkan translation; it does not use DirectX 11 or DirectX 12. A black screen on a DirectX-forced configuration is therefore not a fixable renderer choice—return to Vulkan.
Release 0.57 documents an AMD correction for green or pink fog and for characters that appear incorrectly colored or black. The change makes AMD cards use the same 32-lane path used by NVIDIA. The maintainer also noted that the correction had not yet been tested on an AMD card, so treat it as a version-dependent improvement rather than a universal guarantee. If the artifact persists on 0.57 or newer, record the exact AMD model and driver in the issue log.
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Handle GPU work-submission options carefully
The launcher exposes GPU-work-submission controls for AMD and Intel. The README says to enable the NVIDIA-only submission options under Image and FPS when needed. Those options can help on a compatible configuration, but the same documentation warns that you should return the setting to Automatic if the display becomes black. Change one option at a time and restart so you know which setting changed the result.
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If audio continues and user/last_run.log is being written while the picture is black or tinted, treat the symptom as a graphics-path problem. If the process terminates, collect the log as a crash instead. Report the GPU, driver, port version, game build and whether the artifact appears in the intro, menu or gameplay; those details separate shader and submission problems from an invalid dump.
Performance settings that are not crash fixes
The release notes describe a full-water-reflections and direct-memory-access option. In the title demo, disabling that option raised the result from about 54 FPS to about 59 FPS—roughly a 10 percent increase—at the cost of flatter-looking distant water. The figures are a project-reported title-demo comparison, not a guaranteed frame rate for every scene or GPU.
Use this setting only after the game is stable. It is a visual-performance trade-off, not a remedy for a startup close, missing sound, controller failure or AMD color corruption. If you change it while diagnosing another issue, restore the previous value so the test remains reproducible.
Fixing controller detection and wrong button inputs in the native port
Prove that the game itself is running
The native port supports DualShock 4, DualSense and Xbox controllers, along with key remapping and mouse camera controls. First press a keyboard key in the menu or gameplay. If keyboard input works, the executable and renderer are running and the remaining problem is the controller layer. If keyboard input also fails, return to the crash and Vulkan sections instead of changing controller drivers.
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Use the port’s mapping page and one device at a time
- Open the port’s controller-mapping page and select the device type that matches the connected pad.
- Apply the displayed layout, then test movement, camera, confirm and cancel actions in a menu.
- Disconnect additional gamepads, virtual pads and remapping utilities during the test. Multiple exposed devices can cause the wrong pad to become player one.
- If the existing controller is not detected or reports incorrect buttons, test with a wired Xbox-compatible USB controller. A simple wired device is a useful diagnostic because it avoids Bluetooth pairing and extra virtual-driver layers.
Once a wired pad works, reconnect the original controller alone. If the problem returns, compare its reported layout and remap only the affected buttons rather than changing graphics settings.
RPCS3: fixing the documented Vulkan device-lost case
RPCS3 troubleshooting is separate from the native Windows port. The documented case concerns the PS3 Classics HD release and issue #7774, where Vulkan reported a device-lost failure before the main menu.
Enable High precision Z buffer
- Open RPCS3 and locate the game in the title list.
- Open the game’s custom configuration rather than changing the global profile.
- Under the graphics settings, enable High precision Z buffer.
- Save the custom configuration and boot the game again with Vulkan.
In the reported case, the contributor diagnosed a GPU-detection workaround and the reporter confirmed that enabling this option allowed the game to boot smoothly. This is historical emulator evidence, not a promise for every current RPCS3 build or GPU.
Use another renderer as a diagnostic
If Vulkan still fails, test another available renderer to isolate the backend. The original reporter said OpenGL worked without crashes at that time. A successful OpenGL boot points toward Vulkan, driver or device-selection behavior; it does not prove that OpenGL is the best long-term renderer. Record the RPCS3 build, GPU, driver and renderer used because emulator behavior changes over time.
PCSX2 controller conflicts on Windows
PCSX2 has two documented Windows-side conflicts that can look like a game or emulator crash. They are independent of the native port’s controller mapping.
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Steam Input sending unintended keyboard commands
Steam’s built-in controller support can send keyboard input to Windows when its desktop layout or emulator hotkeys are active. If menus move by themselves or random commands appear, try one of these controlled tests:
- Exit Steam completely before launching PCSX2.
- Disable Steam controller support for the session.
- Change the Steam desktop layout and remove bindings that target emulator hotkeys.
Retest with only the intended controller connected. If the unwanted keystrokes stop, re-enable features one at a time and keep the layout that does not inject keyboard commands.
Remove the EZFRD64.dll-related driver
PCSX2 documents a different failure involving many third-party controllers and adapters that use a buggy driver commonly known as EZFRD64.dll. The driver can corrupt memory and crash the emulator whenever the controller is plugged in.
- Close PCSX2 completely and unplug the affected controller or adapter.
- Remove
C:WindowsUSB_Vibrationas documented by PCSX2, or uninstall the related driver through Windows Control Panel. - Reboot Windows so the driver is no longer loaded.
- Launch PCSX2 with a known-good controller and test before reconnecting the suspect device.
If the emulator is stable until that controller is inserted, the driver conflict is a stronger explanation than a game image or graphics setting.
Native port or emulator? Use the symptom and the layer
| Situation | Native Windows port | RPCS3 or PCSX2 |
|---|---|---|
| Required game data | CUSA08809 folder with eboot.bin, sce_module and sce_sys; own Sony sound modules for audio |
Emulator-specific game image and configuration |
| Graphics backend | Vulkan translation; DirectX 11/12 unsupported | Backend behavior varies by emulator and build |
| Known graphics workaround | Version 0.57 AMD 32-lane correction; submission controls may need Automatic | RPCS3 issue #7774: enable High precision Z buffer for the documented Vulkan case |
| Controller layer | Built-in DualShock 4, DualSense and Xbox support, remapping and mouse camera | Steam Input injection and third-party driver conflicts can affect the emulator before game mapping |
| Best diagnostic evidence | user/last_run.log, port version, GPU and driver |
Emulator build, renderer, GPU, driver and custom configuration |
Do not apply an emulator workaround to the native port or assume that a native-port log explains an RPCS3 or PCSX2 failure. The executable, renderer and input layers are different.
What to include when a problem remains
Reproduce the failure once with unnecessary overlays and extra controllers disconnected, then preserve the relevant log. For the native port, include:
- Port version, including whether you are on 0.57 or later
- Windows 10 or 11 build and 64-bit status
- GPU model, driver version and whether the system has multiple GPUs
- Exact CUSA08809 dump and region, including whether it is EU 1.01
- The visible symptom and the exact point at which it occurs
user/last_run.logimmediately after the close
For RPCS3 or PCSX2, add the emulator build, renderer, custom game settings and controller or driver model. There is no published universal compatibility matrix or crash-free guarantee, so retaining exact versions and logs is the fastest way to turn a repeatable failure into an actionable report.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsQuick Recap
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