Beloved off-road racing game MotorStorm is now playable on PC, thanks to some impressive PlayStation 3 emulation. MotorStorm was one of the earliest games released for the PS3 in 2006 (2007 in North America), and blew our minds with its graphics and physics, but the series has sadly been dormant and left almost forgotten since 2012.
A new MotorStorm game may still be elusive, but the underrated original can now be played almost flawlessly on PC thanks to the RPCS3 emulation team. The PS3’s architecture has been notoriously difficult to emulate, and is the reason backward compatibility is so tricky for the PS4 and PS5, but the below trailer shows the RPCS3 emulator running the game exceptionally well. The emulated version of MotorStorm even lets you upscale the resolution and play the game on your Steam Deck.
PS3 Classic MotorStorm Is Now Fully Playable On PC & Steam Deck Via RPCS3
The seventh console generation was arguably the last one to make a significant leap over its predecessor; the technological advancement from the PS2 to the PS3 was pretty amazing, and MotorStorm was one of the first titles to show off what the new hardware was capable of. Its graphics were cutting edge at the time, and its combination of compounding grime on the vehicles and their modular nature made it surprisingly bombastic for a racing game. MotorStorm enjoyed four sequels (only two on PS3), but quickly left the limelight after 2012, seemingly forgotten by Sony.
Having the game emulated on PC is the next best thing, though. Its resolution can be upscaled (the trailer warns not to upscale it too much, or it will become too GPU-intensive), it and its first sequel, Pacific Rift, can be played on Steam Deck, and its second PS3 sequel, Apocalypse, is making progress, suffering from some “minor visuals and performance issues” when emulated with RPCS3
MotorStorm Deserves A Comeback
MotorStorm breaking containment and being emulated is great for existing fans of the series, but it still deserves a proper revival. Gran Turismo has long been PlayStation’s premier racing exclusive, but MotorStorm fills a different niche. Especially with the lackluster slate of PlayStation exclusives this year (and most of the generation thus far), having a simple, unadulterated, high-octane game like MotorStorm could really help the PS5’s library.
It’s been long enough that a MotorStorm reboot wouldn’t necessarily need to iterate all that much. Better graphics, physics, and larger races are really all it needs, and as much as I hate to admit it, such an arcade-y game is ripe for cosmetic microtransactions. Maybe when the PS6 releases, we can have a new MotorStorm to relive the PS3 glory days, but for now, we’ll have to settle for its emulated version on PC.
- Released
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March 6, 2007
- ESRB
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t
- Developer(s)
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Evolution Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Computer Entertainment
- Engine
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Havok
- Multiplayer
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Local Multiplayer