AstraPS5

PC gaming. Beyond the platform.

Important

EXPERIMENTAL TEST PROJECT. AstraPS5 is early research software. It does not boot from the PS5 home screen, support multiplayer, or offer a downloadable PS5 app. Native and Flatpak Linux game launching is available on a regular Linux development PC only, not validated on PS5 hardware. The graphical menu included here is a desktop-Linux prototype, not a PS5 application.

AstraPS5 is an independent open-source Xeno Tech project researching a direct-boot gaming experience for PC games on compatible PlayStation 5 hardware. The long-term idea is to open AstraPS5 from a PS5 app/tile on supported homebrew-capable consoles, then boot into a purpose-built gaming environment without manually using a Linux desktop.

For now, the repository is a small, connected C++17 project with real system diagnostics, a deliberately bare-minimum graphical menu, a discoverable Flatpak/Steam library, Proton-installation discovery, and a Linux game launcher supporting native executables and Flatpak games.

What is included

Component	Status
astra doctor / astra doctor --json	Implemented: read-only host diagnostics
astra menu	Implemented: minimal native graphical menu, with an installed Flatpak + Steam game list (Flatpak launch only)
astra boot verify <manifest>	Implemented: SHA-256 image integrity preflight; does not boot a console
astra game check/run <profile>	Implemented: check/launch Linux-native and Flatpak profiles on a development PC, capturing per-session logs
astra games list [--json]	Implemented: discover installed Flatpak games using exported desktop metadata
astra games run <app_id>	Implemented: launch a detected Flatpak game by ID
astra steam list [--json]	New: read-only installed Steam entry and Proton build discovery
Diagnostics page inside menu	Implemented: displays the same diagnostics as the CLI
PS5 home-screen app / bootloader	Not implemented
Linux PC game launching	Implemented for native executables and installed Flatpak apps; PC Linux only
Windows games through Wine/Proton	Not implemented; Proton directories can now be detected only
Steam game launching	Not implemented; Steam entries appear in the library as discovery-only
PS5 hardware validation or online multiplayer	Not verified / not implemented

Minimal UI

The home menu stays minimal: Games, Diagnostics, and Exit. Games now displays two types of locally discovered entries: Flatpak applications categorized as Game (including SuperTuxKart if installed), and installed Steam entries read from local Steam manifests. Flatpak titles can be launched without freezing the menu; logs and exit codes are captured. Steam entries are discovery-only; they cannot launch through Astra yet. The Games header also shows how many Proton installations were detected. Press R to refresh. There are no fake game cards or simulated PS5 connections. Diagnostics uses existing Astra Core code and now includes the Steam discovery summary.

Screenshot from a desktop-Linux UI test with simulated Steam and Flatpak installations; not from a PS5.

The X11 UI runs on desktop Linux or an XWayland session. It is an early testing surface for a later controller-first Astra Shell; controller support is not implemented yet. The Flatpak Games entries require exported .desktop metadata with a Game category; Steam entries are read from installed local manifests. See Flatpak game discovery and Steam/Proton discovery.

Build and run on Linux

Requirements: CMake 3.16+, C++17 compiler, OpenSSL development headers for SHA-256, and X11 development headers for the GUI.

On Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install build-essential cmake libx11-dev libssl-dev

On Arch/CachyOS:

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel cmake libx11 openssl

Then from the AstraPS5 repository root:

cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build -j
ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

./build/astra menu

Inside the menu, use Up / Down, Enter, Escape, or the mouse. The system information is collected on the machine that runs the program; running it on a PC is not proof of PS5 compatibility.

The command-line tools remain available (see boot manifest instructions for a real image):

./build/astra doctor
./build/astra games list
./build/astra games list --json
./build/astra steam list              # Steam installs and Proton builds (read-only)
./build/astra steam list --json
./build/astra games run net.supertuxkart.SuperTuxKart  # when installed
./build/astra doctor --json
./build/astra version
./build/astra game check examples/supertuxkart.game.example  # for native Linux package
./build/astra game check examples/supertuxkart-flatpak.game.example  # for the Flatpak
./build/astra game run examples/supertuxkart-flatpak.game.example
./build/astra boot verify examples/astraps5.boot.example  # fails until a real image/hash is provided
./build/astra help

Without the X11 development headers, the CLI still builds; astra menu prints a dependency message instead of opening a window. X11/XWayland is needed at runtime for this prototype. Linux and graphics requirements for a future PS5 system are separate.

Source layout

AstraPS5/
├── .github/workflows/ci.yml   Build and test on Linux
├── CMakeLists.txt              Single CMake project
├── include/astraps5/          C++ public headers
├── src/
│   ├── game.cpp               Native/Flatpak profiles, logs and process launch
│   ├── library.cpp            Read-only installed Flatpak game discovery
│   ├── steam.cpp              Steam manifests / Proton build discovery
│   ├── main.cpp               Astra CLI entry point
│   ├── boot.cpp               Read-only image integrity preflight
│   ├── diagnostics.cpp        Actual Linux diagnostics
│   ├── menu_state.cpp         UI navigation logic
│   ├── menu_x11.cpp           Minimal native Linux window
│   └── menu_stub.cpp          Fallback when X11 is absent
├── tests/                      Diagnostics, runtime and menu unit tests
├── examples/                   Boot manifest + native/Flatpak game examples
└── docs/                       Research and plans

Long-term direction

PS5 home screen on supported homebrew-capable firmware
      ↓
Astra Entry / Astra Boot              (not implemented)
      ↓
Astra gaming Linux image              (not implemented)
      ↓
Astra Shell / PC game runtime         (minimal shell prototype only)
      ↓
PC game servers where officially supported

The entry app, boot handoff, bootable image format, GPU drivers, game runtime, and multiplayer have substantial unanswered engineering constraints. There is no guaranteed method for installing AstraPS5 as a normal app on a stock retail PS5.

For game testing, read Linux game launcher, Flatpak game discovery, Steam and Proton discovery and the test compatibility record.

For the actual research plans, read Architecture, Boot concept, Boot manifest v1, Roadmap, and First hardware test.

License and independence

AstraPS5 original source code is licensed under Apache-2.0. See NOTICE. It does not ship PlayStation firmware, console security keys, games, or proprietary Sony software. Third-party software retains its own license.

AstraPS5 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Valve, or Microsoft. PlayStation and PS5 are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Xeno Tech · AstraPS5 v0.2.5-dev · Experimental Test Project