The latest update to the ShadPS4 emulator has delivered a significant milestone for Bloodborne, allowing the game to run at resolutions and frame rates far beyond its original limits. With version 12.0.6, Bloodborne now reaches performance levels on PC that meaningfully exceed the PlayStation 5’s backward compatibility mode, giving players a more fluid and visually enhanced experience. While the PS5 remains locked to its inherited 1080p and 30 FPS configuration, the emulated version demonstrates how the game can scale well with modern hardware.
According to a new comparison, the performance leap is most apparent at commonly used resolutions. On mid-range GPUs such as the 4060 Ti or similar hardware, users can achieve between 80 and 100 FPS at 1080p. Comparable results are reported at 1440p when using GPUs such as the 5070, which maintains the same range while pushing a higher pixel count. This marks a considerable improvement over the original version’s limitations and makes the game noticeably smoother during its fast-paced combat sequences.
The performance picture changes as resolution increases beyond 1440p, where Bloodborne begins to place heavier demands on the system. Even so, it is now possible to run the game at native 4K using a 5090, reaching over 60 FPS. This demonstrates that the emulator can scale to very high-end configurations, although there remains room for further optimization. The development team has also implemented several visual adjustments, including modified SSAO for vegetation, improved LOD for certain assets, refined depth of field, and the removal of the original game’s strong chromatic aberration effect.
Despite these improvements, the emulator still carries some limitations. Due to constraints within the game’s rendering engine, running the title above 100 FPS is not recommended at this stage. Performance is further distinguished by noticeably shorter load times, which are nearly twice as fast even when using conventional HDDs. This stands in contrast to the PlayStation 5, where Bloodborne still operates in PS4 compatibility mode and therefore retains its original loading behavior.
Bloodborne itself remains a well-regarded action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware, set in the Gothic-Victorian city of Yharnam. It is known for a plague transforming inhabitants into beasts, aggressive combat mechanics, and its shift toward a more offensive playstyle within the broader Souls-like formula. Players assume the role of a Hunter seeking a path through the city’s mysteries, confronting both its monstrous inhabitants and the deeper cosmic horror beneath. Originally released on March 24, 2015, as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, the title continues to hold a place among the studio’s most celebrated works.
