AnyPS5 Troubleshooting: Find the First Failing Stage

When AnyPS5 is not working, start with the first stage that fails: reading the input, converting it, loading libraries or running the game. That tells you whether to inspect the files, the command, the runtime folder or the game's current blockers.

Use this AnyPS5 troubleshooting guide with your first useful error beside you. The checks follow the v0.1.2 usage instructions; a game-specific branch may have additional instructions.

The relinker cannot read the input

Check that the executable is a clean ELF, rather than an encrypted package or SELF/fSELF container. A filename such as eboot.bin does not tell you whether the contents are ready. Use files you have the rights and permissions to work with.

Then check the bundled modules:

source/
    input.elf
    sce_module/
        bundled-module.prx

The standard names are sce_module/, sce_modules/ and prx/. prx/ may coexist with either of the other two; having both sce_module/ and sce_modules/, or none of the three, is an error. Only files directly inside the directories are processed.

If you pass --sce-module-path, point it at the parent of the module directory. For another location such as a game's plugin folder, check whether its report uses --module-dir. The AnyPS5 setup guide shows the input and output layouts together.

Windows refuses to launch the output

The output format defaults to Linux ELF, even if you name the file app.exe. Reconvert with --windows:

.\relinker-v0.1.2.exe --windows source\input.elf app.exe

For an illegal-instruction crash on an Intel host, check whether conversion used --to-intel. It handles supported AMD-specific instructions in the input and modules, but not instructions generated at runtime. Keep the fault details if it still stops; the AnyPS5 requirements page explains this route.

Windows reports error 193 or 126

The v0.1.2 Windows archive supplies libgcc_s_seh-1.dll, libstdc++-6.dll and libwinpthread-1.dll. Keep all three in libs/. If you built the libraries yourself, use the DLLs from that same MinGW toolchain's mingw64/bin, rather than mixing compiler runtimes.

Direct memory mapping fails

On Windows, errors such as replace guest placeholder with resident direct memory can indicate a commit shortage. Direct memory is committed when the title maps it, with up to 13,824 MiB available to a title. Task Manager's Committed limit must cover it and the rest of the system. Close other applications or adjust the pagefile according to the actual shortage.

On Linux, [gpu] open /dev/udmabuf: Permission denied points to a different check. For drivers using dma-buf import, follow the usage guide's device permissions and size-limit instructions. The log can also show BDA access failed when the affected memory path cannot work as expected.

A window opens, but the game is black or frozen

Check the last log messages and compare the same game/build in AnyPS5 games. A title may stop at loading or have an unresolved graphics path even when its files are arranged correctly.

If the log shows the wrong graphics device, read the Physical device candidate names and select a substring of the intended device. For example, when a printed usable device contains NVIDIA:

$env:ANYPS5_GPU="NVIDIA"
.\app.exe

The runtime already prefers a discrete Vulkan GPU. Changing the selection is useful when you need another adapter; a black window alone does not identify a selection problem. A value matching no usable device makes startup fail.

If the log stops at an unimplemented call or a shader/driver error, search the game's original discussion for that failure. Record any workaround's branch or pull request before trying it. The AnyPS5 GitHub guide helps locate those sources.

Menus have no text

For games opening console system font sets, check for anyps5-fonts/ beside the executable, or set ANYPS5_SYSTEM_FONTS to its location. The usage guide lists console font filenames and supported Noto substitutes, including the Latin and CJK sets. Missing system fonts can make opening a font set fail; copying ordinary game assets into app0/ does not supply them.

Controls do not respond

Check whether SDL recognizes the controller and whether another recognized pad is taking the first-controller slot. Try the built-in keyboard controls to separate a controller-mapping issue from a game that has stopped responding.

For custom bindings, inspect anyps5-input.ini beside the executable, or the file named by ANYPS5_INPUT_CONFIG. An invalid line stops input initialization and prints its filename and line number. Compare it with the input mapping instructions. Touchpad clicks and finger touch coordinates are different features: the latter are not implemented in that document.

Capture a log before changing the build

On Windows PowerShell:

.\app.exe *>&1 | Tee-Object -FilePath .\launch-log.txt

On Linux:

./app.elf 2>&1 | tee launch-log.txt

A Windows GUI launch without usable stdout/stderr handles can instead write anyps5.log beside the executable, provided the folder is writable. It replaces the previous log, so copy it before another attempt.

Use the report builder on this page to collect the game version, build, hardware, launch route and first error. Review logs for personal paths and game data before sharing them. For community context, see AnyPS5 Reddit; for a different conversion route, see AnyPS5 web converter.