The following tools are required to build RPCS3 on Windows 10 or later:
- [Visual Studio 2022](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/thank-you-downloading-visual-studio/?sku=Community) (or at least Visual Studio 2019 16.11.xx+ as C++20 is not included in previous versions)
- **Optional** - [CMake 3.28.0+](https://www.cmake.org/download/) (add to PATH)
- **Visual Studio 2022** integrates **CMake 3.29+** and it also supports both the `sln` solution (`.sln`, `.vcxproj`) and `CMake` solution (`CMakeLists.txt`, `CMakePresets.json`).
See sections [Building with Visual Studio sln solution](#building-with-visual-studio-sln-solution) and [Building with Visual Studio CMake solution](#building-with-visual-studio-cmake-solution)
on how to build the project with **Visual Studio**.
- Install and use this standalone **CMake** tool just in case of your preference. See section [Building with standalone CMake tool](#building-with-standalone-cmake-tool) on how to build the project
- [Vulkan SDK 1.3.268.0](https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home) (see "Install the SDK" [here](https://vulkan.lunarg.com/doc/sdk/latest/windows/getting_started.html)) for now future SDKs don't work. You need precisely 1.3.268.0.
The `sln` solution available only on **Visual Studio** is the preferred building solution. It easily allows to build the **RPCS3** application in `Release` and `Debug` mode.
In order to build **RPCS3** with the `sln` solution (with **Visual Studio**), **Qt** libs need to be detected. To detect the libs:
- add and set the `QTDIR` environment variable, e.g. `<QtInstallFolder>\6.7.3\msvc2019_64\`
- or use the [Visual Studio Qt Plugin](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=TheQtCompany.QtVisualStudioTools2019)
**NOTE:** If you have issues with the **Visual Studio Qt Plugin**, you may want to uninstall it and install the [Legacy Qt Plugin](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=TheQtCompany.LEGACYQtVisualStudioTools2019) instead.
In order to build **RPCS3** with the `CMake` solution (with both **Visual Studio** and standalone **CMake** tool):
- add and set the `CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH` environment variable to the **Qt** libs path, e.g. `<QtInstallFolder>\6.7.3\msvc2019_64\`
- [Vulkan SDK 1.3.268.0](https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home) (See "Install the SDK" [here](https://vulkan.lunarg.com/doc/sdk/latest/linux/getting_started.html)) for now future SDKs don't work. You need precisely 1.3.268.0.
- [SDL2](https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/releases) (for the FAudio backend)
You can either use `update-alternatives` to setup `gcc-13`/`g++-13` as your default compilers or prefix any `cmake` command by `CXX=g++-13 CC=gcc-13 ` to use it.
For Ubuntu systems, it is strongly recommended to use the PPA from [LunarG](https://packages.lunarg.com/) which will provide a compatible Vulkan SDK to compile RPCS3. If your Vulkan SDK is older, it can lead to compilation errors.
Start **Visual Studio**, click on `Open a project or solution` and select the `rpcs3.sln` file inside the RPCS3's root folder
##### Configuring the Qt Plugin (if used)
1) go to `Extensions->Qt VS Tools->Qt Versions`
2) add the path to your Qt installation with compiler e.g. `<QtInstallFolder>\6.7.3\msvc2019_64`, version will fill in automatically
3) go to `Extensions->Qt VS Tools->Options->Legacy Project Format`. (Only available in the **Legacy Qt Plugin**)
4) set `Build: Run pre-build setup` to `true`. (Only available in the **Legacy Qt Plugin**)
##### Building the projects
**NOTE:** The recommended build configuration is `Release`. (On older revisions: `Release - LLVM`)
You may want to download the precompiled [LLVM libs](https://github.com/RPCS3/llvm-mirror/releases/download/custom-build-win-16.0.1/llvmlibs_mt.7z) and extract them to `3rdparty\llvm\`,
as well as download and extract the [additional libs](https://github.com/RPCS3/glslang/releases/latest/download/glslanglibs_mt.7z) to `lib\%CONFIGURATION%-x64\` to speed up compilation
time (unoptimised/debug libs are currently not available precompiled).
If you're not using the precompiled libs, those dependency libs need to be compiled first. From the `Solution Explorer` panel:
1) expand `__BUILD_BEFORE`
2) from the `Solution Configurations` drop-down menu, select `Release` (select `Debug` if you want to build in `Debug` mode)
3) one after another, right-click on the following projects and then click on `Build` to build the selected lib:
-`glslang`
- either `llvm_build`
- or `llvm_build_clang_cl` (if you installed **clang** on VS)
In order to build the **RPCS3** application:
1) from the `Solution Configurations` drop-down menu, select `Release` (select `Debug` if you want to build in `Debug` mode)
**NOTE:** In case you previously compiled the dependency libs under `__BUILD_BEFORE`, you have also to select the same build configuration (e.g. `Release`, if you compiled the dependency libs in `Release` mode)
In case you preferred to install and use the standalone **CMake** tool:
1) move on the RPCS3's root folder
2) execute the following commands to create the cache and to build the application (for the build, use `--preset msvc-debug` if you want to build in `Debug` mode), respectively:
If compiling for ARM, pass the flag `-DUSE_NATIVE_INSTRUCTIONS=OFF` to the cmake command. This resolves some Neon errors when compiling our SIMD headers.
