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
- [Qt 6.7.3](https://www.qt.io/download-qt-installer) In case you can't download from the official installer, you can use [Another Qt installer](https://github.com/miurahr/aqtinstall) (In that case you will need to manually add the "qtmultimedia" module when installing Qt)
- [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.
To speed up the compilation time, you may want to download and extract to `<rpcs3_root>\build\lib_ext\<$(Configuration)>-x64` (e.g. `c:\rpcs3\build\lib_ext\Release-x64`; the path needs to be created) some of the following precompiled libs:
-`<$(Configuration)>` can assume values `Release` or `Debug`.
- Unoptimised/debug libs are currently not available precompiled for both **LLVM** and **glslang**. Trying to use them when building the **RPCS3** application in `Debug` mode will provide a `cannot open file` error.
- or `llvm_build_clang_cl` (if you have also the **clang** compiler installed on VS)
**NOTE:** Compiled dependency libs have priority over precompiled libs, if installed. It means that they will always be referenced and linked in case the precompiled libs are also available.
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.
