What "native" means here
The word "native" needs a footnote. The port runs the game's original x86-64 executable directly on the PC's processor, since the PS4 uses the same architecture. A custom runtime replaces the PS4 system libraries, so there is no CPU emulation.
The graphics side is a different story. Graphics are not fully native. The port uses the video core from the shadPS4 emulator to translate PS4 GPU commands and shaders into Vulkan. DSOGaming's summary is that this resembles what has been seen in most PS4 games ported to PC so far.
The lineage matters too. The work builds on earlier native ports of Bloodborne and God of War III Remastered, and an unofficial Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection port has also appeared. The main project's repository says it started as a copy of the God of War III Remastered port and is being adapted to Ready at Dawn's engine. Both games come from Sony's first-party world, so shared tooling is plausible. That is my inference, not a claim from the developers.
There is more than one project
Notebookcheck notes that several independent developers are working on it. The project repositories show at least two separate efforts, and they are not interchangeable:
- mateussmeneses/theorder1886-port. Its tested dump is CUSA00035 version 01.02. It has a launcher and numbered Windows releases.
- JulioCacko/The-Order-1886_pc. The current target is CUSA00076 on Windows, with an experimental Linux x86-64 package.
Performance and compatibility numbers belong to specific builds, so treat them that way. A result from one project says nothing reliable about the other.
Requirements
Players must supply a dump of their own copy of the game, because no game files are included. The project targets 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and needs a CPU with AVX and a GPU with Vulkan 1.3.
The main repository adds some detail:
- It lists Windows 10 version 1903 or newer, or Windows 11, in 64-bit.
- Only CUSA00035 01.02 has been tested. Other title IDs appear in the patch file, but a listed ID is not a promise that version works.
- CPUs without MOVBE, BMI1 or LZCNT, such as Sandy/Ivy Bridge and AMD FX chips, get rewritten instructions emulated through stubs. Older CPUs may stop at startup with a CPU-support message.
- Building from source needs MSYS2 and Python 3. Release zip packages with a launcher are also published.
Neither repository is a polished installer for ordinary players. Both are developer-flavoured projects.
What the performance claims show
The PS4 original was locked to 30 FPS and drew a 2.40:1 picture with black bars. The reported results vary a lot:
| Source | Hardware | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Notebookcheck, citing one developer | RTX 5060 laptop GPU | Average of 57 FPS in a four-minute prologue test |
| Notebookcheck, citing a video | RTX 5070 with Core i5-14600K | Holding 60 FPS |
| Notebookcheck, another version | Radeon RX 6700 XT | Holds 30 FPS in most scenes, with dips to the low 20s in heavy open areas |
| Julio Cacko's README, preview 9 | RTX 3070 at 1080p, 60 FPS mode | About 53 FPS in a night courtyard and a 38 FPS average in a hotel lobby fight |
The main repository's own status check on an RTX 5060 laptop GPU reports that a four-minute prologue run held the game's original 30 FPS. It records a 99th-percentile frame time of about 34.5 ms and no crash in more than 20 automated runs. That differs from the 57 FPS figure Notebookcheck cites, probably because the two tests used different configurations. The repository's 60 FPS patch is labelled experimental. Treat the numbers as snapshots of particular builds, scenes and hardware.
The 60 FPS mode carries a warning. Julio Cacko's README says it has not been accepted for full gameplay, checkpoint progression or sustained 4K/60 and warns of possible quick-time-event softlocks in Chapters 6 and 9. Sustained 4K at 60 FPS is a goal, not an achievement.
Controls and aspect ratio
Keyboard and mouse, DualSense, and Xbox controllers are supported. Notebookcheck says the key mapping is rough and a controller is still recommended. The repository documents a mapping that includes WASD for the left stick and the mouse for the camera. Its in-port menu opens with Insert, or R3+L2 on a controller, and holds field-of-view and frame-limit settings.
The release notes also list patches for widescreen and ultrawide, including 21:9 and 32:9, and for letterbox removal. A listed feature does not prove it works reliably in every scene.
Known problems
The main project's developers say these remain unverified:
- Gameplay beyond the prologue.
- Sound, because the automated runs do not check it.
- Saving and loading.
- AMD and Intel graphics cards.
- Other regions and versions of the game, and Linux.
Players report visual bugs, missing textures, and sharp performance drops in complex locations. The newest release candidate, v0.7.6-rc.1 from October 20, says it fixes confirmed GPU synchronization hazards. It also says in-game visual confirmation is still pending. It states that no FPS improvement or full-campaign stability is claimed. That is cautious wording from the developers themselves, and it is worth respecting.
DSOGaming's view is blunt. It calls the project in a very rough state and suggests waiting a few weeks. It also says the Prologue and Chapter 1 also appear to be fully playable, while admitting it does not know if the game can be finished. No one has demonstrated a complete playthrough.
If you want to try it anyway
These are practical precautions drawn from the projects' own advice:
- Check the current release notes of the specific project, and the game version it was tested against.
- Extract each release into a new folder. The repository's release page advises keeping any stable install intact.
- Use copies of saves and settings when testing a release candidate.
- Use only a dump of a game you own. No project ships game files.
- Check that your GPU driver exposes Vulkan 1.3 and that your CPU supports AVX.
- Expect updates. DSOGaming reports the port is being updated on a daily basis.
- The repository's update notes warn that stale launcher settings, config files or shader caches can cause crashes or visual glitches. If a new build misbehaves, clearing those files is documented advice for the v0.7.2 release. Check the notes for your build before deleting anything.
The bigger picture
Console-to-PC ports built this way are becoming a pattern. Tech4Gamers calls it practically becoming a new trend. The shared x86-64 architecture of the PS4 is a big reason it works. The graphics layer reuses an emulator's video core. The legal position is unsettled, and players must supply their own dumps. For Windows enthusiasts the interesting part is the engineering: system calls reimplemented in a runtime, GPU commands translated to Vulkan, and synchronization bugs chased with validation layers.
The bottom line: this is a promising hobbyist project, not a finished release. Wait for sound, saving and a confirmed full playthrough before investing your evenings.