WinesapOS 3, based on SteamOS 3 for PS4 with Mesa 22.0.3: PS4 Distro Release

A new OS for PS4 - WinesapOS, based on SteamOS 3, with KDE Plasma De, latest Mesa and many gaming apps - Steam, Heroic Games Launcher, ProtonUp, etc.

The dev scene has had Steam Deck’s Recovery image for quite some time now. The curious ones couldn’t wait for Valve to release SteamOS 3 to the public and they came up with innovative solutions. Thanks to them, we have WinesapOS based on SteamOS 3. This is an OS that was built from the Steam Deck recovery image and has almost everything that the Steam Deck itself has. Now, I present to you WinesapOS 3 for PS4.

What is WinesapOS?

If what I have said isn’t enough, this is what Luke ShortCloud, the dev behind WinesapOS says about it on the GitHub page:-

winesapOS makes it easy to setup Linux and play games off an internal or portable external drive.

This project provides an opinionated installation of Linux. It can be used on a flash drive, SD card, HDD, SSD, NVMe, or any other storage device. Both internal and external devices are fully supported. The release images are based on SteamOS 3 and the KDE Plasma desktop environment to align with what Valve’s Steam Deck uses. Software for various games launchers are pre-installed. Additional drivers are installed to support Macs with Intel processors.

WinesapOS vs SteamOS

Remember that SteamOS for the Steam Deck only has drivers for one single set of hardware, i.e., Steam Deck. But, WinesapOS packs drivers for Intel and NVIDIA GPUs, along with those for Mac systems. Most of that doesn’t concern us, who are gonna run the OS on PS4.

If you are interested in knowing the differences, here is a detailed comparison table.

Features

  • Display Manager – LightDM
  • Mesa – 22.0.3
  • Libdrm – 2.4.110
  • KDE Plasma

Included applications

Here is a list of all the general applications that come pre-installed with WinesapOS for PS4:-

  • Blueman
  • Bottles
  • Discord
  • Dolphin file manager
  • Firefox
  • Gwenview
  • KeePassXC
  • OBS Studio
  • PeaZip
  • Shutter
  • Transmission
  • VeraCrypt
  • VLC
  • ZeroTier GUI
  • And more…

Pre-installed gaming applications

Those were some general applications. For the gamers too, this distro is tightly-packed. Here is a list:-

  • Steam (Steam Deck Mode available)
  • Heroic Games Launcher
  • Lutris
  • PolyMC
  • Wine GE
  • Proton GE
  • ProtonUp-Qt
  • GameMode
  • Gamescope
  • MangoHUD
  • GOverlay
  • Ludusavi

This is an extensive list. But,remember that Arch’s pacman manager will help you easily install any other applications that you feel are missing.

Download

Login details

  • User: noob404
  • Password: ps4
  • Root password: ps4

Screenshots

WinesapOS 3 on PS4: Showcase Video

Installation: How to install WinesapOS 3 on PS4?

Due to its large size, WinesapOS 3 cannot be installed using the Rescueshell. So, you have to use the alternate method (using Linux). The method has been detailed in the article with video tutorials. So, please check that out.

Conclusion

If you were looking to get a taste of SteamOS 3 on your PS4, this is great option. But, also remember that Nazky already has a SteamOS 3 port for PS4. You may also check that out. Also, please remember that WinesapOS for PS4 might still require improvements. Please do post your feedback and comments so that I can make it better.

26 Comments

  1. please put an easier installation option, I couldn’t solve it, friends, install via xfat or external program like rufus Or can you share the required program as a single file?

    • I was having a problem with alternate install metod to, i found a solution how to do that a bit faster and easier (making ex4 partition with gparted was so long, about 5 hours….and nothing change, gparted was freeze).
      Download any distro and install it with rescueshell (psxitarch for example)
      Connect disc/usb/memory to PC with linux, simply delate everything on “psxitarch” partition
      Extract winesapOS distro to empty psxitarch partition (step 3 in noob404 method)
      Tested on nobara and steamos few times 🙂

      • That should be the easiest option if one has problems with gparted, also for those who can’t acces a pc, you can plug in your usb drive if you have big enough hub and do it on your ps4, watch out that the permissions for the folders don’t change.

  2. Great work, i confirm installed on my Fat (10xx) PS4; internal hdd, running very smooth so far.
    One minor issue, root password, not working ( ps4)
    Did it change?

  3. Installed on my ps4 slim belize. Works like a champ!!! The trick was to find a payload loader that would actually work. I thought they all were created equal. But they are not!!! So, if you’re getting black screens or stuck at flashing cursor, try another payload loader. Also, if you use the bootargs.txt file, (found someplace on this site), and add it to the boot folder before installation, it will boot directly into linux without black screens.
    I used the 5.15 kernel, Nazky’s initramfs, the bootargs.txt file and renamed the WinesapOS 3.tar.xz file to arch.tar.xz. I used ps4 xplorer to transfer all files to the usr/system/boot folder,(much faster than ftp). I used the linux 3gb payload and once I got to the command prompt I typed exec install-HDD.sh and the rest is history.

    • Sorry for the delay. Been busy since the past week. I am considering doing it for the next release of Winesap expected to come in the next month, I believe.

  4. It works on my PS4 PRO 7215B with old Kernel 4.14.93 Dirty. USB dongle for Bluetooth and USB lan works. USB wifi dongle, I’ve only tried one of the two I have, but it didn’t work. I will try with the other one once I finish reinstalling the OS. I did try the Nazky version, but it’s not giving me the GUI.

  5. Hi, i installed WinesapOS and have question about system update – how to do that? Via software manager it gives error, via terminal its looks like it wants to change drivers – i didnt updated yet..

  6. I reinstalled the distro and it works now not sure what the issue was with the root password or installing PS4 fan control but finally I can enjoy this wonder os thank you!

  7. How do we turn off the auto shutdown? I was trying to backup after getting all set up and it shut down on me I tried turning off the sleep settings and it still did it to me. That and the audio being muted everytime I log in is my only issues other than that best distro I have used so far for base model ps4s. I tried nobara, psxitarch v3, Fedora 32 which worked pretty well.

  8. Need some help/hints related to the login Data please @noob404 @anybody.
    Can´t get rid of the login screen even I used obviously the provided login Data. After logging in with “noob404” and confirming the pw “ps4” another line pops up on the black login screen this time with leading line “noob404 @” ……
    I click on ctrl + alt + F2 and F1 but I can´t reach the desktop like I have sen in the YT Video. Anybody else having this strange issue?

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