Can PCs do PS4/X1 emulation?

I'm building my first PC (going to get the 980 TI GPU once third-party ones become available), and I'm wondering, since PS4 and X1 are already so outdated hardware wise, if emulation of their games is possible now? I know wii games and PS2 games and original Xbox games, etc etc, can be emulated easily, but I never hear about PS4/X1 emulation or even PS3/360 for that matter. Why not? Is it just a matter of Sony and Microsoft not making much $ off PS1/PS2/Original Xbox games, so they don't police the upload of emulation games (forget what they're called, the game files with the hack already in place), but they do always take down the newer ones, or what?

I mean PS4 and X1 are basically PC architecture now, so those are basically PC games, right? And since they're outdated, they should be PC games that a current PC should be able to play very easily. So does it exist and if not, why not, and when will it? I'm mostly asking because one of my worries about going to PC is missing exclusive console games.

No.

Answered. /thread

I'd say you're about a decade early.

@nomoregoodgames: I wouldn't be surprised if they get something running in maybe 5-10 years but you're vastly underselling the difficulty of making an emulator.

Don't expect anything that can run most games for at least 15 years.

They've just started making inroads on PS3 emulation and we still don't have a working original Xbox emulator, don't know where you've got the info that it's easy to run OG Xbox games - it isn't. The only working emulator was built specifically to run Halo and could only run Halo.

In theory: Yes

In practice: No

If you're worried about missing console exclusives, buy the consoles. If emulators ever come out for PS4 or Xbox One, it will be way down the road.

Why don't they exist? Because most games come out for PC along with consoles, so there isn't really a need to program an emulator for a handful of exclusive games. They are also incredibly difficult to program.

Most orginal Xbox games are still not up to snuff.

Basically quit thinking about future piracy and just get the consoles you want to play games on.

I feel like OP is just making fun of PC elitists that shout about how weak console hardware is. Nobody could be that thick.

Nah. Maybe in a few decades at the rate modern consoles are emulated. "Basically the same" means still not the same. There's a reason it takes weeks to months to port games. Consoles are weirdos man. That's why you should never compare off the shelf specs to consoles. The PS4 is outdated on paper. In reality, there is no bundle of parts that you can put together that gives you a PS4. It just doesn't work like that.

As for PS3 emulation? YEAH RIGHT AHAHAHAHAHA!

AHAHAHAHAHA!

Your microwave has a better chance of emulating a PS3 than a PC does.

Not for a very long time most likely. PS2/Xbox emulation is still a little shaky and last I checked any kind of PS3/360 emulation is barely functional. An issue a lot of people don't think about is that it isn't like your pc is taking the place of the console hardware. As you said the PS4 and Xbox One are not as powerful as a high end PC right now, but that doesn't mean a I high end machine can run an emulator for them. The emulator has to run on top of the existing software of the PC and be made to run with different kinds of hardware. I am not an expert or anything in console software design but I can only expect the PS3 firmware was/is designed in a way which expects a certain hardware layout. The games also aren't just PC games that run on PS4 hardware, they have to be altered for that specific operating system and are often made to run in a stable fashion on that hardware. The Xbox One and PS4 both have use blu-ray discs and have similar architectures but you can't play a PS4 game in an Xbox One.

Also while I am pretty sure emulation talk is fine at GB, pirating games is illegal and thus discussion on support for pirating them is not allowed. Your best/cheapest bet for playing exclusive games is to wait for price drops on the new consoles and buy them then. Frankly if you can afford to buy a 980 Ti you can probably afford a few hundred bucks for a PS4 down the line.

Since emulation of current gen consoles borders on some questionable piracy territory, I'm going to go ahead and lock this down. Besides, I think the question has been thoroughly answered at this point.