LittleBigRecomp

A static recompilation of LittleBigPlanet (PS3, BCES00141, disc v02.00) to a native macOS arm64 executable. The game's PowerPC code is lifted to C++ ahead of time, and so is every SPU program it runs (FMOD, Bink, the WWS physics/job manager policy module and its 43 job modules, a voice-codec job). Everything is linked against the ps3recomp runtime, a git submodule in ps3recomp/ tracking the lbp branch of benjidotsh/ps3recomp (upstream 0fe7dbf, MIT, plus the fixes this port needed). Clone with git clone --recursive, or run git submodule update --init. Rendering goes through Metal.

No game code, assets, keys or game-derived output are in this repository.

Status

Boots on an Apple-silicon Mac through the first-boot save creation, the "Important Information" notice, the logos and intro movie (Bink, decoded by the recompiled SPU code), and loads the first level, the Introduction, where the game is live: it renders the level and answers the pad (START opens the in-level pause menu).

Known limits: an occasional frame flashes a bright wedge, and depth/stencil clears ignore the scissor. In-level the game holds its 30 fps target. FMOD's runtime-relocated DSP plugins run through the SPU interpreter.

Building

Needs Xcode clang, CMake, Ninja, Python 3.10+ with pip install -r ps3recomp/requirements.txt, and SDL2 (brew install sdl2).

1. Extract the disc ISO and put the decrypted EBOOT in place:

   python3 tools/extract_iso.py "/path/to/LittleBigPlanet.iso" disc
   mkdir -p game && cp /path/to/decrypted/EBOOT.elf game/EBOOT.elf

   Use a fresh extraction: a pre-extracted copy this port was first tried on had 73 corrupt files (among them output/blurayguids.map, which breaks resource loading).

2. Lift and build:

   PYTHON=/path/to/python3 tools/relift.sh      # PPU + SPU lift, NID table
   cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja && cmake --build build

3. Run:

   ./run.sh

   Guest writes (HDD install data, cache, saves) go to hdd/; the disc copy stays read-only. PAD_FILE=<file> drives the pad from a file (write a button mask such as 0x4000 for CROSS, 0x0008 for START); tools/autorun.sh <seconds> <log> runs headless-style and skips the intro movie.

Debugging aids added by this port

• FN_PROBE=<addr,...> logs entry/return of guest functions; FN_PROBE_REGS=1 adds all GPRs. FN_TRACE_AT=<s> / FN_TRACE_EXIT=1 write each thread's last 64K function entries. FN_DUMP_AT=<fn>[:n] / FN_DUMP_SEC=<s> dump guest memory for tools/memrd.py.
• SPURS_KTRACE=1, SPU_TAGSTUCK=1, SPU_SNTRACE=1, RSX_TEX_LOG/RSX_TEX_DUMP, RSX_ZSAMPLE_LOG, PS3RECOMP_METAL_FRAME_DUMP=dir/f%05u.ppm (every 120th present; PS3RECOMP_METAL_FRAME_DUMP_FROM=<n> and _EVERY=<n> pick the first one kept and the stride, e.g. _EVERY=1 for consecutive frames).
• AUDIO_WAV=<file> writes the final mix as raw f32le stereo 48 kHz; AUDIO_UNDERRUN=1 logs each time the host audio queue ran dry.
• tools/ppcdis.py, tools/fnstrings.py, tools/peek.sh (tile frame dumps).