One installer, four cores.
The launcher is Phaethon's Windows desktop application: a single self-contained program installed by a wizard, updated in place, and signed so that Windows names its publisher. It installs the runtime, imports each game from your own disc, launches it with the preset you chose, and keeps the runtime and itself up to date from Phaethon's own servers. It downloads nothing from the games themselves; every game file comes from your own copy.
Install
A first-run setup asks where the runtime and every game's data should live, one folder for all four, and installs the runtime right away.
Import
Point a game at your disc image. Its serial is checked first, then the import runs in three stages you can watch: extract, decompile, compile.
Play
Every game starts retail-faithful. The remastered preset and each game's settings are toggles on its page, and a debug window can open at startup.
Update
A runtime update rebuilds only the games it changes. The launcher updates itself as well, and every download is checked to be the file Phaethon published before it is used.
Windows 10 or 11, a GPU with Vulkan 1.3, and your own copies.
System
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
Graphics
A GPU with Vulkan 1.3
Disk space
A few gigabytes per game
Games
Your own copy of each game you want to play
the optional upscalers have their own needs: DLSS runs on NVIDIA GPUs, and FSR runs on any
The discs the launcher knows.
You need your own copy of each game, on its disc or as an image you made from your disc. Phaethon does not ship or download any game data: the launcher reads every file from your copy, and checks the disc's serial before it extracts anything. These are the serials it checks against, from the docs' Getting started page.
Jak and Daxter
SCUS-97124 (NTSC-U, Black Label and the later print), SCES-50361 (PAL), SCPS-15021 (NTSC-J), SCPS-56003 (NTSC-U)
Jak II
SCUS-97265 (NTSC-U), SCES-51608 (PAL), SCPS-15057 (NTSC-J), SCKA-20010 (NTSC-K)
Jak 3
SCUS-97330 and SCUS-97516 (NTSC-U, including the Greatest Hits print), SCES-52460 (PAL), SCKA-20040 (NTSC-K)
Jak X: Combat Racing
SCUS-97429, SCES-53286
Signed in to Phaethon.
The launcher carries the project's online layer today. Installing and updating the runtime needs it: the runtime downloads only for a signed-in account. Nothing else does: once the runtime is installed, every game plays the same offline and signed out, and nothing about a disc, a build or a save leaves your machine unless you sign in.
Sign in
From the sidebar or the first-run setup: the launcher shows a code, and you confirm it in your browser on Phaethon's own sign-in page. Creating an account works the same way. Stay signed in is a setting, and a sign-in that stops being accepted signs the launcher out rather than pretending.
Sessions
While a game the launcher started runs, the launcher sees where you are in the game: at the title, in the menus, racing on a named track, in a cutscene. Your play time is counted from it, Discord presence and the note when a game closes show it, and each session played while signed in is reported to Phaethon once, under your account. Your account page shows your play time per game.
Saves
While you are signed in, the launcher backs up each game's saves to your account after each session, and before a game starts it brings down a newer backup made on another PC. If the saves changed on both PCs, it asks which to keep, and keeps a copy of this PC's saves if you take the other PC's. Your account page shows what is backed up.