Vita3K: Best config.yml for Uncharted Golden Abyss on PC

The objective is to force the emulator to run in Administrator Mode and use specific resolution multipliers to eliminate the “green screen” and shadow artifacts.

1. The “Zero-Artifact” Renderer Setup

Uncharted: Golden Abyss has a peculiar behavior where it only renders correctly at 1x (Native) or 5x (4K+) resolution. Intermediate values like 2x or 3x often cause the geometry to break.

Setting	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
Backend	Vulkan	Mandatory for Golden Abyss; OpenGL causes immediate boot hangs.
Internal Resolution	1x or 5x	1x is safest. 5x fixes most missing geometry but requires a high-end GPU.
Renderer Accuracy	High	Necessary to fix broken lighting and shadow maps in jungle areas.
Anisotropic Filtering	1x (Off)	Higher values can break the “Wall Parkour” scripts in the prologue.
Shader Compilation	Asynchronous	Reduces the massive stutters when Nathan Drake enters new zones.

2. The “Admin Mode” Boot Fix

A well-documented technical quirk of the 2026 Vita3K build is that Golden Abyss often crashes the entire emulator on startup if not given elevated permissions.

• The Fix: Right-click Vita3K.exe > Properties > Compatibility > Check “Run this program as an administrator”. This allows the emulator to properly allocate the large memory blocks required for the game’s asset streaming.

3. Fixing the Save Data & Chapter 1 Loop

One of the biggest frustrations is the game failing to save progress or looping back to Chapter 1. In 2026, the community standard is to use a Debug Menu patch.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Ensure you have Update 1.03 installed (Serial: PCSA00029 or PCSF00001).
2. Install the custom eboot.bin (Debug Menu patch) into your game folder (ux0:app/[Serial]).
3. Launch the game and use the Debug Menu to “Unlock all Chapters.”
4. If the autosave fails, you can now manually select the chapter where you last left off.

4. Technical Impact: VRAM and CPU Usage

Running Golden Abyss at the recommended 5x Resolution ($2720 \times 4800$ equivalent) is extremely taxing.

• VRAM Requirements: You will need at least 8GB VRAM to handle the 5x upscale without texture thrashing.
• CPU Bottleneck: The Dynarmic CPU backend is recommended. If you notice audio crackling, increase the Audio Buffer to 1024ms in the config.yml.