Updated on November 6, 2026: Knack is at version 0.1.12 from November 6, which adds two-player co-op. Knack II is at 0.18.2 from November 1, which its author calls his last update.
Knack launched with the PS4 in 2013, Knack II followed in 2017, and Sony never brought either to PC. Since October both have fan ports that run the PS4 game code directly on a Windows PC, with Linux builds as an experiment. They are separate projects by different people. The Knack port is three weeks old, already goes from the first chapter to the last and got local co-op on November 6. The Knack II port is older and more polished, but its author has said that 0.18.2 is his final release. Neither includes the game: you need your own copy of the PS4 version, and each launcher checks the region and version. Below: what works in each, which copy fits, where to download, co-op and settings, and the problems players report.
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What works in the two ports
The PS4 has an x86-64 processor like a PC, so both ports run the game's own code straight on your CPU. A runtime replaces the PS4 system libraries the game calls, and the picture goes through a Vulkan renderer taken from the shadPS4 emulator. Knack (AbdelmoumenDeghbouche/knack_pc) grew out of the same author's WipEout Omega Collection port, which in turn came from the God of War III, MediEvil and Bloodborne ports. Knack II (Hyant4/Knack-II-pc-port) is built on the inFAMOUS Second Son port by HayatoG.
| Part | Knack | Knack II |
|---|---|---|
| Story | Plays to the end since 0.1.6 (the crash in chapter 13-1 is fixed) | Plays, but the author warns that the whole campaign has not been certified on every GPU |
| Picture | Native, 1440p, 3440x1440 (beta); 4K not yet, its lighting comes out wrong | Native QHD and 4K, independent window and render resolution, FSR, experimental ultrawide |
| Frame rate | Up to 120 FPS, the game runs at normal speed above 60 | No frame rate claims in the README |
| Local co-op | Two players since 0.1.12, player 2 is Robo Knack | Two players, set in the launcher |
| Sound | Music and effects work, including the multichannel sound of the last chapter | Works through its own audio path; an optional firmware-based one exists |
| Saves and trophies | Saves with a backup at every start; trophies kept in a text file and shown on screen | Saves kept outside the program folder |
| Linux and Steam Deck | AppImage built automatically; cutscene hang on Steam Deck fixed in 0.1.10 | Experimental AppImage, needs glibc 2.43, built on Ubuntu 26.04 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Not stated in the repository |
On GitHub, Knack II has 68 stars and Knack 42. That is modest next to Bloodborne or God of War III, which fits the games: neither was a big hit, but both are good couch co-op platformers for an evening with a second controller.
Which copy of the game and what PC you need
Both launchers read the game's ID and version before letting you play, and they refuse builds they do not know. These pass:
- Knack, American CUSA00068, base game 1.00 or with update 1.10. This is the build the author develops on. 1440p and ultrawide need update 1.10.
- Knack, European CUSA00006, 1.00 or 1.10. Listed as working in the release notes; 1440p and ultrawide work on it since 0.1.9. The second European ID, CUSA00202, is listed in the README but untested.
- Knack II, American CUSA08014, version 01.00 (no update needed since 0.18) or 01.01.
- Knack II, European CUSA07670, version 01.01 only. European 01.00 is not supported, and updates from different regions must not be mixed.
The disc or digital copy has to come from your own PS4 in a form the launcher can read. We don't link game files and don't explain how to get them; a download that comes "with the game included" did not come from either repository. The game language is whatever your copy contains: the American Knack, for example, has English, French, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
| What | Knack | Knack II |
|---|---|---|
| System | Windows 10 or 11; Linux with glibc 2.39 or newer (SteamOS, Bazzite, Fedora 42, Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04+) | Windows x64; Linux with glibc 2.43 or newer, experimental |
| Processor | 64-bit with AVX | x86-64 |
| Graphics | Vulkan 1.3; tested on an RTX 4070 Laptop | Vulkan 1.3 or newer; presets for GTX 1060 and, experimentally, RX 580 |
| Memory | 16 GB recommended, the game uses about 5 to 6 GB | Not stated |
Where to download them and how to start
The only real sources are the Releases pages of the two repositories: knack_pc and Knack-II-pc-port.
Knack
- Download
knack-windows.zip, extract it and openKnack.exe. On Linux, makeknack-x86_64.AppImageexecutable and run it. - Pick the game folder (the one with
eboot.bin) and, if the update sits in its own folder, the Update folder. - Press PLAY. The first start after an update compiles shaders again, so expect some stutter. When a new version comes out, the launcher offers it itself.
Knack II
- Download the Windows ZIP of the latest release and extract the whole archive into a new folder. Don't run it from inside the ZIP. Python, Qt and the runtime are bundled.
- Open
Knack II.exeand select your game folder, the one witheboot.bin,game.elf,sce_sysandsce_module. - Click Validate, set your preferences and click Play. After the first setup,
Play Knack II.exestarts the game with the saved settings. - To update, extract the new release into another folder and validate the game again. Saves and settings live in
%LOCALAPPDATA%\KnackII-PCand stay where they are; caches don't need deleting.
Windows SmartScreen may warn about an unsigned program the first time; More info, then Run anyway lets it start. The Knack II launcher interface is available in Portuguese, English and Russian, though some messages may still be untranslated.
Co-op and settings worth changing
Co-op is local only, as on the PS4: two controllers, one screen.
- Co-op in Knack. Connect a second gamepad and press a button on it during play: player 2 joins as Robo Knack. It uses the same button mapping as player 1. Added in 0.1.12 on November 6.
- Co-op in Knack II. Choose 1 or 2 players in the launcher and click Save settings. Before 0.18.2 the choice was not remembered between starts.
- Resolution in Knack. In the game press Insert, then Performance, Render resolution: Native, 1440p or 3440x1440, and restart the game. The ultrawide view widens the camera to 21:9 with no black bars, but the HUD is still stretched.
- Frame rate in Knack. Any limit up to 120 FPS works since 0.1.3, and with VSync on it stops at your monitor's refresh rate. The game steps its logic by elapsed time, so it does not speed up.
- Cheats in Knack. On the launcher's Game page: God Mode, crystals that don't drain and crystals that fill to max. They work with update 1.10. The Mods page also takes shadPS4 patch files, such as resolution patches for 1.00.
- Picture in Knack II. Window and render resolution are set separately, up to 4K. FSR and the game's own antialiasing are separate switches since 0.18, and ultrawide is experimental. Shader preloading at start cuts stutter later.
Crashes and common problems
The release notes and open issues show what goes wrong most often:
- Knack closes in the last chapter. In chapter 13-1 "No Man's Land" the game shut down right after the cutscene with the giant relic pieces. Fixed in 0.1.6: update the port.
- Knack stays on a black screen. Since 0.1.12, if the title screen has not appeared after 90 seconds,
user\last_run.logrecords where the game waits. Attach that file to an issue on GitHub; the author is still collecting these reports. - Knack freezes after cutscenes on Steam Deck or Linux. The video player could wait forever. Fixed in 0.1.10.
- Square dust puffs and glitchy menu text in Knack. Known issues, not fixed yet. Menu text only glitches for the first frames after boot.
- Black surfaces in Knack II on a GTX 1060. Use the GTX 1060 preset. Since 0.17.7 the port also picks a fallback path automatically on cards without native barycentric support, which was the cause on that GPU.
- Knack II crashes while loading on an RX 580. Try the experimental RX 580 preset. The author says it is not a confirmed fix for "Device lost".
- Knack II refuses your copy. It is not one of the three supported builds, or the update comes from another region. European 01.00 does not work.
Knack II will not get more fixes from its author: the 0.18.2 release is titled "my last update". The code stays on GitHub, so someone else can pick it up, but for now treat it as finished in its current state. In Knack II, Logs & Diagnostics in the launcher still collects logs for anyone who wants to report a problem.
Versions
| Date | Game, version | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| November 6, 2026 | Knack 0.1.12 | Two-player co-op, black screen report in the log |
| November 6, 2026 | Knack 0.1.11 | Right names in the in-game resolution list |
| November 4, 2026 | Knack 0.1.5 to 0.1.10 | Cheats and shadPS4 patch files, last chapter crash fixed, 1440p, 3440x1440 beta, 1440p on the European version, no hang after cutscenes on Steam Deck |
| November 1, 2026 | Knack II 0.18.2 | Player count remembered in the launcher; the author's last update |
| October 30, 2026 | Knack II 0.18.1 | Test build for RX 580 |
| October 29, 2026 | Knack II 0.18 | Linux AppImage, US 01.00 without the update, game package tools on Windows, antialiasing separate from FSR, GTX 1060 and RX 580 presets |
| October 26, 2026 | Knack 0.1.3 and 0.1.4 | Frame rate limits above 60, God of War III leftovers removed, correct game languages |
| October 25 to 28, 2026 | Knack II 0.17.5 to 0.17.7 | Direct start fixed, test builds for black surfaces on GTX 1060 |
| October 22, 2026 | Knack | Repository opened, first chapters playable |
| October 17, 2026 | Knack II | Repository opened |
We update this table when new versions come out. Other PS4 games that now run natively on PC, from Bloodborne to Gravity Rush, are in our running list.
FAQ
Is Knack on PC officially?
No. Knack (2013) and Knack II (2017) came out only on PS4, and Sony never released them on PC. Both ports described here are fan projects and need your own copy of the PS4 game.
Can I finish Knack on PC?
Yes, since version 0.1.6 of November 4, which fixed the crash in the last chapter. Earlier versions closed in chapter 13-1 after a cutscene.
Can two people play together?
Yes, on one PC with two controllers, in both games. In Knack player 2 joins by pressing a button during play (since 0.1.12); in Knack II you choose two players in the launcher. There is no online play.
Is Knack II still being updated?
No. Its author titled version 0.18.2 of November 1 "my last update". The port keeps working as it is, and the source code stays on GitHub.
Does it run on the Steam Deck?
Both projects have Linux AppImages, but neither author calls them tested. Knack fixed a Steam Deck hang after cutscenes in 0.1.10; the Knack II AppImage needs glibc 2.43, newer than many distributions ship.
Sources
AbdelmoumenDeghbouche/knack_pc: README (status, supported versions, requirements, known issues) and Releases from 0.1.3 on October 26 to 0.1.12 on November 6, 2026. Hyant4/Knack-II-pc-port: README (supported versions, setup, settings, saves) and Releases from 0.17.5 on October 25 to 0.18.2 on November 1, 2026. Checked on November 6, 2026. Images: official Knack and Knack II screenshots and art by Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation.com and PlayStation Store.
