The latest version of the PS3 emulator, V1.1.7, brings several improvements and fixes, including:
: Legitimate emulators like RPCS3 are open-source and free. Any site asking you to complete surveys or download "BIOS packages" to unlock the emulator is likely a scam.
The only safe way is your own console dump.
However, projects like have reduced friction. As of V1.1.7, if you own a disc drive and a PS3 game disc, the emulator can extract certain boot files directly from the disc – partially bypassing the need for a full BIOS dump. But for 95% of games, you still need the firmware.