PlayStation Portable emulators
Developer | Sony |
---|---|
Type | Handheld game console |
Generation | Seventh generation |
Release date | 2004 |
Discontinued | 2014 |
Predecessor | PocketStation |
Successor | PlayStation Vita |
Emulated | ✓ |
- For other emulators that run on PSP hardware, see Emulators on PSP.
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console made by Sony. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005. It was retailed for $249. It had a MIPS R4000 CPU at 333 MHz with 32 MBs of RAM. Later revisions of the PSP came with 64 MBs of RAM, allowing for faster load times.
The PSP had one of the most active modding scenes of any handheld console starting from the very early days of its life, utilized for homebrew, emulation, and piracy. Additionally, the PSP's software architecture that required the use of Sony's static libraries for many console functions made the simple and fast HLE approach both reasonable and accurate. Emulation efforts began as early as 2006, with games booting two years later, although overall game compatibility was poor. This early work was used as a basis for PPSSPP at the start of the 2010s, which has developed PSP emulation into a polished, fast, and accurate experience.
Contents
Emulators
Name | Platform(s) | Latest Version | Enhancements | Hardware features | Compatibility | FLOSS | Active | Recommended | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PC / x86 | |||||||||
PPSSPP | Dev Builds Dev Builds (Artifacts) libretro core[N 1] 1.17.1 |
✓ | ~ | 84% 3111 out of 3704 reported titles |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
JPCSP | SVN | ~ | ~ | 78% 837 out of 1068 reported titles |
✓ | ~* | ~* | ||
cspspemu | git | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ||
jspspemu | git | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ||
PCSP | 0.5.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ||
Potemkin | 1.00 Alpha | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ||
PSPE | 0.9b | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ||
Mobile / ARM | |||||||||
PPSSPP | |
Dev Builds Dev Builds (Artifacts) 1.17.1 0.1 Pyra libretro core[N 1] |
✓ | ~ | 84% 3111 out of 3704 reported titles |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
PSPe+ (PPSSPP fork) | 3.2.1 | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ||
Console | |||||||||
Adrenaline | 6.61 | ~ | ~ | ?* | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ||
PPSSPP | |
Switch Xbox 360 Wii U libretro core[N 1] |
✓ | ~ | 84% 3111 out of 3704 reported titles |
✗ | ~[N 2] | ✓ | |
PSP PlayStation®Portable REMASTER Launcher |
v2.0 | ✗ | ✗ | 48% 414 out of 854 reported titles |
? | ✗ | ~ |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 This build using upstream repo for libretro from now on.
- ↑ Libretro core is still active.
Comparisons
- PPSSPP (compatibility, AdHoc compatibility, AdHoc compatibility#2)
- Released in November of 2012. Compatibility is higher than JPCSP and games runs significantly faster. The emulator is currently capable of playing the vast majority of the PSP library but remaining 3447 titles are unreported. Additionally, both the libretro core and standalone version of PPSSPP (as of v1.16's release) support the RetroAchievements service for players hunting video game achievements. The standalone version is highly recommended over the libretro core as the libretro core version can be slow/unstable, especially for mobile users.
- JPCSP
- Requires the Java Runtime Environment to be installed. It is also slower compared to PPSSPP. JPCSP was built around debugging and was never really meant to be a standard emulator. They made it so they could understand the PSP's inner workings better. Thanks to the JPCSP team, and other PSP homebrew teams, PPSSPP developed at breakneck speeds. Both teams communicate a lot and contribute with each other.
- PlayStation®Portable REMASTER Launcher (compatibility)
- See this guide for more information.
Hardware features
Name | PPSSPP | JPCSP | Adrenaline | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Connectivity | PS2 communication | ✗* | ✗* | ~* |
PS3 communication | ✗* | ✗* | ~* | |
PlayStation Network | ✗ | TBD | ✗ | |
Ad-Hoc | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Infrastructure | ✗* | TBD | ✗ | |
Infrastructure LAN* | ✗ | TBD | ✗ | |
Game Sharing | ✗ | TBD | TBD | |
Camera | ✓* | TBD | TBD | |
Microphone | ~*[N2 1] | TBD | TBD | |
GPS | ✗* | TBD | TBD | |
External Controller Vibration* | ✗ | TBD | ✗ | |
PSOne Classics* | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
PlayStation minis and Digital PSP titles | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* | |
UMD Music UMD Video UMD-PG |
✗ | ~ | ✗ | |
XMB | ✗ | ~ | ✓ |
- ↑ Windows and Android only
Connectivity
PPSSPP Supports multiplayer on the same network and multiplayer over the internet but no support for XLink Kai at the moment. JPCSP supports multiplayer on the same network and multiplayer over the internet and also supports XLink Kai.
- PPSSPP Wiki: How to play multiplayer games with PPSSPP
- psp2i: PPSSPP multiplayer on the same network
- psp2i: PPSSPP multiplayer over the internet
- AdHoc Compatibility List
- PS Rewired: A revival group that provides emulated online servers for the PS2, PSP and PS3.
- For more information about other revive projects see Preservation projects page.
PlayStation 3 communication
Adhoc Party support, remote play (via the PS3 system's wireless LAN), copying games to play on a PSP system that can be played on either PS3 or PSP systems etc.
UMD Music, UMD Video and UMD-PG
During the era of the PlayStation Portable (PSP), "UMD Movie" was more common as it represented the main function of the format but as UMD adoption expanded beyond movies and included other types of video content such as TV shows, music videos, and documentaries, "UMD Video" became a more generic term to encompass the full range of applications. While UMD primarily focused on movies and video content, there was also some limited use of the format for UMD Music. However, it wasn't nearly as widespread as movie or other UMD Video content.
UMD-PG on the other hand stands for UMD-Players Game, and it was used for a unique type of interactive media released on UMDs for the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
- PPSSPP has no UMD Video support at the moment: UMD Movie request and UMD Video and UMD-PG request for PPSSPP.
- JPCSP has partial UMD Video support at the moment (demonstration). UmdVideoPlayer.java
- Adrenaline never had UMD Video support.
- See this dedicated page for more information about interactive media and home media playback support for emulation softwares.
XMB
- PPSSPP do not support XMB, but for better immersion with XMB-like interface there are additional UI features for PPSSPP such as;
- You can use custom sound files for PPSSPP UI and game list navigation feedback sounds with this pull request. Also you can use custom sound files for RetroAchievement notifications with this pull request, for setting these up you need to set "Settings> UI Sounds: On", "UI Background animation: Waves" and "Theme: Default", after these you need to change .wav files from "\PPSSPP\assets" directory with your custom .wav files. Also there is a feature request for intro sound implementation to PPSSPP UI similar to XMB (concept demonstration).
- PPSSPP supports music playback when a game selected in the menu screen with this pull request similar to XMB, but currently there is no video support on this screen for PPSSPP UI as "hrydgard" mentioned in that pull request.
- PPSSPP supports background wallpaper change when when a game selected in the menu screen with this pull request similar to XMB.
- You can change PPSSPP UI font with custom font. For this you need to change .TTF font file from "\PPSSPP\assets" directory with your custom .TTF font file but it needs to be renamed as “Roboto-Condensed.ttf” just like original PPSSPP one. 1, 2
- JPCSP is able to boot the official PSP VSH interface, though the menus are not yet working properly, it is currently only an alpha release.
Enhancements
Name | PPSSPP | JPCSP | Adrenaline | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Graphics | Resizable Internal Resolution | ✓ | ✓ | ? |
Ultrawide hack Widescreen already supported on PSP system. But there is no support by system for render games in other ratios such as ultrawide 21:9 and 32:9. |
✓ | ? | ✗ | |
Texture Replacement | ✓ | ✗ | ? | |
Pre-rendering AA (MSAA, SSAA) |
✓* | ? | ? | |
Ray-tracing | Implementing ray-tracing in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future. However you can try "Screen-Space Ray Traced Global Illumination" shader using ReShade. Demonstration | |||
Super-resolution techniques (DLSS, XeSS and FSR 2+) |
Requires access to the depth buffer and temporal data like motion-vectors so it's quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future. Besides any GPU that can use DLSS can run PPSSPP at 8k native with ease anyway. | |||
Performance | Overclock | ✓ | ? | ? |
Internal Framerate Hack | ✓ | ? | ? | |
Frame generation techniques (DLSS-G, ExtraSS and FMF) |
Implementing frame generation technique in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future. Input latency will be the most important factor when it comes to frame generation. | |||
Post-Processing | Post-rendering AA (FXAA, TXAA and MLAA/SMAA) |
✓ | ? | ? |
Post-rendering scaling (Sharp bilinear, Lanczos and FSR 1) |
✓ | ? | ? | |
Filters | ✓ | ? | ? | |
Shader Chain | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
TAS features | Macros/Scripts/Lua | ✓* | ? | ✗ |
Rewind | ✓* | ? | ✗* | |
Fast-Forward/Turbo Speed | ✓ | ? | ~* | |
Savestates | ✓ | ? | ✓* | |
Movie recording/playback | ~[N3 1] | ? | ✗ | |
Controls | True/dual analog control | ✓* | ? | ? |
Mouse Injector Compatible | ✓* | ✗ | ✗ | |
Input lag-mitigating technique | ✗* | ✗ | ✗ | |
Quality of life | Built-in Graphics mod editor/manager | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Built-in Cheat Manager | ✓ | ? | ✗ | |
Streamable compression format | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
Per-Game Profiles | ? | ? | ? | |
Command Line Options | ? | ? | ? | |
Free Look Free Look is a enhancement feature that allows manipulation of the in-game camera. |
PPSSPP VR is a PPSSPP build for the Oculus Rift that lets you actually be inside PSP games. You are not playing on a virtual handheld or screen, you are inside the virtual world. Also there is a feature request for adding VR capabilities to PPSSPP windows builds. See Virtual Reality page for more information about PPSSPP VR build. | |||
RetroAchievements | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
Debug Features | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
- ↑ Supports initial basic replay recording but it is not advanced enough for TAS. There is a feature request for advanced TAS features.