PlayStation Portable emulators: Difference between revisions
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|rowspan="7" |Peripherals | |rowspan="7" |Peripherals | ||
| colspan="3" |[[Disc Drive emulation|UMD Drive<br>UMD Music<br>UMD Video<br>UMD-PG]] | |||
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| colspan="3" |1Seg/DMB TV Tuner | | colspan="3" |1Seg/DMB TV Tuner | ||
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|{{Ya|link=https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp/issues/12336}}<ref group="lower-alpha">Windows and Android only.</ref> | |{{Ya|link=https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp/issues/12336}}<ref group="lower-alpha">Windows and Android only.</ref> | ||
|{{Na}} | |{{Na}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|rowspan="1" |Unlicensed | |rowspan="1" |Unlicensed | ||
Revision as of 19:52, 13 July 2026
| |
| Original model (PSP-1000) | |
| Developer | Sony Computer Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sony Electronics |
| Type | Handheld game console |
| Generation | Seventh |
| Release date | December 12, 2004 |
| Discontinued | NA: January 2014 JP: June 2014 PAL: December 2014 |
| Predecessor | PocketStation |
| Successor | PlayStation Vita |
| Emulated | ✓ |
- For emulators that run on the PlayStation Portable, see Emulators on PlayStation Portable.
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 ($411 in 2026). It had a MIPS R4000 CPU at 333 MHz with 32 MB of RAM. Later revisions of the PSP came with 64 MB of RAM, allowing for faster load times. 82,523,607 units were produced in total during its production lifespan from 9 November 2004 to 26 September 2014.
The PSP had one of the most active modding scenes of any handheld console starting from the very early days of its life, used 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.
Emulators
Comparisons
- PPSSPP
- An HLE approach PSP emulator and released in November 2012. Compatibility is higher than JPCSP and games runs significantly faster. Despite limitations in its PSP hardware feature support due to its approach, PPSSPP shines as an emulator with impressive enhancement capabilities. However, especially in the recent years, they have now switched over to loading and actually running a few modules/libraries that games ship on disc, instead of simulating them. The emulator is currently capable of playing the vast majority of the PSP library, while remaining 3687 titles are still unreported.
- JPCSP
- An LLE approach PSP emulator, and it requires the Java Runtime Environment to be installed. It is also slower compared to PPSSPP, and it 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.
- Official Sony emulators
- Emulating some PSP library of games is possible with a Jailbroken PS3. Using the unlocked firmware's internal PSP emulator, there are 2 available modes: Remaster & Mini's we can utilize each giving different result depending on the title. See this guide for more information.
- Potemkin
- A very old open-source project from around the time of Ben Vanik's original PSP Player. It originated from Dolphin and a failed multi-system emulator, and it could run a few 2D commercial games. In 2012 it was cleaned up to serve as the basis for PPSSPP, which inherited its HLE kernel design.
Enhancements
| Name | PPSSPP | JPCSP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controls | Input lag mitigating | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mouse injector | ✓ | ✗ | |
| True/dual analog control | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Turbo button | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Graphics | Better texture filtering Enhancement option for providing better texture filtering methods comparing the original hardware had. |
✓ | ? |
| Pre-rendering anti-aliasing (SSAA, MSAA) |
✓ | ? | |
| Ray tracing (DXR, VRT and MRT) |
Implementing ray-tracing in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible in the near future. However, you can try PseudoRT, or "Screen-Space Ray Traced Global Illumination" shader using ReShade. See  here and here
| ||
| Resizable internal resolution | ✓ | ✓ | |
| RTX Remix | Implementing RTX Remix technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible in the near future. Besides, PPSSPP already supports most of RTX Remix features such as texture replacement and post-processing effects, etc. On top of that you can use ReShade for post-processing. | ||
| Super-resolution techniques (DLSS, XeSS and FSR 2+) |
Requires access to the depth buffer and temporal data like motion-vectors, so it is quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future. Besides, PSP games don't support motion-vectors and any GPU that can use DLSS can run PPSSPP at 8k native with ease anyway. | ||
| Tessellation | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Texture replacement | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Ultra-widescreen hack Widescreen already supported on PSP system. But there is no support by system for render games in other ratios such as 16:10, 21:9, and 32:9. |
✓ | ? | |
| Performance | Frame generation technologies (LSFG, DLSS-FG and SM, XeSS-FG, AFMF and FSR FG) |
Implementing frame generation technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible in the near future, however post-processing techniques such as motion interpolation is quite possible. Input latency will be a crucial factor, but its impact likely varies depending on the specific technique used, it is recommended to use after applying the "Internal Framerate Hack". While AFMF or LSFG can be used with PPSSPP, please be aware that some visual glitches and artifacts may occur at this time.
| |
| Internal frame rate hack | ✓ | ? | |
| Overclock | ✓ | ? | |
| Preload optical disc image to RAM For users with sluggish multi-platter HDDs or plagued by horrible seek times, this enhancement might offer smoother experience, potentially reduced power consumption; it also shines when disc images reside on a network drive. Although keep in mind that preloading image would take some time, and it will require additional amount of RAM capacity. |
✓ | ? | |
| Rendering latency reduction technologies (LatencyFleX, Reflex, Xe-LL and Anti-Lag+)
|
While most emulators offer frame pacing or framebuffer latency control options, implementing rendering latency reduction technologies isn't currently feasible. This is likely doesn't offer enough benefits to justify the development effort. | ||
| Post-processing | AI-powered filter (Freestyle) |
? | ? |
| Filters | ✓ | ? | |
| Inverse tone mapping compatible | ? | ? | |
| Post-rendering anti-aliasing (FXAA, TXAA and MLAA/SMAA) |
✓ | ? | |
| Post-rendering scaling (Sharp bilinear, Lanczos and FSR 1) |
✓ | ? | |
| Shader chain | ✓[lower-alpha 1] | ✗ | |
| Quality of life | Automatic updater | ✗ | ✗ |
| Big Picture Mode | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Built-in cheat manager | ✓ | ? | |
| Built-in mod editor and manager | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Built-in patch manager | ? | ? | |
| Built-in save manager | ? | ? | |
| Command-line options | ✓ | ? | |
| Pause/Resume emulation | ✓ | ? | |
| Per-game profiles | ✓ | ? | |
| Portable and stealth Useful enhancement feature for non-personal computer use or plug-and-play scenarios. However, the software may still require the necessary prerequisites and dependencies for your operating system if it is not statically linked. |
✓ | ? | |
| Streamable compression format | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Variable refresh rate compatible | ? | ? | |
| TAS features | Fast forward/Turbo speed | ✓ | ? |
| Frame step (forwards and backwards) |
? | ? | |
| Movie recording/playback | ~[lower-alpha 2] | ? | |
| Macros/Scripts/Lua | ✓ | ? | |
| Rewind | ✓ | ? | |
| Save states | ✓ | ? | |
| Misc. | Ambient sounds simulation Simulation of audio from original hardware and environments, such as mechanical hard drive, floppy diskette, and optical drive noises (e.g., head seeks, spin-up/down, tray loading, disc spinning, and clicking), variable CRT flyback transformer whine (the classic high-pitched "coil whine" that dynamically changes pitch based on screen brightness and content), arcade cabinet effects (e.g., fan hum or button rattles), and other background ambient noises. |
✗ | ✗ |
| Audio filters and presets Simulation of characteristic playback limitations and coloration of vintage consumer audio hardware, such as CRT television speakers, arcade cabinets, handheld consoles, early PC sound outputs, and low-fidelity integrated speakers. These filters are not intended to be perfectly accurate recreations, but rather to evoke the tonal qualities, distortion, bandwidth limits, resonance, and compression associated with 8-bit and 16-bit era devices. Examples include mono or narrow stereo output, reduced frequency response, speaker cone distortion, mild saturation, aliasing, and preset lo-fi profiles inspired by classic TVs, portable game systems, radios, and retro multimedia hardware. |
Exclusive to libretro cores at the moment. | ||
| Debug features | ✓ | ✓ | |
| EmuVR support | Exclusive to libretro cores at the moment. | ||
| Free Look Free Look is an 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're 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. | ||
| Game-selection media player/viewer Each game has a unique background wallpaper, music, foreground image, and video in place of the banner when selected in XMB. |
~[lower-alpha 3] | ✓[lower-alpha 4] | |
| RetroAchievements | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Rich Presence (RPC) Allows the emulator to share real-time game session details (e.g., current game title, level, boss, playtime, or custom status) with external applications. This enables features such as displaying what you're playing on your profile, inviting friends to spectate, or triggering join-in-progress functionality where supported. |
✓ | ? | |
| Screen translator Using optical character recognition (OCR) and other techniques, this feature can provide live translation of in-game text, text-to-speech for visually impaired users, and more — either on demand or automatically. |
You can use RetroArch's AI Service or the standalone offline bquenin's Interpreter. Also, there is a pull request for integrating NVDA API to the PPSSPP standalone version. | ||
- ↑ Standalone version has no support for bezels and overlays like libretro core though. See 'Shader Presets' page for more information.
- ↑ Supports initial basic replay recording but it is not advanced enough for TAS. There is a feature request for advanced TAS features.
- ↑ Background wallpaper and music only. Music with custom looping (Patapon 2, Patapon 3) is not implemented.
- ↑ Music with custom looping (Patapon 2, Patapon 3) is not implemented.
Hardware features and peripherals
| Name | PPSSPP | JPCSP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware features | Connectivity | Bluetooth | ? | ? | |
| IrDA | ✓ | ✗ | |||
| PlayStation 2 connectivity (USB) | ✗ | ✗ | |||
| PlayStation 3 connectivity | ✗ | ✗ | |||
| Wi-Fi | Ad hoc | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Game Sharing | ✗ | ~ | |||
| Infrastructure | ✓ | ? | |||
| Infrastructure LAN | ✓ | ? | |||
| PlayStation Network (incl. PlayStation Room) |
✗ | ✗ | |||
| PlayStation minis and Digital PSP titles | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| PSOne Classics Not to be confused with the PlayStation Classic dedicated console. |
✗ | ✗ | |||
| Storage | Flash memory | ✗ | ✓ | ||
| Memory Stick | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| VSH (XMB and apps) | ✗ | ~ | |||
| Peripherals | UMD Drive UMD Music UMD Video UMD-PG |
✗ | ~ | ||
| 1Seg/DMB TV Tuner | ✗ | ✗ | |||
| Camera | ✓ | ✗ | |||
| GPS | ✓[lower-alpha 1] | ✗ | |||
| Headphones with remote control | ✗ | ✗ | |||
| Microphone | ✓[lower-alpha 2] | ✗ | |||
| Unlicensed | Datel 4GB Hard Drive | ? | ? | ||
| Misc. | Battery | ? | ? | ||
| Dolby Pro Logic II Only used in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. |
✗ | ✗ | |||
| Right Stick, L2, R2, L3, and R3 Buttons | ✓ | ✗ | |||
| System lights | ✗ | ✗ | |||
- ↑ Fully supported on Android/iOS and predefined position on other platforms.
- ↑ Windows and Android only.
Connectivity
PSP hardware supports;
- Local multiplayer on the same network via Ad-Hoc (Also, thanks to this capability, local multiplayer over internet is possible on real hardware using XLink Kai, see setup guide).
- Online multiplayer using private servers via Infrastructure mode
- See PlayStation Network page for information about PSP↔PSN connection.
- Capable of communicating with PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.
- AD HOC: Connect directly to another PSP, Infrastructure: Connect to an online game server via an access point, Infrastructure LAN: Do the same thing as AD HOC but via an access point. See the diagram for visual demonstration.
- PPSSPP supports local multiplayer on the same network and local multiplayer over internet via Ad-Hoc PRO Online. However, there is no support for XLink Kai at the moment. Infrastructure mode emulation support is implemented (with automatic DNS configuration similar to DCNet) thanks to v1.19 version., OR you can use custom PPSSPP builds that is also with infrastructure support, see this issue page for more information.
- JPCSP supports local multiplayer on the same network and local multiplayer over internet via XLink Kai.
- See these sources for Ad-Hoc PRO Online compatibility list and revived private servers for Infrastructure mode;
- Ad-Hoc local wireless connection compatibility list, Ad-Hoc local wireless multiplayer over internet servers for PPSSPP. See LAN Tunneling programs for more information about LAN Tunneling.
- Infrastructure-compatible PSP games with revived private server for online multiplayer, PPSSPP docs: Infrastructure Mode, see Preservation projects page for more information about private server revive projects.
- PlayStation 2 communication
A more complete list of compatible titles is available in this video's description which replaces the old thread.
- 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.
XMB and apps
The XrossMediaBar (pronounced "cross-media bar" and officially abbreviated as XMB) is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. You can use various features and applications using this interface.
- PPSSPP don't support XMB including short animation when PSP launches a game. But for replicating the original experience, nostalgia and better immersion including XMB-like interface there are several additional UI features for PPSSPP such as;
- Similarly to RPCS3, you can use custom sound files for PPSSPP UI and game list navigation feedback sounds[1]. Also, you can use custom sound files for RetroAchievement notifications[2], 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[3] similarly to XMB, but currently 98 on this screen for PPSSPP UI as "hrydgard" mentioned in that pull request.
- PPSSPP supports background wallpaper change when a game selected in the menu screen[4] similar to XMB.
- PPSSPP's UI font could be changed if you want. 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 (easiest solution).[5][6]
- You can simulate boot and game launching animations of the XMB (gameboot.pmf)[7] by using our script for PPSSPP's libretro core. To do this, use Launchbox as follows: right-click on the game, select 'Edit Game', go to 'Additional Apps', and then 'Add our batch script file', (use this plugin for editing multiple titles at once). Make sure to check 'Automatically Run Before Main Application' and 'Wait for Exit'. If you don't want to mess with Launchbox at all, use the alternative script that comes with it instead. Additionally, we highly recommend you to consider using Duimon's PSP shader preset for both the video file and PPSSPP libretro core, but without using the Duimon's intro animation, and make sure to use Duimon's recommended video settings for Retroarch. Also it's recommended to disable retroarch's game title splash screen.
- Similarly to RPCS3, you can use custom sound files for PPSSPP UI and game list navigation feedback sounds[1]. Also, you can use custom sound files for RetroAchievement notifications[2], 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
- 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.
References
- ↑ PPSSPP pull request: add menu and interface sounds
- ↑ PPSSPP pull request: Custom achievement sound effects
- ↑ PPSSPP pull request: Play the game's SND0.AT3 when a game is selected in the menu and on the "game screen".
- ↑ PPSSPP pull request: Show game background during controller/keyboard game selection
- ↑ PPSSPP forum: Where can I find PSP original font that supports full Unicode and can be used in emu?
- ↑ PPSSPP forum: Change font of PPSSPP
- ↑ There is a custom PPSSPP build for booting gameboot.pmf
