Emulators on Vita

PlayStation Vita

Developer	Sony
Type	Handheld game console
Generation	Eighth generation
Release date	2011
Discontinued	2019
Predecessor	PlayStation Portable
Emulated	~

For software that emulates the PS Vita, see PlayStation Vita emulators.

If you have a PSVita/PSTV on firmware version 3.60 to 3.73, you can turn it into a decent emulation device by installing the HENkaku homebrew enabler. If you're on the 3.60 firmware, you can obtain it henkaku, for 3.65-3.73 use Final h-encore. Those on firmware versions prior to 3.60 can update manually by following the instructions here. Furthermore, on versions 3.60 and 3.65 it's possible to use a bootloader patch called Ensō, which loads HENkaku automatically at boot: Ensō for 3.60, Ensō for 3.65. It's possible to downgrade firmware version with a tool called modoru. You can also use tools such as Vita Homebrew Browser to install homebrew directly on your PS Vita/PSTV.

Contents

Emulators via Adrenaline

Adrenaline is a software that modifies the official PSP Emulator using taiHEN CFW framework to make it run a PSP 6.61 custom firmware. Thanks to the power of taiHEN, Adrenaline can inject custom code into the IPL which allows unsigned code to run at boottime. You can use PSP Homebrew Browser to install homebrew to run through Adrenaline.

PSP-EMULATORS-INSTALLER (part of Adrenaline)

Version	git	FLOSS	✓ Recommended

Supported Emulators

ColEm PSP = ColecoVision CPS1PSP = CPS1 DaedalusX64 = Nintendo 64 EmuoDD = Magnavox Odyssey Fuse = ZX Spectrum 48K Handy = Atari Lynx MasterBoy = MasterSystem/GameGear/GB/GBC MVSPSP = NeoGeo MVS PicoDrive = MegaDrive/MasterSystem/GameGear/Genesis/CD/32X PSP7800 = Atari7800 Atari800 PSP = Atari800/800XL/130XE PSPAtari = Atari800/800XL/130XE PSPCap32 = Amstrad CPC/CPC464 PSPHuGo = PCE/PCECD/SGfx PSPInt = IntelliVision PSPThom = Thompson TO7 PSPVE = Vectrex RACE! PSP = Neo Geo Pocket/Color SNES9xTYLcm_mod = SNES SMSPSP = MasterSystem/GameGear VICE PSP = C64

PSVita-EMULATORS-INSTALLER

Version	git	FLOSS	✓ Recommended

Multi-system

RetroArch

Stable

Nightly

GitHub

BIOS : Download

Available cores

Core	Game/System	Working?	Notes
2048	2048	✓
blueMSX	MSX/SVI/ColecoVision/SG-1000	✓
DeSmuME	Nintendo DS	✗	Doesn't load
DOSBox	286 and 386	✓	Virtual keyboard required
EightyOne	Sinclair ZX 81	✓
FinalBurn Alpha (2012)	Arcade	✓	Uses FBA v0.2.97.30 ROM sets Main core (fbalpha2012_libretro) does not work, but platform-specific cores run at full speed
FinalBurn Neo		✓
FCEUmm	NES	✓
fMSX	MSX	✓
FUSE	ZX Spectrum	?	Loading more than one ROM in a single session will crash RetroArch
Gambatte	Game Boy/Color	✓
Gearsystem	Sega systems (SMS/GG/SG-1000)	?	Use Genesis Plus GX or Picodrive instead
Genesis Plus GX	Sega systems (SMS/GG/GEN/SCD/SG-1000)	✓	Redbook audio hangs when suspending or pausing RetroArch
gpSP	Game Boy Advance	✓	~50-60 FPS with dynarec
Handy	Atari Lynx	✓
MAME (2000)	Arcade	✓	Uses MAME 0.37b5 ROM sets Up to 60 FPS depending on game
MAME (2003)		✓	Uses MAME 0.78 ROM sets 30 FPS or less, FBN is recommended instead
MAME (2003Plus)		✓	Uses MAME 0.78 ROM sets 30 FPS or less, FBN is recommended instead
Mednafen	Neo Geo Pocket/Color	?	Loading more than one ROM in a single session will crash RetroArch
	PC Engine	✓
	Virtual Boy	✓	~25-30 FPS
	WonderSwan/Color	✓	Full speed on WS games, ~45-60 FPS on WSC games
Nestopia UE	NES	~	~55-60 FPS, use FCEUmm instead
NXEngine	Cave Story	✓
PCSX-ReARMed	PlayStation	✓	~50-60 FPS at standard resolution
PicoDrive	Sega systems (SMS/GG/GEN/SCD/32X/Pico)	✓	2D games run full speed, 3D games run about 30 FPS or less
PokeMini	Pokemon Mini	✓
PrBoom	Doom	✓
ProSystem	Atari 7800	✓
QuickNES	NES	✓
RACE	Neo Geo Pocket/Color	~	Least accurate but fastest NGP/C core, Use Mednafen (Beetle NeoPop) instead
Snes9x 2002 (PocketSNES)	Super Nintendo	✓	Least accurate but fastest SNES core
Snes9x 2005 (CATSFC)		✓	~55-60 FPS on standard games, ~50 FPS on Super FX games
Snes9x 2005+ (CATSFC Plus)		✓	Same as Snes9x 2005 but with better sound, at the cost of a few FPS
Snes9x 2010 (Snes9x Next)		✓	Most accurate but slowest SNES core (~40 FPS)
Stella	Atari 2600	?	Use Stella 2014 instead
Stella 2014	Atari 2600	✓
TGB Dual	Game Boy/Color	✓
TyrQuake	Quake	~	~40-50 FPS, use vitaQuake instead
VBA-Next	Game Boy Advance	✓	Barely runs full speed.
vecx	Vectrex	✓
VICE x128	Commodore 128	✓
VICE x64 (fast)	Commodore 64	✓
VICE x64sc (accurate)		✓
VICE xpet	Commodore PET	✓
VICE xplus4	Commodore Plus4	✓
VICE xvic	Commodore VIC20	✓
Yabause	Sega Saturn	~	Technically works but is unstably slow

Intel CPUs

Name	Latest Version	8086*¹	286	386*²	486*³	Pentium*⁴	Pentium II*⁵	Celeron*⁶	Pentium III*⁷	Pentium 4*⁸	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
UniPCemu	itch.io	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓	?

*¹8086 emulation includes the 8088 CPU. *²386 emulation includes the SX and SL. *³486 emulation includes variants. *⁴Pentium emulation includes variants. *⁵Pentium II emulation includes variants. *⁶Celeron emulation includes variants. *⁷Pentium III emulation includes variants. *⁸Pentium 4 emulation includes variants.

Stream

PC

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
Moonlight HD	0.9.1	✓	✓	~

Arcade Systems

Arcade

Name	Version	FLOSS	CPS1/2/3	MVS/AES	NeoCD	Other	Active	Recommended
pFBA	git git (Mod) 1.57	✓	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓

Nintendo

Game Boy Advance

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
mGBA	VitaDB	✓	✓	~*
UO gpSP Kai (Adrenaline)	3.4 test 4 build 230	✗	✗	✓
TempGBA4PSP-mod (Adrenaline)	git	✓	✗	~

* GBA is slow (~40-50 FPS depending on the game) but highly compatible.

Game Boy / Color

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
mGBA	0.10.2VitaDB	✓	✓	✓
PlutoBoy	git	✓	✓	~
RealBoy-Vita	git1.2	✓	✗	~

NES

Name	Version	FLOSS	SuperFX	Recommended
pFBA	git 1.57	✓	✓	✓
pFBN	git 4.3	✓	✓	✓
NES4Vita	1.0	✗	✗	✗

SNES

Name	Version	FLOSS	SuperFX	Recommended
CATSFC-libretro-vita	gitMod	✓	✓**	✓*
pSNES	git VitaDB	✓	✓**	✓*
Snes9xVITA	git1.1	✓	✓**	~

* Retroarch has better SNES emulation
** SuperFX emulation isn't running at full speed

Nintendo DS

Name	Download	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
NooDS	git	✓	✓	~ (WIP)
DeSmuME-Vita (MasterFeizz)	git0.2	✓	✗	✗*
DeSmuME-Vita (xerpi)	0.1git**	✓	✗	?
MelonDS Vita	git	✓	✗	✗

* No dynamic recompiler, runs very slow
** No official binary available, but an unofficial one can be found here.

Nintendo 64

Name	Download	FLOSS	Recommended
DaedalusX64-vitaGL	0.6 nightly git	✓	✓*
DaedalusX64 (Adrenaline)	git	✓	✗**

* WIP, Some stutters, See here for compatibilty.
** Needs to run through Adrenaline, Some stutters, Average compatibilty

Sega

Genesis / MasterSystem

Name	Version	FLOSS	GEN	CD	SMS	GG	Recommended
Genesis Plus GX	git1.7.5 RC	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Pgen	6.6	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
SMSplusVITA	git1.3.1	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗

Dreamcast

Name	Download	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
flyCast-Vita	1.1	✓	✓	~

Sony

PlayStation

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	BIN/CUE	ISO	PSX2PSP	Multi-Disc Games	Recommended
Adrenaline	git VitaDB	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓
PCSX-ReARMed	02-10-2016 Nightly	✗	✓ libretro	✓	✓	✗	✓	~

PlayStation Portable

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
Adrenaline	git v7	✓	✓	✓

Other

Android

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended	Notes
YoYo Loader Vita	Nightly	✓	✓	✓	For Android games made with GameMaker Studio, compatibility list

Atari Lynx

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
Handy Vita	git1.4	✓	✗	~

Neo Geo Pocket / Color

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
NeoPop Vita	git0.71.15	✓	✗	~

Chip8 / SChip8

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
MicroChip8	1.0	✗	✗	~
Vita-8	git	✓	✗	✗

Commodore 64

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
VICEVita	git1.2	✓	✓	~

Amiga 500 / 1200

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
UAE4All2	git2.00	✓	✓	~

ZX Spectrum

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
ZXVita	1.2.0	✗	✓	~

OpenBOR

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
OpenBOR	git1.2	✓	✓	~

MacOS 2.x

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
Basilisk ll	git0.33h	✓	✓	~

Pico-8

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
FAKE-08	git 0.0.2.13	✓	✓	~

Visual Novels

Name	Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
Kirikiri Vita	1.0.3	✗	~	~
ONScripter-jh-PSVita	0.5.1.1	✓	~	~
ONScripter-Vita	1.0	?	?	?
March22 (LLP)	1.0	✗	~	~
DDLC-LOVE	1.2.2	✓	?	?
Doki Doki Literature Club Vita	1.0.1	✓	?	?
Ren’Py	Git	✓	?	~
Contract-Demon	Git	?	?	?

Ports

Doom

Name	Version	FLOSS	Doom	Heretic/Hexen	Chex	ZDoom Compatibility	Multiplayer	Recommended
PRBoom+	1.2	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✗	✓
VitaDoom	1.1	✓	✓	✗	?	✗	✗	✗
Chocolate Doom	3.1	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓
PRBoom (Retroarch)	2.5.0	✗	✓	✗	~*	✗	✗	~
Odamex	git	✓	✓	✓	✓	~ (ZDoom 1.22)	✗	~**

* Chex Quest is very glitchy
** Very WIP, sound is not working, multiplayer is disabled.

Quake I

Name	CD Audio Support	Multiplayer	Texture Pack Support	Recommended
Quakespasm-Spiked	✓	✓	✓	✓
vitaQuake	✓	✓	✓	✓
TyrQuake (Retroarch)	✓	✗	✗	✗

Quake II

Name	CD Audio Support	Multiplayer	Texture Pack Support	Recommended
vitaQuakeII	✓	✓	✓	~

Quake III

Name	Multiplayer	Recommended
vitaQuakeIII	✓	~

Wolfenstein 3D

Name	Spear of Destiny	Recommended
vitaWolfen	✓	~

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Name	Multiplayer	Recommended
vitaRTCW	~ (WIP)	~*

* Runs at about 20-30 FPS.

Duke Nukem 3D

Name	Music	Recommended
EDuke32 Vita	✓	~*
jfduke3d-vita	?	?

* Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition is also available for PSVITA

Half-Life

Name	Multiplayer	Recommended
vitaXash3D	✓	~

* Joysticks don't work with MiniVitaTV plugin installed.

Hexen II

Name	CD Audio Support	Texture Pack Support	Recommended
vitaHexenII	✓	?	✓

2048

• 2048-Vita (Download)
• 2048 (Retroarch)

Outrun

• Cannonball (Download)

Diablo

• DevilutionX (Download)

Helltaker

• Helltaker (Download)

Granny

• Granny (Download)

Prince of Persia

• SDL Prince of Persia Vita (Download)
• Prince Of Persia (cpasjuste) (Download)

Star Trek Voyager

• vitaVoyager (Download)

Mario

• uMario (Download)
• Super Mario 64 (git)
• Super Mario BOOM (Download)
• TheXTech (Super Mario Bros X) (Download)
• Super Mario War (Download)

Sonic

• Sonic 1 (Download)
• Sonic 1 Remake (Download)
• Sonic 2 (Download)
• Sonic 2 Remake (download)
• Sonic CD (Download)
• Sonic Mania (Download)

Final Fantasy

• Final Fantasy III Remake (Download)
• Final Fantasy IV Remake (Download)
• Final Fantasy V (Download)

Grand Theft Auto

• re3-vita (GTA III) (Download)
• reVC-vita (GTA Vice City) (Download)
• GTA: SA Vita (GTA San Andreas) (Download)
• GTA: CTW Vita (GTA Chinatown Wars) (Download)
• Pastebin links to the complete GTA Trilogy for the Vita

Max Payne

• Max Payne (Download)

Heroes of Might and Magic II

• fheroes2-vita (Download)

Cannon Fodder

• OpenFodder Vita (Download)

Xcom

• OpenXcom (Download)

OpenTTD

• OpenTTD (Download)

See Also

• Emulators on PSP
• Emulators on Switch
• Emulators on 3DS

External links

• Vita Hack guide (hacks.guide)
• List of emulators and homebrew for the Vita (GBAtemp)
• List of emulators for the Vita (Wololo)
• Official RetroArch Vita thread (Libretro)
• RetroArch/Libretro thread (GBAtemp)
• Collection for Henkaku Hombrew (PSXHax)