PPSSPP

Open-source PlayStation Portable emulator for desktop, Android and iOS.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 3
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About PPSSPP

PPSSPP is the standard emulator for Sony's PlayStation Portable. It plays most of the PSP library at full speed even on modest phones, and on a PC it can render games at several times the original resolution, upscale textures and apply post-processing shaders, so many titles look sharper than they did on the handheld. Save states, customisable on-screen touch controls, controller support and ad hoc multiplayer are included, and you can bring over saves from a real PSP. It's open source under the GPL 2.0 or later and free to use. A paid PPSSPP Gold edition offers essentially the same emulator and exists mainly to fund development. Builds are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, plus Xbox and some VR headsets. You need to dump your own UMD discs or digital purchases, and a few games still need per-game tweaks.

Best for: Anyone who wants to replay PSP games on a phone or PC, often at higher resolution.

What works

Runs most PSP games well, even on low-end phones
HD rendering, texture scaling and shaders improve old games
Available on nearly every platform, including iOS
Free version has the core features of the paid Gold edition

Why people leave

Only covers the PSP
Some games need per-game settings to fix graphical glitches
Online multiplayer takes some setup

Top PPSSPP alternatives

See all 3

1
RetroArch
Its PPSSPP core lets you play PSP games alongside other consoles with shared shaders and controls.
66.5
2
OpenEmu
Mac-only front end with a tidy library for older consoles, worth a look if you play more than PSP games.
62.6
3
Dolphin
The same polished standalone approach, for Nintendo's GameCube and Wii instead.
59.6

Why people left PPSSPP

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PPSSPP: common questions

Is PPSSPP free?

Yes. PPSSPP is free, open-source software.

Is PPSSPP open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at hrydgard/ppsspp.

What platforms does PPSSPP run on?

PPSSPP is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

What are the best alternatives to PPSSPP?

The highest-ranked PPSSPP alternatives right now are RetroArch, OpenEmu and Dolphin. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 3 PPSSPP alternatives

PPSSPP facts

4 of 4 verified

License: GPL 2.0 or later; Checked Oct 25, 2026ppsspp.org(opens source in a new tab); “licensed under the GPL 2.0 (or later).”
Platforms: Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “Description: A PSP emulator for Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and iOS, written in C++.”
Save states: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026ppsspp.org(opens source in a new tab); “Save and restore game state anywhere, anytime”
Resolution: Full HD and higher; Checked Oct 25, 2026ppsspp.org(opens source in a new tab); “PPSSPP can run your PSP games on your PC or Android phone in full HD resolution or even higher.”