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PPSSPP

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PPSSPP
Original authorHenrik Rydgård (a.k.a. hrydgard)
DeveloperPPSSPP Team
ReleaseNovember 1, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-11-01)
Stable release
1.20.3 / March 3, 2026; 5 months ago (2026-03-03)
Written inC++, C[1]
Operating systemWindows, macOS, Linux, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10, Symbian, Pandora, Wii U
PlatformIA-32, x86-64, ARM, ARM64
Size16.1 MB: Windows 32-bit
18.1 MB: Windows 64-bit
19.7 MB: macOS 64-bit
28.2 MB: Android
10.0 MB: BlackBerry 10
9.2 MB: Symbian
44.7 MB: Source code
41.2 MB: iOS
Available in
38 languages
TypeVideo game console emulator
LicenseGNU GPLv2+
Websitewww.ppsspp.org Edit this on Wikidata
Repository

PPSSPP (an acronym for "PlayStation Portable Simulator Suitable for Playing Portably") is a free and open-source PSP emulator currently being developed for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S[2][3] and formerly for Nintendo Wii U, BlackBerry 10, MeeGo, Pandora, DragonBox Pyra, Symbian, Maemo, Windows 10 Mobile and Xbox 360[4] with a focus on speed and portability.[5] It was released to the public on November 1, 2012, licensed under the GNU GPLv2 or later. The PPSSPP project was created by Henrik Rydgård, one of the co-founders of the Dolphin emulator.[6]

Features and development

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PPSSPP supports save states, dynamic recompilation (JIT) and has rudimentary support of ad hoc wireless networking. To decode PSP multimedia data PPSSPP uses the FFmpeg software library, which was enhanced to enable it to handle Sony's proprietary ATRAC3plus audio format as used by the PSP. PPSSPP offers graphical features that are enhancements over the PSP's capabilities, such as higher screen resolutions, antialiasing, image scaling, support for shaders, and linear and anisotropic filtering.

The ports of PPSSPP for mobile devices offer additional features specific to each platform, such as 'immersive mode' for Android devices, support of the multimedia buttons within Symbian devices and screen stretching on BlackBerry 10 devices to support square screens. All ports of PPSSPP for mobile devices support the use of accelerometers, keyboards and gamepads as input devices.

PPSSPP also supports the Vulkan API, which was added in v1.5.4 release and is intended to provide a substantial performance boost on supported devices.[7]

Portability

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Since its inception, PPSSPP has had a focus on portability with support for multiple architectures and operating systems. While initially only supporting Microsoft Windows and Android, this quickly grew to include BlackBerry 10, Symbian, macOS, Linux and later iOS.[8][9] The source code also unofficially supports a wide variety of operating systems and platforms, including Raspberry Pi, Loongson, Maemo, Universal Windows Platform (Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows 10 Mobile), MeeGo Harmattan and Pandora.[10]

During 2013, a port was in development for Xbox 360.[11] Although the port was abandoned, the support code remains, offering support for big-endian CPUs and DirectX compatible GPUs. A proof of concept port to the Wii U was also being worked on in 2018[12] and 2020.[13] A Nintendo Switch port first released in 2019.[14]

To aid with the portability, two cross-platform development libraries—SDL and Qt—are able to be used in addition to the non-portable Blackberry, Android, and Win32 interfaces. The Qt frontend was instrumental in adding support for platforms such as Symbian.[15] The Qt frontend is able to support all officially supported platforms and is the suggested alternative if no native interface exists.[16]

The project is known for trying to keep supporting older devices for relatively long. The MeeGo port saw its last release in 2013, and interest to keep up the Symbian and BlackBerry ports faded only in 2015.[17] ARMv6 support for Android was dropped in 2014.[18] Windows XP enjoyed official support until 2019[19] and Android 4.1 all the way until 2025.[20] A so-called "Legacy Edition" exists for Android to maintain support for older devices that run on Android versions prior to the introduction of scoped storage.[21]

As of March 2017, 984 games are playable in PPSSPP, while 67 games load to some frame of in-game state. 4 games can only reach the main menu or introduction sequence.[22] As of July 2020, almost all games are playable in PPSSPP emulator.[23]

In 2024 the iOS version was released on the Apple App Store, following a change in Apple's developer guidelines which now allows the publishing of emulators for legacy video game systems. The App Store release lacks the ability to use just-in-time compilation due to restrictions by Apple, though the developers also noted that contemporary Apple devices should be able to run most games at full speed even on an interpreter.[24]

Platform support

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Summary of PPSSPP platform support as of 2026[25]
Platformx86-32x86-64ARM32ARM64PowerPCRV64LA64
AndroidRemovedYesYesYesN/aNoN/a
iOSN/aN/aRemoved?YesN/aN/aN/a
WindowsYesYesUnofficially, now removedYesN/aN/aN/a
macOSNoNoN/aYesNoN/aN/a
LinuxYesYesYesYesNoYesYes
UWPRemovedYesRemovedYesN/aN/aN/a
SwitchN/aN/aN/aSemi-officialN/aN/aN/a
DragonBox Pyra †N/aN/aUnofficial, now abandonedN/aN/aN/aN/a
Pandora †N/aN/aUnofficial, now abandonedN/aN/aN/aN/a
BlackBerry 10 †?N/aRemovedN/aN/aN/aN/a
Symbian^3 †?N/aRemovedN/aN/aN/aN/a
MeeGo †?N/aRemovedN/aN/aN/aN/a
Maemo 5 †?N/aRemovedN/aN/aN/aN/a
Wii U †N/aN/aN/aN/aPoC, now removedN/aN/a
Xbox 360 †N/aN/aN/aN/aPoC, now removedN/aN/a

† Indicates a legacy or completely deprecated platform.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "PPSSPP on Github.com". GitHub. 25 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "How to turn your Xbox Series X/S into an emulation powerhouse". 24 November 2020.
  3. ↑ https://www.ppsspp.org/download/
  4. ↑ https://www.ppsspp.org/legacybuilds/
  5. ↑ PPSSPP Downloads - PSP emulator for Android, Windows, and many more, hrydgard, archived from the original on 2013-08-06, retrieved 2013-09-14
  6. ↑ PPSSPP: PSP emulator for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, MacOSX, Blackberry, Symbian, hrydgard, archived from the original on 2013-08-06, retrieved 2013-09-14
  7. ↑ PPSSPP picks up Vulkan graphics support and more in latest update, Android Police, 6 December 2017, retrieved 2018-09-02
  8. ↑ "Best PlayStation emulators for desktop PCS". 5 February 2020.
  9. ↑ PPSSPP: PSP emulator for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, MacOSX, Blackberry, Symbian, hrydgard, archived from the original on 2014-04-07, retrieved 2014-06-26
  10. ↑ PPSSPP PSP Emulator Development Guide, hrydgard, retrieved 2014-06-26
  11. ↑ Ced2911/ppsspp, ced2911, retrieved 2014-06-26
  12. ↑ preliminary port to WiiU., aliaspider, retrieved 2026-08-10
  13. ↑ Big Endian fixes., aliaspider, retrieved 2026-08-10
  14. ↑ PPSSPP early access for Nintendo Switch, m4xw, archived from the original on 2026-08-10, retrieved 2026-08-10
  15. ↑ Qt for PSP emulator, xsacha, archived from the original on 2015-12-08, retrieved 2014-06-26
  16. ↑ Build instructions · hrydgard/ppsspp Wiki, retrieved 2014-06-26
  17. ↑ PPSSPP Builds, xsacha, archived from the original on 2015-11-27, retrieved 2015-11-27
  18. ↑ Drop support for ARMv6 and Froyo on Android in 0.9.7?, hrydgard, retrieved 2026-08-10
  19. ↑ Fix VS2019 builds and remove _xp dependency - #11995, LunaMoo, retrieved 2026-08-10
  20. ↑ Add support for 16kb page size on Android - #19658, hrydgard, retrieved 2026-08-10
  21. ↑ PPSSPP Legacy Edition for Android, hrydgard, archived from the original on 2026-08-10, retrieved 2026-08-10
  22. ↑ Compatibility List, livisor, 2013-03-10, retrieved 2017-03-20
  23. ↑ Games List, PPSSPP, 2020-07-11, retrieved 2020-07-11
  24. ↑ Davis, Wes (2024-05-15). "PPSSPP brings PSP emulation to the iPhone". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  25. ↑ Porting PPSSPP, archived from the original on 2026-08-10, retrieved 2026-08-10
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