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hrydgard/ppsspp

★ 13,790C++Audience · generalComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A free, open-source PSP emulator that lets you play PlayStation Portable games on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and iOS, with graphical enhancements beyond what the original hardware could do.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((PPSSPP))
    What it does
      PSP emulation
      Graphic enhancement
      Multiplayer online
    Platforms
      Android
      Windows Mac Linux
      iOS
    Features
      Higher resolution
      Texture upscaling
      RetroAchievements
    Controls
      Touch on screen
      DualSense DualShock
      Switch Pro
    Audience
      Gamers
      Retro gaming fans
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Play PSP games on your Android phone or Windows PC at higher resolutions than the original hardware.

USE CASE 2

Apply texture upscaling filters to make PSP game graphics look sharper on a modern screen.

USE CASE 3

Connect with friends for local wireless multiplayer PSP games over the internet using relay servers.

USE CASE 4

Track achievements in classic PSP games through the RetroAchievements integration.

Tech stack

C++

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

You need to provide your own legally obtained PSP game files, the emulator does not include any game content.

Free to use and modify, but any changes you distribute must also be released under the same GPL license.

In plain English

PPSSPP is a free, open-source emulator for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP), a handheld game console released in 2005. It lets you play PSP games on Android phones, Windows PCs, Macs, Linux machines, and iOS devices. The project has been in active development since 2012 and does not require a PSP BIOS file to run games, because it uses a technique called HLE (high-level emulation) that re-implements the system software directly. The emulator is known for being fast and compatible with a wide range of PSP titles. It includes graphical enhancements that go beyond what the original hardware could do: you can run games at higher resolutions than the PSP's native screen, apply texture upscaling filters to make low-resolution textures look sharper, and adjust various rendering settings. A community-run compatibility database tracks how well individual games run. PPSSPP supports local wireless multiplayer (called ad hoc on the PSP) through relay servers, which allows players on different devices to connect as if they were on the same local network. There is also integration with RetroAchievements, a service that adds achievement tracking to classic games. Controls are flexible. On mobile devices you use on-screen touch controls, which can now be positioned separately for landscape and portrait orientations. Physical controllers are also supported, including the Sony DualSense, DualShock, and Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, with native tilt control support for DualSense on Windows. The project is open source under the GPL license and welcomes contributions through GitHub pull requests and bug reports. Active development channels include Discord and a public issue tracker. Recent updates have focused on UI improvements, multiplayer reliability, graphical fixes for specific games, and controller support. The full README is longer than what was shown.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to play PSP games on my Android phone using PPSSPP. Walk me through setting it up from scratch, including where to get the app and how to load a game file.
Prompt 2
How do I improve graphics in PPSSPP? What resolution and texture upscaling settings should I use for a modern PC monitor?
Prompt 3
I want to use PPSSPP local multiplayer to play with a friend online. How do I set up the relay server connection?
Prompt 4
How do I connect a DualSense controller to PPSSPP on Windows and configure the button mapping?
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