PPSSPP - PSP emulator

PPSSPP is a PSP emulator with an extensive graphical user interface.

The PSP was released several years ago, in 2004, as Sony's first portable console offering. The next iteration of the PSP, the PS Vita, followed in 2011. So it may come as a surprise that the PSP emulator, PPSSPP, came out first in 2012. While this means it's been in development for less time, it also means that PPSSPP has a bevy of modern features making it easier to use, chief among them portability. PPSSPP not only runs on Windows, but also on Mac OS X, Linux, Android and many other platforms.

The emulator itself is of very high quality. Although competing emulators may run some games better, any player on a modern system will not notice the difference: PPSSPP is well-optimized to run any original PSP game you throw at it, and to control well while doing it, on keyboard or gamepad. PPSSPP even boasts high compatibility with controllers from other consoles and with gamepads, which is very useful for games that demand use of the control sticks!

In general, PPSSPP is a very easy emulator to use. Outside of cases where it doesn't manage to run the games you want to, it is very easy to configure, and outside of edge cases like removing data from your memory card, the graphical user interface that opens when you start the emulator can do just about everything easily. The GUI even serves as a hub for all of your games, letting you play your PSP titles in a few fewer clicks! You could even joke that PPSSPP's only disadvantage is its slightly unwieldy name.

In spite of its few flaws, PPSSPP is an excellent emulator for anyone wishing to play titles that were released on the PSP. With many classic PSP titles becoming harder and harder to find these days, and PSPs themselves coming in a variety of shapes and firmwares each hard to find themselves, emulating the PSP is a solid option for revisiting that game console, and PPSSPP is one of the best emulators to do it on.

Pros

• Runs games with a fairly high degree of compatibility
• Fast and responsive even on older machines
• Graphical user interface makes managing games and saves easy
• Compatible with controllers, gamepads and other accessories

Cons

• Configuring the program for when games are unplayable, slow, etc. can be difficult
• Somewhat confusing plugin/save game structure; deleting save games requires entering the game folder