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The 10 Best PSP Emulators of All Time

Published

10 months ago

June 29, 2023

What are the best PSP emulators of all time?

The PlayStation Portable was released in North America in 2005, and it revolutionized the world of portable gaming systems for a generation.

While the PSP was discontinued in 2014, fans still want to revisit their favorite games, even if they no longer have the console.

Thankfully, numerous PSP emulators have since made it possible to play classic PSP games on phones and computers so that fans can still get their fix.

The Best PSP Emulators of All Time

There are a lot of PSP emulators available for download, and it can be hard to understand which ones can provide the gaming experience you want.

Fortunately, we’ve ranked some of the most well-developed emulators so that you can easily find the one that you need.

Here’s our list of the 10 best PSP emulators of all time:

10. JPCSP

JPCSP is a Java-based PSP emulator, and it has long been used as an emulator for PCs. Created in 2008, it has largely been abandoned for the past eight years, but fans of the emulator have taken strides to keep it going.

While it is noticeably slower than other emulators, such as the PPSSPP emulator, due to its use of Java, JPCSP is better suited for debugging, which was the main goal in its design.

Although it isn’t a standard emulator, it does boast a good deal of stability. Its open-source code is also primarily responsible for developing other emulators, making it worth noting even if it isn’t the best.

This emulator isn’t necessarily recommended for gamers looking to jump into their favorite PSP games.

However, thanks to the efforts of the dedicated community, this emulator can still be downloaded from the JPCSP website, and for those interested in the development side of emulators, this is one of the best to start with.

9. PSPlay

The PSPlay PSP emulator is one of the most advanced PSP emulators for Android devices, and it can be a solid option to download if you want to play your favorite PSP games on the go.

Available on the Google Play store, the PSP emulator has a modern design, Bluetooth controller support, high-performance quality, screen control, and enhanced graphics rendering.

If you don’t feel like using a Bluetooth controller, the PSPlay also has an easy-to-use on-screen controller option that makes playing some of the best racing games of all time easier than ever.

This is one of the best PSP emulators for those looking to jump into games without any lengthy or complicated installation requirements.

Although it is only number nine on our list, PSPlay is worth checking out if you want a simple, reliable PSP Android emulator.

8. DamonPS2 Pro

The DamonPS2 Pro emulator is an incredible emulator that boasts impressive speed, the fastest of any PSP emulator, as well as an array of other desirable features.

In addition to being the fastest PSP emulator, it can also run 90% of all PSP games and use a PSP memory card to save games.

Along with this, gamers can also use any gamepad and cheat code on this emulator, including those from some of the best GTA games.

The biggest downside is that this PSP emulator isn’t a free version, and it will run you $9.99 on the Google Play store.

While this may be a dealbreaker for some gamers looking for free options, the upside is that there are no immersion-breaking ads in this emulator, and you can also use it to play PS2 games.

If you’re not afraid to drop some cash on a solid and reliable emulator, this is one option that you should seriously consider if you want one of the best PSP emulators for Android devices.

7. Enjoy

As the name suggests, there is a lot to enjoy with this PSP emulator, and it is one of the best PSP emulators for Android. It is also completely free, unlike the DamonPS2 Pro.

Despite not being the fastest PSP emulator, Enjoy has loads of other features that help it stand out from the rest, including high definition graphics, an extensive PSP game compatibility list, high-quality audio, and the ability to run ISO, CSO, and PPS formats.

The Enjoy emulator is incredibly smooth, and the quality of the games is nearly equal to what you could get on the PC or even the PS4.

If you’re looking for one of the best PSP emulators for Android devices that you can download for free, this is one that you’ll definitely want to try for yourself.

6. Sunshine

The Sunshine emulator is another one of the best PSP emulators for Android device users who want to game on the go.

Using PPSSPP’s open-source code — the best emulator on this list — Sunshine is a reliable emulator that can provide an excellent platform for playing some of your favorite games.

Sunshine takes the number six spot on this list for a few significant reasons: mainly for its smooth performance and high-quality graphics, even in high FPS titles like some of the best fighting games of all time.

This PSP emulator app also gives users the ability to save their game state at any point and load it back into where they left off. It even features an easy-to-navigate interface that makes it friendly for beginners.

If you just want to play games without worrying about a lengthy setup or frustrating interface, the Sunshine emulator absolutely warrants your attention.

5. Rocket PSP

When it comes to the best PSP emulators, the Rocket PSP emulator is one of the newest on the scene, but it has definitely been attracting a lot of attention from fans.

Another PSP emulator that uses the PPSSPP emulator’s code, the Rocket PSP emulator, is slightly less advanced.

Still, it boasts reliable performance, an easy networking system, and the ability to run ISO, CSO, and PSP ROM formats.

Designed by Emul World Limited — the same developers of Enjoy — this is one of the best PSP emulators for Android that is completely free to download. However, you can expect some ads during your playtime.

While the presence of ads may put some gamers off, many fans consider it a worthy trade-off for everything that it offers.

Another benefit of the Rocket PSP emulator is that, because it is relatively new, it is still being worked on, meaning that those who use it can count on updates that continue making it even better so that you can keep tackling the toughest video game bosses without worrying about lag.

4. OpenEmu

Available for macOS, OpenEmu is a powerhouse and one of the best PSP emulators that can also emulate numerous other consoles from the Atari 2600 all the way up to the SNES.

The OpenEmu emulator makes playing all of your favorite PSP games easier than ever, and it even alphabetizes all the games that you add to it automatically and lists them under the correct consoles, making them easy to find whenever you want to jump into them.

This unified library puts even Steam to shame, and navigating it is so incredibly easy that anyone can use it, even if they have never used an emulator before.

OpenEmu also benefits from automatically mapping controls for a wide variety of controllers.

Users won’t have to worry about manually mapping the controls themselves, which can be both frustrating and confusing if you’ve never done it before.

All of these features are made even more impressive when you consider that this emulator is completely free, and the OpenEmu website contains an extensive troubleshooting and user help section that makes it easy to get help with any issues.

If you have a macOS and want to get the best PSP emulator possible, OpenEmu shouldn’t be overlooked.

Though if you do end up loving this PSP emulator, you may want to invest in a comfortable gaming chair as you’re going to be spending a lot of time replaying all the games that this emulator can support!

3. Rapid PSP

The Rapid PSP emulator is one of the best PSP emulators for Android, and it doesn’t limit the PlayStation Portable experience to newer phones.

While this free app may be seen as a reskinned version of the PPSSPP emulator, it offers a slightly different experience that absolutely anyone can enjoy.

Completely free to use, it allows users to save and load at any time and connect to external controllers for more straightforward gameplay.

It also isn’t limited by most phones, meaning that even those still rocking an android smartphone from five years ago can run the Rapid PSP emulator without worrying about a loss of quality when playing supported PlayStation Portable games.

Overall, the Rapid PSP emulator is a simple, easy-to-use app that makes it effortless to play PSP games without worrying about hardware limitations or having to invest in a better Android smartphone to get the most out of it.

2. RetroArch

The RetroAtrch is one of the few PSP emulators available on multiple platforms, from Android smartphones and PCs to Macs and jailbroken iPhones and iPads.

When ranking the best PSP emulators, RetroArch easily takes the number two spot for both everything it features and the number of consoles that it can emulate.

Using specialized cores, RetroArch can play PSP, N64, NES, SNES, Wii, PlayStation games, and many others. You can even play the best GameCube games on it!

The biggest downside to this emulator is that you can’t just download it and start to play PSP games. Instead, you need to download individual cores and select the one you want to use before starting a game.

While this does make it less user-friendly than others on this list, the RetroArch FAQ goes through everything that new users need to know to get this emulator up and running.

If you want an emulator to run PSP games, as well as games from other systems, and aren’t afraid to put in a little bit of work, RetroArch can be a great option to choose.

1. PPSSPP

This may not come as a huge surprise to users and fans of this emulator, but PPSSPP is by far the best PSP emulator, hands down.

The PPSSPP emulator stands out for numerous reasons, and it is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

It can be rare to find an emulator to run on so many platforms, making PPSSPP even more impressive when compared to other PSP emulators.

Not only can this emulator play games in HD with a resolution to rival even the best PS4 games, but it is incredibly user-friendly. So user-friendly, in fact, that even your grandmother could use it with ease!

Along with its HD graphics, this emulator also boasts custom on-screen controls, external controller support, any time save states, texture scaling, and anisotropic filtering. You can even transfer saves to and from your PSP to this emulator.

Despite being released in 2012, this PSP emulator is still getting regular updates, ensuring that it hasn’t been left behind like a few others on this list.

There’s a reason that so many other PSP emulators are based on PPSSPP’s source code, and it has proven time and time again to be the best PSP emulator you can download.

Although there are ads with the free version of PPSSPP, the mobile pro version is only $4.99. If you enjoy using the free version, it can be worth upgrading not only to remove the ads but to support the hardworking developers of this emulator!

Summary

If you want to play PSP games on your Android device or computer, you’re going to need a reliable emulator.

Thankfully, these 10 PSP emulators offer great ways to play PSP games across all your devices, and they all bring unique features to the table.

While PPSSPP takes the title of best PSP emulator, it’s worth keeping all of these emulators in mind, as you never know which one will work best for your gaming needs!

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best PSP emulators of all time: