One of the most well-known emulators on Android is PPSSPP and for good reason. Now, PPSSPP got updated to version 1.5 and this will bring even better performance on newer Android devices since thanks to Vulkan support you can render games at higher resolutions with little to no stutter!
What is PPSSPP?
PPSSPP is a PSP emulator that’s open-source and available on a wide variety of platforms, from Android to Windows and many platforms in between (including jailbroken iOS). While it emulates PSP games, it has a wide range of other features, which are why it’s the go to emulator for our beloved PSP.
To change the backend to Vulkan, just press Settings -> Graphics -> Backend. Not all devices support Vulkan
Some of its features are:
- Ability to render games in any resolution you wish (even 4K if you please). This makes PSP games look great on larger screens with graphics that is comparable to PS2 (maybe early PS3 for titles such as Tekken 6) level for some titles!
- Compatibility with almost every PSP title so you can enjoy almost every title, whether it’s well-known or an unreleased obscure game.
- Support for on-screen controls if you’re using it on a mobile device so you don’t even need to lug about a controller with you if you plan on emulating the PSP on the go. It is recommended to use a controller even if you use it with your Android device on the go for the best experience
- Ability to use screen filters ,such as FXAA, and texture scaling.
- Ability to run PSP homebrew and use regular PSP saves so you can continue your game on real hardware if you please!
- Many other features including save states!
What got updated in version 1.5/1.5.2?
PPSSPP version 1.5 brings about the following to the table:
- Support for the Vulkan rendering API. This is an insanely fast rendering option for both PCs and Android devices. Thanks to this, PPSSPP can get massive performance increases on Android devices that support Vulkan. Vulkan support is available on devices THAT support it in the GPU and have updated drivers for it! Examples of devices that support it are the Galaxy S7/S8 and the Shield TV.
- Reduced CPU consumption on all rendering back ends which will mean better battery life on laptops/mobile devices.
- The UI on Android now supports languages with previously unsupported scripts such as Arabic.
- Various bug fixes and compatibility improvements. Thrillville and Medal of Honour for example received some fixes that make them work better.
Languages with different scripts that were previously unsupported, such as Arabic, are now supported!
PPSSPP version 1.5.2 is a bug fix update that fixes some common crashes in 1.5.
Conclusion
To get PPSSPP 1.5.2, you can follow the link below and grab the files for the platform of your choice. It’s important to note that the latest Play Store version as of writing this article is version 1.4.2 so you need to grab the APK directly off the link below!
PPSSPP download: https://ppsspp.org/downloads.html
Source code (and where you can report any bugs/issues): https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp
Source (News section): https://ppsspp.org/
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