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The iOS App Store has welcomed a significant new addition for retro gaming enthusiasts: PPSSPP, a well-known PlayStation Portable (PSP) emulator.
This development comes as Apple relaxed its policies earlier this year, allowing game emulators to be on its platform and broadening the horizons for classic game lovers.
Developed by Henrik Rydgård, PPSSPP has been in development for nearly twelve years and is available on other platforms, such as Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Its arrival on iOS on May 16 marks the first time users can officially download it directly from the App Store without needing workaround solutions such as jailbreaking.
PPSSPP supports a wide array of PSP game titles. Users must provide their game files in ISO or CSO format, as the emulator is not preloaded with games.
It also includes free homemade games via the built-in “Homebrew Store.” The app is compatible with devices running iOS 12.0 or later, including iPhones, iPads, and Vision Pro.
Despite the excitement, the iOS version of PPSSPP does have some limitations compared to its counterparts on other platforms. Notably, it does not support Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation due to Apple’s restrictions, which can optimize performance.
Other features, like support for the iPad Magic Keyboard and RetroAchievements, are temporarily unavailable but are expected to return in future updates.
The PPSSPP emulator is free to download, but a $4.99 gold version, similar to its Android counterpart, is planned. This paid version primarily supports the developer’s ongoing work rather than offering significant additional functionality. At the time of writing, PPSSPP is the #1 app in the App Store’s Developer Tools section.
PPSSPP’s release on the App Store comes just a few weeks after Apple embraced retro gaming by adding the Nintendo Delta emulator.
