Revive Retro Gaming: Playing PSP Classics on iPhone

Do you miss playing games on your good old Sony PSP? If you still have it around, you can play all the PSP games you’ve owned on your iPhone using an emulator like PPSSPP. Read along to learn how to do so.

Use PPSSPP to Emulate PSP Games on iPhone

PPSSPP is a PSP emulator that has been around for over a decade and is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and many other platforms. While iOS builds of PPSSPP have been available for a long time, you previously had to sideload the app through AltStore , but you can now download it directly from the App Store.

Using emulators to play games is within legal bounds; however, it’s crucial to note that downloading ISOs for games you don’t own is strictly illegal.

Download: PPSSPP (Free)

To install and emulate games using PPSSPP, follow these steps:

1. Use the Files app to save the ISO file of your game in a directory you can remember. You can extract the ISO file of a game you own using a PSP with custom firmware like pspunk .
2. Go to PPSSPP’s App Store page and tapGet to download and install it on your iPhone.
3. Open the app and tapLoad to select your ISO file.
   
4. Navigate to the directory where you stored your ISO file and tap on it to launch the game. You can play the game using the on-screen controls, but I strongly recommend connecting a controller to your iPhone for a better experience.
   

If you have an older iPhone, like an iPhone Xs, and you’re trying to play more demanding games, you may experience stuttering and low frame rate. To improve performance, you can lower the resolution by tappingSettings > Graphics and settingRendering Resolution to1 x PSP .

Console emulation has completely changed gaming on iPhones, and quite frankly, I prefer it over traditional mobile games. It’s a fantastic way to play amazing games without any ads or microtransactions.

I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines using PPSSPP recently, but I also strongly recommend other titles like God of War: Ghost of Sparta or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, which are excellent games from major AAA studios.