PPSSPP, an app capable of emulating PSP games, has joined the expanding lineup of retro game emulators available on the iOS App Store. Although the program has been around for almost 12 years, it previously required workarounds for installation on iOS devices. “Thanks to Apple for relaxing their policies, allowing retro games console emulators on the store,” developer Henrik Rydgård announced. Earlier this year, Apple updated its developer guidelines, leading to the approval of emulators for Game Boy, DS, and PS1 games.
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Rydgård’s app is free to download, but a $5 “gold” version will be released soon, primarily to support his work. The paid version for Android includes extra features, but it’s mainly a way for users to contribute to the project. Currently, the iOS version of PPSSPP does not support the Magic Keyboard for the iPad, as compatibility was initially achieved through an undocumented API. Additionally, Retro Achievements are temporarily unavailable but will be reinstated in future updates.
Unlike its counterparts on other platforms, the App Store version of the emulator does not support the Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler, which optimizes code for smoother performance. This limitation is due to Apple’s rules, which Rydgård says are unlikely to change. Nonetheless, he assures that iOS devices are generally fast enough to run most PSP games at full speed, so users may not notice significant differences.
As with other emulators, PPSSPP on iOS only provides the emulator software. Users must source their own games, as Apple prohibits developers from including games they do not own the rights to.
