PPSSPP - PSP emulator 1.17.1

Remember the PSP? Well I do. I remember the first time I held it. Having such a powerful multimedia device in my hands felt quite amazing more than 10 years ago. However, time passed and the wonder of having 3D capabilities in small packages has worn off with the advent of tablets, phablets and other time consuming and sociability killing gadgets. PPSSPP (and I'm not attempting to simulate a stutter here) rekindles the nostalgia.

If by any chance you happen to have access to PSP ROMS, but your handheld console is lying in pieces or simply nonexistent, PPSSPP can help you experience the dawn of mobile 3D gaming. PPSSPP picks up PSP ROM files automatically and adds them to the collection. There is no configuration necessary to run these games. However, you might want to explore the settings a bit beforehand.

There is quite a lot to configure in the Graphics menu. As this app has barely any compatibility restrictions (I can install it on my Android 2.0 phone, apparently) you can certainly get sub-optimal performance if you over-estimate your device capabilities. Another important aspect are the controls. Being a touch platform, the simulated buttons might clutter the interface and cover important visual elements. So in order to minimize this, PPSSPP allows you to move, hide and resize the buttons and control stick.

As far as I've experienced, games run smoothly if setting were made right. PPSSPP handles save slots like charm. Pressing the Back button will temporarily freeze the game and bring up the settings menu, so you can make changes on the fly, as the majority do not require a reset.

All in all, PPSSPP seems to be a very well put together emulator. Well, I'm off to play Patapon!