PPSSPP Gold - PSP emulator | Game Brain

PPSSPP Gold - PSP emulator is a popular action game for Android that lets you play PSP games in high definition with additional features. The game boasts good mechanics and outstanding visuals, but some users have reported bugs. With this emulator, you can take your PSP games on the go and enjoy them with improved graphics and performance.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,594 reviews

optimization62 positive mentions

stability50 negative mentions

optimization
156 mentions
40 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The optimization of the emulator is widely praised, with users reporting smooth performance even on older and budget devices, often exceeding 50fps. Many appreciate the extensive customization options that allow for fine-tuning based on hardware capabilities, although some users have noted occasional performance issues with specific games and updates. Overall, the emulator is considered one of the best in its category, with ongoing hopes for further enhancements and bug fixes.
- “A great implementation with incredible performance.”
- “Absolutely blown away by this emulator, so far so good, you can tell it is very well optimized, because all the games I've played run well over 50fps with some minor drops on some.”
- “The optimizations are on point and work to make ppsspp work better not only on newer devices but also older ones.”
- “I can't play MotorStorm Arctic Edge anymore, the game crashes and runs horribly. I never had any issues before these new updates; I don't know what happened, but the performance is getting worse. I'm so sad, this is my favorite emulator on mobile...”
- “The emulator itself is nice, but games like Phantasy Star Portable 2 and Tekken run at 18 fps and are super slow with stuttering sound. Is this caused by my hardware or the coding in the actual software?”
- “Was hoping a paid version would have less sound stuttering than the free version, but it's not, so I refunded it. Still a great app.”
graphics
141 mentions
26 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the emulator are generally praised for their high quality, often surpassing the original PSP visuals, with options for upscaling and extensive customization settings. Users report smooth performance on capable devices, although some experience graphical glitches and performance issues, particularly after updates or on lower-end hardware. Overall, the emulator is considered one of the best for PSP games, offering excellent graphics and a user-friendly interface, though it may require fine-tuning to achieve optimal results.
- “Excellent graphics too - you can easily upscale to double the original PSP resolution.”
- “Amazing graphics and compatible for low-end devices.”
- “Just about any of the classics I used to play as a child work flawlessly at full speed and frames, not to mention with better graphics!”
- “Ppsspp gold has far too many graphics glitches... the free version works better.”
- “The graphic is so bad, please fix it.”
- “Update*** there seems to be a problem with graphics after the latest update, speed is fine but the graphics are choppy.”
stability
65 mentions
23 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
77 % negative mentions
The stability of the emulator is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and graphical glitches across various games, particularly after recent updates. While some users have had positive experiences with smooth gameplay on high-end devices, others face significant issues, including black screens and lag, especially on lower-end hardware. Overall, while the emulator shows promise and has a dedicated user base, it requires ongoing improvements to address the numerous stability concerns highlighted by players.
- “I've been using this for a while and it runs great on my Galaxy S21 Ultra and it used to run great on my Note 9.”
- “Runs great, even on a Snapdragon 435 (Huawei Mediapad M3 Lite 8), most of my games are playable.”
- “Runs great on my transformer tablet at 5x graphics resolution.”
- “The whole phone freezes and requires a hard restart.”
- “The metal slug anthology and the metal slug xx doesn't seem to work, it keeps having a black screen and the emulator freezes.”
- “Unfortunately, it freezes solid shortly after saving states occasionally.”
gameplay
30 mentions
33 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
Gameplay experiences with the emulator vary significantly among users, with many praising its smooth performance on powerful devices, while others report issues such as lag, crashes, and audio problems, particularly after recent updates. Compatibility with various games is generally good, but some titles, like "Resistance: Retribution" and "Silent Hill," suffer from game-breaking glitches. Users express a desire for improved online multiplayer capabilities and better graphics settings management to enhance their overall gameplay experience.
- “Very powerful emulator and smooth gameplay (depends on how powerful your phone is).”
- “Using a Galaxy S10 and I'm getting buttery smooth gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is smooth and the emulator is also compatible with various games.”
- “Improve the compatibility for Resistance: Retribution; this seems to be the only game that has a game-breaking glitch at the 1st mission when the gameplay starts.”
- “Expected better. It sucks that both of my favorite Silent Hill games work very slowly in gameplay. I tried everything with the graphic settings and nothing works; it's still slow, sometimes crashes, and the audio goes in slow motion like the gameplay. Please fix this; I really want to be able to play my favorite games on this.”
- “Everything was just fine until the recent update. Cheats don't work anymore, savestates crash the app, gameplay got a little slower, and the graphics settings part with the 'aggressive', 'safe' options is unadjustable now. If you change it in a separate game setting, other games' graphics change too. Again, job well done, but please fix it.”
monetization
26 mentions
31 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
69 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the app has received mixed feedback, with users appreciating the ad-free experience in both the free and paid versions, although some have reported encountering intrusive ads despite purchasing the premium version. Many users express their willingness to pay to support the developers, but frustration arises when ads appear unexpectedly in the paid version, leading to confusion about the differences between the two versions. Overall, while the absence of ads is a significant selling point, the inconsistency in ad presence has left some users dissatisfied.
- “I love that there are no ads even in the free version.”
- “I had the free version and although it's perfect with no ads, I wanted to buy this to support the developers. Thank you so much!”
- “It has no ads, so I can support the developer.”
- “The intrusive ads are not worth it otherwise.”
- “Already paid for this... but annoying ads still come through... please fix...”
- “Why am I getting ads if this is a gold one? Otherwise, good job guys.”
story
24 mentions
13 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Users appreciate the nostalgic value of classic games like "Cave Story" and "Brave Story: New Traveler," highlighting their enjoyment of revisiting these titles. However, many report significant technical issues, such as crashes and glitches during story sequences, which detract from the overall experience. The ability to speed up gameplay during slower story sections is noted as a positive feature, but compatibility and performance problems remain a concern for several titles.
- “Thank you guys so much for fixing the graphical bugs on Brave Story: New Traveler!”
- “Cave Story on my phone is worth the price of admission on its own.”
- “After trying the free version to play my favorite childhood game (Brave Story), I couldn't believe that I can ever play it again, since the PSP I play is not mine.”
- “My favorite feature is being able to speed up play during the boring menu and story sections.”
- “I give 5 stars because it's good.. I downloaded the gold version but I'm still facing a problem with MGS Peace Walker. When I play Battle Peace Walker 3 (on the mission menu), after I defeated it, the cutscene gets stuck after some quotes. I already googled the problem and didn't find any solution; is it my device that is not compatible?”
- “Runs okay, but can you update it? I was on the mission 'Stockpile' and it keeps crashing. The game was SOCOM Navy Seals; can you fix it please?”
music
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The music in various games has received mixed feedback, with some users noting issues like music cutting in and out, garbled sound effects, and overall audio lag affecting gameplay performance. While certain titles, like "Ys: Ark of Napishtim," have minor hiccups, others, such as "Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions," suffer from significant frame rate and audio problems. Users suggest that turning off background music can enhance performance during intense action sequences.
- “I started playing Ys: Ark of Napishtim this morning and it runs beautifully; a few hiccups in the music, but nothing out of place otherwise.”
- “Deserve 5 stars! I think the music can make it a bit slow, but frame skip and removing the buffered rendering works like a charm!”
- “Multi-threading is awesome in PSP games; if the user can turn off background music, it can possibly improve overall performance and reduce audio lag. All these options help a lot during actions in gameplay, especially when combating multiple enemy characters or objects in rapid motion.”
- “Now if only Burnout Dominator's music didn't cut in and out, it would be perfect.”
- “For the last version, the UI sound is a bit broken, and the music sound during game selection is also broken and too fast.”
- “So far all the games I've played on it are working great, but my main issue is playing Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions... the frame rate is painfully slow and the sound and music are cut up.”
replayability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report high replayability for most games, particularly praising the emulator's performance and compatibility with a wide range of titles, including favorites like the God of War series. However, some users encounter issues with specific games, such as Tomb Raider Legend crashing, which may affect the overall experience.
- “The best emulator there is, love the haptic feedback as if I am pushing an actual button. Almost every PSP game is playable. Good job!”
- “Runs great, even on a Snapdragon 435 (Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 8). Most of my games are playable.”
- “Much more playable games now, and the ones that do play work pretty well!”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be deeply emotional and heartwarming, evoking nostalgia and personal memories, which enhances their overall appreciation and gratitude for the experience.
- “I'm grateful because it was such a heartwarming game that brings back memories for me. Thank you!”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to the need to restart progress each time they play, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “It's just tedious having to start again on a game every time you start playing.”