10 Most Popular PPSSPP Games

I just put the PPSSPP emulator on my computer, but I don’t know what to play. That’s completely normal. There are thousands of great games for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), so it can be hard to choose the best one.

A game’s popularity is usually a good sign that it’s good. There are a few games that are always in demand, always played, and have become the “face” of PPSSPP emulation.

We have put together a list of the 10 most popular PPSSPP games of all time. These games will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours. Also, we’ve added some performance tips to help them run even better!

This is the list of games that the PPSSPP emulator community around the world downloads and plays the most.

1. God of War: Ghost of Sparta

  • Type: Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash
  • Why People Like It: This is the best PSP game. It had the best graphics on the console, which pushed the hardware to its limits. The story goes on with Kratos’s famous brutal story. This is the game to show off how well PPSSPP can run games.
  • Performance Tips: This game is quite heavy. For the best performance, use the Vulkan backend. Set the Rendering Resolution to at least 2x PSP for sharp graphics. Set Frameskipping to 1 if it seems slow.

2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

  • Type: Action-Adventure in an Open World
  • Why people like it: freedom. That’s the most important word. You can steal cars, bikes, and even helicopters, go on crazy missions, or just look around the famous Vice City. At the time, it was a miracle to have an open-world game this complicated in your hand.
  • Tips for Performance: When loading the map, GTA games often stutter. To keep graphics from glitching or buildings from disappearing, you must use Buffered Rendering.

3. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact

  • Genre: Action, Fighting, Hack and Slash
  • Why It’s Popular: This isn’t your typical 1v1 fighter. It’s a Musou (like Dynasty Warriors) game set in the Naruto universe. You’ll fight H-U-N-D-R-E-D-S of enemies at once on a battlefield. Unleashing a Rasengan or Chidori on dozens of enemies at once is incredibly satisfying.
  • Performance Tips: This one is quite light! It runs smoothly on most phones. If you see weird graphical glitches (like lines), try checking “Disable slower effects” in the graphics settings.

4. Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai 2

  • Genre: Fighting
  • Why People Like It: A lot of fans think this is the best Dragon Ball fighting game for the PSP. The game moves quickly, the combos are fun, and there were a lot of characters to choose from at the time. The “Another Road” story mode is another great thing about it.
  • Tips for Performance: Very light. Even at 1x PSP Resolution, this game runs well. Turn it up to 2x or 3x for a clearer picture. Most low-end phones can handle it.

5. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

  • Genre: Action RPG
  • Why People Like It: This game is a big deal. There is one loop that keeps you coming back: hunt giant monsters, get their parts, make stronger weapons and armor, and then hunt even bigger monsters. You can play this game for more than 100 hours and still not get bored.
  • Tips for Better Performance: This game needs a steady framerate. If your phone is powerful, set the framerate to 30 FPS (original) or 60 FPS. When there are a lot of effects, use Vulkan for better stability.

6. God of War: Chains of Olympus

  • Genre: Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash
  • Why a lot of people like it: This was the first God of War game on the PSP, and it set a new standard right away. It came out before Ghost of Sparta, but it still has the same epic, emotional story and hard gameplay. It’s the best thing to go along with Kratos’s journey.
  • Performance Tips: Not as heavy as Ghost of Sparta. You can use the same settings here: Vulkan, 2x Resolution, and Frameskip 1 if you need to.

7. Tekken 6

  • Genre: Fighting
  • Why People Like It: The 3D graphics are amazing for a PSP, and you can play the whole Tekken game on the go. All of your favorite characters are here, and you can change their costumes in a lot of different ways. There’s also a fun Scenario Campaign mode.
  • Performance Tips: Very heavy. Vulkan is a must. If it runs slowly, try turning off “Simulate block transfer effects” and lowering the “Rendering Resolution” to “1x PSP.”

8. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

  • Genre: Action RPG
  • Why It’s Popular: This was the only way to see the FFVII world in modern 3D before the Remake and Rebirth boom. The story of Zack Fair is very sad and an important part of the Final Fantasy world. The action-RPG gameplay is also fun and different.
  • Tips for Better Performance: There are a lot of FMV cutscenes in this game. To avoid sound delays, make sure your audio settings are right. It works well with both OpenGL and Vulkan.

9. Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley

  • Genre: Simulation, Farming
  • Why It’s Popular: Want to play a game that helps you relax? This is the winner. After battling gods and monsters, you might just want to farm, raise animals, and hang out with the villagers. This is a classic 3D Harvest Moon game that is very relaxing.
  • Tips for Performance: Very light. You could probably play this game on a calculator. Set the Rendering Resolution to the highest setting you can (4x or 5x) to get a picture that is very clear and sharp.

10. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

  • Genre: Stealth, Action
  • Why People Like It: It’s not just a spin-off. Hideo Kojima himself directed this full-fledged Metal Gear Solid game. The story is part of the canon, the stealth gameplay is good, and the base-building mechanic is very addictive.
  • Tips for Better Performance: The original PSP was able to play this game at 20 frames per second. You might need a special cheat code (which is easy to find online) to get a smooth 60 FPS in PPSSPP. To make it feel more responsive without cheats, use Frameskipping.

Conclusion

That’s it! These are the ten most popular games that make up the PPSSPP experience. Of course, this list is just the start of the thousands of other great games you can play.

Was your favorite game not on the list? Or do you have another game that you think everyone should play? Leave it in the comments below!