How To Setup The RetroArch PSP Core PPSSPP | PC & Steam

If you’re looking for how to setup the RetroArch PSP core PPSSPP, you’ve landed on the right guide because we’ll be explaining how you can easily get set up and be playing your favorite PSP games in minutes. The Sony PSP has some great games that run very well on RetroArch when using the PPSSPP core.

PPSSPP is the best PSP emulator you can use and the fact that RetroArch has it available as a core is awesome.

RetroArch can emulate games from all sorts of different systems including the Sony PSP. We’ll break down how to download and setup the PPSSPP core for RetroArch so that you can get straight to playing your favorite PSP games.

We’ll be covering how to get setup with both the standalone version of RetroArch and also the Steam RetroArch version as well.

Alright, enough chit chat, let’s begin!

How To Setup The RetroArch PSP Core PPSSPP Standalone version?

Download RetroArch

• You’ll first need to go ahead and download and install the RetroArch emulator which you can grab from the official website here. If you already have RetroArch installed, make sure you are on the latest stable version which you can get here.
• This guide is for PC, but if you’re an Android user you can also install RetroArch to play your favorite PSP games on the go. Be sure to check out our list of the best PSP emulator Android apps.

Get your PSP ROM ready

• Ensure that you first have at least one PSP ROM file that you’ll be using to test after getting setup. This ROM is the PSP game that you’ll be playing and using to test to make sure everything is setup properly.
  
  Remember that downloading PSP ROM files for games you don’t own and haven’t dumped yourself is illegal.

Using a controller?

• A USB or Bluetooth controller is recommended when playing your PSP games. That being said, while a controller is a much better for playing retro games than a keyboard, you can play however you wish.
  
  If you’re in the market for a capable new controller, an 8Bitdo SN30 Pro Wireless Bluetooth controller is a great choice and will only run you about $45 on Amazon.

1. How To Download The PPSSPP RetroArch Core?

Finding the PPSSPP Core

• Once RetroArch opens, select Load Core

• Next, choose Download a Core

Downloading the PPSSPP Core

• After, scroll all the way down until you see the Sony – PlayStation Portable (PPSSPP) core and click on it to download it

• If RetroArch was already installed on your device, don’t forget to go back to the main menu screen and scroll down to select Online Updater and then select Update Core Info Files and also select Update Databases to ensure that all of your cores info files and databases are all up to date

• After it’s done downloading, you may now press back and then select Load Core

2. How To Load Your PSP ROM File In RetroArch

Go to Load Content

With the PSP core now installed in RetroArch, we’re ready to load up our PSP ROM file.

• Head back to the main menu and select Load Content

• Locate where you saved your PSP ROM on your computer and select it
• Your PSP game should now launch and voila, just like that you’re all set and ready to play

How To Install RetroArch PPSSPP Core on Steam?

To install the RetroArch PPSSPP core on Steam you will also need to:

• First, right click RetroArch on Steam > Manage > Browse local files.

• Once the Steam folder opens for the RetroArch files, open up the cores folder
• Next, install the PPSSPP RetroArch core from the RetroArch buildbot here: https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/x86_64/latest/ppsspp_libretro.dll.zip
• After installing the PPSSPP core, extract the files from the ZIP folder you downloaded
• Open up the extracted folder and copy the ppsspp_libretro.dll file into your Steam’s core folder
• Next, install the PPSSPP RetroArch info files from the RetroArch buildbot here:
  https://buildbot.libretro.com/assets/frontend/info.zip
• After installing the info files, extract them from the ZIP folder you downloaded and copy all of them into the “info” folder for your Steam version of RetroArch
• Next open the Steam version of RetroArch and click Load Core to check that the Sony – PlayStation Portable (PPSSPP) core shows up – if it does, you’re all set
• You’re now ready to play some PSP games on RetroArch right from the comfort of Steam

Additional PPSSPP Core Settings, Options, and Features

Supported Core File Extensions

The PPSSPP core supports the following file extensions:

• .elf
• .iso
• .cso
• .prx
• .pbp

Now that you’re all setup, you’re now ready to play some Sony PSP games!

Have a spare Raspberry Pi lying around? Be sure to check out our RetroPie PSP setup guide for the PPSSPP emulator as well.

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