Should I buy a PSP for a portable emulation device?

[Cynicaster]

I’ve been thinking recently that I’d like to get a nice portable emulation device. The more systems it runs the better, but priorities would be MAME and consoles in the era from Atari 2600 to Genesis.

 

I have heard a fair bit about the PSP being a great portable emulator platform. I figure I could probably pick one up at a reasonable price these days.

 

I don’t know a thing about this, so excuse my ignorance.

 

To those who have done this, will I be disappointed with the emulation (note, I’m not an emulation accuracy nazi)?

 

Is it worthwhile if I have no intention of playing PSP games on the device?

 

Does it matter which PSP model?

 

Thanks

[akator]

The PSP-1000 is the most versatile because it can permanently install custom firmware. There are a lot of great emulators available.

 

However, around 2009 homebrew (and emulation) development slowed greatly... mostly because homebrew developers lost interest and/or moved onto iOS and Android where they had a larger audience, potential for revenue, and because they didn't have to fight Sony trying to block homebrew.

 

Because of this, MAME4ALL for the PSP hasn't been updated for years. I haven't been able to get the older version to run since 2009. It would be possible to run it if you restricted CFW to an older version, but that would also restrict the ability to play PSP games made since then because Sony required newer firmwares to play newer games in their attempt to fight independent development.

 

Even without MAME, there are several excellent commercial PSP compilations that provide plenty of arcade gaming. Most of the other console, computer, and handheld emulators still work on the most recent CFW.

[S1500]

I'd get a Dingoo instead. Smaller screen, but less hassle to get things going. And I'm betting there's something that's superceded the Dingoo A320, which may or may not be Android based.

[+Gemintronic]

I'd get a PSP 2000 as it has slightly more RAM, easier custom firmware support and component out.

 

The Dingoo has worse performance for emulation. Dingux is sketchy and unreliable.

 

Android portables need customized Android builds to take out the spammy Chinese stuff and are still flakey.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

I use a GP2X Wiz, GP2X Caanoo, OpenPandora and hopefully one day a GCW Zero. Prior to that I did use a couple PSP's but the analog nubs fucked up after trying to add custom faceplates, they drift to various directions , and yes I have tried ever tutorial and suggested fixes online, even putting original Faceplate back on has not helped so I am done with PSP myself.

[akator]

Prior to that I did use a couple PSP's but the analog nubs fucked up after trying to add custom faceplates, they drift to various directions , and yes I have tried ever tutorial and suggested fixes online, even putting original Faceplate back on has not helped so I am done with PSP myself.

 

So the lesson here is... don't try to add custom faceplates?

 

I've never tried to physically mod the PSP hardware, I'm too much of a wimp and it would be too easy for me to screw things up

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

So the lesson here is... don't try to add custom faceplates?

 

I've never tried to physically mod the PSP hardware, I'm too much of a wimp and it would be too easy for me to screw things up

 

Apparently. While I am no tech wiz I am usually pretty good at following tutorials and basic directions, otherwise I'd never of had flashed custom firmwares, jailbroken and hacked devices, built my own PC's etc. At the very least I can usually always fix the issue searching and obtaining more info, just did not work out this time. But yeah, I am never satisfied with anything tech device left stock lol.

[awhite2600]

I grabbed a PSP Go for $70 when BlockBuster when out of business in Canada in June 2011. Installing CFW was a snap. I loaded up a few emulators. None of them are great, but most of them are okay. I haven't played them lately. i recall that a SNES emulator was very glitchy. I did get MAME to work. Most of the older games ran fine. Some of the more complex games required a reduced framerate and/or a boost to the CPU speed.

[xDragonWarrior]

Yes it is great for emulators.You could get a Dingoo,or a GPX wiz/Caanoo(for easier access to the emulator scene),but the PSP offers much more and is just as cheap(plus it can play PSP games)

[+Gemintronic]

I should note that Dingux + GCW Zero does not equal sketchy. This is a machine built from the ground up for Dingux at a higher speed than the Dingoo.

[godslabrat]

Given how often I hear people saying "You can do that with a hacked PSP", I'm kind of surprised to hear the lukewarm recommendations in this thread. I think I'll pay closer attention... I've been pondering an emulation machine too, but never liked the prices of PSPs and heard less than great things about Dingoos.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Given how often I hear people saying "You can do that with a hacked PSP", I'm kind of surprised to hear the lukewarm recommendations in this thread. I think I'll pay closer attention... I've been pondering an emulation machine too, but never liked the prices of PSPs and heard less than great things about Dingoos.

 

well technically you CAN do all those things with PSP, how well it does them all is another matter..........

[S1500]

While the Dingoo is nowhere near close to perfect(especially Neo Geo emulation), for what i paid for it, it relives me of having to have a bunch of consoles around the house since it does so much. I had a PSP for a while during the "ugprade wars" and had some fun with emulators on it, but it seemed to be less smooth to switch around them compared to the Dingoo. And this was on a stock OS on the Dingoo, for I couldn't get dingux to work with it(I bricked it).

[Manoau2002]

I would go with a dingoo, wiz, or canoo over a psp myself. I have owned both a psp and a wiz and the wiz is easier to use when installing emulators and homebrew. The canoo (the upgrade of the wiz) also adds the option of tilt control in racing games which is a nice feature. The wiz uses a standard control pad so for nintendo, super nintendo, and gameboy games it works very well.

[warmachine]

Sorry, double post.

Edited February 26, 2013 by warmachine

[warmachine]

The psp was the king of portable emulation until recently.

It had a pretty good run considering how far technology has

progressed since it was first realeased.

It still has better ps1 emulation than any other device out there.

If that's important to you and you want to tap into the psp's

Fairly large library of quallity original games, then the psp won't

disappoint.

Overall, it's emulation capability has been surpassed by android devices.

 

I got a new xperia play from amazon about a week ago for $110.00

and I can't think of any other device in it's current price range with

built in controls and it's compact form factor that could beat it.

As far as phones go, it's outdated, but as a gaming device it's still

pretty awesome.

[Cynicaster]

Thanks for the input guys. I think based on what I've learned here, I'll pass on the PSP and look at a more dedicated emulation device.

 

 

I got a new xperia play from amazon about a week ago for $110.00

and I can't think of any other device in it's current price range with

built in controls and it's compact form factor that could beat it.

As far as phones go, it's outdated, but as a gaming device it's still

pretty awesome.

 

I've heard of that one, and it had me curious. Do you actually use it as a phone, or just for games?

 

Of these various options that have been talked about, which ones are still "in production" and which ones are only available on the used market?

 

I know there was that kickstarter recently for the GC-whatever thing. Is that widely available yet, or just to kickstarter contributors?

[warmachine]

I don't use it as a phone since I don't really need one.

[volkanik_destruktor]

I've got Xperia J and despite satisfying emulation's quality (Nes, Amiga 500, Snes, Megadrive is almost perfect , MAME, N64 and PSX a bit worse but it depend of what game you're trying to run) the touch controls just suck ass! I decided to change it here're the options: should I buy some cotroller (which one?) or just gain PSP (which model)? I know that regular PSP crushes the smartphone ones but if I want just to play some emulated ones...

 

PS costs matter

Edited February 27, 2013 by volkanik_destruktor

[warmachine]

I've got Xperia J and despite satisfying emulation's quality (Nes, Amiga 500, Snes, Megadrive is almost perfect , MAME, N64 and PSX a bit worse but it depend of what game you're trying to run) the touch controls just suck ass! I decided to change it here're the options: should I buy some cotroller (which one?) or just gain PSP (which model)? I know that regular PSP crushes the smartphone ones but if I want just to play some emulated ones...

 

PS costs matter

The icontrolpad seem to have the most support from developers as far as controller options go, but it's not exact compact or convenient.

Edited February 28, 2013 by warmachine

[7800 Emucoder]

I have a psp 1000 and it runs everything just fine. They only systems it doesnt emulate well are N64, 32x, and NEO Geo. everything else from the 2600 up through the PSX runs great. MAME runs fine for all the classic era games, which is all I care about. I wouldn't expect a portable device to be capable of emulating San Francisco Rush arcade anyway, LOL.

 

As for how easy it is to load up? Really? You copy things to the memory stick and they run straight from the menu. There's no complication at all. There is no question that a CFW PSP does way more than a Wiz or a Canoo, based on the PSP games alone.

[akator]

MAME runs fine for all the classic era games, which is all I care about.

 

What CFW and version of MAME are you using? I would love to get MAME running on mine again

[Hatta]

I have a psp 1000 and it runs everything just fine. They only systems it doesnt emulate well are N64, 32x, and NEO Geo. everything else from the 2600 up through the PSX runs great.

 

That's just nonsense. The SNES does not run great on the PSX. If you have to skip frames, it's not great emulation.

[+Gemintronic]

I think SNES is the cut off point. I think the SNES emulators on PSP have gotten pretty decent and not laggy. But enough other people still have problems. *shrugs*

 

Dudonculus64 (N64 emu) or whatever it is called plays nothing correctly for me - and even hard locks my PSP.

[Shinju]

I still stand by my GP2x, play's Neo Geo just fine as well as the rest. I dont care for PS1 emulation or N64 or 32x but I am sure it would play the Sega 32x fine. I had it running a PC emulator for Broken Sword I and II and it was great.

 

I would like to try the GP2X Caanoo.