PPSSPP is available for download from the App Store
Retro console emulators like PPSSPP may be able to join the iOS platform after Apple modified the App Store review standards recently. Furthermore, there's a good probability the PSP emulator will make an appearance on the App Store this year because the Delta multisystem emulator has already received Apple review approval and is available in the USA. Delta can also run ROMs downloaded from the Internet.
Summary
- PPSSPP for iOS is available in the App Store since 15 May 2024. There is already a possibility to install PPSSPP on Apple devices by sideloading an IPA file.
- Henrik Rydgår confirms that running PPSSPP on modern iOS devices doesn't require a JIT mode, making it possible to run games from dumped UMDs.
- Delta, an emulator that Apple has previously approved for use in the United States, demonstrates that it is possible to run imported game ROMs and that the games themselves do not need to be included in the emulator.
Updated, 15 May 2024
PPSSPP is now available for download from the App Store, currently limited to users in the USA. The emulator is compatible with devices running iOS 12 through iOS 17.
The developers of PPSSPP have confirmed that they’ll bring the PSP emulator to the App Store later this year. In the new iOS App Store review guidelines Apple added a section where we can read about “Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games,...". This means that users will have the possibility to import PSP games on their own by dumping UMDs. There was speculation that only built-in games would be allowed.
With CPUs and GPUs available in modern iPhones or iPads there is no need to enable JIT mode on iOS to run games smoothly. Also, it doesn't look like Apple will allow to run emulators in Just in Time compiler anyway. No need for JIT was also confirmed by Henrik Rydgård statement that "PPSSPP doesn’t need JIT to perform well on modern Apple CPUs.".
Shortly, an attempt will be made to submit PPSSPP to the App Store. However, PPSSPP can already be installed on iOS devices by sideloading an IPA package. On older iDevices it may be required to run the emulator in JIT mode for best performance.
For all of the PSP fans who are excited to play their PSP games on their mobile devices wherever they go, having PPSSPP available in the App Store would undoubtedly make their lives simpler.
Especially now, when it's confirmed that emulators on the App Store can run game ROMs downloaded from the Internet as long as the emulator is only running retro games. PSP console was released in 2005, and that has to count as "retro".
The current development status of PPSSPP for iOS can be found here. As for now, the iOS version of PPSSPP runs great on Apple devices, but it was never officially supported –though, new builds are released often. Let's hope, that this will change in the near future.
