Android’s best PSP emulator is getting much better at touch controls

Source: Android Authority

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

TL;DR

• PPSSPP 1.20 is now available, bringing performance tweaks, quality‑of‑life improvements, and new features to improve PSP gameplay across phones, PCs, and handheld gaming devices.
• A major highlight is full portrait mode support, allowing the interface and controls to adapt when you rotate your phone vertically.
• Ad‑hoc multiplayer gets a reliability boost with a new server‑provided packet‑relay system that improves connections between players.

Overview

The most popular PSP emulator just received a major upgrade. PPSSPP 1.20 is now available, offering quality‑of‑life improvements, performance tweaks, and new features to help Sony’s classic handheld games run better on Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and other handheld gaming devices such as those listed in the best Android gaming handhelds guide.

PPSSPP has long been the go‑to PlayStation Portable emulator, recreating the PSP environment so games like God of War: Ghost of Sparta or Persona 3 Portable can run at higher resolutions and smoother frame rates than on the original hardware.

New Features

Full Portrait Mode Support

Previously optimized for landscape screens, PPSSPP now automatically adjusts its interface and touch controls when the device is rotated to portrait orientation. Users can also configure separate touch‑control layouts for portrait and landscape modes.

HTTP File Upload

You can now upload game files, saves, and other data over HTTP from other devices on the same Wi‑Fi network, eliminating the need to move files manually.

Improved Ad‑Hoc Multiplayer

A server‑provided packet‑relay system routes network traffic through a relay server, making ad‑hoc multiplayer sessions more reliable than direct peer‑to‑peer connections.

Expanded Save‑State Slots

The emulator now lets you configure the number of save‑state slots, supporting up to 30 slots if needed.

You can read the full changelog here.

Availability

The update is already available on all supported platforms, and the developer continues to refine features with ongoing releases.