PSP on Steam Deck! The Best PSP Games to Play via PPSSPP Emulation on Valve's Handheld Gaming PC!

[@DennisWoodyard-DragonflyEnt]

Great video, you've earned a new subscriber. I just got a Steam Deck, and you hooked me with the first game Pursuit Force, which I never played, but I have a 5" x 7" lenticular postcard of it on a old sketchbook of mine. The icing on the cake was knowing WipeOut is available. Thanks.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Pursuit Force is a solid hidden gem. Enjoy it!

[@chrislaustin]

I agree 110% on GTA: Chinatown Wars, it's an amazing game and it deserved more success than it initially got when it was first released for the DS. Even though it's top down, it's more like a 2.5D version of a GTA game and well worth anyone's time to check it out. I started out playing it on the DS, then opted for the PSP version after that, and now I mostly play it on Android, as that port is amazing as well.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It is starting to feel like the forgotten GTA. That and IV. Nobody ever talks about it

[@alecjahn]

Though I don't have a Steam Deck, I have a couple of titles I need to finally try on my PSP so thanks for that list and reigniting my interest in the handheld. For example, I totally forgot there was a Prinny 2. Maybe I'll try them on my Vita for a better screen and thumbstick. :D

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The good thing is these videos are as good for non Deck users. Games are still great no matter how you play

[@Charlie-Cat.]

I still have my PSP and still believe that unit was up there us one of the greatest handheld units of all time VGE. Was even playing it the other day. 8^) Anthony..

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Vita is my preferred just because it was less loved

[@ciaranmccarthy]

Pursuit Force and Space Invaders Extreme are now on my radar, thanks!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def play them!

[@12655rsohne]

Pursuit Force is one of my favorite games on PSP also and is a hidden gem. I also love Crush and Exit. Very underrated games.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Pursuit Force is a game I NEVER hear anyone mention. Glad there is another fan out there

[@12655rsohne]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Such a great list! I know what I'm doing this weekend.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha that’s the spirit

[@Delta169]

I actually played Chinatown Wars back on the DS before it made the move to PS. Great game!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Such a good game

[@shotgunl]

Besides Battlerock Shooter and Pursuit Force , both of which I'm not at all familiar with, and the Initial D game, which I've not played, you basically have shown off about half of my favorite PSP games list. Throw in FF1, FF Tactics, Jeanne d'Arc, the Patapon games, Outrun 2006, Alpha 3 Max, Dissidia FF, and few more and you have my top 20 faves.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I could have made this a 40 minute episode but those just eat it in the back half sadly

[@omar_sacca]

awesome collection of games, thank you for shouting out pursuit force! also ridge racer and the portable wipeout entries are both great. would have loved to see megaman powered up and megaman maverick hunter x on this list, both were great remakes made exclusively for psp and i wonder if the universal improvements apply to those games! other games that defined psp for me: every extend extra, gran turismo psp, liberty city stories!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The hardest part is pairing the list down because PSP has so many good games

[@Renegaiden_]

I was talking to my friend about Black Rock Shooter a few days ago. He's been playing it emulated on his hacked NSwitch and I have it on PSP. I was telling him that It's such a niche title in and outside of japan that it barely gets mentioned in the PSP gaming community. Lo and behold I catch this video today and I didn't expect to see it listed here, but I'm so glad it is. It was released digital only in the American playstation store sometime in late 2010 to undewhelming sales. Still one of my favorite games tho. Socom Firetean Bravo 3 is graphically impressive and could make a great showcase for the steam deck.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha it’s so weird when coincidences like that occur. Makes you think we live in a simulation and it just glitched

[@METR0lD]

First PSP game I tested on my Steam Deck was Rondo of Blood. Not my favorite version of the game, but still a good time.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A classic for sure. Def not as good as OG Rondo but it’s a fun pivot

[@luisdominguez4307]

I beat GTA: Chinatown Wars in DS as very fun I will install the PSP emulator on my Steam Deck to enjoy it again :D

[@RaisinBran0291]

I got Chinatown wars on the DS when it came out. I like the touch screen controls pretty well

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It was a lot of fun back in the day

[@nimbylive]

Ill add a few more that should be played here: Prinny: can I really be a hero (this the 1st in the series of what was in the video and they are both tough but fun). Final Fantasy Tactics (this iteration has a better translation than the ps1). Jeanne D'arc (beautiful strategy game that holds up) Tactics Ogre (notice a pattern? Another wonderful reiteration of strategy rpg that is better than the current remaster) Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles (has an at the time un released in the US Castlevania game as well as an unblockable Symphony of the Night).

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha def notice a pattern here

[@Jeffmetal42]

Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins needs a mention also. They went crazy w that game! I hear the JP only updated 'Kai' version is much better but the og version is still a lot of fun, if you can deal w the difficulty.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I almost mentioned it but I cut it at the end

[@Jeffmetal42]

@@VideoGameEsoterica understandable there are a lot of good psp games, can't add them all in one video.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha it would be a forever long vid

[@markkilborn512]

You should check out Ridge Racer 2 for PSP. European only release. Same game but with more tracks and content. It’s almost like a greatest hits of RR (up to that point at least).

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll give it a go 👍

[@MagisterHamid]

What resolution are you outputting these PSP games on the Deck? Does it upscale to higher resolutions since the PSP had a fairly low resolution

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I upscale to the native video resolution. You can go higher but on the Deck screen I believe I go 4X

[@s.m.pravin9738]

I've played Chinatown wars on my 3ds. It's the best way to play the game imo. Underrated GTA title

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def underrated

[@Elisa9395-y4z]

Ikr hustling in the game is addicting lol

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It deserves a remake

[@Jokerwolf666]

Ultimate Ghouls 'n ghosts.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I almost included that

[@Jeffmetal42]

You know what's up! 👍

[@Newtonip]

Every time you make a video like this, my to_try.txt file increases in size.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha my to try list is too long for this lifetime

[@s26me]

Black Rock Shooter got an US release.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Did it? I just have forgotten that

[@mikejgrif]

Yeah, it was a digital only release.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s why I forget about it

[@thissmithymanga7119]

Tekken tag tournament was my favourite.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A classic for sure

[@johnsundberg7697]

This is cool but Ridge Racer is constantly stuttering and/or dropping frames. Too bad. The other games seem to perform fine.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That happens on occasion

[@exemplaryfrog]

I play it via RetroArch's PPSSPP core, and it's perfectly smooth once set to GLcore renderer and after disabling the Deck's in-built frame limiting and vsync ('allow tearing').

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good to know

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

The best emulator ever. RPCS3 was close but after months of not playing anything on it theres like 1 PPU Unit it just won't load. Anyways I was playing some Ridge Racer 2 earlier the psp game and ooh boy did it look good pumped through my tv. Finally got Tekken 5 DR to run without any graphical glitches too. Used to wobble on ppsspp

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It really does just legit work amazingly

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

I love the PSP anyway. Ppsspp is emulation done right. It enhanced what it emulates Makes Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max playable with a stick.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it just modernizes the whole experience and makes it better

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

The only complaint I have is how bad it makes 2d look you have to turn scaling off for 2d to look decent

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes nothing 2D really ever looks great with too many enhancements

[@slymansMTG]

saatlerce bir oyunu anlatacağına, 19 dakikaya bir sürü oyun koysaydın keşke.

[@user-Nate-b33]

Takken 3 ps1 and takken 5 psp

[@n2oshotandironman]

What's with the dislike bombing?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Not sure what you mean?

[@n2oshotandironman]

Maybe the dislike bar extension is busted. It was showing this video had a lot of dislikes. Made me think people didn't like you calling Prinny 2 stupid or something lol@@VideoGameEsoterica

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha must be broken. My screen shows 1 dislike. But who knows 🤷🏻‍♂️ people are weird sometimes