Should I just get a PSP for emulation instead of a PSvita?

[kbf]

I'm looking at the prices of vitas and they're expensive. $200-$250. Would a PSP just suffice you think? I have 0 interest in PSvita games. I've also heard that emulation actually works better (for consoles gen 5 and older) work better on PSP? I know when I used to have a PSvita I actually used adrenaline to play Golden Sun 2 as it seemed to work better and I've heard N64 emulation actually works better on PSP than it does Vita? and that the emulation scene for PSP has a lot more active people involved than the Vita?

 

[Latiodile]

for the price of a PSP you could also get one of those emulation handhelds, though PSP emulation is spotty on the much cheaper ones, if you're not planning on playing PSP games either you could get an anbernic RG**xx H/V (like an RG 40XX H) for not too much

 

[Nikokaro]

Emulation of PSX, SNES, NeoGeo CD, Mega Drive, NES, WonderSwan, and J2ME (Java games) is excellent on PSP. GBA emulation is good, but N64 emulation is barely adequate. However, the emulator (DaedalusX64) is still under development.
Moreover the PSP 3000 (I don't know about other models) can be connected to the TV

 

[SDA]

Yes, you absolutely should. PSP is a trillion times better than the PS Vita and I don't regret saying that.

 

[AncientBoi]

Another possible reason for not getting a PSVita is that, Do You Want To Spend Money on a proven handheld [PSP], or Just Emulate A Game for free?

 

[sudeki300]

get a vita and use it to emulate psp on it

 

[kbf]

I actually just got an rg40xxH and didn't like it and am planning to return it. Its too small and I don't like the mushy buttons and d-pad.

for the price of a PSP you could also get one of those emulation handhelds, though PSP emulation is spotty on the much cheaper ones, if you're not planning on playing PSP games either you could get an anbernic RG**xx H/V (like an RG 40XX H) for not too much

Post automatically merged: Feb 20, 2026

Why do you say that?

 

[MochaMods]

I wouldn't recommend either console for N64 to be honest. Interestingly though, generally when I am picking a portable console to play I reach for the PSP despite the "better" experience being on the Vita. But I think it comes down to if you think you're gonna wanna play Vita games, or if the PSP is substantially cheaper, which where I live is almost always the case. I think PSX, GBA, and practically every console before the 3D era is emulated well on the PSP without the extra horsepower.

 

[lightwo]

Strictly speaking, PS Vita is a much more versatile PSP. For the couple of games that would benefit from the second stick, there are generally plugins that enable doing so. Plus, you get access to all Vita games (which isn't much) and all the homebrew ports and emulators.

But realistically, Vitas are far from a bargain for what you get. The only advantages over [insert generic handheld here] are its back touch panel and pretty insane battery life. There are much more powerful options out there for the price point of a used Vita, and its gimmicks aren't nearly as impactful as they are on DS/3DS.

Additionally, if you depend on wireless audio, Vita isn't a good time. Old Bluetooth standard supported by the handheld results in (from my experience) unbearable lag and potential other compatibility issues. L2, L3, R2 and R3 are nowhere to be found. It also doesn't help how its online components are largely dead, since while some online games are still up, you can't even send messages to anyone any more.

 

[kbf]

Would a trimUI smart pro S be a better choice then?

 

[SnowStormAkikaze]

PPSSPP emu on android ?

 

[calagan]

I'm looking at the prices of vitas and they're expensive. $200-$250. Would a PSP just suffice you think? I have 0 interest in PSvita games. I've also heard that emulation actually works better (for consoles gen 5 and older) work better on PSP? I know when I used to have a PSvita I actually used adrenaline to play Golden Sun 2 as it seemed to work better and I've heard N64 emulation actually works better on PSP than it does Vita? and that the emulation scene for PSP has a lot more active people involved than the Vita?

You should definitely stick with a Vita. The slim models can easily be found in good condition on EBay below $200 (if you're outside the US, you might want to look at offers from Japan) and offer the convenience of micro-USB charging.

Adrenaline works flawlessly: the Vita makes PSP games and emulators look better with its larger screen. One of the rare 8-/16-bit systems not emulated by Vita's native version of RetroArch is the Atari8-bit Computers/Atari 5200, so I'm running the A800 PSP emulator from Adrenaline and it works just as good.

Don't bother with N64 emulation either on the PSP or on the Vita, I really don't ever expect it to become perfect: you should rather go the FPGA route with an Analog pocket or a pricier Snapdragon-based Android retro handheld.

 

[midifreak]

if you don't care particularly much for the first-party libraries for the PSP or the Vita, you should just get a dedicated emulation handheld because they'll probably be much better at emulation