RetroShell PSP

RetroShell is an open-source retro game launcher for the Sony PSP. It scans one ROM library, organizes games by system, and loads PSP-native emulator cores from a single interface.

The project targets both the 32 MB PSP-1000 and later 64 MB models. It requires custom firmware.

Beta: v1.0.0-beta.8 is the current public test release. Save data should be backed up before updating.

Install

1. Download the latest RetroShell-PSP-*.zip from GitHub Releases.
2. Extract the ZIP to the root of the PSP Memory Stick.
3. Put ROM files anywhere inside ms0:/ROMS/.
4. Open Game → Memory Stick → RetroShell on the PSP.

The installed files should look like this:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/RetroShell/EBOOT.PBP
ms0:/RETROSHELL/cores/
ms0:/ROMS/

Games and BIOS files are not included.

Existing RETROSUITE data is migrated to RETROSHELL on first boot. Saves, settings, artwork, logs, and installed cores are preserved.

Install additional cores

Non-developers can install a RetroShell .rscore.zip package by copying the unopened ZIP into RETROSHELL/cores/ on the PSP Memory Stick and restarting RetroShell. Random RetroArch or desktop cores cannot be installed directly.

See Install RetroShell and community cores for the complete drag-and-drop instructions, compatibility labels, and troubleshooting. Available downloads and rejected integrations are listed in the emulator directory.

Beta 3 highlights

• Adds a native-emulator adapter SDK for PSP emulators that need to own the process, display, audio, memory, and suspend lifecycle.
• Adds the protocol-v1 pause, return-to-shell, and shared save-library contract.
• Installs validated .rscore.zip core packages copied into RETROSHELL/cores/.
• Makes large libraries responsive with bounded rendering, natural sorting, cached artwork paths, and stable navigation.
• Adds PSP-specific video, audio-recovery, ROM-streaming, save, RTC, and suspend/resume hardening across the current cores.
• Redesigns the light and dark interfaces, library navigation, game lists, settings, pause menu, branding, and startup shimmer.

See CHANGELOG.md for the complete release summary.

Core status

System	Core	Beta status
Game Boy / Game Boy Color	Gambatte	Included
NES	QuickNES	Included
Game Boy Advance	gpSP; FrogGBA adapter source	Testing; package pending
Genesis / Mega Drive	PicoDrive	Testing
Super Nintendo	Snes9x 2005	Testing on PSP-1000
PC Engine	Beetle PCE Fast	Testing
Master System / Game Gear	PicoDrive / SMS Plus GX	Experimental

Every installed core that declares support for a game's system appears in the per-game core picker. Any PSP means the core passed the PSP-1000 memory gate; Testing means compatibility, speed, or model coverage is incomplete. Known crash-prone integrations remain blocklisted. FrogGBA and Snes9xTYL adapter source is included for developers, but their native emulator packages are not release assets until the corresponding binaries pass the packaging and hardware-qualification gates.

ROMs and cover art

RetroShell scans ms0:/ROMS/ recursively. Folder names do not determine the system. After the first scan, RetroShell loads its cached index instead of walking the entire Memory Stick on every boot. Use Settings → Rescan library after adding, removing, or renaming ROM files.

For cover art, place a PNG or JPG beside the ROM using the same base name:

Pokemon Yellow.gb
Pokemon Yellow.png

Open the in-game RetroShell menu with L + R + Select.

Install themes

RetroShell includes Dark, Graphite, Light, and Mist. External themes can add a custom palette, background, and Gallery presentation without rebuilding the application. Extract a theme package to the Memory Stick so its manifest is at ms0:/RETROSHELL/themes/<theme-id>/theme.json, then select it under Settings → Theme.

Art Book Next is provided as a separate non-commercial community add-on under theme-packs/art-book-next/; it is not bundled in the main RetroShell ZIP. See Gallery themes for packaging and manifest details.

Build

Install PSPDEV, then run:

./build.sh
./build.sh test
./build.sh candidates

The candidate command creates the versioned PSP ZIP and optional core packages under dist/.

Contributing

• Contributor guide
• Core contributor workflow — build, test, and package one emulator core without learning the frontend
• Install RetroShell and community cores
• Emulator directory
• Release changelog
• Architecture
• Gallery themes
• Adding a core
• Core audit and hardware status

Do not submit copyrighted ROMs, BIOS files, or keys.

Credits

RetroShell was built with Fable and OpenAI Codex. Product and interface design by Dadcap.

GB, GBC, and GBA border artwork adapted from Watomsk/Overlays.

License

RetroShell is MIT licensed. Emulator cores and vendored libraries retain their upstream licenses. See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.