Comparison

Pokémon GO vs PPSSPP

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pokémon GO

Explore your surroundings to discover and catch virtual creatures. Journey with your companions, battle in gyms, and team up with others for powerful raids. Get moving for real-life adventures!

Highlights
  • Discover Pokémon in the real world
  • Catch Pokémon to complete Pokédex
  • Journey with Buddy Pokémon
  • Compete in Gym battles
  • Team up for Raid Battles
  • Utilize Adventure Sync for walking distance
Read full description

Join Trainers across the globe who are discovering Pokémon as they explore the world around them. Pokémon GO is the global gaming sensation that has been downloaded over 1 billion times and named “Best Mobile Game” by the Game Developers Choice Awards and “Best App of the Year” by TechCrunch. _______________ UNCOVER THE WORLD OF POKÉMON: Explore and discover Pokémon wherever you are! CATCH more Pokémon to complete your Pokédex! JOURNEY alongside your Buddy Pokémon to help make your Pokémon stronger and earn rewards! COMPETE in epic Gym battles and... TEAM UP and UNITE with other Trainers to catch powerful Pokémon during Raid Battles! It’s time to get moving—your real-life adventures await! Let’s GO! _______________ With the player’s permission, Adventure Sync uses the Health app to enable the player to earn walking distance when the app is closed. Notes: - This app is free-to-play and offers in-game purchases. It is optimized for smartphones, not tablets. - It is recommended to play while connected to a network in order to obtain accurate location information. - Compatibility is not guaranteed for devices without GPS capabilities or devices that are connected only to Wi-Fi networks. - Compatibility information may be changed at any time. - Information current as of July 11, 2019. - Compatible with iPhone® 5s / SE / 6 / 6s / 6 Plus / 6s Plus / 7 / 7 Plus / 8 / 8 Plus / X devices with iOS Version 9 or later installed. - Not compatible with 5th generation iPod Touch devices or iPhone 5c or earlier iPhone devices. - Please visit PokemonGO.com for additional compatibility information. - Compatibility is not guaranteed for all devices. - Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically reduce battery life.

About

PPSSPP

Experience your favorite PSP titles on your iOS device with high-definition graphics and enhanced features. This emulator allows you to play a vast library of PSP games with excellent performance. Access your own game files or explore free homebrew titles.

Highlights
  • Play PSP games on iOS
  • High-definition graphics
  • Extra features
  • High performance
  • Supports ISO/CSO files
  • Built-in Homebrew Store
Features
Read full description

Play PSP games on your iOS device, in high definition with extra features! PPSSPP is the original and only PSP emulator for mobile devices. It can run nearly all PSP games with great performance on iOS. No games are included with this download. Use your own real PSP games and turn them into .ISO or .CSO files (see the homepage for instructions), or simply play free homemade games, which are available in the built-in "Homebrew Store". PSP is a trademark of Sony. The PPSSPP project is in no way affiliated with Sony.

Screenshots

Pokémon GO4 screens
PPSSPP2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PPSSPP at 4.5 against Pokémon GO's 4.0. PPSSPP also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (72% vs 44%). Pokémon GO's advantage is ratings volume (656K vs 2.8K) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pokémon GO sells 21 one-off in-app purchases and PPSSPP sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PPSSPP holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pokémon GO has 656K ratings behind it against 2.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Pokémon GO's written reviews are positive against 72% of PPSSPP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pokémon GO ships an update weekly, PPSSPP every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Pokémon GO versus PPSSPP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPokémon GOPPSSPP
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (656K ratings)4.5 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.6% of reviews72.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings656K — better2.8K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size390 MB44 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperScopely Explore, Inc.Henrik Rydgård

Customer experience

Pokémon GO

All ratings656,104 ratings
Positive73.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews8,678 reviews
Positive43.6%
Neutral9.7%
Negative46.6%

PPSSPP

All ratings2,700 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral3.6%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews1,448 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral8.6%
Negative19.1%

User reviews

Pokémon GO

From 656K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive and fun gameplay
  • 👍 Encourages outdoor activity
  • 🚀 Frequent updates and new content
  • 👍 Brings people together
  • 🚀 Innovative AR features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🚫 Inaccessible for rural/disabled players

PPSSPP

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth performance
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Supports controllers
  • 🎮 Able to play classic PSP games
  • 🔥 Amazing emulation experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🤔 Compatibility problems with certain games
  • 🔇 Sound issues with some games

Bugs and requests

Pokémon GO

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • GPS/location issues causing gameplay problems
  • Bugs with egg hatching and buddy Pokémon
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Glitches with raid battles and rewards

Requested features

5 requests
  • In-game chat/communication system
  • Ability to trade items between players
  • More customization options for avatars
  • Improved tracking and spawn system
  • Easier access to rare/legendary Pokémon

PPSSPP

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to load save files
  • Controller mapping not working properly
  • Certain games not launching or freezing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for PS2 and PS3 emulation
  • Improve save state functionality
  • Implement haptic feedback for on-screen controls
  • Allow customization of button mapping
  • Add portrait mode support

In-app purchases

21 purchases

Pokémon GO

One-time21
  • 100 PokéCoins$0.99
  • Event Bonus$0.99
  • Small Box$1.99
Show 18 more
  • Evergreen Ticket 1$1.99
  • Event Ticket3 variants$1.99
  • Event Ticket5 variants$4.99
  • 550 PokéCoins$4.99
  • Ticket$4.99
  • Event Ticket$7.99
  • 1,200 PokéCoins$9.99
  • Event Pass Deluxe Plus Points$9.99
  • Finale Pass$14.99
  • Event Pass Deluxe$14.99
  • GO Fest Ticket$14.99
  • Finale Pass Plus Points$19.99
  • GO Pass Deluxe$19.99
  • 2,500 PokéCoins$19.99
  • Event Pass Deluxe Plus Points$19.99
  • GO Pass Deluxe Plus Points$24.99
  • 5,200 PokéCoins$39.99
  • 14,500 PokéCoins$99.99
1 purchases

PPSSPP

One-time1
  • PPSSPP Gold$3.99

Questions

Is Pokémon GO free?
Pokémon GO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PPSSPP free?
PPSSPP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pokémon GO or PPSSPP?
PPSSPP is rated higher. Pokémon GO averages 4.0 out of 5 from 656K ratings, while PPSSPP averages 4.5 from 2.8K ratings.
Do Pokémon GO or PPSSPP have ads?
Pokémon GO shows ads; PPSSPP does not.
Which is updated more often, Pokémon GO or PPSSPP?
Pokémon GO ships an update weekly, and PPSSPP every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pokémon GO was updated on November 1, 2026 and PPSSPP on November 1, 2026.

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