# Alien vs PPSSPP

The clearest difference is chart position: Alien at #157 against PPSSPP's unranked. PPSSPP's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Alien against 4.5 for PPSSPP. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Alien's written reviews are positive against 72% of PPSSPP's.

Alien ships an update every 2 months, PPSSPP every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alien | PPSSPP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-isolation/id1573029040/reviews) | [4.5 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ppsspp-psp-emulator/id6496972903/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 72.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#157** | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Feral Interactive Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/402470125) | [Henrik Rydgård](https://appshunter.io/developer/1741218068) |

## What reviewers say

### Alien

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-isolation/id1573029040)

**Currently charting:** #157 Top Free · Adventure (US App Store)

Embark on a terrifying quest for survival aboard a space station. Unprepared and underequipped, you must use your wits and courage to escape an unknown menace. Experience a faithful mobile replication of the classic survival horror game, complete with AAA visuals and an arresting narrative.

**Highlights:** Survival horror gameplay, Stealth and evasion mechanics, Resource scavenging and crafting, Touchscreen controls with customization, Gamepad and mouse/keyboard support, Faithful mobile replication of AAA visuals, Includes all DLC content

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent port with great performance
- 👍 Impressive graphics and visuals
- 🎮 Smooth controls and controller support
- 🎬 Captures the Alien franchise atmosphere well
- 🕹️ Immersive gameplay experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Device overheating and battery drain issues
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🕹️ Touchscreen controls not ideal for certain gameplay elements
- 🕰️ Long loading times and unskippable intro

**Reported bugs**

- Certain puzzles/objectives not triggering correctly
- Sound issues like audio cutting out
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more graphics/performance options
- Improve auto-save and checkpoint system
- Implement Magic Keyboard support
- Include Chinese language support


### PPSSPP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ppsspp-psp-emulator/id6496972903)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PPSSPP Gold | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alien free?

Alien 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, Alien or PPSSPP?

Alien and PPSSPP are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.3K and 2.7K ratings respectively.

### Do Alien or PPSSPP have ads?

Neither Alien nor PPSSPP shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alien or PPSSPP?

Alien ships an update every 2 months, and PPSSPP every 4 weeks. Most recently, Alien was updated on October 14, 2026 and PPSSPP on October 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*