iPhone PlayStation emulator goes public

A PlayStation 1 emulator for the iPhone and iPod touch, whose development was revealed just two weeks ago, is now available in its first public version. The software is installed directly to jailbroken devices, and utilizes images of PS1 discs converted to ISO, IMG, BIN, Z or ZNX formats. Users can also increase the performance of the emulator by installing a specific PlayStation BIOS file, and excuting hidden commands to increase the clock cycle and/or speed of their handhelds.

The emulator is significant for a several reasons, among them the fact that it proves the capacity to run 3D applications on the Touch and iPhone, such as Final Fantasy VII. When Apple releases the iPhone SDK in February, developers may thus be able to develop more hardware-intensive software than they anticipated. The emulator may also raise the ire of Sony, which allows gamers to run select PS1 games on its modern handheld, the PSP.

Filed under: iPod, iPhone, gaming, software, hacks
Other story tags: sony, PlayStation