FrogGBA PSP

FrogGBA
General
Author	tzubertowski
Type	Handheld
Version	0.1.0
License	GPL-2.0
Last Updated	2025/08/06
Links
Download
Website
Source

FrogGBA is an modernised TempGBA (GBA emulator) with improved compatibility, based on:

• TempGBA by Nebuleon, Normmatt, and BassAceGold
• TempGBA4PSP-mod (TempGBA4PSP-26731020)

Features

• Overlay System:
  • Custom Overlays/Borders - Render PNG overlays above the game window for bezels, borders, and custom frames.
  • X/Y Offset Controls - Position the game window anywhere on screen.
  • Online Overlay Generator - Convert PNG images to OVL format at froggba.onrender.com.
  • Multiple Overlay Slots - Store up to 10 different overlays and switch between them.
  • Dynamic Memory Management - Overlays only use memory when loaded.
• Display Options:
  • Aspect Ratio Modes:
    • Core Provided (3:2) - Original GBA aspect ratio with proper scaling.
    • Zoom (Fill Screen) - Fills screen vertically, crops sides slightly.
    • Stretch (Full PSP) - Stretches to fill entire 480×272 screen.
  • Color Correction:
    • GPSP mode with optimized lookup tables.
    • Retro mode for authentic GBA colors.
    • Off for raw output.
  • FPS Display - SELECT + Square to toggle performance counter.
• Performance Optimizations:
  • Volatile Memory Support - Uses additional 4MB of PSP RAM for 100% speed on demanding games.
    • Metroid Zero Mission - 45 FPS → 60 FPS (100% speed achieved!).
    • Works on all PSP models (1000/2000/3000/Go).
  • Partial Flush for MIPS32 - Optimized cache invalidation for better performance.
  • Color Correction via LUTs - 10x faster than real-time calculation.
  • Memory Waitstate Optimization - ~50% reduced memory access delays.
  • Sprite Rendering Pipeline - Unrolled loops and early culling for sprite-heavy games.
  • Block Coalescing - Better instruction cache usage.
• Save State Improvements:
  • Auto Menu Exit - Menu automatically closes after loading/saving states.
  • Better Memory Management - Temporarily frees overlay memory during save/load operations.
  • File Validation - Prevents crashes from corrupted or empty save states.
  • Persistent Settings - All new options are saved in config.
• Quality of Life:
  • Fast Forward - SELECT + R toggles 2x/3x speed modes.
  • Turbo Buttons - Triangle and Square as dedicated turbo buttons.
  • ROM Validation - Prevents crashes when loading invalid files.
  • Improved Error Messages - Clear feedback for file and memory issues.
• Technical Improvements:
  • PSP Cycle Batching - Reduces dynamic recompiler overhead.
  • Cache Invalidation Reduction - Conservative cache management.
  • Timer Prescaling Optimization - Better audio/video sync.
  • Smart Memory Allocation - Dynamic allocation reduces static memory usage by ~550KB.
• Performance Impact:
  • Metroid Zero Mission - 45 FPS -> 60 FPS (33% improvement, now 100% speed!)
  • Sprite-heavy games - 20-30% performance boost.
  • General gameplay - Consistent 60 FPS on most games with volatile memory enabled.
• Original TempGBA Features:
  • Added gpsp kai's cheats function.
  • Added Chinese language support.
  • Added restore function.
  • New menu icon.
  • Imported code from TempGBA-mod-dstwo-26750220.
  • Modern PSP SDK compatibility.
  • Docker-based build system.

Installation

You need to have a CFW installed on your PSP.

Download and extract the latest release, copy the unzipped PSP folder into root of your PSP SD card.

Acquire and copy GBA bios file into PSP/GAME/FrogGBA/gba_bios.bin file.

Launch the emulator on the console.

User guide

Overlays

Creating Overlays:

• Go to froggba.render.com and upload your PNG.
  • Image must be exactly 480×272 pixels (PSP screen size).
  • Transparent areas will show the game.
  • Opaque areas will be the border/bezel.
• Click convert and download the generated .ovl file.
• Copy the .ovl file to /PSP/GAME/FrogGBA/overlays/ on your Memory Stick.
• Files will appear in the Overlay menu in-game.

Using Overlays in FrogGBA:

• Press HOME during gameplay to open the menu.
• Navigate to "Overlay Settings".
• Select your overlay from the list.
• Adjust X/Y offset if needed to position the game window.
• Enable/disable overlays with the toggle option.

Tips for Best Results

• Design overlays with a transparent center area for the game (240×160 minimum).
• Use PNG transparency for see-through areas.
• Keep border designs simple to avoid hitting the 30,000 pixel limit.
• Test different aspect ratios with your overlays (Core/Zoom/Stretch).

Controls

Select+R - Fast forward toggle (2x/3x speed)

Select+Square - FPS counter toggle

Screenshots

Compatibility

Works on all PSP models (1000/2000/3000/Go).

Changelog

v0.1.0

• First Release.

External links

• GitHub - https://github.com/tzubertowski/FrogGBA
• Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/PSP/comments/1mj4dmo/froggba_v010_fast_psp_gba_emulator_built_for/