FrogGBA PSP

FrogGBA
General
Author	tzubertowski
Type	Handheld
Version	0.2.4
License	GPL-2.0
Last Updated	2025/08/23
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 https://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 https://froggba.onrender.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

v0.2.4

• New in v0.2.4:
  • Resume Game on Boot - Automatically resume your last played game when starting the emulator for seamless gaming sessions.
  • Auto Save/Load States - New automatic save state functionality. Happens on menu open.
  • Split Resume Options - Can resume last played game, also can load last save state upon game load
  • Dedicated Saving Submenu - Added organized submenu for all save-related settings and options.
• Critical Fixes:
  • Fixed Water Transparency Issues - Resolved major visual bugs causing water and transparent effects to show vertical stripes instead of smooth transparency.
  • Fixed Kirby Startup Logo - Kirby's black startup logo now displays in proper colors thanks to corrected blending calculations.
  • Eliminated Green Flickering - No more green blinking during black transition screens in Castlevania and other games.
  • Restored Visual Accuracy - Disabled problematic optimizations that were causing widespread blending and alpha channel rendering issues

v0.2.2

• gpSP Kai Optimizations - Implemented some of the proven performance techniques from the legendary gpSP Kai, resulting in noticeable FPS gains.
• Fixed Multi-Layer Bottlenecks - Games like Castlevania (water sections) now run at better speed with 4-layer Mode 0 rendering.
• Eliminated Micro-Stutters - Smart cache management prevents stuttering during level transitions in games like Kirby Amazing Mirror.
• Optimized Memory Usage - Reduced translation cache sizes to optimal levels (2MB ROM, 256KB RAM) for better PSP memory utilization.
• Enhanced Audio Processing - Improved audio buffering reduces crackling and provides smoother sound output.
• Better Sprite Rendering - Optimized sprite handling for games with many on-screen objects.

v0.2.1

• Recent Games Menu - Your last played titles now appear right at the top when loading a game.
• Much Faster Overlays - Completely reworked overlay code; loads instantly, zero slowdown.
• Full-Screen Borders - Overlays can now stretch across the entire display for maximum style.

v0.2.0

• 110%+ performance boost in heavy GBA titles thanks to volatile memory.
• Full custom overlay support with up to 10 designs, pixel-perfect positioning, and an online generator at [froggba.render.com](https://froggba.render.com).
• New aspect ratio modes, faster colour correction, and overlay-friendly scaling.
• Major stability fixes, better save/load behaviour, and crash prevention for bad ROMs.

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/