In January 2023, the FPGA gaming world had a “wow” moment when a developer using the X handle @pgate1 shared a tweet (embedded below) showing a PlayStation core running on the Analogue Pocket. While an incredible sight, the initial version had severe limitations, with games running at a reduced frame rate. It appears the developer has since resumed work on the core and has made some progress.
A significant update on the project has been shared. They successfully fixed a critical “delayed load” issue in the CPU’s core that had been hindering performance. This technical achievement resulted in a crucial 4% reduction in resource usage, a gain that has already had an impact on game compatibility. Thanks to this fix, Omega Boost and Final Fantasy Tactics can now run, specifically allowing the movie-skipping feature to work as intended. This marks a key step forward for the project, demonstrating the ongoing progress in PlayStation compatibility on the Analogue Pocket.
While a complete PlayStation core on the Analogue Pocket may never be fully realized, it’s impressive to see how far a single developer can push the project.