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A developer’s GitHub project recompiles the PSP games God of War: Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta into C++ and WebAssembly, allowing them to run in a browser through a custom PSP software layer and WebGL2 renderer. The developer reports up to 60 frames per second for Chains of Olympus and 55 to 60 for Ghost of Sparta in tested scenes, but users must supply their own game data.
A developer has demonstrated God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta running in a web browser after recompiling their PSP code into WebAssembly. The GitHub project says the games use a custom software implementation of parts of the PSP system and a WebGL2 renderer, rather than running inside a conventional PSP emulator; players must provide their own game data.
According to the project documentation, its tool analyzes each game’s decrypted executable, translates MIPS machine code into C++, and compiles that code to WebAssembly. The generated code runs against a model of the PSP’s registers and memory, while a small browser-side layer responds to operating-system requests such as file access, controller input, audio, save data and system dialogs.
The project reports that Chains of Olympus runs from startup through menus, cutscenes and combat. In scenes measured by its developer, it reached 60 frames per second in Chrome and Firefox on a laptop, at resolutions up to four times the PSP’s native 480-by-272 resolution. It also supports phones with on-screen touch controls. The documentation says music, dialogue and sound effects work, while movie playback is skipped for now.
Ghost of Sparta was brought up through the same scripts, with additional work for a small DRM-protected file, several system calls and a lighting issue. Its developer reports 55 to 60 frames per second at three times native resolution, without further performance tuning. Those figures are project-reported results, not independent benchmark measurements.
A Browser Port Without Bundled Games
The demonstration shows how browser technology can be used to run software originally built for a dedicated handheld, while keeping the game code separate from the browser’s PSP-system and graphics implementations. For players, the practical result is that the project can turn a locally supplied game image into a page that runs on a computer or phone, rather than requiring a PSP or a conventional emulator application.
The method is also distinct from simply interpreting every original instruction at runtime. The project translates the executable ahead of time and compiles the result, while recreating selected PSP services and graphics behavior in its own host layer. That approach may be useful for other compatible games, but the supplied report establishes support only for the two God of War titles it names; it does not show that PSP games generally will work without individual fixes.
The requirement to bring game data is a key limitation as well as a distinction. The repository does not include game files, and its documentation says users provide a disc image they own. The report does not establish whether the process is legally permitted in every jurisdiction or for every source of game data.
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How the PSP Software Is Recreated
The project divides the work among translated game code, a browser-side PSP kernel layer and graphics and audio components. Its graphics code decodes PSP display lists and sends batches of geometry and rendering state to WebGL2. It uses WebGL render targets to handle effects that draw to textures, and emulates details including fog, texture formats and the PSP’s use of framebuffer alpha for stencil effects.
For sound, the project documents a software implementation of the PSP’s voice synthesizer and use of FFmpeg to decode ATRAC3+ music and speech. It sends the mixed output to an AudioWorklet. Disc data is streamed through HTTP Range requests, so the documentation says only the executable is downloaded up front rather than the full game image.
Performance work was a substantial part of the effort. The developer says the first playable build ran at 6 frames per second. One major improvement came from addressing how the game swaps framebuffers without waiting for vertical blank; other changes addressed timing overhead, browser-specific WebGL behavior, stencil effects and parallel work between the game and graphics threads. The project’s account describes engineering results for these implementations, not independent testing.
““PSP games running in the browser without an emulator.””
— The project’s GitHub documentation
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Compatibility and Testing Limits
The performance figures come from the project’s own report, which does not provide independent testing, a full list of laptop or phone hardware, or detailed conditions for every measurement. The claimed frame rates should be read as results in the scenes measured so far, not as a guarantee of the same performance across devices or throughout either game.
The documentation does not establish support for other PSP games, nor does it give a complete account of which scenes or features remain unsupported beyond noting that movies are skipped for now. It also does not specify a publication date in the supplied material. The legality of making or using a game image depends on circumstances and local law; the project’s statement that users bring a game they own is not a legal assessment.
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Further Games and Browser Testing
The repository’s demonstrated next step is broader compatibility work: the project already brought Ghost of Sparta through the same scripts after addressing title-specific requirements. Its documentation does not give a release schedule or promise support for additional games. Readers can follow the repository for changes, while treating new compatibility or performance claims as project updates until independently tested.
For the two demonstrated titles, testing across more devices and browsers would clarify how consistently the reported results hold and what limitations remain. The supplied report does not announce a formal testing plan, a commercial release or a date for movie playback support.
portable touch screen gaming device
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Key Questions
Which God of War games are reported to run in a browser?
The project documents God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta, both originally released for PSP.
Does the browser project include the games?
No. The repository says no game data is included and that users supply their own game image. The report does not provide legal advice about obtaining or using game files.
How does the project run PSP games without a conventional emulator?
It translates the games’ MIPS executable code into C++, compiles that code to WebAssembly, and links it to browser software that implements selected PSP services and graphics through WebGL2.
Are the reported frame rates independently verified?
The figures are reported by the project developer. The supplied material does not include independent benchmark results or enough hardware detail to guarantee the same performance on other devices.
Do all game features work?
The project says music, speech and sound effects work, but movies are skipped for now. The supplied report does not establish complete compatibility across every scene or device.
Source: hn
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