PSX on PSP Compatibility List

3.80: Crashed after character is chosen at a blank screen if left too long. Solution: After chosen character, the screen will go black, immediately press the X button and the game will run normally. By 2PS

SLPS-01222: Freezes once entered police station, same way it does with american version if game id isnt changed. Tested on 3.52-3.80 pops.

When you do use one of these gameIDs you'll sometimes notice a little slowdown or some stuttering in voices, but at least the game works.

3.52 and below: Use GameID SLPS-01156, SLPS-01724, or SLPS-01222.

3.71 and 3.72: GameID SLPS-01156 and SLPS-01724 will work.

3.90: Only GameID SLPS-01156 will work. Also the slowdown and stuttering in voices is slightly better. EBOOT needs to be made with CDDA Popstation 1.24 (don't forget, you'll need keys.bin). Many GUIs make bad eboots...

4.01: If you use GameID SLPS-01490 then gameplay and voices are MUCH better. However if you try to watch the opening cinematic after starting a new game it will freeze at a black screen after it zooms in on the castle. So press Start as soon as you can to skip it.

3.42 & 3.51: Same as above, but the sound is perfect.

3.52 - 3.72: Unplayable! After the Capcom logo you will get a blank white screen. The opening FMV can be heard playing, but the white screen remains and the game doesn't respond to button input. After the FMV you'll be stuck on the main menu until you quit.

4.01: Works again, but no noticable improvements over 3.42 & 3.51. NOTE: Upon first trying this pops the game started fine, but I had a black screen when I loaded my save file to the world map. I restarted and tried a new game instead, which worked fine. Ever since then my save file has worked. The black screen may have been a one-off glitch.

Tested with Popsloader 3.71.

Tested on 3.71 M33-2

***UPDATE***
3.40 OE-A: The game freezes right after you choose a game mode on the main menu.
3.52 M33-4: Same result as the previous version.

3.40: Use GameID SLPS-01222. It will appear a little laggy, but it's less likely to freeze. Update: Use GameID SCUS-94640, it's much better.

3.51: Use GameID SCUS-94640.

3.52: The game will freeze when accessing the character status.

3.71: Update by GamerbyDesign: Tested on 3.71 M33 with SLUS-01041 & SLPS-01222 it does not freeze when accessing character status, however it does freeze in the first boss battle against Mama Komodo. If you use GameID SCUS-94640 it wont freeze after Mama Komodo, but going to character status it will freeze.

3.72: Use popsloader to run 3.72 pops. With GameID SCUS-94640 it wont freeze on character status or the first boss Mama Komodo! It REALLY matters what converter you use to make the eboot. Read Here for more information on what converter to use.

3.90: Intro movie does not load on the first disc. Use 3.80 popsloader to run 3.72 pops.

3.90: tested on my 3.90 psp and worked perfectly. i am using original the actual game id and i have both discs in one eboot. By LordJovanius

4.01: Status screen freezing both with original and 94640. Loading 3.72 instead fixes it.

Has severe glitches and not playable on 3.90 M33 - tested by +DONO

• update* 3.80 pops works! same as PAL, intro is fuzzy; no speed issue. ~Beaniehat~

UPDATE: Stopped locking up on Deathpal boss using 3.10 OE-A and up.

Locks up on 3.80. Use 3.40 via popsloader

3.72: Doesn't seem to freeze like it did before.

4.01: Runs great, doesn't take forever to load.

3.03: Certain enemy moves can cause the the whole screen to turn green or red while still hearing battle sounds and music, the game time will literally slow down to where one attack can take ten minutes to complete. If you do manage to make it to the field screen, save then reset to restore the glitched graphics. Known moves to cause this so far: Hell Bubbles, Sleepel, Ultrasound, and Limit Break: Seal Evil (basically any attack that can cause sleep or silence).

3.11: No battle swirl, but sleep and silence attacks don't cause game to glitch.

3.40: Battle swirl works fine, but sleep and silence attaks DO cause the game to glitch.

3.52: Battle swirl works fine, also sleep and silence attacks no longer cause glitches.

3.71: The Music tempo is slightly too quick but other than that it works great didn't crash or glitch at all. -anthall1991

3.80: Unplayable. The battle swirl causes the game to glitch. Use the new popsloader to run the game under a version that works.

3.90: Same problem 3.80 has. Use the popsloader designed for 3.80 m33 and boot up in 3.71 pops.

3.90M33-3: Use the popsloader designed for 3.80 m33 to boot up in 3.71 pops. -anthall1991

4.01: Some attacks sound odd but other than that it runs flawlessly. -anthall1991 The first Rocket cinema upon meeting Cid and/or the Gold Saucer date scene may freeze the game. Other FMVs might freeze as well. I'm getting the freezes consistently, anthall1991 is not, and we are both running 4.01 M33-2. If you get this freeze, switch down to 3.71 to get past the cinema. -Tzepish

4.01 M33-2: The first Rocket cinema upon meeting Cid DOES NOT freezes the game. Some attacks sound odd but other than that it runs flawlessly. -anthall1991

Try using an alternate GameID (SCUS-94640, SLPS-02180, SLPS-01222, or SLPS-01156). There's also this tool to switch between two popular IDs.

Things that may cause the game to freeze (especially on the default GameID):

Zell's Duel Burning Rave

Some of Quistis' limits.

Scanning and casting magic in battle.

Drawing for an extended period of time.

Many special attacks monsters and bosses can do.

Fighting Elvoret in the Comm Tower.

Fighting Granaldo in Training Area (3.71 M33-4)

Wendigos in the Dollet forest can cause the game to randomly freeze.

When fighting Griever if he draws from you, the game may freeze.

For specific information on making this game more compatible, go to the Final Fantasy VIII page.

4.01: Default GameID on default settings works great. It drops a frame or two when entering a battle, but that's about it.

4.01: Still problems with Scan magic :( freezing before or just after scan on 90%. Upd: Works fine when popsloader is disabled.

Edit: to patch the PAL version of FFVIII (and FFVII for that matter) search for an app called PatchIt (DCEmu has some of the files necessary) and Zapper / Zapper2000 (not sure on this one though it may just fix the screen position between PAL and NTSC). - Keikura

3.90:Opening FMV played for me, however there was no sound. I copied the game with Alcohol 52%, then made the eboot with PSX2PSP v1.3.

3.90 m33-3 Slim: The second FMV that plays after Pinnacle Rock (With Zidane and Dagger running through the field towards Lindblum) is like the opening FMV, as it has no sound. - G_S

Confirmation: 3.90 M33-3 Plays the intro FMV with no sound irrespective of programs used to copy/convert to eboot. Additionally the FMV at the start of the festival can bug out and make a loud buzzing sound. Other than that works perfect. -Vanit

4.01 M33-2: Opening FMV played from the first disk (and probably single disk eboots) has no sound, however you can get the sound to play by switching to one of the later disks and selecting New Game. It'll ask you to put in the first disc. After switching disks it'll start the FMV with all of the sound. This probably won't help any for the later FMV, though. -Ganoran

HP of the Wanzer legs is 0 (player or enemy). It happens with a chance of 98% during the battle-animations ... :(

So it would be wise to make a battle save with every turn and to avoid direct attacks to an opponent with Leg HP = 0. Missle attacks and attacks with Flamethrowers will work much better.

Aside of that, there are no other problems (i played the game 25 hours

3.90: PAL/US title hangs at the start of the first mission, try other FW (3.80) - by 2PS.

UPDATE Try 3.52 pops to get past forest. If it doesnt let u save like the old bug,
then try 3.80 pops

Tested on Firmware 3.40 OE-A by dvdchas. Note: Background music is CD-Audio, so was absent during my tests.
UPDATE: Tested in 3.71 pops, converted using Popstation_toc_tinnus. Working with background music.
3.90-m33 Runs flawlessly! -anthall1991
4.01-m33 Runs flawlessly! -anthall1991

While playing on 3.71 you'll get a blackscreen after Lenus fight. Update to 3.80 and it will run fine. Also use popsloader to emulate other firmwares, so you can change back, because there will be more blackscreens and you'll need to change firmware back to 3.71. (At least, that worked for me).

Works perfectly on my 3.90 m33-2!!

People have found that if you don't turn into a Dragoon during the Lenus fight then it wont freeze. (yes she's hard, but you don't want to risk it freezing, so don't change into your Dragoons.)

• Minor sound glitches(sound is almost perfect with 3.52 M33+).
• Some Artifacts lock game when placed. Golden Seed locks game on 3.4 OE and 3.52 M33. Golden Seed does not lock game on 3.71 M33
• Using heavy attacks with the bow and the flail causes severe artifacting, all other weapons work fine (3.40 OE)

3.90: works fine on this firmware with single eboot. by LordJovanius

3.71 & 3.72:Game Hangs on the end of FMV where u exit the Blue Shpere Tower just on the first disc

3.80 M33-5: Game no longer hangs on any FMV sequence; I have had no freezes in the game at all. There was no need to use CWCheat to bypass any glitches or problems besides changing discs which is inevitable. Some people say you need to run the game in Normal screen size but I was able to run it in Full Screen the entire game. My specs are CFW 3.80 M33-5 with Popsloader 3.71, (This EBOOT is a Multidisc EBOOT!), im not sure if the game works on ANY other version because i've only checked it on 3.80 M33-5. - Gekkôstate//

3.90: This one doesn't even load the FMV, so for those wanting to play the game don't use popstation_md. Just make single disc EBOOTs and play the game on an earlier popsloader

I´m using a PSP-Slim with 3.90 M33 and it freezes on the Flutter if you go down the second ladder and try to go up again, the game even turn off my console, I tried the saulcomcor´s EBOOT and making my own with IceTea 1.3 even used Popsloader 3.80 (Full) with the FW on 3.71, but nothing, you can´t go up the ladder and you need to do so a little further in the game by VoltKaizer.

3.72: Best played on this firmware

3.80-4.01: Use the 3.80 Popsloader to load 3.72 Tested by shortboy

3.90 Working, but may freeze when acquiring certain items on Digging missions.

Note: Now works perfectly under 3.9!

Also works in 4.01 M33-2 (Trasgo7)

You can use popstation_md to combine both discs into one eboot. (only works on 3.71-4 m33 and above)

If you don't want to make a Multi-disc eboot, then you can switch discs using CWcheat codes, read psychospacefish's post.

Hint: During the Psycho Mantis fight go to your Home menu and change controller ports (only works on 3.30 and above).

Otherwise you are going to need to use CWcheat codes. Go to the Monster Rancher 2 page for more info.

Not sure whether this happens normally or not, but on 3.71m33-2 ada does not dispose of keys until you reach the hospital, not game breaking, but frustrating!

The Full Motion Videos Have a weird problem which basically makes them unviewable (if that bothers you then don't play this game). SLPS-00025 must be used (on both discs) to get this to boot at all. NOTE: Does not work on m33 3.52-4 or m33 3.71-2 (stops right before the opening sequence like it did on older firmwares). Runs fine on 3.40 OE

3.71: Disc 1 reported to work if you use the GameID SLPS-01510, however disc 2 freezes at police station.

3.80: Both disk 1 and 2 work perfectly using SLPS-01222 again. Tested by Cheska.

3.90: Both disk 1 and 2 freeze at Violence Warning screen on SLPS-01222. Leon/Claire A Scenarios (Disk 1) works perfectly using SLPS-01510, but B Scenarios freeze at random points when going up stairs or ladders in the police station.

(3.51 update: Now runs at fullspeed, 2nd-stage bug fixed. Edge Master mode freezes at 'Mission 1' screen. SLPS-01222 increases compatibility, but re-introduces slowdown.)

3.03 OE-C: When using spells with animations(spells that make every unit on the screen stop their movement until the attack finishes), the game may freeze. Spells that don't have animation may freeze but with extremely low chance(only encountered once out of 20+ hours).

3.71: When I was playing on 3.71 sometimes after a battle it would get stuck at a black screen, this was really rare though. Other than that the game works great just be sure to save often.

Tested on slim psp 3.90 m33 3.03 pops. Works perfectly(as far as I can tell) doesn't freeze at training level. Used alcohol 52% to rip .ccd,.sub,.img from disc then PSX2PSP v.1.2 to make the eboot. by Mornaug

3.10-3.72: Works fine

Update from dopi:On POP's 3.40 - sound works only sfx no music. Every level works no freezes, completed "quest mode" with no prob.

4.01 M33-2: Entrances or loading screens do not load, otherwise the game plays fine.

3.52 m33: May freeze during the "Old Movie Countdown" scene. Use 3.40 if this happens.

There's no need to beat Deus quickly, you only must wait his attack wich drops his energy and yours at 50%, but do not fear, that attack do not kill anybody, then wait until his energy (and maybe yours) is below of 1000 HPs then use System ID with Fei and attack with X button, that attack should kill Deus, is important that you don't attack Deus before, if you do, then Deus will counterattack with the attack that freeze the game. By JuanMan.

3.71 M33: Seems to work without problems, except a small sound hitch upon leaving the Save menu. May be in the original game?

3.90 M33: Freezes after the "shatter" effect during the first battle of the intro, with a sound loop. Use 3.71 if you require multi-disc PBP support.

4.01 M33: Freezes after the "shatter" effect during the first battle of the intro, with a sound loop. Use 3.71 if you require multi-disc PBP support.