Work in progress PSP implementation of Balatro.

This project is still under active development and is open to the community.
Feedback, bug reports, suggestions and contributions are welcome.

This repository is based on a fork of the original PSPalatro project by internalregister, with additional updates, fixes and features added by contributors in this version.

This is a limited implementation of the game Balatro for Sony's Playstation Portable console.
The project is for legitimate owners of a Balatro copy who wish to experience a partial implementation of the game on the PSP.

This project is not endorsed or affiliated with LocalThunk or Playstack.
All rights are reserved to their respective holders.

You need to own the original game in order to use this software, namely the Windows version.
It has not been tested with other versions.

Here's where you can buy it from:

• Balatro on Steam
• Balatro on Humble Bundle

I did this for fun in whatever free time I managed to get.

The project is still being improved and may receive new updates over time.
There is no strict roadmap, but I will try to fix bugs and add improvements whenever I can.

Not all implemented rules match the original game exactly. Some of them were adjusted due to PSP limitations, missing information, or implementation differences.

• Native PSP save system
• Pause menu with runtime settings
• Main in-game loop
• Shop, including singles and boosters
• Card enhancements
• Card editions
• 80+ jokers
• Consumables
• Spectral cards and Spectral booster packs
• Full and remaining deck view
• Experimental background music implementation, works best when overclock is enabled
• Sound effects for UI, scoring, shop and card actions
• Save-safe audio callback handling for native PSP save dialogs
• Natural negative jokers
• Boss blinds, including showdown boss blinds and blind-specific effects
• Blind select and in-round info panels with readable boss blind details

• Remaining rule parity fixes and edge-case boss blind interactions
• More gameplay and UI polishing
• Performance and audio stability improvements
• Additional updates based on feedback and available time

Special thanks to internalregister, the original author of the PSPalatro port.

Huge thanks to OniMock for the major help, support and contributions to this version of the project.

Thanks to luxotick for ongoing updates, fixes and PSP integration work.

1. Install the PSPSDK: PSPSDK
2. Check if the following packages are installed for the PSPSDK, using for example psp-pacman:
   • libzip
   • vorbis
   • liblzma
   • stb
3. Run:

make

1. Copy EBOOT.PBP and the files in the assets folder to a folder for the game on your PSP.
2. Copy your official Balatro executable to that same folder.
3. Modify the settings.ini file if needed. This step is optional.

The final folder on your PSP should look like this:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/PSPalatro/
├── EBOOT.PBP
├── Balatro.exe
├── settings.ini
└── editions.png

The files inside the repository assets folder should be copied next to EBOOT.PBP, not kept inside an assets folder on the PSP.

If you rename the Balatro executable, update archive_file_name in settings.ini to match the new filename.

The settings.ini file can have the following entries:

• archive_file_name - string - the name of the Balatro executable
• hand_size - number - initial hand size
• hands - number - initial hands
• discards - number - initial discards
• wealth - number - initial wealth
• joker_slots - number - initial joker slots
• consumable_slots - number - initial consumable slots
• shop_item_slots - number - initial shop single slots
• shop_booster_slots - number - initial shop booster slots
• audio - boolean - turn audio on or off. It is advisable to use this with overclock enabled
• move_cards - boolean - turn card oscillation on or off
• debug_tools - boolean - enable or disable runtime debug shortcuts
• overclock - boolean - set the CPU and BUS clocks to 333MHz. This should be fine for the PSP, but it may drain the battery faster
• ante_score_scaling - int - how the ante score scales, values from 1 to 3
• speed - int - how fast scoring is, values from 1 to 5

To use these bindings, Debug Tools (debug_tools) must first be enabled either through the in-game settings menu or by setting debug_tools = true in your settings.ini. Almost all debug commands require you to hold down both the Left Trigger (L) and Right Trigger (R) on the PSP while pressing a face button.

Condition to use: You must be on the Title Screen, currently focused on the Deck Selection menu.

• L + R + Cross (X): Unlocks the next deck tier.
  • When to use: Use this when you are testing gameplay with advanced deck types but don't want to play through the standard unlock progression.
• L + R + Circle (O): Locks all deck progress and resets you to the default state (Red Deck).
  • When to use: Use this to test the "fresh save file" experience or to verify if deck unlock conditions are working properly.

Condition to use: You must be actively in a match, picking your hand, and highlighting a specific card in your active hand.

• L + R + Square: Cycles through the available Card Seals (e.g., Red, Blue, Gold, Purple) for the highlighted card.
  • When to use: Use this to easily test seal-specific effects or interactions without relying on random shop RNG or Tarot/Spectral cards.
• L + R + Circle (O): Removes the Card Seal from the highlighted card entirely.
  • When to use: Use this to revert a card to its base state while testing seal modifiers.
• L + R + Cross (X): Cycles through the different Card Editions (e.g., Foil, Holographic, Polychrome).
  • When to use: Use this to quickly buff a hand to test scoring capabilities, or to ensure that special edition shaders (like Foil or Holographic) are rendering properly on the hardware.

Condition to use: Can be triggered at any time during gameplay or menus.

• L + R + Triangle: Toggles "Force Score Flames".
  • When to use: This forces the game to display the intense flame visual effects on the score. It is primarily used for debugging the visual rendering (e.g., shaders, particles) or testing the PSP's performance/frame rate under high visual stress.

Condition to use: Requires Debug Tools enabled.

• L + R + Start on the Blind select screen: jumps to the Boss Blind and cycles the current Boss Blind.
• L + R + Start in the shop: turns all booster packs into Mega Spectral Packs.