- A Reddit user has installed a PSP emulator on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
- They use Bugjaeger to sideload APKs
- It now runs GTA 5 at 60fps, and even works with a Bluetooth gamepad
A scientist, who was so preoccupied with whether or not they could, and didn’t stop to think if they should, has revealed how they installed a PSP emulator on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
A few weeks ago, I spotted a post in the Galaxy Watch subreddit that caught me so off-guard that I had to know more. The post, from ‘ZenonDesingk’, featured images of a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 running God of War and GTA, and even what appears to be Forza Horizon 4 via Steam Link.
I was so enthralled that I reached out to the mind behind the madness – and I wasn’t disappointed.
“One day at school, I noticed that one of my friends was using a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5,” ‘Zenon’ told me. So taken by the capabilities of the Samsung Watch, and its inclusion of Google Play, they immediately went and bought their own the following day, but was initially met with disappointment.
“I was surprised to find that the games were uninteresting and pretty bad,” they said. Undeterred, they set about improving the experience. “But I didn’t let that get me down because, after all, this is Android! You can do anything you want,” they continued. What unfolded next led to the creation of the coolest and niftiest gaming gadget I’ve ever seen.
The Samsung Galaxy WatchStation 5
At first, Zenon tried to download APKs through the built-in watch browser or transfer apps via Bluetooth, neither of which worked. “Just when I was about to lose hope, I remembered that I could transfer apps via ADB (Android Debug Bridge),” they told me.
Android Debug Bridge is a programming tool that does exactly what it says on the tin, and one such example is Bugjaeger, a do-it-all multitool that lets you hack and slash your way through the code behind your Android device’s operating system. “I immediately installed Bugjaeger on my phone, enabled wireless ADB in the Watch 5’s developer settings, and connected the watch and phone (they need to be on the same Wi-Fi network).”
After that, Zenon started loading APKs onto the watch, a process that likely involved playing fast and loose with some copyright laws, so I won’t share the details here. After tweaking the watch’s DPI settings, the apps could be opened and worked just fine.
“At first, I only tried simple games like Temple Run and Jetpack Joyride, but this wasn’t satisfying enough for me,” they said. “I thought the most advanced game that could be played on the watch would be GTA, so I attempted to install GTA: Vice City, but it didn’t work.”
That’s when Zenon struck upon the idea of installing a PSP emulator directly onto the Watch (again a shady area of copyright). “Using the PSP emulator, I managed to load GTA: Vice City, God of War, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, and Mortal Kombat onto the watch,” the said. Naturally, playing the games on the tiny screen was “torture”, Zenon tells me. The solution? “I bought a Bluetooth gamepad from AliExpress. With the gamepad, I could comfortably play all the PSP games.” Seems obvious I suppose.
More surprising than the compatibility issues Zenon managed to overcome during the process is the fact that most of these games ran smoothly at 60fps, God of War being the only title that would occasionally drop to 30fps.
Satisfied that they’d completed the Galaxy Watch 5, and life itself, Zenon went back to being a regular smartwatch owner. “Naturally, all of this was just a temporary enthusiasm that lasted a few days. After about 1–2 weeks, I reset the watch and started using it as a normal watch again.”
While Zenon’s achievements are pretty impressive, for reasons pertaining to copyright law and to protect the integrity of your own best Android smartwatch, please don’t try this at home.
Please note that the use of emulators may be in violation of the game developer and publisher terms and conditions, as well as applicable intellectual property laws. These will vary, so please check. Emulators should only ever be used with your own purchased game copy. TechRadar does not condone or encourage the illegal downloading of games or actions infringing copyright.
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