Hackers poking at the PlayStation 4 game PaRappa the Rapper Remastered have discovered something unusual about last year’s rhythm game rerelease: it’s actually an emulated PlayStation Portable version of the game with a fresh, HD coat of paint.
While some current generation remasters were recreated from the ground up like the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy, this discovery shows devs another path Sony has taken to revive older classics for modern consoles.
Ars Technica reports that a user on the GBATemp forums noticed that the PaRappa remaster houses a built-in PSP emulator that runs the PSP re-release of PaRappa, rather than a version of the game built specifically for the PlayStation 4. While the release features updated 4K textures to make the game look good on modern displays, the nuts and bolts powering the game are the same as its PlayStation Portable version.
For hackers looking at ways to run things like PSP games on unlocked PS4 consoles, the PaRappa emulator also acts as a Sony-created tool to do so. KiiWii, the user behind the initial discovery, has already shared pictures of Loco Roco running on a PS4 via PaRappa’s emulator while other users have gotten Patapon and Namco Museum up and running as well