How to Make Your Own PS1 Games: Homebrew vs Modern Retro Engines

You cannot burn games for an unmodified retail PS1—it only runs pressed discs with a wobble groove. But you can develop PS1-style games for emulators or modern platforms.

1. Actual PS1 Homebrew (Requires Modded Hardware)

• SDK: Official Psy-Q SDK (leaked, legal gray area) or open-source PSYQ SDK / libpsn00b.
• Language: C / MIPS Assembly.
• Tools: NO$PSX debugger/emulator, DuckStation (debug build), Blender (export to PS1 formats via scripts).
• Community: PSXDEV, GitHub templates.
• Run on: Modded PS1 (modchip/FreeMCBoot), PS2 (FMCB/OPL), PS3 (CFW/POPS), PSP (POPS), PC (DuckStation, Mednafen).

2. Modern Engines with PS1 Aesthetic (Recommended)

• Unity / Godot / Unreal: Use low-poly models, vertex snapping, affine texture mapping shaders, dithering, 15-bit color palette, 320×240 render texture.
• Frameworks: PS1 Retro Renderer (Unity), PSX Renderer (Godot).
• Deploy to PC, web, mobile, Switch — no hardware limits, legal to sell.

3. PS1 Game Engines (Niche)

• Titan Engine (homebrew), SGX — very limited documentation.

Legal Note

Distributing PS1 ISOs requires a licensed SDK or open-source toolchain. Selling homebrew on original hardware is legally murky. Modern-engine retro games are safe to sell on Steam/itch.io.