In PPSSPP, go to Settings > System > Emulation and check the box for "Ignore bad memory accesses" . This often prevents the emulator from crashing when a compressed file has minor read errors.

Use an extraction tool like ZArchiver (Android) or 7-Zip (PC).

While CSO files save space, they can cause lag and stuttering because the CPU has to decompress data on the fly.

For the smoothest experience on low-end devices, use these 2026-standard settings :

The most common reason a highly compressed game won't load is that it’s still inside a container file like 7-Zip or RAR .

If your game isn't working, follow this guide to fix it and optimize your PPSSPP emulator for low-size gaming.

Searching for "highly compressed PSP games under 200MB" is a popular way to save storage, but it often leads to errors like "Could not load game" or constant crashing. Highly compressed games are typically standard ISO files wrapped in .7z , .rar , or .zip archives, or converted into specialized formats like CSO (Compressed ISO) .