How to uninstall PPSSPP on Mac
Before removing PPSSPP, save and copy your PSP games and the complete memory-stick folder to a separate backup, then open the copy. This guide covers the official Mac download; Homebrew-specific removal is separate below.
Keep game images, save files and memory-card data. A library or emulator support folder can contain your progress, so copy the entire folder before reviewing it for removal.
Quit and remove the app
Finish current work and quit PPSSPP. Check Activity Monitor for its process before removing the app in Finder. In Applications, move PPSSPPSDL.app to the Trash; if you keep it elsewhere, use its actual location. Keep the Trash until your backup has been checked.
Review local data
These exact locations were observed in the removal record. Open them through Finder’s Go › Go to Folder. Copy wanted contents first; leave them if you want to keep settings or cannot establish ownership. They are optional data removal, not a prerequisite for removing the app.
~/.config/ppsspp
Check the result
This read-only check searches full process command lines, not disk contents.
pgrep -ifl 'PPSSPP'
No output with exit status 1 means no matching command line was found. A printed entry needs inspection in Activity Monitor because names can match unrelated processes. An error is not proof of removal. Also check that the app is absent from its original Finder location; a retained data folder or independent component does not mean the app is still installed.
If you installed it with Homebrew
The desktop cask is ppsspp-emulator. Uninstall without zap if you want to keep the memory-stick settings and data:
brew uninstall --cask ppsspp-emulator
The current cask requests that the app quit during ordinary removal. Its additional zap target is ~/.config/ppsspp; back up wanted contents before considering brew uninstall --cask --zap ppsspp-emulator. A direct zap command uses Homebrew’s list independently of Mole’s checkboxes. Mole suppresses zap when it reaches unchecked or shared data, an unreviewed scope, or unsupported actions; selected remnants still use its own removal flow.
What Mole lists
~/.config/ppsspp is listed for review and is not selected by default.
These defaults assume “Remove data and settings with apps” is off. Opting in also selects eligible reviewed app data; shared stores and protected data retain individual review or stay locked.
What this test covered
The September 21, 2026 record covers the following test. The official PPSSPPSDL app ran and was removed. The configuration folder survived and was later added as a reviewed leaf; PSP/GAME and ROMs were excluded.