If you rely solely on PPSSPP's built-in feature like Stretch Display, the game simply pulls Kratos and the monsters horizontally. The result? Kratos looks short and chubby, while the fierce beasts of Sparta end up looking completely squished!

In this article, we are going to cover how to install a dedicated Widescreen Hack for God of War: Ghost of Sparta—both using the built-in cheat.db feature and manually via a .ini file—so you can enjoy the game in True 21:9 Ultrawide or even 32:9 Super Ultrawide with zero visual distortion.

Why Should You Use Widescreen Hack?

There is a massive difference between the default Stretch Display in PPSSPP and a proper Widescreen Hack:

• Default Stretch Display: Simply stretches the 16:9 pixel output horizontally. Characters look fat/squished and your actual Field of View (FOV) remains unchanged.
• True Widescreen Hack: Expands the camera Field of View (Camera FOV) directly inside the game engine. Characters stay perfectly proportioned, and you get to see background areas on the left and right that were previously cut off!

16:9 vs 21:9 Normal FOV vs Ultra Widescreen God of War Ghost of Sparta

16:9 vs 21:9 Normal FOV vs Ultra Widescreen God of War Ghost of Sparta

Initial Setup

Before enabling any cheat codes, make sure the cheat system in PPSSPP is enabled:

1. Open the PPSSPP app.
2. Go to Settings → System.
3. Scroll down, find the Enable Cheats option, and check the box.

Method 1: Quick Setup Using cheat.db (No Code Typing Required)

The great news is that recent PPSSPP builds already include the Widescreen Hack for God of War: Ghost of Sparta inside the emulator's built-in database (cheat.db).

1. Launch God of War: Ghost of Sparta.
2. Press the Back / Pause button on your phone (or Esc key on PC) to bring up the pause menu.
3. Go to Display layout & effects, then check the Stretch option.
4. Return to the pause menu, then tap Cheats on the right panel.
5. Click the Import from cheat.db button at the bottom.
6. Look for the option named Widescreen Hack or 21:9 Ultrawide Patch.
7. Check the box next to that cheat.
8. Return to the game, then Restart Game (Exit to PPSSPP Main Menu and re-enter the game) so the viewport memory addresses reload properly.

Ngelewa Tip:

If the Import from cheat.db button does not display any options, make sure the latest cheat.db file is placed inside your PSP/Cheats/ folder, or proceed with Method 2 below.

Method 2: Manual Edit File .ini 

Use this method if your game version is not detected by cheat.db or if you want to force an extreme aspect ratio.

Step 1: Check Your Game ID

Check the Game ID at the top right corner of your pause menu:

• USA: UCUS98737 (File name: UCUS98737.ini)

Step 2: Add the Cheat Codes

Open or create the .ini file corresponding to your Game ID inside the PSP/Cheats/ folder using a text editor (like ZArchiver), then paste the following code block:

For USA Version (UCUS98737):

_G God of War: Ghost of Sparta
_S UCUS98737

_C0 PSP 16:9
_L 0x2004EDF24 3FE1E1E2 // Aspect Ratio 1.76~
_C0 UltraWide 21:9
_L 0x2004EDF24 4017B426 // Aspect Ratio 2.3~
_C0 SuperWide 32:9
_L 0x2004EDF24 40638E39 // Aspect Ratio 3.5~
_C0 Handheld 3:2
_L 0x2004EDF24 3FC00000 // Aspect Ratio 1.5~

Once saved, open Pause Menu → Cheats inside the game, check the new option you just added, and restart your game.

Fixing Visual Glitches (Culling / Disappearing Objects)

When extending the camera FOV to 21:9 or 32:9, background elements or enemies near the screen edges might occasionally pop out or flicker (Culling Bug) due to the original PSP hardware RAM limits.

How to Fix It:

1. In the PPSSPP pause menu, go to Game Settings → Graphics.
2. Ensure Backend / Render Mode is set to Buffered Rendering.
3. Set Rendering Resolution to at least 2x PSP or 3x PSP so the extra camera space renders smoothly on your GPU.

Final Words

Playing God of War: Ghost of Sparta in true ultrawide completely alters the gameplay experience, making it feel like a modern home console release. Kratos retains his natural proportions, and the background vistas of Atlantis look far more breathtaking!

Having trouble getting these cheats to work or looking for Widescreen codes for other PSP games? Drop your Game Title and Game ID in the comment section below!

Need Storage Right Now?

When your storage is full, this is not the time to spend an hour deciding which files deserve to stay.

You need the quickest wins first.

Here is what I usually do:

• Clear your app cache.
• Delete downloaded files you no longer need.
• Check WhatsApp's Manage Storage.
• Use your phone's built-in internal storage cleaner.
• Back up your photos to Google Photos or iCloud before using Free Up Space.

1. Clear Your App Cache First

If I could only recommend one thing...

This would be it.

Clear your app cache.

Apps like Chrome, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Spotify, and WhatsApp all save temporary files called cache.

The idea is actually pretty smart.

These files help apps load faster.

The problem is...

Nobody tells them when to stop growing.

Over time, cache can quietly eat up hundreds of megabytes—or even several gigabytes—of internal storage.

The good news?

Clearing cache does not delete your photos, videos, chats, or account data.

It is probably the safest place to start.

Honestly...

It is almost impossible to mess this one up.

2. Use the Storage Cleaner That Is Already on Your Phone

Before downloading another "phone cleaner" app, check whether your phone already has one built in.

Most modern phones do.

For example:

• Xiaomi has Cleaner inside the Security app.
• Samsung has Device Care.
• iPhone has iPhone Storage under Settings.

built-in storage cleaner

These tools are surprisingly useful.

Instead of making you hunt through folders one by one, they usually point straight to the biggest files and unnecessary junk.

So rather than playing detective...

Let your phone do the searching for you.

3. Check Your Downloads... and Do Not Forget WhatsApp

Now think about everything you have downloaded over the last few months.

Netflix movies.

Spotify playlists.

YouTube Premium videos.

A random PDF you opened once.

A ZIP file you forgot existed.

All of those can quietly take up gigabytes of storage space.

The nice thing is...

Most of them can simply be downloaded again later.

So if you need space right now, they are usually safe to remove.

Also, take a look inside your Downloads folder.

I cannot even count how many times I have found files I completely forgot I downloaded.

If you are not sure where to begin...

Sort everything by file size.

The biggest culprit usually shows up immediately.

Oh...

There is one more suspect.

It looks innocent.

It even has a friendly little green icon.

But leave it alone for long enough...

And it becomes an absolute storage monster.

WhatsApp.

Seriously.

Between family groups, work chats, memes, videos, voice messages, and forwarded photos, WhatsApp can quietly grow into one of the biggest apps on your iPhone or Android device.

In my case...

It was using almost 25 GB.

Twenty-five Gigabytes.

I honestly could not believe it.

Thankfully, WhatsApp has a Manage Storage feature.

Just open:

Settings → Storage and Data → Manage Storage

It will show you exactly which chats are taking up the most space, so you do not have to hunt them down yourself.

WhatsApp Manage Storage showing nearly 25 GB of media files.

4. Move Your Photos to the Cloud

If you still need more storage and you have a little extra time, this is probably your best option.

Notice I said move, not delete.

Back everything up to Google Photos or iCloud first.

Once the backup is complete, you can safely use the Free Up Space feature in Google Photos.

On iPhone, Apple offers something similar:

Settings → Photos → Optimize iPhone Storage

Your photos are still there.

They have just moved to a better place.

Instead of living on your phone, they now live in the cloud and can be accessed whenever you need them.

Google Photos includes 15 GB of free storage, while iCloud gives free users 5 GB.

Still Running Out of Storage?

If your phone is still full after trying everything above...

There is probably a giant file hiding somewhere.

On Android, personally I like using an app called Storage Analyzer.

Or if you are using iPhone, similar app called Disk Space Analyzer & Cleaner.

here's Storage Analyzer showing me my storage status, and provide information on which folder hogging the storage

Instead of guessing where your storage went, it shows every folder visually.

Within seconds, you can see exactly which folders are eating up all your space.

I much prefer this over those "one-tap cleaner" apps that promise miracles.

At least this way...

I know exactly what I am deleting.

Final Thoughts

Deleting photos always feels like the fastest solution.

But most of the time...

They are not the real problem.

Start with your cache.

Check your Downloads folder.

Take a look at WhatsApp.

Use your phone's built-in storage tools.

Only then should you think about moving your photos to the cloud.

If you keep running into this problem every few months...

The issue probably is not your storage capacity.

I used to think buying a phone with more storage would solve everything.

It did not.

The real problem was how I managed the files I already had.

I talked more about that in another article about How to never run out of phone storage again.

Because eventually I realized something.

A bigger storage drive is just a bigger place to keep things you probably should have deleted months ago.

If you have your own tricks for freeing up storage, feel free to share them in the comments.

Someone else might be one full storage notification away from needing them.

Why I Decided to Replace My Own Phone Screen

Back in late 2020, my trusty Redmi 4X suffered a cracked screen.

It was not just cosmetic damage either.

Part of the touchscreen had completely stopped responding.

Typing became annoying.

Gaming was almost impossible.

Even scrolling through social media felt like a challenge.

Most people would probably take the phone to a repair shop.

That thought never crossed my mind.

First, money was tight.

The pandemic had made everyone a little more careful with spending, and paying for a professional repair did not feel like the best option for an older phone.

Second...

I somehow managed to keep using the broken screen.

With a few Android apps and a little patience, I could still reply to messages, browse the web, and use the phone for work.

It was far from perfect.

But it worked.

So I kept telling myself,

"Maybe I can live with it for a little longer."

That "little longer" eventually turned into more than a year.

Eventually I got tired of fighting my own phone every single day.

It was finally time to do something about it.

My Crazy Plan

I decided to replace both the LCD assembly and the battery myself.

With zero experience.

Sounds reckless?

Maybe.

But before ordering the parts, I asked myself one simple question.

"What is the worst thing that could happen?"

If I completely destroyed the phone...

I still had my Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as a backup device.

Meanwhile, the Redmi 4X was getting worse every month anyway.

At that point I figured:

If the phone is going to die, it might as well die while teaching me something.

So I ordered:

Redmi 4X LCD + touchscreen assembly

Replacement battery

B-7000 adhesive

Plastic opening tools

Guitar picks

Small screwdriver set

B7000 glue and plastic opening tool

And then...

I spent several evenings watching YouTube repair videos.

Some creators used professional repair equipment.

Others fixed the same phone using surprisingly simple tools.

Watching different techniques gave me enough confidence to finally attempt the repair myself.

Step 1 – Removing the Back Cover

Fortunately, this was the easiest part.

My Redmi 4X had already been dropped several times, so one corner of the back cover had started separating from the frame.

Lucky me.

After removing the SIM tray, I carefully inserted a plastic opening pick into the gap.

prying from the sides

Never use anything metal if you can avoid it.

Plastic tools greatly reduce the risk of scratching or damaging internal components.

One important thing I learned...

Do not push the pick too deep.

Many phones have fragile ribbon cables for the power and volume buttons running close to the frame.

Damaging one of those cables creates a much bigger problem than a cracked screen.

If your phone has a fingerprint sensor attached to the back cover, remember that a flex cable is still connecting it to the motherboard.

Lift the cover slowly.

Never yank it open.

becareful with the fingerprint sensor flex cable

Step 2 – Disconnecting the Battery

This is probably the most important safety step.

Before touching anything else, disconnect the battery.

Most phones hide the battery connector underneath a protective motherboard cover held in place by several screws.

opening mainboard cover

Once removed, carefully disconnect the battery.

Only then should you continue working.

battery connector position

Removing the battery itself was surprisingly difficult.

The adhesive underneath was incredibly strong.

I slowly worked a plastic tool underneath while taking my time.

Lithium batteries are no joke.

If punctured or bent too aggressively, they can become dangerous.

No repair is worth risking an injury.

Safety first.

Always.

removing the battery from the frame

Once the battery was removed, I disconnected the LCD, touchscreen, and side-button flex cables.

The connectors that need to be removed in order to remove the LCD

Now the phone was finally ready for the hardest part.

Step 3 – Removing the Old Display

This was easily the most stressful part of the repair.

Since my touchscreen was already shattered, tiny pieces of glass kept breaking away while I worked.

A heat gun or hair dryer helps soften the adhesive holding the display to the frame.

After warming the edges, I carefully inserted a plastic pick between the display and the frame.

start from the side, usually easier

Patience is everything here.

Trying to force the display off almost always ends badly.

Slow and steady wins.

Eventually...

The display came free.

Test Before Gluing Anything

test LCD in phone frame, without permanently installing it

If everything works correctly, only then should you apply B-7000 adhesive and permanently install the new display.

Replacing the battery afterward is much easier.

Simply install the new battery and reassemble the phone in reverse order.

The Result

To my surprise...

Everything worked.

The display looked great.

The touchscreen responded perfectly.

The new battery gave the phone a second life.

More importantly, I realized something.

Repairing a smartphone is not magic.

It requires patience.

It requires preparation.

And it definitely requires respecting the risks involved.

But it is not impossible for a complete beginner.

Would I Do It Again?