diff --git a/source/ps/utf16string.h b/source/ps/utf16string.h
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a0d24987b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/ps/utf16string.h
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*
+	A basic_string derivative that works with uint16_t as its underlying char
+	type.
+*/
+#ifndef utf16string_H
+#define utf16string_H
+
+#include <string>
+#include "types.h"
+
+typedef uint16_t utf16_t;
+typedef std::basic_string<utf16_t> utf16string;
+typedef std::basic_stringstream<utf16_t> utf16stringstream;
+
+namespace std {
+	template<>
+	struct char_traits<utf16_t>
+	{
+		typedef utf16_t		char_type;
+		typedef int			int_type;
+		typedef streampos	pos_type;
+		typedef streamoff	off_type;
+		typedef mbstate_t	state_type;
+
+		static void assign(char_type& c1, const char_type& c2)
+		{ c1 = c2; }
+
+		static bool eq(const char_type& c1, const char_type& c2)
+		{ return c1 == c2; }
+
+		static bool lt(const char_type& c1, const char_type& c2)
+		{ return c1 < c2; }
+
+		static int compare(const char_type* s1, const char_type* s2, size_t n)
+		{
+			return memcmp(s1, s2, n*sizeof(char_type));
+		}
+
+		static size_t length(const char_type* s)
+		{
+			const char_type* end=s;
+			while (*end) end++;
+			return end-s;
+		}
+
+		static const char_type* find(const char_type* s, size_t n, const char_type& a)
+		{
+			size_t i;
+			for (i=0;i<n;i++)
+			{
+				if (s[i] == a) return s+i;
+			}
+			return NULL;
+		}
+
+		static char_type* move(char_type* s1, const char_type* s2, size_t n)
+		{
+			return (char_type *)memmove(s1, s2, n*sizeof(char_type));
+		}
+
+		static char_type* copy(char_type* s1, const char_type* s2, size_t n)
+		{
+			return (char_type *)memcpy(s1, s2, n*sizeof(char_type));
+		}
+
+		static char_type* assign(char_type* s, size_t n, char_type a)
+		{
+			while (n--)
+			{
+				s[n]=a;
+			}
+			return s;
+		}
+
+		static char_type to_char_type(const int_type& c)
+		{ return (char_type)c; }
+
+		static int_type to_int_type(const char_type& c)
+		{ return (int_type)c; }
+
+		static bool eq_int_type(const int_type& c1, const int_type& c2)
+		{ return c1 == c2; }
+
+		static int_type eof()
+		{ return -1; }
+
+		static int_type not_eof(const int_type& c)
+		{ return (c == -1) ? 0 : c; }
+	};
+}
+
+#endif