WEBVTT

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- In the mid-nineties,

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it might’ve seemed unlikely that a newcomer to

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the video game hardware business could

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achieve so much success that it would vastly

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overshadow all competitors in sales,

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in all regions worldwide,

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becoming, at the time,

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the best-selling console ever.

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As the major players began to prepare

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for a new console generation,

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expectations were especially high for

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Sony’s vision of gaming in a new century.

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^ The PlayStation 2 went on to sell

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^ even more than its predecessor,

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^ which means there are a lot of PS2 systems,

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a lot of PS2 games,

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and a lot of PS2 fans.

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But TV technology is very different from

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what it was at the height of the PS2’s popularity,

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and nowadays people are often disappointed

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by their favorite games looking a lot worse

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than they remember.

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^ So, how to get a better experience with your PlayStation 2?

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Welcome to RGB 210.

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(Theme Music)

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- Sony released the PlayStation 2

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in Japan in March of 2000,

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and in other regions later that year.

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^ In addition to its games,

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^ the PS2’s popularity was bolstered

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^ by its support of DVD movies,

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hitting at just the right time to push

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the format into mass popularity.

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The console’s DVD drive also meant that

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games could contain more high-quality sound,

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full motion video,

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and other bits of game data than

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any other console that had come before,

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although some games were still printed on CDs,

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usually identified by their unique blue bottoms.

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Consoles from earlier generations

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^ generally display games in 240p,

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^ a low resolution progressive mode.

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^ It works very well to create a stable image

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^ and fast gameplay,

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but it’s not really how standard definition

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CRTs were designed to be used.

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Standard video content operates by

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^ sending an interlaced signal to the screen.

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^ Two fields of video alternate rapidly to create

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^ the illusion of a more defined image while using

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^ less image transmission bandwidth.

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In NTSC regions like North America and Japan,

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the standard was to display 480 interlaced

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lines at 60 fields per second, 480i.

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In PAL regions, 576i.

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During the previous generation,

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Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64,

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many developers dabbled with 480i,

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often using it for title screens,

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menus, or occasionally,

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in-game graphics…

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but 240p was still by far the most common resolution.

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Ironically, it wouldn’t be until the Dreamcast,

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PS2, Xbox, and GameCube,

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the final generation to be primarily standard def,

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that CRT televisions would be utilized

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to their fullest extent,

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and 480i would become the dominant standard.

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The vast majority of PS2 titles output

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exclusively in interlaced form.

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We’ll primarily refer to it as 480i since we’re

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showing NTSC region consoles and games.

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^ If at all possible,

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^ be sure to watch this episode in 60 frames per second,

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^ because the correct look of 480i

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^ cannot be shown without it.

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There are a small handful of 240p titles,

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ICO is possibly the most famous,

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but there are several others,

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such as the Mega Man X Collection,

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certain NIS titles,

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and more.

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And if you have the right cables for it,

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^ a number of PS2 games are designed to support 480p,

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^ and a very select few even have an option

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^ for outputting an HD resolution of 1080i,

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although typically upscaled from a lower base resolution.

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Generally speaking,

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the PS2 is considered to be more powerful

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than the Dreamcast,

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but less powerful than the GameCube

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and Xbox.

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The PS2 was often said to be difficult to develop for,

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but its overwhelming popularity means that

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developers got really familiar with the system.

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Understanding what makes the PS2 hardware

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special should give us a greater appreciation

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for how its games look,

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and to help with that,

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we’ve brought in our good friend

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John Linneman from Digital Foundry.

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- It might seem surprising but the PlayStation 2 is fast.

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Very fast.

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The Emotion Engine,

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which pairs a MIPS III core with two flexible

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vector units and a floating-point unit,

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can perform geometry transformations

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at a remarkable speed for its day.

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^ With its fast on-chip eDRAM,

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^ the PS2 is also a bandwidth monster.

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When utilizing the graphics synthesizer,

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the system's GPU,

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reading and writing to memory is basically free.

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With so much available bandwidth,

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developers could perform multiple passes

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to achieve the final output at a relatively high

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speed while enabling techniques that are not

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directly supported in hardware.

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Case in point,

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the hardware doesn't support operations

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such as multi-texturing,

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a feature designed to save on bandwidth,

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but as bandwidth isn't a real limitation

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on the PlayStation 2,

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it's easy to perform the necessary

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passes entirely in software.

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^ The extra bandwidth also makes it

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^ possible to utilize full-screen effects,

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^ such as heat haze or motion blur,

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^ and complex particles without

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^ a significant performance penalty.

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Taken together,

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the fast geometry setup and copious amount

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of bandwidth enabled the PS2 to greatly

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outperform Sega's Dreamcast at the time,

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^ while still hanging with more

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^ modern consoles like Gamecube and the Xbox.

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^ What makes the PS2 so interesting

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is how its design allowed skilled developers

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to produce unexpected results.

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Throughout its life,

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developers managed to implement features

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such as software based texture compression,

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simulated HDR rendering,

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advanced cinematic effects,

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pseudo per-pixel motion blur and more.

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Even games which shipped near its launch

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date already delivered fresh new real-time

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techniques such as depth of field,

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motion blur and advanced bloom lighting.

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The PS2 didn't hold your hand in development,

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but its steep learning curve allowed skilled

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programmers to produce truly astounding results.

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Which, of course,

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brings us to its issues.

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On the developer side,

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PlayStation 2 required a lot of careful design

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work with minimal support for built-in tools.

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You’d have to worry more about memory and

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resources than on other systems of this era.

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Based on speaking with developers,

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it was a piece of cake to work with the Xbox,

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which managed a lot of your memory for you,

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but PlayStation 2 could only excel in the

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hands of the most dedicated programmers.

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On the consumer side,

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one of the earliest misconceptions centers on

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^ the jaggies or aliasing visible during gameplay.

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^ Many attributed this to the lack of anti-aliasing,

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^ but this isn't entirely true

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as genuine anti-aliasing is

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almost non-existent on Dreamcast,

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Xbox, and GameCube.

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Part of this issue stems from

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the earliest development kits,

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which were limited to a low resolution 240

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line front buffer forcing developers to rely

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^ on field rendering.

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^ By alternating between odd and even scanlines,

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^ the resulting image would appear higher

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^ resolution but the lower resolution per frame

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^ and lack of flicker filtering often resulted

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in more pronounced aliasing, hence the problem.

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The benefit of this can be found

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^ in that the average frame-rate

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^ of PlayStation 2 software is higher.

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^ A remarkably high percentage of the

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^ PlayStation 2's library operates at

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^ 60 frames per second, or 60 fields per second.

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^ In the early days,

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^ the limitations on available display modes

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^ essentially meant that developers were forced

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^ to target 60 frames per second,

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^ not doing so would result

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^ in a massive performance penalty.

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^ Even as the software evolved and higher

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^ resolutions were opened up to developers,

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field rendering remained popular due

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to its speed and memory savings.

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You could even supersample from

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higher resolutions to produce very clean visuals

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in this mode,

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as we saw with Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance.

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The hardware of PlayStation 2 is

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a broad topic and one that could fill entire books,

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but the main takeaway here is that it is a fast,

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flexible system that demanded a lot from programmers,

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but rewarded them in kind.

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- Well, I think I get the gist of it,

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and in a sense,

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the PS2 was also designed to embrace

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CRT technology more fully than its competitors.

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Sega pushed VGA output as

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an alternative to 480i for the Dreamcast,

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while you might expect to find 480p support

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much more commonly

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in GameCube and Xbox games…

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but none of these features were supported

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by the vast majority of household TVs.

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While other companies may have wished

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they could’ve just skipped over 480i,

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Sony took the challenge head-on.

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Now before we talk about video cables,

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backwards compatibility,

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HD ports, and all that fun stuff,

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we’ve gotta sit down and have a talk about 480i.

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^ There’s no getting outta this because

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^ if you can’t come to terms with 480i,

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^ then it doesn’t matter what kinda cables you’re using,

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^ you simply aren’t gonna be happy playing

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^ PS2 games on real PS2 hardware.

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Let’s start with the sort of screen that the

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PS2 was designed to be played on,

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a good old consumer CRT.

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Interlacing of course creates a bit

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of a flicker effect as the fields alternate.

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It’s not particularly noticeable in large areas

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of similar color or over smooth textures,

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but it can cause issues against certain

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geometry edges or finer details.

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This might seem a bit annoying if you’re

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not used to CRTs,

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but give it a chance and in time you’ll

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probably stop thinking about it.

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And y’know,

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if you haven’t seen a PS2 running on a CRT lately,

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you might be surprised,

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PS2 games tend to have an

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ultra crisp and clean appearance on a CRT.

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Like, wow…

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did it always look this good?

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^ Another class of CRT are professional video monitors,

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^ such as Sony’s PVM and BVM line.

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^ These screens are usually of noticeably

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^ higher quality than consumer CRTs,

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^ but they do require more effort to track down.

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^ The Sony 20L5 is one of our favorites,

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^ due to being able to display 480p,

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^ 720p, and 1080i.

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However, when running in 480i,

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we noticed that the 20L5 has

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blank gaps between field pairs,

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perhaps due to its HD capabilities.

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It still looks great overall of course,

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^ but a much more basic sort of PVM,

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^ such as the 20L2MD,

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^ actually displays 480i a little more truly to the intent,

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^ with no noticeable gaps between fields.

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^ This is my preferred sort of CRT for most PS2 games.

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^ Another benefit of playing on a CRT,

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^ even a high-end one,

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^ is that video compression artifacts

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^ are masked extremely well,

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^ so FMVs look just as clean as you remember.

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^ In fact, a digital TV can reveal a trick many games use,

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^ cutscenes that I once thought were in-engine,

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^ turned out to be pre rendered...

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^ and not so nicely at that.

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Earlier John also addressed the misconception

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that the PS2’s contemporaries

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^ can do anti-aliasing while PS2 cannot.

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^ In reality, what the Dreamcast, Xbox,

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^ and GameCube do is force

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^ a sort of softening filter to combat interlaced flicker.

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^ At the time,

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^ this was generally considered a good thing,

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^ but in retrospect,

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^ what do you think?

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^ These images are all shot off a PVM-20L2.

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^ Does the de-flicker filter accomplish much

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^ of anything productive on the

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^ Xbox or GameCube?

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^ Are the PS2’s less filtered textures

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^ for better or worse?

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^ That’s for you to decide,

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^ but personally I feel that revisiting the PS2

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on CRTs has helped me appreciate

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the look Sony went for.

00:11:42.785 --> 00:11:45.756

Some PS2 games do have some form

00:11:45.756 --> 00:11:47.199

of flicker filter,

00:11:47.199 --> 00:11:49.129
^ but it’s not particularly common.

00:11:49.129 --> 00:11:51.940
^ Final Fantasy XII offers it as an option.

00:11:51.940 --> 00:11:55.341

Modern displays are progressive by nature,

00:11:55.341 --> 00:11:57.909

so if they were to show raw interlaced content,

00:11:57.909 --> 00:11:59.797

it would look like this…

00:11:59.797 --> 00:12:03.027
^ the serrated edges are called combing artifacts.

00:12:03.027 --> 00:12:04.147
^ Thankfully,

00:12:04.147 --> 00:12:07.437
^ you’re not likely to see anything like this in reality.

00:12:07.437 --> 00:12:09.666
When you plug your PS2 or any

00:12:09.666 --> 00:12:12.364

other 480i source into your modern TV,

00:12:12.392 --> 00:12:15.814
^ the TV performs a “deinterlacing” process,

00:12:15.814 --> 00:12:18.023
^ essentially combining the information from

00:12:18.023 --> 00:12:22.014
^ alternating fields to fake a progressive image.

00:12:22.014 --> 00:12:25.613
^ How well each TV deinterlaces certainly varies,

00:12:25.613 --> 00:12:28.223
^ but it’s often difficult to see the difference

00:12:28.223 --> 00:12:32.375
^ between 480i and 480p on modern TVs.

00:12:32.375 --> 00:12:34.734

The downside is that most deinterlacing

00:12:34.734 --> 00:12:38.364

processes contribute to lag to some degree,

00:12:38.364 --> 00:12:40.974

but it may be acceptable depending on how

00:12:40.974 --> 00:12:42.834

sensitive you are to lag.

00:12:42.834 --> 00:12:46.533

Consumer-grade HD CRTs also typically deinterlace,

00:12:46.533 --> 00:12:51.157

since most of them aren’t actually pure analog TVs.

00:12:51.157 --> 00:12:53.752

Certain external scalers might do a better job of

00:12:53.752 --> 00:12:56.092

deinterlacing than your TV does,

00:12:56.121 --> 00:12:57.514

not to mention allowing

00:12:57.514 --> 00:12:59.851

for higher quality connections.

00:12:59.851 --> 00:13:02.963
With games running at 30 frames per second content,

00:13:02.963 --> 00:13:04.794

a good deinterlacing process should

00:13:04.794 --> 00:13:06.693

give pretty solid results.

00:13:06.693 --> 00:13:08.755
You'll probably find that deinterlacing for

00:13:08.776 --> 00:13:10.465
60 frames per second games

00:13:10.465 --> 00:13:12.275
looks fine for most of the time,

00:13:12.275 --> 00:13:14.736
but there can be more errors.

00:13:14.736 --> 00:13:16.603
^ One method that can avoid this

00:13:16.611 --> 00:13:18.339
^ is called “bob” deinterlacing,

00:13:18.339 --> 00:13:20.558
^ which is a form of line doubling.

NOTE Paragraph

00:13:20.558 --> 00:13:22.558
^ This is theoretically lag-free

00:13:22.558 --> 00:13:24.268
^ and sort of simulates the look

00:13:24.268 --> 00:13:26.785
^ of interlaced content on a CRT.

00:13:26.785 --> 00:13:28.150
^ It’s a little weird,

00:13:28.150 --> 00:13:30.579
^ but not bad if you can get used to it.

00:13:30.579 --> 00:13:32.488
^ Bob deinterlacing is used by the

00:13:32.488 --> 00:13:34.158
^ Open Source Scan Converter.

00:13:34.167 --> 00:13:35.517
^ We’ll talk more in-depth about

00:13:35.517 --> 00:13:37.177
^ how the PS2 behaves with certain

00:13:37.177 --> 00:13:39.566
^ video processors later in the video.

00:13:39.566 --> 00:13:41.178

But let’s face it,

00:13:41.178 --> 00:13:43.818

480i is really low res compared

00:13:43.818 --> 00:13:46.277

to what people are used to nowadays.

00:13:46.277 --> 00:13:49.576

There are tons of HD ports of PS2 titles,

00:13:49.576 --> 00:13:51.676

and of course there’s emulation too,

00:13:51.676 --> 00:13:55.026

but if you want to play a game on real PS2 hardware,

00:13:55.026 --> 00:13:56.788

the first step is accepting

00:13:56.788 --> 00:13:58.347

what you’ve got to work with…

00:13:58.347 --> 00:13:59.725

and in most cases,

00:13:59.725 --> 00:14:01.683

that’s 480i.

00:14:01.683 --> 00:14:05.593

The PS2 was made for a world filled with CRTs,

00:14:05.593 --> 00:14:07.426

and in that context,

00:14:07.426 --> 00:14:09.986

it can look absolutely amazing.

00:14:09.986 --> 00:14:12.198

If you’re playing on an HDTV

00:14:12.198 --> 00:14:14.427

or even a 4K TV… well,

00:14:14.427 --> 00:14:16.126

of course it’s lower resolution

00:14:16.126 --> 00:14:18.859

than what you’d normally see on those displays,

00:14:18.859 --> 00:14:22.743
and no deinterlacing or upscaling method

00:14:22.743 --> 00:14:25.098
is going to quite make it look HD.

00:14:25.772 --> 00:14:27.520

Personally, I don’t think PS2

00:14:27.520 --> 00:14:29.290

looks that bad when upscaled…

00:14:29.290 --> 00:14:31.739

you just have to have realistic expectations,

00:14:31.739 --> 00:14:32.942

and of course

00:14:32.942 --> 00:14:34.633

(no matter what you’re hooking it up to),

00:14:34.633 --> 00:14:37.230

good quality connections.

00:14:40.670 --> 00:14:42.788
- The PlayStation composite cable is likely

00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:43.966

the most common

00:14:43.966 --> 00:14:45.980

console-specific video cable in the world,

00:14:45.980 --> 00:14:47.589

having shipped with the PlayStation,

00:14:47.589 --> 00:14:49.498

PlayStation 2, and…

00:14:49.498 --> 00:14:51.991

for some reason... even the PS3.

00:14:51.991 --> 00:14:53.590

All video information is pumped

00:14:53.590 --> 00:14:55.097

through the yellow connector.

00:14:55.097 --> 00:14:56.737
^ Commonly available and easy to use,

00:14:56.737 --> 00:14:58.979
^ composite video represents the lowest form

00:14:58.979 --> 00:15:01.635
^ of video that the PS2 natively supports.

00:15:01.638 --> 00:15:03.570
^ Most new TVs purchased during the

00:15:03.570 --> 00:15:06.400
^ PlayStation 2 era probably had an S-video input.

00:15:06.400 --> 00:15:08.807
^ S-video is a huge leap over composite

00:15:08.807 --> 00:15:10.384
^ because it separates the video signal

00:15:10.384 --> 00:15:11.979
^ into two lines within the cable,

00:15:11.979 --> 00:15:13.270

the brightness information,

00:15:13.270 --> 00:15:15.359
also called luma, or Y…

00:15:15.359 --> 00:15:16.490
and the color information,

00:15:16.490 --> 00:15:18.795

also called chroma or C.

00:15:18.800 --> 00:15:19.991
^ Remember this,

NOTE Paragraph

00:15:19.991 --> 00:15:21.900
^ because luma also plays a major role in the

00:15:21.900 --> 00:15:24.099
^ PS2’s more advanced forms of video output.

00:15:24.099 --> 00:15:26.170

Official S-video cables are a safe bet

00:15:26.170 --> 00:15:28.131

if you can find them for a decent price.

00:15:28.131 --> 00:15:29.941

It’s typical for third-party cables to

00:15:29.941 --> 00:15:31.880

pair up S-video with with composite video,

00:15:31.880 --> 00:15:33.543
^ which is a risky scenario unless

00:15:33.543 --> 00:15:34.726
^ they’re pretty well made,

00:15:34.726 --> 00:15:36.790
^ like this Rocketfish cable seems to be.

00:15:36.819 --> 00:15:38.979

A super cheap set of cables by Tomee

00:15:38.979 --> 00:15:41.021

that we bought on Amazon actually performs

00:15:41.021 --> 00:15:43.719

not too bad considering the very thin wiring.

00:15:43.719 --> 00:15:45.678
^ But be aware that cheap cables like these

00:15:45.678 --> 00:15:47.870
^ often have some degree of audio buzz,

00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:50.558
^ which can be avoided by using the optical audio output,

00:15:50.558 --> 00:15:52.234

but please note that a handful of games

00:15:52.234 --> 00:15:54.056

do not output audio this way.

00:15:54.056 --> 00:15:56.545

A couple of no-name brand S-video cables,

00:15:56.545 --> 00:15:58.641

including a multi-console set,

00:15:58.673 --> 00:16:00.942

show why a composite video line is trouble:

00:16:00.942 --> 00:16:03.961
^ you might see it bleed visibly into the S-video line.

00:16:03.961 --> 00:16:05.835
^ It’s possible that the chroma part of the

00:16:05.835 --> 00:16:08.194
^ S-video signal can cause these problems too.

00:16:08.194 --> 00:16:10.121

But as long as you get a good set of cables,

00:16:10.121 --> 00:16:12.802

S-video is a great option for PS2 games,

00:16:12.806 --> 00:16:14.624
^ especially if you’re playing on a CRT

00:16:14.624 --> 00:16:16.333
^ with S-video inputs.

00:16:21.531 --> 00:16:23.606

If you want things to look just a bit crisper,

00:16:23.606 --> 00:16:26.679

plus have the option for resolutions higher than 480i,

00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:29.469

then you need to look into component or RGB.

00:16:29.469 --> 00:16:32.403
^ And this is where things get a lot more complicated.

00:16:32.403 --> 00:16:33.931
^ Let’s start with component,

00:16:33.949 --> 00:16:36.099

that’s the one with 3 RCA video connectors

00:16:36.099 --> 00:16:37.520

and 2 audio connectors.

00:16:37.520 --> 00:16:39.532

These cables break the video signal

00:16:39.532 --> 00:16:40.894

into three separate components,

00:16:40.894 --> 00:16:42.839
^ called YPbPr.

00:16:42.839 --> 00:16:44.749
^ Again, Y here stands for luma,

00:16:44.749 --> 00:16:46.320
^ while Pb represents the difference

00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:47.808
^ between blue and luma,

00:16:47.808 --> 00:16:50.196
^ and Pr is the difference between red and luma,

00:16:50.196 --> 00:16:51.890
^ leaving the green picture information

00:16:51.890 --> 00:16:53.849
^ to be inferred by what’s left over.

00:16:53.849 --> 00:16:55.663
^ That means that the green connector, Y,

00:16:55.663 --> 00:16:57.694
^ doesn’t directly have anything to do with green.

00:16:57.694 --> 00:17:00.069
^ In fact, it’s the exact same luma signal

00:17:00.069 --> 00:17:01.849
^ that travels down an S-video cable,

00:17:01.849 --> 00:17:04.259
^ which also means that it carries the sync pulses.

00:17:04.259 --> 00:17:06.020
^ You can test this out for yourself,

00:17:06.020 --> 00:17:07.717
^ because you won’t get a coherent picture

00:17:07.717 --> 00:17:09.447
^ at all without the green plug.

00:17:09.447 --> 00:17:11.267
^ In addition to looking a bit cleaner,

00:17:11.267 --> 00:17:12.750
^ the greater bandwidth of

00:17:12.750 --> 00:17:14.348
^ component video makes it possible

00:17:14.348 --> 00:17:17.068
^ to run higher resolutions such as 480p.

00:17:17.068 --> 00:17:18.049

While some games,

00:17:18.049 --> 00:17:19.098

such as God of War,

00:17:19.098 --> 00:17:20.170

Shadow of the Colossus,

00:17:20.170 --> 00:17:21.601

and Gran Turismo 4,

00:17:21.601 --> 00:17:23.223

helpfully put resolution options

00:17:23.223 --> 00:17:24.499

in their configuration menus,

00:17:24.499 --> 00:17:26.339

others don’t make it as obvious that a

00:17:26.339 --> 00:17:27.978

progressive mode is supported at all,

00:17:27.978 --> 00:17:29.627

sometimes requiring something weird

00:17:29.627 --> 00:17:31.265

like holding X and Triangle

00:17:31.265 --> 00:17:32.798

while the game is booting up.

00:17:32.816 --> 00:17:33.856

For more information,

00:17:33.856 --> 00:17:34.985

check out Wikipedia’s

00:17:34.985 --> 00:17:36.155

“List of PlayStation 2 Games

00:17:36.155 --> 00:17:37.834

with Alternate Display Modes,”

00:17:37.834 --> 00:17:40.084

but it might not be 100% reliable.

00:17:40.084 --> 00:17:41.656

Note that in some games,

00:17:41.656 --> 00:17:44.414

480p may run at a lower color depth,

NOTE Paragraph

00:17:44.414 --> 00:17:47.396
^ bringing along with it visual artifacts like dithering,

00:17:47.396 --> 00:17:49.303
^ making it debatable whether 480i

00:17:49.303 --> 00:17:51.733
^ may actually be the superior choice.

00:17:51.764 --> 00:17:53.409

God of War and Radiata Stories

00:17:53.409 --> 00:17:55.090

both look clean in 480p,

00:17:55.090 --> 00:17:55.972

while others,

00:17:55.972 --> 00:17:57.131

such as Suikoden IV,

00:17:57.131 --> 00:17:58.921

just have a dithered look regardless of whether

00:17:58.921 --> 00:18:01.061

you’re in progressive or interlaced mode.

00:18:01.061 --> 00:18:04.258
^ Even Gran Turismo 4’s 1080i mode is impacted.

00:18:04.258 --> 00:18:05.589

But on the flipside,

00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:07.239

the 1080i mode exclusive to the

00:18:07.239 --> 00:18:09.890

Japanese version of Valkyrie Profile Silmeria

00:18:09.890 --> 00:18:11.792

doesn’t look dithered at all.

00:18:12.757 --> 00:18:14.608

As far as which component cables to choose,

00:18:14.608 --> 00:18:16.997

well, there are a ton of options.

00:18:16.997 --> 00:18:19.674

Stay away from inexpensive generic brands,

00:18:19.674 --> 00:18:21.098

such as what you might find on Amazon

00:18:21.098 --> 00:18:23.078

or eBay for under 10 bucks.

00:18:23.078 --> 00:18:25.408
^ Our tests show these to have a less vibrant picture,

00:18:25.408 --> 00:18:28.710
^ along with extra visual noise and even audio buzz.

00:18:28.710 --> 00:18:29.827

And it’s no wonder,

00:18:29.827 --> 00:18:31.961

the wires inside these cables are pathetic.

00:18:32.762 --> 00:18:34.334
^ Even deceptively thick-looking cables

00:18:34.334 --> 00:18:36.631
^ like Monoprice’s multi-console component cable

00:18:36.631 --> 00:18:39.951
^ may reveal pitifully thin wires once you cut inside.

00:18:39.953 --> 00:18:41.260
^ What a waste, right?

00:18:41.989 --> 00:18:43.602
^ The internal shielding on official Sony

00:18:43.602 --> 00:18:45.498
^ component cables is at least adequate,

00:18:45.498 --> 00:18:47.879
^ with completely acceptable results.

00:18:47.879 --> 00:18:49.922
^ Sony themselves released several revisions

00:18:49.922 --> 00:18:51.639
^ of their component cables over the course

00:18:51.639 --> 00:18:53.929
^ of the PS2 and PS3 generations,

00:18:53.929 --> 00:18:57.158
^ all of which work just fine with any PS2 system.

00:18:57.158 --> 00:18:59.166
^ You can identify most official component

00:18:59.166 --> 00:19:01.618
^ cables by the Sony branding on the connector.

00:19:01.618 --> 00:19:02.982

Monster Cables,

00:19:02.982 --> 00:19:04.735

infamous for their high prices,

00:19:04.735 --> 00:19:06.378

are nonetheless at least reliably

00:19:06.378 --> 00:19:08.148

well-shielded and high quality,

00:19:08.148 --> 00:19:09.957

making them a popular choice.

00:19:09.957 --> 00:19:12.182

Again, numerous revisions marketed as

00:19:12.182 --> 00:19:14.661

PS2 or PS3 cables were developed.

00:19:14.661 --> 00:19:16.909

One thing to keep in mind is that the RCA

00:19:16.909 --> 00:19:19.154
^ connectors on some can have a “death grip”

00:19:19.154 --> 00:19:21.290
^ that feels like it might ruin your device by pulling

00:19:21.290 --> 00:19:23.004
^ the outside of the connector off.

00:19:23.034 --> 00:19:24.793
^ Cables with a death grip have decimated

00:19:24.793 --> 00:19:26.333
^ this component switch I have.

00:19:26.333 --> 00:19:27.473
In our tests,

00:19:27.473 --> 00:19:29.483

this particular blue cable has the issue,

00:19:29.483 --> 00:19:32.392

while this black PS3-era cable feels great.

00:19:32.392 --> 00:19:34.505

A component cable by Psyclone provides

00:19:34.505 --> 00:19:36.634
^ similar results to the Monster Cables,

00:19:36.634 --> 00:19:38.744
^ but also has the death grip issue.

00:19:38.744 --> 00:19:40.230
^ You just never know what you’re gonna get,

00:19:40.230 --> 00:19:41.880
^ but knowing about this issue can

00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:43.962
^ prepare you for potential complications.

00:19:43.962 --> 00:19:46.857

Thankfully, Monster and official Sony

00:19:46.862 --> 00:19:49.125

component cables are not nearly as expensive

00:19:49.125 --> 00:19:51.375

or hard to find as GameCube component cables

00:19:51.375 --> 00:19:53.459

or the better Xbox component cables,

00:19:53.459 --> 00:19:55.234

but you might want to shop around before

00:19:55.234 --> 00:19:57.296
you commit to a higher-priced items.

00:19:57.296 --> 00:19:58.509
^ HD Retrovision,

00:19:58.509 --> 00:20:00.196
^ known for having made cables that convert

00:20:00.196 --> 00:20:02.054
^ Super Nintendo and Genesis RGB

00:20:02.054 --> 00:20:03.613
^ to component video,

00:20:03.613 --> 00:20:05.640
^ also have a few solutions in the works for PS2.

00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:07.408
^ This is a prototype for a simple

00:20:07.408 --> 00:20:10.074
^ PS2 component cable that contains no circuitry,

00:20:10.074 --> 00:20:12.983
^ but simply offers a new high quality option

00:20:12.983 --> 00:20:14.814
^ if you don’t already have one.

00:20:14.814 --> 00:20:16.704
^ We also have a prototype for an adapter that

00:20:16.704 --> 00:20:19.524
^ converts the HD Retrovision Genesis cables for

00:20:19.524 --> 00:20:21.643
^ use with a PS1 or PS2,

00:20:21.643 --> 00:20:23.404
^ which seems to work quite nicely.

00:20:24.483 --> 00:20:25.713

One thing that we need to address

00:20:25.713 --> 00:20:27.145

regarding component cables

00:20:27.145 --> 00:20:28.882

is PS1 backwards compatibility.

00:20:28.882 --> 00:20:30.176

As you probably know,

00:20:30.176 --> 00:20:32.485

all PS2 systems are backwards compatible

00:20:32.485 --> 00:20:34.394

with discs from the original PlayStation,

00:20:34.394 --> 00:20:36.814

and the results are generally very accurate.

00:20:36.814 --> 00:20:38.741
^ There’s a widespread rumor out there that

00:20:38.741 --> 00:20:40.973
^ PS1 games will not play on a PS2

00:20:40.973 --> 00:20:42.372
^ over component cables,

00:20:42.372 --> 00:20:44.399
^ but this is simply not true.

00:20:44.403 --> 00:20:46.404

The problem that people sometimes run into

00:20:46.404 --> 00:20:48.722

is that many digital TVs will not accept

00:20:48.722 --> 00:20:50.783

a 240p signal over component,

00:20:50.783 --> 00:20:51.791

and of course,

00:20:51.791 --> 00:20:54.384

most PS1 games do run in 240p.

00:20:54.384 --> 00:20:56.784

But if you can connect to a compatible TV,

00:20:56.784 --> 00:20:58.754
^ component on PS2 is a great way

00:20:58.754 --> 00:21:00.749
^ to enjoy most PS1 games.

00:21:06.329 --> 00:21:08.064

So what about RGB?

00:21:08.622 --> 00:21:10.002

Is it better than component?

00:21:10.002 --> 00:21:12.101

Well, I think the first consideration should be

00:21:12.101 --> 00:21:13.935

which is simpler to use in your setup.

00:21:13.935 --> 00:21:15.619

There are some hoops to jump through when

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:17.248

it comes to RGB on the PS2,

00:21:17.248 --> 00:21:19.333

and it may or may not be worth it to you.

00:21:19.333 --> 00:21:22.104

RGB of course is red, green,

00:21:22.104 --> 00:21:23.735

and blue being sent through their

00:21:23.735 --> 00:21:25.235

own lines inside a cable,

00:21:25.235 --> 00:21:27.118

usually with a sync signal on a different line.

00:21:27.118 --> 00:21:29.017

The typical cable for RGB on most

00:21:29.017 --> 00:21:31.690
^ retro consoles uses a SCART connector,

00:21:31.690 --> 00:21:33.832
^ this is a European wiring standard,

00:21:33.832 --> 00:21:36.481
^ but is compatible with any PS2 console.

00:21:36.481 --> 00:21:38.819

The less common Japanese equivalent,

00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:41.440

called JP-21, is also an option,

00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:43.962

but be sure the devices or converters

00:21:43.962 --> 00:21:45.999

that you plug your cables into are designed

00:21:45.999 --> 00:21:48.221

for SCART or JP-21.

00:21:48.221 --> 00:21:49.784

Don’t mix and match because

00:21:49.784 --> 00:21:51.735

the standards are not cross-compatible.

00:21:52.487 --> 00:21:53.936

It’s also important to know that SCART

00:21:53.936 --> 00:21:55.661
^ is not inherently RGB,

00:21:55.661 --> 00:21:57.149
^ it was designed to be a simple

00:21:57.149 --> 00:21:59.137
^ all-purpose analog A/V connector,

00:21:59.137 --> 00:22:00.908
^ and some SCART cables may in fact

00:22:00.908 --> 00:22:02.674
^ only be composite quality.

00:22:02.698 --> 00:22:04.379

Something to keep in mind is that technically

00:22:04.379 --> 00:22:07.628

PS1 and PS2 RGB cables are not intended

00:22:07.628 --> 00:22:09.581

to be designed exactly the same way.

00:22:09.581 --> 00:22:13.008

The PS1’s AV output capacitors are NOT for RGB,

00:22:13.008 --> 00:22:14.638
^ requiring the cable to have at least

00:22:14.638 --> 00:22:16.727
^ 220 microfarad capacitors

00:22:16.727 --> 00:22:18.728
^ to properly drive each video line.

00:22:18.728 --> 00:22:20.213

The PS2 on the other hand,

00:22:20.213 --> 00:22:21.980
has sufficient capacitors for RGB

00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:23.570
directly on the motherboard,

00:22:23.570 --> 00:22:25.063

meaning that equivalent capacitors

00:22:25.063 --> 00:22:26.762

in the cable will actually diminish

00:22:26.762 --> 00:22:28.299

the performance of the signal.

00:22:28.299 --> 00:22:30.180
^ Ideal PS2 RGB cables should

00:22:30.196 --> 00:22:31.678
^ either have no capacitors,

00:22:31.678 --> 00:22:34.601
^ or significantly larger capacitors to balance it out,

00:22:34.601 --> 00:22:36.428
^ more on that in a moment.

00:22:36.428 --> 00:22:38.212
^ Let’s take a look at this

00:22:38.212 --> 00:22:40.700
^ generic inexpensive SCART cable from Hong Kong.

00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:42.569
^ There are quite a few problems here…

00:22:42.569 --> 00:22:45.042
^ first, it has 220 microfarad capacitors,

00:22:45.042 --> 00:22:47.301
^ making it less suitable for PS2.

00:22:47.301 --> 00:22:49.244

The wiring is very thin,

00:22:49.244 --> 00:22:51.375

which in particular causes audio buzzing.

00:22:51.375 --> 00:22:52.861

In addition, this cable carries a

00:22:52.861 --> 00:22:55.082

composite video signal alongside RGB,

00:22:55.082 --> 00:22:57.803
^ the reason being to provide a source for video sync.

00:22:57.803 --> 00:23:00.246
^ As we saw with the S-video combo cables,

00:23:00.246 --> 00:23:01.962
^ non-shielded composite tends

00:23:01.962 --> 00:23:03.295
^ to bleed into other wires,

00:23:03.295 --> 00:23:05.040
^ wreaking havoc not only on audio,

00:23:05.040 --> 00:23:06.762
^ but picture quality too.

00:23:06.762 --> 00:23:09.194

This is why it’s important to remember that Y,

00:23:09.194 --> 00:23:10.350

the luma line,

00:23:10.350 --> 00:23:12.146

also includes a sync signal.

00:23:12.146 --> 00:23:14.097

While not exactly the standard method,

00:23:14.097 --> 00:23:16.313

there’s no reason that an RGB cable can’t

00:23:16.313 --> 00:23:19.731

be designed to pull sync from luma on a PS1 or PS2.

00:23:19.731 --> 00:23:21.947
^ This method is called sync-on-luma.

00:23:21.947 --> 00:23:23.565
^ Unlike composite video,

00:23:23.565 --> 00:23:26.082
^ luma doesn’t contain any encoded color information,

00:23:26.082 --> 00:23:27.557
^ which is the primary source

00:23:27.557 --> 00:23:29.063
^ of noise artifacts when running

00:23:29.063 --> 00:23:31.732
^ composite video alongside RGB video lines.

00:23:31.732 --> 00:23:34.081
^ Hence, it is much easier to use sync-on-luma

00:23:34.081 --> 00:23:35.534
^ to achieve clean results,

00:23:35.534 --> 00:23:37.072

and is absolutely the cable that you

00:23:37.072 --> 00:23:38.820

should buy in most cases.

00:23:38.820 --> 00:23:40.633

No PlayStation series console

00:23:40.633 --> 00:23:43.464
^ has a dedicated sync signal, called CSYNC,

00:23:43.464 --> 00:23:46.366
^ but sync stripping circuits installed inside certain

00:23:46.366 --> 00:23:49.382
^ cables can generate a CSYNC signal from luma

00:23:49.382 --> 00:23:51.494
^ if sync-on-luma happens to be incompatible

00:23:51.494 --> 00:23:52.982
^ with your equipment.

00:23:52.982 --> 00:23:54.615
^ We tested out PS2 cables from two

00:23:54.615 --> 00:23:56.113

manufacturers who specialize

00:23:56.113 --> 00:23:58.130

in SCART cables for retro gaming.

00:23:58.130 --> 00:23:59.817
^ The Florida-based eBay seller

00:23:59.817 --> 00:24:01.864
^ retro_console_accessories

00:24:01.864 --> 00:24:04.051
^ is now focusing on a new website,

00:24:04.051 --> 00:24:06.066
^ Retro-Access.com.

00:24:06.066 --> 00:24:08.582
^ Here you can buy their newest PlayStation cables,

00:24:08.582 --> 00:24:10.782
^ which have been considerably upgraded recently.

00:24:10.782 --> 00:24:12.751
^ PlayStation cables from Retro Access

00:24:12.751 --> 00:24:15.876
^ previously all had 220 microfarad capacitors,

00:24:15.876 --> 00:24:17.642
^ which is on-spec for PS1,

00:24:17.642 --> 00:24:19.289
^ and passable for PS2,

00:24:19.289 --> 00:24:20.831
^ but not quite ideal.

00:24:20.831 --> 00:24:22.599
^ The newest cables are now equipped with

00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:25.701
^ 1000 microfarad capacitors to split the difference,

00:24:25.701 --> 00:24:28.014
^ resulting in a universal cable that is suitable

00:24:28.014 --> 00:24:30.290
^ for both PS1 and PS2.

00:24:30.290 --> 00:24:32.779
^ All cables sold are wired for sync-on-luma,

00:24:32.779 --> 00:24:35.503
^ or CSYNC by way of a sync stripping circuit.

00:24:35.503 --> 00:24:37.689
^ A more robust coaxial cabling upgrade

00:24:37.689 --> 00:24:39.390
^ is available if you have a need for it,

00:24:39.390 --> 00:24:41.082
^ such as if you’re worried about noise

00:24:41.082 --> 00:24:42.851
^ when passing through a switch box,

00:24:42.851 --> 00:24:44.951
^ but in our experience it may not be critical

00:24:44.951 --> 00:24:46.673
^ for PlayStation consoles.

00:24:46.682 --> 00:24:48.873
^ The UK-based Retro Gaming Cables

00:24:48.873 --> 00:24:50.487
^ has similar offerings.

00:24:50.487 --> 00:24:53.924
^ However, they specifically sell cables as PS1 or PS2,

00:24:53.932 --> 00:24:55.251
^ so be sure you’re buying

00:24:55.251 --> 00:24:56.620
^ the right one for your console.

00:24:56.620 --> 00:24:59.732
^ The PS1 cables have 220 microfarad capacitors,

00:24:59.732 --> 00:25:02.240
^ while the PS2 cables have no capacitors.

00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.412

The specific cable we’re looking at here

00:25:04.412 --> 00:25:06.370

is the CSYNC cable for PS2

00:25:06.370 --> 00:25:07.993

with the sync-stripping circuit.

00:25:07.993 --> 00:25:09.463
^ There is no particular advantage

00:25:09.463 --> 00:25:11.537
^ to using CSYNC instead of sync-on-luma,

00:25:11.537 --> 00:25:12.898
^ so choose it only if your

00:25:12.898 --> 00:25:14.949
^ equipment specifically requires CSYNC.

00:25:14.949 --> 00:25:15.851
^ If needed,

00:25:15.851 --> 00:25:17.430
^ Retro Gaming Cables also offers

00:25:17.430 --> 00:25:20.083
^ a cabling upgrade called Packapunch,

00:25:20.083 --> 00:25:22.534
^ but we haven’t had a chance to test it for ourselves.

00:25:22.534 --> 00:25:23.672

As a bonus,

00:25:23.672 --> 00:25:25.653

if you’re a fan of Guncon games like we are,

00:25:25.653 --> 00:25:27.983

then both sellers offer their own versions

00:25:27.983 --> 00:25:30.721

of light gun compatible RGB cables.

00:25:30.721 --> 00:25:31.951

It’s a common misconception

00:25:31.951 --> 00:25:33.682

that Guncon games must be played with

00:25:33.682 --> 00:25:35.464

composite video due to its required

00:25:35.464 --> 00:25:37.703

video passthrough connection,

00:25:37.703 --> 00:25:40.219

but really all it’s looking for is a sync signal.

00:25:40.219 --> 00:25:42.032

Note that Retro Gaming Cables’ version,

00:25:42.032 --> 00:25:44.056

which has the sync jack moulded into the connector,

00:25:44.056 --> 00:25:45.804

will require an RCA extension

00:25:45.804 --> 00:25:47.183

or the passthrough adapter that

00:25:47.183 --> 00:25:48.704

might’ve come with your Guncon 2,

00:25:48.704 --> 00:25:50.619

while the pigtail on the Retro-Access

00:25:50.619 --> 00:25:52.613

version can reach around the front.

00:25:52.613 --> 00:25:53.982

With any of these cables,

00:25:53.982 --> 00:25:55.469

you can play Time Crisis in high quality,

00:25:55.469 --> 00:25:56.470

and lemme tell ya,

00:25:56.470 --> 00:25:57.960

it’s a beautiful thing.

00:25:57.960 --> 00:25:59.101

In addition,

00:25:59.101 --> 00:26:00.591
^ if you have the passthrough adapter

00:26:00.591 --> 00:26:02.001
^ and want to use component cables,

00:26:02.001 --> 00:26:03.818
^ all you have to do is connect the Guncon

00:26:03.818 --> 00:26:06.068
^ to the green cable and you’re good to go!

00:26:06.068 --> 00:26:07.665
Just remember that these traditional

00:26:07.665 --> 00:26:11.121

light guns only work on CRT televisions.

00:26:11.121 --> 00:26:13.140

The PlayStation 2 requires that you

00:26:13.140 --> 00:26:16.603

manually select YPbPr or RGB.

00:26:16.603 --> 00:26:18.341

In the System Configuration,

00:26:18.348 --> 00:26:20.260

go down to “Component Video Out”

00:26:20.260 --> 00:26:21.814

and choose the correct option.

00:26:21.814 --> 00:26:23.433

The wrong choice will either screw

00:26:23.433 --> 00:26:24.500

up the colors,

00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:26.180

or you might not see anything at all.

00:26:26.180 --> 00:26:27.361

If you’ve got a blank screen

00:26:27.361 --> 00:26:29.311

and need to navigate the menu to fix this,

00:26:29.311 --> 00:26:31.553

reset the console with no disc inside,

00:26:31.553 --> 00:26:33.798

wait several seconds for it to fully boot up,

00:26:33.798 --> 00:26:35.281
^ then hit down,

00:26:35.281 --> 00:26:37.089
^ X… wait two seconds…

00:26:37.089 --> 00:26:40.811
^ down-down-down-X-right-X.

00:26:40.811 --> 00:26:43.553
^ Which finally leads us to the big question,

00:26:43.553 --> 00:26:44.997
^ which is better?

00:26:44.997 --> 00:26:47.331
^ Component or RGB?

00:26:47.331 --> 00:26:48.889
^ There’s a widespread belief

NOTE Paragraph

00:26:48.889 --> 00:26:50.797
^ that the PS2’s component video output

00:26:50.797 --> 00:26:52.410
^ is of somewhat poor quality,

00:26:52.410 --> 00:26:54.590
^ but our tests seem to suggest that as long

00:26:54.590 --> 00:26:56.697
^ as the quality of the actual cables are high,

00:26:56.697 --> 00:26:58.629
^ any meaningful difference between

00:26:58.629 --> 00:27:00.531
^ the two is pretty hard to see,

00:27:00.531 --> 00:27:03.232
^ even across multiple console variants.

00:27:03.232 --> 00:27:05.517
^ Again, the more important consideration

00:27:05.517 --> 00:27:08.015
^ is which is more convenient for you.

00:27:09.825 --> 00:27:11.304

When it comes to ease of use,

00:27:11.309 --> 00:27:14.069

480p might be the dealbreaker for some people.

00:27:14.069 --> 00:27:15.559

Despite what you might think,

00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:19.074

480p is totally possible with RGB over SCART,

00:27:19.074 --> 00:27:22.037

but the PS2 uses a bit of an obscure method for it.

00:27:22.037 --> 00:27:25.293

If higher resolutions are activated while in RGB mode,

00:27:25.293 --> 00:27:27.820

the PS2 turns off the usual composite

00:27:27.820 --> 00:27:30.070

and luma sync pulses and instead

00:27:30.070 --> 00:27:32.351

sends sync only down the green line.

00:27:32.351 --> 00:27:34.392
^ This is called sync-on-green,

00:27:34.392 --> 00:27:36.750
^ and to be honest it’s a bit of a pain.

00:27:36.750 --> 00:27:38.873

If you’re lucky enough to own a high-end

00:27:38.873 --> 00:27:41.356

professional monitor that supports 480p,

00:27:41.356 --> 00:27:43.453
^ like the Sony PVM-20L5,

00:27:43.453 --> 00:27:45.821
^ then you can use sync-on-green over RGB,

00:27:45.821 --> 00:27:47.560
^ but you’ll have to manually switch from

00:27:47.560 --> 00:27:49.305
^ “external” sync to “internal” sync…

00:27:49.305 --> 00:27:50.542
^ and back again when you’re

00:27:50.542 --> 00:27:52.280
^ done with your 480p game.

00:27:52.280 --> 00:27:53.623
^ The Open Source Scan Converter,

00:27:53.623 --> 00:27:55.005
^ which is increasingly becoming

00:27:55.005 --> 00:27:57.354
^ our preferred upscaling solution if used

00:27:57.354 --> 00:27:59.770
^ with a compatible HDTV or 4K TV,

00:27:59.770 --> 00:28:01.618
^ also supports sync-on-green.

00:28:01.618 --> 00:28:03.120

When switching to 480p mode,

00:28:03.120 --> 00:28:05.609

you’ll have to toggle the input from RGBS

00:28:05.609 --> 00:28:07.142

to RGsB.

00:28:07.142 --> 00:28:09.910

Unfortunately, the XRGB-mini Framemeister,

00:28:09.910 --> 00:28:11.209

which is by far one of the

00:28:11.209 --> 00:28:13.040

most popular upscaling solutions,

00:28:13.040 --> 00:28:15.021

does not support sync-on-green.

00:28:15.021 --> 00:28:16.836
^ You can use external boxes like

00:28:16.836 --> 00:28:19.409
^ an Extron Rxi to convert sync-on-green

00:28:19.409 --> 00:28:21.405
^ to a format the Framemeister can accept,

00:28:21.405 --> 00:28:24.130

Another hassle with sync-on-green is for those

00:28:24.130 --> 00:28:25.983

who use automatic SCART switchers.

00:28:25.983 --> 00:28:27.809

Typically these rely on detecting

00:28:27.809 --> 00:28:29.956

a sync signal for auto-switching,

00:28:29.956 --> 00:28:31.873

but since sync isn’t in the usual spot,

00:28:31.873 --> 00:28:33.546

they’ll switch away from the PS2

00:28:33.546 --> 00:28:35.454

as soon as 480p is activated.

00:28:35.454 --> 00:28:37.056

In the case of the GSCART,

00:28:37.056 --> 00:28:38.681
^ you can get around this by

00:28:38.681 --> 00:28:40.205
^ plugging the PS2 into port 8,

00:28:40.205 --> 00:28:42.759
^ which is the default if no other input is detected.

00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:44.012
^ Unfortunately,

00:28:44.012 --> 00:28:45.490
^ this method does not work

00:28:45.490 --> 00:28:47.179
^ with the newer GSCART Lite,

00:28:47.179 --> 00:28:48.455
^ and currently no workaround

00:28:48.455 --> 00:28:49.907
^ has been developed.

00:28:49.907 --> 00:28:51.508

Don’t be confused and think that

00:28:51.508 --> 00:28:53.007

a CSYNC SCART cable will solve

00:28:53.007 --> 00:28:54.329

sync-on-green problems…

00:28:54.329 --> 00:28:56.674

all that does is turn sync-on-luma into CSYNC.

00:28:56.674 --> 00:28:59.990
^ Sony did make an official Linux kit for PS2

00:28:59.990 --> 00:29:01.608
^ that included a VGA cable,

00:29:01.608 --> 00:29:02.860
^ which, again,

00:29:02.860 --> 00:29:04.481
^ is hamstrung by sync-on-green.

00:29:04.481 --> 00:29:06.225
^ Even if sync-on-green happens to be

00:29:06.225 --> 00:29:08.210
^ compatible with your favorite computer monitor,

00:29:08.210 --> 00:29:10.978
^ you’ll never even be able to see 480i content

00:29:10.978 --> 00:29:12.380
^ with this sort of setup.

00:29:12.380 --> 00:29:14.276
^ A recent development that shows some

00:29:14.276 --> 00:29:16.128
^ promise are internal PS2 mods

00:29:16.128 --> 00:29:19.143
^ being worked on by citrus3000psi,

00:29:19.143 --> 00:29:21.635
^ which may provide a simple and inexpensive

00:29:21.635 --> 00:29:24.012
^ way to use CSYNC instead of sync-on-green.

00:29:24.012 --> 00:29:25.299
^ We have not yet had a chance

00:29:25.299 --> 00:29:26.799
^ to see the results for ourselves,

00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:28.649
^ but if RGB, 480p,

00:29:28.649 --> 00:29:30.466
^ and convenience are all important to you,

00:29:30.466 --> 00:29:32.759
^ then keep an eye on this project.

00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:34.839
^ 480p and other resolutions can be forced

00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:36.570
^ through certain homebrew methods.

00:29:36.570 --> 00:29:37.739
^ Years ago,

00:29:37.739 --> 00:29:41.306
^ an unlicensed disc called HDTV Xploder was available,

00:29:41.306 --> 00:29:42.585
^ though apparently it was

00:29:42.594 --> 00:29:44.158
not considered to work very well.

00:29:44.158 --> 00:29:45.830

Today, the simplest way to tinker

00:29:45.830 --> 00:29:47.938

with resolutions is with a multi-utility

00:29:47.938 --> 00:29:49.247

called Free McBoot.

00:29:49.247 --> 00:29:50.917

You can buy memory cards on eBay

00:29:50.917 --> 00:29:52.569

with Free McBoot pre-installed,

00:29:52.569 --> 00:29:55.082

which includes an application called GSM.

00:29:55.082 --> 00:29:56.383

Simply press square,

00:29:56.383 --> 00:29:57.284

select,

00:29:57.284 --> 00:29:59.697

then start to force the system into 480p.

00:29:59.697 --> 00:30:02.067

Know that this works only in certain games,

00:30:02.921 --> 00:30:05.327

Some games look great in forced 480p…

00:30:05.327 --> 00:30:08.308

while many others have inconsistent aspect ratios.

00:30:08.308 --> 00:30:10.357
^ So while it’s a neat tool for certain games,

00:30:10.357 --> 00:30:12.710
^ it’s sadly not something you can always rely on.

00:30:12.710 --> 00:30:15.507

You can also force the system into HD resolutions,

00:30:15.507 --> 00:30:18.359

but since it doesn’t change the internal render resolution,

00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:19.798

there’s really no reason to.

00:30:19.798 --> 00:30:22.256
^ So you can see why we say that to enjoy PS2,

00:30:22.256 --> 00:30:26.037
^ you kind of need to accept 480i as a fact of life.

00:30:26.037 --> 00:30:28.618
^ Select games have excellent native 480p modes,

00:30:28.618 --> 00:30:31.149
^ and those are great to enjoy when you can,

00:30:31.149 --> 00:30:32.266

but by and large,

00:30:32.266 --> 00:30:35.473
count on playing the vast majority of games in 480i.

00:30:35.476 --> 00:30:38.324
^ Component and RGB both provide pretty great results,

00:30:38.324 --> 00:30:39.875
^ and we don’t think you should worry

00:30:39.875 --> 00:30:41.105
^ too much about whether

00:30:41.105 --> 00:30:42.564
^ one might be better than the other,

00:30:42.564 --> 00:30:44.434

as long as you buy good quality cables.

00:30:52.004 --> 00:30:53.992
- We get a lot of questions about the

00:30:53.992 --> 00:30:56.072

“PS2 to HDMI” adapters that you

00:30:56.072 --> 00:30:58.193

can find all over Amazon.

00:30:58.204 --> 00:30:59.844

They’re sold for really cheap by

00:30:59.844 --> 00:31:01.711

a number of no-name brands.

00:31:01.711 --> 00:31:02.763

Of course,

00:31:02.763 --> 00:31:05.701

the PS2 does not provide a raw digital signal,

00:31:05.701 --> 00:31:07.676
so these are simply

00:31:07.676 --> 00:31:09.549
analog to digital converters.

00:31:09.549 --> 00:31:11.482
^ They do not upscale and simply pass

00:31:11.482 --> 00:31:16.319
^ digital 240p, 480i, or 480p to your TV.

00:31:16.329 --> 00:31:19.341

The guys over at HD Retrovision spent some

00:31:19.341 --> 00:31:21.697

time investigating these boxes and have

00:31:21.697 --> 00:31:24.637
^ concluded that there are primarily two types…

00:31:24.637 --> 00:31:26.578
^ and we don’t know of a good way to tell

00:31:26.578 --> 00:31:28.678
^ which one you’re gonna get.

00:31:28.678 --> 00:31:31.207
^ Let’s call the first one “Type A.”

00:31:31.207 --> 00:31:34.436
^ Type A does not support 240p,

00:31:34.436 --> 00:31:37.576
^ so don’t count on playing PS1 games.

00:31:37.576 --> 00:31:39.978
^ But the real dealbreaker is that these

00:31:39.978 --> 00:31:41.938
^ are even noisier than

00:31:41.938 --> 00:31:44.668
^ the cheapest generic component cables!

00:31:44.668 --> 00:31:47.697
^ Black levels are also crushed considerably,

00:31:47.697 --> 00:31:51.264
^ resulting in lost visibility in horror games.

00:31:51.264 --> 00:31:54.324
^ Then there’s what we’ll call “Type B”,

00:31:54.334 --> 00:31:56.674
^ these do support 240p,

00:31:56.674 --> 00:31:59.413
^ so PS1 games are good to go,

00:31:59.413 --> 00:32:03.575
^ if your TV supports 240p over HDMI.

00:32:03.604 --> 00:32:06.245
^ it is considerably brighter and video noise

00:32:06.245 --> 00:32:08.665
^ is significantly less noticeable

00:32:08.665 --> 00:32:10.457
^ compared to Type A.

00:32:10.457 --> 00:32:12.957
^ So for a moment it seems like Type B

00:32:12.957 --> 00:32:15.037

may not be an awful solution,

00:32:15.037 --> 00:32:17.450

but black levels are a bit gray,

00:32:17.450 --> 00:32:21.236
^ poor sampling causes more severe stair-step issues,

00:32:21.236 --> 00:32:24.130
^ and the audio is a bit overdriven.

00:32:24.161 --> 00:32:27.520
So these PS2 to HDMI adapters are primarily

00:32:27.520 --> 00:32:30.292

for those who have no component inputs.

00:32:30.292 --> 00:32:34.305

Even still, we recommend considering other solutions.

00:32:38.491 --> 00:32:40.610

Let’s take a moment to talk about

00:32:40.610 --> 00:32:41.948

how some of the more popular

00:32:41.948 --> 00:32:45.209

video processors handle PS2 games.

00:32:45.209 --> 00:32:47.758
The XRGB Mini Framemeister can accept

00:32:47.758 --> 00:32:51.463
RGB and component with the proper adapters.

00:32:51.470 --> 00:32:54.239

While the Framemeister overall looks pretty clean,

00:32:54.239 --> 00:32:58.200

it inherently generates a bit of noise for any input,

00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:00.830

which you might notice in certain scenes,

00:33:00.830 --> 00:33:04.239

especially in large areas of the same color.

00:33:04.239 --> 00:33:05.197

However,

00:33:05.197 --> 00:33:08.500

the Framemeister is very good at deinterlacing.

00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:10.562
^ Make sure to choose “Natural”

00:33:10.562 --> 00:33:13.315
^ as the Image Mode for interlaced content.

00:33:14.075 --> 00:33:15.354
^ For progressive sources,

00:33:15.354 --> 00:33:17.585
^ like 240p or 480p,

00:33:17.585 --> 00:33:19.704
^ set the Image Mode for “Picture.”

00:33:19.704 --> 00:33:22.791

240p is of course the Framemeister’s specialty,

00:33:22.791 --> 00:33:26.435

but 480p is not considered one of its strong suits.

00:33:26.463 --> 00:33:30.085
^ Most HDTVs will upscale a 480p source

00:33:30.085 --> 00:33:32.607
^ just as well or better.

00:33:32.609 --> 00:33:34.890

If you’re interested in perfect

00:33:34.890 --> 00:33:37.384

integer scaling and ease of use,

00:33:37.413 --> 00:33:38.725

we recommend downloading

00:33:38.725 --> 00:33:41.874

Framemeister profiles from FirebrandX,

00:33:41.874 --> 00:33:43.276

the Pixel Purist.

00:33:43.294 --> 00:33:45.590

These include 480i, 480p,

00:33:45.590 --> 00:33:47.687

and backwards compatibility profiles,

00:33:47.687 --> 00:33:50.427

useable with either RGB or component.

00:33:50.427 --> 00:33:52.266

Because these profiles double the size

00:33:52.266 --> 00:33:54.945

of 480i within a 1080p frame,

00:33:54.945 --> 00:33:57.178

note that the there will be some black space

00:33:57.178 --> 00:33:59.396

above and below the game window.

00:33:59.396 --> 00:34:01.518

The most recent versions of the profiles

00:34:01.518 --> 00:34:03.946

have been painstakingly balanced for color,

00:34:03.946 --> 00:34:05.962
and both darker and brighter

00:34:05.992 --> 00:34:08.781
PS2 games look just great.

00:34:08.781 --> 00:34:10.233
^ You also have a choice of using

00:34:10.233 --> 00:34:12.332
^ sharp or blurred profiles.

00:34:12.332 --> 00:34:14.560
^ I keep wavering back and forth on which

00:34:14.560 --> 00:34:16.777
^ I prefer for PS2 games.

00:34:16.777 --> 00:34:18.232

With blurred settings,

00:34:18.232 --> 00:34:21.732

certain text and 2D art can look very nice,

00:34:21.732 --> 00:34:23.411

almost HD.

00:34:23.411 --> 00:34:25.503

But other artifacts can crop up,

00:34:25.503 --> 00:34:29.389
and 3D geometry edges still look pretty low res.

00:34:29.398 --> 00:34:31.001
^ John Linneman recommended also

00:34:31.001 --> 00:34:33.132
^ recommended to us a middle-ground scaler

00:34:33.132 --> 00:34:35.597
^ setting that we’ve really taken a liking to.

00:34:35.597 --> 00:34:38.133
^ A variety of Framemeister scaling styles

00:34:38.133 --> 00:34:39.801
^ have been used throughout the episode.

00:34:39.801 --> 00:34:40.970
^ Which do you prefer?

00:34:41.950 --> 00:34:43.356
It’s not quite the same as the crisp

00:34:43.356 --> 00:34:45.298

yet smooth CRT look,

00:34:45.298 --> 00:34:47.599

but overall the Framemeister mostly

00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:50.100

gives you the tools to make PS2 games

00:34:50.100 --> 00:34:53.550

look reasonably good on a modern display,

00:34:53.550 --> 00:34:56.078
^ with a relatively small lag penalty,

00:34:56.078 --> 00:34:58.875
^ plus whatever delay your TV might add,

00:34:58.875 --> 00:35:02.599
^ tolerable to me, but your mileage may vary.

00:35:05.222 --> 00:35:06.919

The most exciting alternative

00:35:06.919 --> 00:35:08.210

to the Framemeister is the

00:35:08.210 --> 00:35:11.070
^ Open Source Scan Converter, or OSSC,

00:35:11.070 --> 00:35:12.790
^ developed by Finnish engineer

00:35:12.790 --> 00:35:15.478
^ Markus Hiienkari and sold at the

00:35:15.478 --> 00:35:17.730
^ UK-based Video Game Perfection.

00:35:17.730 --> 00:35:19.357
^ As of the time of this episode,

00:35:19.357 --> 00:35:21.950
^ it is up to hardware revision 1.6,

00:35:21.950 --> 00:35:24.778
^ which now includes a regular HDMI port

00:35:24.778 --> 00:35:27.790
^ with embedded digital audio output and the

00:35:27.790 --> 00:35:30.310
^ option to input component audio via

00:35:30.310 --> 00:35:32.649
^ the 3.5 millimeter jack.

00:35:32.649 --> 00:35:36.649

The OSSC is a line multiplier rather than a scaler,

00:35:36.649 --> 00:35:38.502

resulting in no lag aside

00:35:38.502 --> 00:35:40.809

from your display’s inherent lag,

00:35:40.809 --> 00:35:42.441

and spitting out the exact same

00:35:42.441 --> 00:35:45.080

refresh rate that it takes in.

00:35:45.080 --> 00:35:46.920
^ The downside is that certain systems

00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:49.510
^ and certain modes might not work

00:35:49.510 --> 00:35:51.280
^ on certain displays,

00:35:51.280 --> 00:35:53.599
^ hopefully you won’t run into issues

00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:55.018
^ with the PS2,

00:35:55.018 --> 00:35:57.630
^ since its output is fairly on-spec compared

00:35:57.630 --> 00:36:00.430
^ to systems with widespread compatibility issues,

00:36:00.430 --> 00:36:02.178
^ like the Super Nintendo.

00:36:02.178 --> 00:36:05.120

480i options on the OSSC have been

00:36:05.120 --> 00:36:07.359

expanded with firmware updates,

00:36:07.359 --> 00:36:09.638
^ two interlaced output modes are offered,

00:36:09.638 --> 00:36:11.643
^ passthrough and 3X,

00:36:11.643 --> 00:36:14.498
^ and two progressive deinterlaced output modes,

00:36:14.498 --> 00:36:16.819
^ 2X and 4X.

00:36:16.819 --> 00:36:19.099
^ The 2X and 4X modes employ a

00:36:19.099 --> 00:36:21.588
^ method called “bob” deinterlacing.

NOTE Paragraph

00:36:21.588 --> 00:36:23.020
^ In this implementation,

00:36:23.020 --> 00:36:26.221
^ it line doubles or quadruples each field,

00:36:26.221 --> 00:36:28.719
which, if you were to look at it frame by frame,

00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:30.920
^ gives it a pixelated look.

00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:32.289
^ In motion though,

00:36:32.289 --> 00:36:35.761
^ it kind of looks like interlaced flicker on a CRT.

00:36:35.761 --> 00:36:38.778
^ At times the bob technique is very effective,

00:36:38.778 --> 00:36:41.999
^ while at others it may be a bit distracting.

00:36:41.999 --> 00:36:43.311

However,

00:36:43.311 --> 00:36:45.143

if you prefer the look of your TV’s

00:36:45.143 --> 00:36:47.210

internal deinterlacing process,

00:36:47.210 --> 00:36:49.994

then you can simply use the passthrough option

00:36:49.994 --> 00:36:54.500

to send a digital 480i signal to your TV instead.

00:36:54.500 --> 00:36:56.650

I’m a bit unsure how I feel about

00:36:56.650 --> 00:36:58.669
bob deinterlacing myself,

00:36:58.669 --> 00:37:01.340

so that’s definitely a handy feature.

00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:04.320

We have been unable to test the

00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:08.381

interlaced 3X mode due to compatibility issues.

00:37:08.381 --> 00:37:10.200

With 480p content,

00:37:10.200 --> 00:37:12.899

the OSSC’s default option is a straight

00:37:12.899 --> 00:37:16.409
pass-through of 480p as digital output.

00:37:16.439 --> 00:37:19.060
^ However, there is an interesting alternative,

00:37:19.060 --> 00:37:24.390
^ which is a 2X mode that outputs 480p as 960p.

00:37:24.390 --> 00:37:27.141

If your TV doesn’t mind the weird resolution,

00:37:27.141 --> 00:37:29.868

then the result is ultra sharp,

00:37:29.868 --> 00:37:32.188
^ though whether you prefer this over the

00:37:32.188 --> 00:37:36.239
^ softer 480p passthrough is totally up to you.

00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:38.988
^ Among the OSSC’s greatest strengths

NOTE Paragraph

00:37:38.988 --> 00:37:42.038
^ are the quality of its analog to digital conversion,

00:37:42.038 --> 00:37:43.818
^ which does not add any apparent

00:37:43.818 --> 00:37:46.649
^ noise that’s not caused by your cables…

00:37:46.649 --> 00:37:48.509
^ and its color handling,

00:37:48.509 --> 00:37:50.839
^ which is incredibly accurate.

00:37:50.839 --> 00:37:52.717

If you’re curious about more

00:37:52.717 --> 00:37:54.739

budget-friendly upscaling options,

00:37:54.739 --> 00:37:57.138

watch RGB 105.

00:37:57.138 --> 00:37:59.470

If your main problem is simply not having

00:37:59.470 --> 00:38:02.382

any component or SCART inputs on your TV,

00:38:02.382 --> 00:38:04.539

then generic scaling boxes

00:38:04.539 --> 00:38:06.860

or the GBS-8200 actually offer

00:38:06.860 --> 00:38:11.357

decent performance for 480i content.

00:38:11.357 --> 00:38:14.618

So let’s suppose you feel compelled to spend...

00:38:14.618 --> 00:38:16.259

more money.

00:38:16.259 --> 00:38:17.960

We’ve been getting questions lately

00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:20.299
^ about the mCable Gaming Edition

00:38:20.299 --> 00:38:22.133
^ by a company called Marseille.

00:38:22.133 --> 00:38:24.929
^ This is an HDMI cable with active circuitry

00:38:24.929 --> 00:38:27.269
^ that claims to improve image quality through

00:38:27.269 --> 00:38:30.447
^ anti-aliasing with virtually no lag.

00:38:30.447 --> 00:38:34.610

Considering anti-aliasing pretty much doesn’t exist on PS2,

00:38:34.610 --> 00:38:37.927

we decided to go ahead buy one to test out for this episode.

00:38:37.927 --> 00:38:39.647
^ Huh, well,

00:38:39.647 --> 00:38:41.329
^ I can’t deny that what we’re looking

00:38:41.329 --> 00:38:43.947
^ at here is pretty darn interesting.

00:38:43.947 --> 00:38:46.390
^ The way that edges are smoothed over can

00:38:46.390 --> 00:38:48.359
^ at times give certain parts of the image

00:38:48.359 --> 00:38:51.299
^ a painted or smudged look,

00:38:51.299 --> 00:38:53.180
^ especially as characters or objects

00:38:53.180 --> 00:38:54.819
^ are farther from the camera.

00:38:54.819 --> 00:38:57.220
^ Output from the mCable is 1080p

00:38:57.220 --> 00:39:00.289
^ and some scaling artifacts may be visible.

00:39:00.289 --> 00:39:02.480
^ It also messes with color a bit…

00:39:02.480 --> 00:39:04.059
^ but what do you think?

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:06.379
^ Is it an improvement overall?

00:39:06.379 --> 00:39:08.308
^ Again, remember that the source

00:39:08.308 --> 00:39:10.439
^ is still really low res,

00:39:10.439 --> 00:39:13.107
^ so even if much of the image looks smoother,

00:39:13.107 --> 00:39:16.087
^ you will still see plenty of of crawling edges…

00:39:16.087 --> 00:39:18.408
^ they’ll just look a bit different.

NOTE Paragraph

00:39:20.071 --> 00:39:21.492

Of course the PS2 went through

00:39:21.492 --> 00:39:23.921

numerous revisions over the course of its life,

00:39:23.921 --> 00:39:25.801

but we’ve seen little evidence to support

00:39:25.801 --> 00:39:28.532

significant visible variations in the quality

00:39:28.532 --> 00:39:30.962

of video output from system to system.

00:39:30.962 --> 00:39:33.291
^ Comparing a relatively early unit

00:39:33.291 --> 00:39:34.702
^ to various other models,

00:39:34.702 --> 00:39:36.111
^ including Slim units,

00:39:36.111 --> 00:39:39.132
^ they all seem to perform similarly enough

00:39:39.132 --> 00:39:41.600
^ across various scenarios.

00:39:41.600 --> 00:39:43.251
^ The bigger considerations when it comes

00:39:43.251 --> 00:39:46.362
^ to choosing a PS2 system is reliability

00:39:46.362 --> 00:39:48.381
^ and hardware accuracy.

00:39:48.381 --> 00:39:50.241
^ The disc drives in launch window

00:39:50.241 --> 00:39:52.501
^ consoles have had a tendency to fail earlier,

00:39:52.501 --> 00:39:55.830
^ while 39-thousand and 50-thousand series systems

NOTE Paragraph

00:39:55.830 --> 00:39:58.991
^ have a reputation for still working like champs.

00:39:58.991 --> 00:40:02.974
^ Japan got a unique PS2 system called PSX,

00:40:02.974 --> 00:40:06.361
^ which includes some DVR and video editing functions,

00:40:06.361 --> 00:40:09.991
^ but sadly we’ve heard that they aren’t particularly reliable.

00:40:09.991 --> 00:40:12.811
^ There even exists an LCD TV

00:40:12.811 --> 00:40:14.710
^ with a PS2 built into it…

00:40:14.710 --> 00:40:16.651
^ sold only in Europe…

00:40:16.651 --> 00:40:18.340
^ at a budget price…

00:40:18.340 --> 00:40:20.601
^ in... 2010?

00:40:20.601 --> 00:40:23.090
^ it’s hard to believe it would be anything special,

00:40:23.090 --> 00:40:25.681
^ but sadly there’s not much of a feasible way

00:40:25.681 --> 00:40:27.472
^ for us to test one.

00:40:27.472 --> 00:40:30.442
^ Modding guru Voultar tells us that the first Slims,

00:40:30.442 --> 00:40:31.988
^ the 70-thousand series,

00:40:31.988 --> 00:40:35.169
^ are essentially perfect PS2s in miniature,

00:40:35.169 --> 00:40:38.141
^ the same chips as a 50-thousand series fat model,

00:40:38.141 --> 00:40:40.856
^ but on a radically consolidated mainboard.

00:40:40.856 --> 00:40:42.211
^ But soon after,

00:40:42.211 --> 00:40:44.336
^ Sony removed the main chip that handles

00:40:44.336 --> 00:40:48.662
^ PS1 backwards compatibility, the R3000,

00:40:48.662 --> 00:40:51.649
^ and replaced it with an emulated solution.

00:40:51.649 --> 00:40:53.652
^ The trouble is that not only does this

00:40:53.652 --> 00:40:56.181
^ make PS1 playback a bit less accurate,

00:40:56.181 --> 00:40:59.510
^ but PS2 games could also use the

00:40:59.510 --> 00:41:02.110
^ PS1 hardware for minor functions,

00:41:02.110 --> 00:41:05.111

which means PS2 gameplay can be impacted

00:41:05.111 --> 00:41:06.889

in some situations.

00:41:06.889 --> 00:41:10.611

I’ve personally used a 90-thousand-1 Slim

00:41:10.611 --> 00:41:12.331

quite a bit in recent years and never

00:41:12.331 --> 00:41:15.091

encountered any obvious issues,

00:41:15.091 --> 00:41:17.291

but it is something to keep in mind

00:41:17.291 --> 00:41:19.470

if you’re a stickler for original hardware.

00:41:28.204 --> 00:41:30.303

Sony went into the next generation thinking

00:41:30.303 --> 00:41:31.806

they were unstoppable,

00:41:31.806 --> 00:41:34.703

but were quickly humbled when consumers

00:41:34.703 --> 00:41:38.085

showed that brand loyalty may not go quite as

00:41:38.085 --> 00:41:41.694

far as five-hundred-ninety-nine US dollars.

00:41:41.694 --> 00:41:42.952

At the time,

00:41:42.952 --> 00:41:45.225

Sony considered visionary hardware design

00:41:45.225 --> 00:41:46.953

and backwards compatibility

00:41:46.953 --> 00:41:49.054

to be essential to its brand,

00:41:49.054 --> 00:41:51.863
^ so the PlayStation 3 launched with the

00:41:51.863 --> 00:41:54.805
^ PS2’s Emotion Engine CPU

00:41:54.805 --> 00:41:57.863
^ and graphics synthesizer on board.

00:41:57.863 --> 00:42:00.015

PS2 game functions that were originally

00:42:00.015 --> 00:42:02.758

handled by the PS1’s R3000 chip

00:42:02.758 --> 00:42:06.113

were moved to the PS3’s Cell processor.

00:42:06.113 --> 00:42:09.555

The PlayStation brand’s rehabilitation took years.

00:42:09.555 --> 00:42:12.644

Lowering the cost of the PS3 was essential.

00:42:12.644 --> 00:42:14.563
^ The PS2 Emotion Engine was soon

00:42:14.563 --> 00:42:16.414
^ removed from the board,

00:42:16.414 --> 00:42:19.143
^ while the PS2 graphics synthesizer remained,

00:42:19.143 --> 00:42:20.283
^ for a time.

00:42:20.283 --> 00:42:22.264
^ Because CPU functions were now

00:42:22.264 --> 00:42:24.524
^ emulated by the Cell processor,

00:42:24.524 --> 00:42:26.175
^ these are sometimes called

00:42:26.175 --> 00:42:28.596
^ “software backwards compatible”

00:42:28.596 --> 00:42:31.785
^ or “partial-emulation” PS3s.

00:42:31.785 --> 00:42:35.562

This was the only option when PS3 launched in Europe.

00:42:35.562 --> 00:42:39.664

But PS2 backwards compatibility was not to last,

00:42:39.664 --> 00:42:42.062

and the graphics synthesizer was removed,

00:42:42.062 --> 00:42:43.495

once available stock of the

00:42:43.495 --> 00:42:45.772

Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle dried up,

00:42:45.772 --> 00:42:47.375

that was it.

00:42:47.375 --> 00:42:50.273

Years later, after the slimmer redesign,

00:42:50.273 --> 00:42:53.563

at a time when Sony was in a more comfortable position,

00:42:53.563 --> 00:42:55.893
^ they began to release PS2 Classics

00:42:55.893 --> 00:42:57.755
^ on the PlayStation Store,

00:42:57.755 --> 00:43:00.784
^ all thanks to a newly-developed PS2 emulator

00:43:00.784 --> 00:43:04.786
^ that could run entirely in software on any PS3,

00:43:04.786 --> 00:43:07.824

For the systems that do support PS2 discs,

00:43:07.824 --> 00:43:11.253

compatibility is not bad, broadly speaking...

00:43:11.253 --> 00:43:13.694

although peculiar issues can crop up

00:43:13.694 --> 00:43:16.192

in games that otherwise seem to work.

00:43:16.201 --> 00:43:17.773

We’ll have to leave it to you to research

00:43:17.773 --> 00:43:20.061

game-by-game compatibility issues

00:43:20.061 --> 00:43:21.554

across console revisions,

00:43:21.554 --> 00:43:23.852

but what we can do is give you an idea

00:43:23.852 --> 00:43:26.441

of what kind of picture quality to expect when

00:43:26.441 --> 00:43:28.191

it does work.

00:43:29.384 --> 00:43:30.391

For starters,

00:43:30.391 --> 00:43:31.834

let’s take a look at how things work

00:43:31.834 --> 00:43:34.622

when you’re using digital output with HDMI.

00:43:34.622 --> 00:43:36.272

Keep in mind that while the games

00:43:36.272 --> 00:43:38.483

can be upscaled to HD,

00:43:38.483 --> 00:43:41.681

the rendering resolution remains unchanged,

00:43:41.681 --> 00:43:46.120

which means most games run internally at 480i,

00:43:46.120 --> 00:43:48.091

and the PS3 system performs

00:43:48.091 --> 00:43:49.902

its own deinterlace.

00:43:49.902 --> 00:43:52.622

The results are generally pretty solid,

00:43:52.622 --> 00:43:53.841

but as usual,

00:43:53.841 --> 00:43:56.910

you might catch a deinterlacing error here and there.

00:43:56.910 --> 00:43:59.702

When you activate a game’s native 480p mode,

00:43:59.702 --> 00:44:02.171

the system outputs 480p instead

00:44:02.171 --> 00:44:04.057

of doing its own upscale.

00:44:04.057 --> 00:44:05.209

In the system menu,

00:44:05.209 --> 00:44:07.074

you can go to Game Settings

00:44:07.074 --> 00:44:08.651

to set your preferred defaults.

00:44:09.391 --> 00:44:10.520

Under Upscaler,

00:44:10.520 --> 00:44:12.921

“Normal” displays a 4:3 image

00:44:12.921 --> 00:44:16.690

with upscaled output in 720p, 1080p,

00:44:16.690 --> 00:44:18.372

or whatever resolution you have

00:44:18.372 --> 00:44:20.372

your PS3 system set for.

00:44:20.372 --> 00:44:24.000

“Full Screen” stretches the image to 16 by 9,

00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:26.210

so it’s only really useful if you’re using

00:44:26.210 --> 00:44:28.401

a game’s widescreen mode.

00:44:28.401 --> 00:44:31.761

“Off” overrides the PS3 system resolution

00:44:31.761 --> 00:44:34.592

and instead displays in 480p.

00:44:34.592 --> 00:44:37.369

As for the Smoothing settings,

00:44:37.369 --> 00:44:40.783

well, that is what’s most interesting here.

00:44:40.783 --> 00:44:42.371
^ With Smoothing “Off,”

00:44:42.371 --> 00:44:44.552
^ the results are just about what you’d expect,

00:44:44.552 --> 00:44:46.360
^ it’s similar to the best results we can manage

00:44:46.360 --> 00:44:48.291
^ to get with RGB to the Framemeister

00:44:48.291 --> 00:44:50.304
^ from a real PS2.

00:44:50.315 --> 00:44:53.044

So what happens when you turn Smoothing “On”?

00:44:53.044 --> 00:44:54.024

Amazingly,

00:44:54.024 --> 00:44:56.756

I’d say it cleans up the image considerably,

00:44:56.756 --> 00:45:00.094
^ aliased edges are smoothed over reasonably well,

00:45:00.094 --> 00:45:01.912
^ and there appears to be absolutely

00:45:01.912 --> 00:45:04.033
^ no sharpness penalty.

00:45:04.033 --> 00:45:06.462
^ Personally, I can’t see any reason to NOT

00:45:06.462 --> 00:45:08.012
^ use the Smoothing function,

00:45:08.012 --> 00:45:10.183
^ and I believe it offers a tangibly

00:45:10.183 --> 00:45:13.362
^ improved image over Framemeister scaling.

00:45:13.362 --> 00:45:16.234

But do launch window PS3 consoles

00:45:16.234 --> 00:45:18.290

and partial-emulation consoles

00:45:18.290 --> 00:45:20.910

produce the same visual results?

00:45:20.914 --> 00:45:23.803
The answer turns out to be, “not quite.

00:45:24.630 --> 00:45:26.688

”For one, partial-emulation systems

00:45:26.688 --> 00:45:29.148

turn in a wider aspect ratio,

00:45:29.148 --> 00:45:31.853
^ some circular objects appear more round,

00:45:31.853 --> 00:45:33.863
^ but we’re not positive whether it would

00:45:33.863 --> 00:45:35.703
^ be considered more accurate.

00:45:35.703 --> 00:45:38.007

With Smoothing “Off,” results between

00:45:38.007 --> 00:45:40.460

consoles otherwise appear similar.

00:45:40.460 --> 00:45:42.460
^ But the most interesting thing is that for the

00:45:42.460 --> 00:45:43.899
^ partial emulation system,

00:45:43.899 --> 00:45:45.349
^ turning Smoothing “On”

00:45:45.349 --> 00:45:47.690
^ seems to make the image appear not only cleaner,

00:45:47.690 --> 00:45:49.710
^ but also crisper.

00:45:49.710 --> 00:45:51.857
^ The launch system’s result tackles

00:45:51.857 --> 00:45:54.279
^ aliasing a bit more comprehensively,

00:45:54.279 --> 00:45:56.959
^ but both offer what is in my opinion

00:45:56.959 --> 00:45:58.901
^ a clear visual improvement.

00:45:58.901 --> 00:46:00.032

Do mind,

00:46:00.032 --> 00:46:02.851

it still looks rather jagged and low resolution.

00:46:02.851 --> 00:46:04.671

Don’t expect a miracle here,

00:46:04.671 --> 00:46:06.992

but it’s still very well done,

00:46:06.992 --> 00:46:09.854

and is arguably the best visual representation

00:46:09.854 --> 00:46:12.770

that you can get on a high definition display

00:46:12.770 --> 00:46:15.972

when using some form of real PS2 hardware,

00:46:15.972 --> 00:46:18.879

incomplete as it may be.

00:46:18.879 --> 00:46:22.248

Or… can you go one step further?

00:46:22.248 --> 00:46:23.570

With the aforementioned

00:46:23.570 --> 00:46:25.234
^ mCable Gaming Edition,

00:46:25.234 --> 00:46:27.691
^ combined with the PS3’s smoothing function,

NOTE Paragraph

00:46:27.691 --> 00:46:29.622
^ we found some pretty neat results in

00:46:29.622 --> 00:46:33.141
^ PS2 games when the system was set for 480p.

00:46:33.141 --> 00:46:35.773
This is certainly not convenient or practical,

00:46:35.773 --> 00:46:39.382
and not all of the mCables effects are good...

00:46:39.382 --> 00:46:41.662

but it’s certainly interesting to consider

00:46:41.662 --> 00:46:43.501

what might be possible if you were

00:46:43.501 --> 00:46:45.960

to take things this far.

00:46:45.960 --> 00:46:50.151

Of course the PS3 can also output analog video,

00:46:50.151 --> 00:46:51.292

and visually,

00:46:51.292 --> 00:46:52.399
you should expect

00:46:52.425 --> 00:46:54.773
pretty similar results to a real PS2.

00:46:54.773 --> 00:46:55.918

Composite,

00:46:55.918 --> 00:46:56.794

S-video,

00:46:56.794 --> 00:46:57.623

component,

00:46:57.623 --> 00:46:58.635

and RGB,

00:46:58.635 --> 00:47:01.294

including sync-on-green for higher resolutions,

00:47:01.294 --> 00:47:03.244

are all supported.

00:47:03.244 --> 00:47:05.205
^ The Smoothing function is once again

00:47:05.205 --> 00:47:07.725
^ the secret sauce for improved image

00:47:07.725 --> 00:47:09.694
^ quality on CRTs too,

00:47:09.694 --> 00:47:11.373
^ once again showing less apparent

00:47:11.373 --> 00:47:14.303
^ aliasing compared to a real PS2,

00:47:14.303 --> 00:47:17.873
^ while not negatively impacting overall sharpness.

00:47:17.873 --> 00:47:19.234

But unfortunately,

00:47:19.234 --> 00:47:21.921

there is simply no way that the PS3

00:47:21.921 --> 00:47:23.973

can output 240p,

00:47:23.973 --> 00:47:25.556

meaning that when connected

00:47:25.556 --> 00:47:27.423

to a standard definition TV,

00:47:27.423 --> 00:47:30.526

PS1 and PS2 games that are 240p

00:47:30.526 --> 00:47:33.295

will unfortunately be interlaced.

00:47:33.295 --> 00:47:35.668

Also, despite what Wikipedia might say,

00:47:35.668 --> 00:47:37.720

we had good luck with using Guncon 2s

00:47:37.720 --> 00:47:40.223

on full-hardware as well as

00:47:40.223 --> 00:47:43.662

partial-emulation PS3 consoles.

00:47:43.662 --> 00:47:46.082

Here’s a fun trick we learned from

00:47:46.082 --> 00:47:47.851

Bob of Retro RGB,

00:47:47.851 --> 00:47:50.453

If you’re a fan of VGA computer monitors,

00:47:50.453 --> 00:47:52.072

you can buy this inexpensive

00:47:52.072 --> 00:47:55.294

HDMI to VGA adapter on Amazon.

00:47:55.294 --> 00:47:57.723

Set your PS3 for 480p,

00:47:57.723 --> 00:47:59.353

and you’re good to go.

00:47:59.353 --> 00:48:01.043

Having said all this,

00:48:01.043 --> 00:48:03.254

do we recommend backwards compatible

00:48:03.254 --> 00:48:06.402

PS3 systems as the ultimate way to play

00:48:06.402 --> 00:48:09.393

your PS2 disc games on an original hardware

00:48:09.393 --> 00:48:12.316

or semi-original-hardware solution?

00:48:12.316 --> 00:48:15.269

Well, it’s up to you whether it’s worth the risk.

00:48:15.300 --> 00:48:17.712

Game accuracy varies wildly,

00:48:17.712 --> 00:48:20.573

especially on partial-emulation consoles,

00:48:20.573 --> 00:48:23.741
^ and then there’s the Yellow Light of Death.

00:48:23.741 --> 00:48:25.982
^ It may not be as iconic as the

00:48:25.982 --> 00:48:28.605
^ Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death,

00:48:28.605 --> 00:48:32.531
^ but these fat PS3s are still not necessarily

00:48:32.531 --> 00:48:35.056
^ the most reliable consoles ever made.

00:48:35.056 --> 00:48:37.569

I had to have my own Metal Gear Solid 4

00:48:37.569 --> 00:48:39.861

bundle system replaced by Sony with

00:48:39.861 --> 00:48:43.171

a refurb after two to three years of use,

00:48:43.171 --> 00:48:46.010

and I now primarily use a Slim model just

00:48:46.010 --> 00:48:48.860

because it feels like a safer long-term bet.

00:48:48.860 --> 00:48:50.341

And anecdotally,

00:48:50.341 --> 00:48:52.340

friends who have tried to have so-called

00:48:52.340 --> 00:48:55.731

repair services fix their dead fat PS3s

00:48:55.731 --> 00:48:58.932

have not had lasting success.

00:48:58.932 --> 00:49:01.620

There is also of course the question of lag.

00:49:01.620 --> 00:49:04.280

Our tests lead us to believe that there is no

00:49:04.280 --> 00:49:05.943

difference between full hardware and partial

00:49:05.943 --> 00:49:08.690

emulation PS3 consoles in this regard,

00:49:08.690 --> 00:49:11.570

and that Smoothing has no effect on lag.

00:49:11.570 --> 00:49:14.530
^ However, analog output to a CRT appears

00:49:14.530 --> 00:49:17.574
^ to be not as responsive as a real PS2,

00:49:17.574 --> 00:49:19.652
^ although more technical testing should be

NOTE Paragraph

00:49:19.652 --> 00:49:22.941
^ done before drawing firm conclusions.

00:49:22.941 --> 00:49:24.732

We have to give a big big thank you to

00:49:24.732 --> 00:49:27.152

My Life in Gaming viewer Scott Davis for letting

00:49:27.152 --> 00:49:30.600

us borrow his launch PS3 for this episode.

00:49:30.600 --> 00:49:33.211

Scott also wanted us to let you know that if

00:49:33.211 --> 00:49:36.532

you enjoy digital audio formats like DTS,

00:49:36.532 --> 00:49:40.880

they will not work over HDMI while playing PS2 games,

00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:42.981

SSX3, for example.

00:49:42.981 --> 00:49:45.132

You’ll just have to choose a different audio

00:49:45.132 --> 00:49:47.704

mode or else you won’t hear anything at all…

00:49:47.704 --> 00:49:50.341

or connect with an optical audio cable.

00:49:52.364 --> 00:49:54.568

As for the PS2 Classics that can be purchased

00:49:54.568 --> 00:49:57.387

and and downloaded for play on any PS3

00:49:57.387 --> 00:49:59.839

system via full software emulation...

00:49:59.839 --> 00:50:02.639

again, don’t expect a bump to HD.

00:50:02.639 --> 00:50:04.917

The emulator’s setup may vary on a

00:50:04.917 --> 00:50:06.969

game-by-game basis, for instance,

00:50:06.969 --> 00:50:09.036
^ the lack of deinterlacing errors in

00:50:09.036 --> 00:50:10.420
^ Contra Shattered Soldier

00:50:10.420 --> 00:50:13.188
^ suggests an internally forced 480p,

00:50:13.188 --> 00:50:16.549
^ but this is not the case with Maximo.

00:50:16.549 --> 00:50:18.839
^ Compared to the 1080p output of

00:50:18.839 --> 00:50:20.809
^ hardware-based backwards compatibility,

00:50:20.809 --> 00:50:23.063
^ the maximum upscale for PS2 Classics

00:50:23.063 --> 00:50:25.209
^ tops off at 720p.

00:50:25.209 --> 00:50:27.997
^ Unpleasing scaling issues can crop up,

00:50:27.997 --> 00:50:30.238
^ like the jagged text box edge that simply

00:50:30.238 --> 00:50:32.239
^ isn’t visible with any other method

00:50:32.239 --> 00:50:33.999
^ of playing Persona 4.

00:50:33.999 --> 00:50:36.550

And while this may not fairly represent

00:50:36.550 --> 00:50:38.288

PS2 Classics as a whole,

00:50:38.288 --> 00:50:40.459

this obvious visual glitch in the first scene

00:50:40.459 --> 00:50:42.288

leaves a bad impression.

00:50:42.288 --> 00:50:45.808

The PS3’s PS2 Classics library does include

00:50:45.808 --> 00:50:47.917

a handful of fan-pleasing favorites…

00:50:47.917 --> 00:50:50.611

but the overall selection is too spotty to

00:50:50.611 --> 00:50:54.243

seriously consider as a PS2 replacement.

00:50:54.243 --> 00:50:56.389
^ Homebrew hacks have made it possible

00:50:56.389 --> 00:51:01.178
^ to inject your own PS1 and PS2 disc images

00:51:01.178 --> 00:51:03.245
^ into your PS3 hard drive to play

00:51:03.245 --> 00:51:05.149
^ via software emulation…

00:51:05.149 --> 00:51:07.769
^ the finer specifics of which aren’t really

00:51:07.769 --> 00:51:09.488
^ a topic we’re interested in exploring

00:51:09.488 --> 00:51:11.107
^ too deeply for this episode,

00:51:11.107 --> 00:51:13.569
^ because it sounds like compatibility is a serious issue.

00:51:13.569 --> 00:51:15.491

As a bit of an aside to finish up

00:51:15.491 --> 00:51:17.418

our discussion on the PS3,

00:51:17.418 --> 00:51:20.009

don’t forget that all PS3 systems

00:51:20.009 --> 00:51:23.439

can play PS1 discs via emulation.

00:51:23.439 --> 00:51:26.210

This functionality was never removed

00:51:26.210 --> 00:51:28.828
^ from any version of the PlayStation 3.

00:51:28.828 --> 00:51:30.259
^ For more information,

00:51:30.259 --> 00:51:32.929
^ watch RGB 206.

00:51:37.668 --> 00:51:40.339
- Sony took a very different approach

00:51:40.339 --> 00:51:42.211

to the design of the PlayStation 4,

00:51:42.211 --> 00:51:44.718

resulting is an impressively optimized but

00:51:44.718 --> 00:51:47.510

ultimately very “normal” PC-like architecture.

00:51:47.510 --> 00:51:50.958

Given the very particular design of the PS3 Cell CPU,

00:51:50.958 --> 00:51:53.297

backwards compatibility was ruled out.

00:51:53.297 --> 00:51:57.058

Sony also omitted PS2 and even PS1 emulation,

00:51:57.058 --> 00:51:59.885

marking a sharp turn from PlayStation tradition.

00:51:59.885 --> 00:52:01.500

But in late 2015,

00:52:01.500 --> 00:52:02.748
Sony began to trickle out

00:52:02.762 --> 00:52:05.678
digital downloads of PS2 Classics for PS4,

00:52:05.678 --> 00:52:07.557

running on a new software emulator.

00:52:08.322 --> 00:52:09.564
There are a number of benefits

00:52:09.564 --> 00:52:11.813
over the PS3’s PS2 Classics.

00:52:11.813 --> 00:52:12.762
^ Most obviously,

00:52:12.762 --> 00:52:14.562
^ the internal render resolution has been

00:52:14.562 --> 00:52:16.201
^ increased very noticeably,

00:52:16.201 --> 00:52:18.542
^ although perhaps not as much as you might hope.

00:52:18.562 --> 00:52:19.882
^ According to Digital Foundry,

NOTE Paragraph

00:52:19.882 --> 00:52:22.045
^ it’s just north of 720p.

00:52:22.045 --> 00:52:23.664
For the purposes of viewing

00:52:23.664 --> 00:52:25.123

on a high resolution display,

00:52:25.123 --> 00:52:26.943

it’s hard to deny that this is visually

00:52:26.943 --> 00:52:28.863

an improvement over PS2 hardware,

00:52:28.863 --> 00:52:32.634

but aliasing issues hold it back from a more ideal presentation.

00:52:32.634 --> 00:52:34.473

Digital Foundry’s framerate analysis

00:52:34.473 --> 00:52:36.193

shows very interesting results,

00:52:36.193 --> 00:52:38.193

with the emulations on PS4 typically

00:52:38.193 --> 00:52:40.604

performing better than original PS2 hardware,

00:52:40.604 --> 00:52:42.093

but definitely don’t expect perfectly

00:52:42.093 --> 00:52:44.263

smooth results by any means,

00:52:44.263 --> 00:52:46.464

even with Boost Mode on PS4 Pro.

00:52:46.464 --> 00:52:48.657

Also note that we’ve heard about 50Hz issues

00:52:48.657 --> 00:52:50.342

on PAL region releases.

00:52:50.342 --> 00:52:51.885
^ As always with emulation,

00:52:51.885 --> 00:52:53.945
^ you aren’t going to get a perfect recreation

00:52:53.945 --> 00:52:55.174
^ of every effect.

00:52:55.174 --> 00:52:57.155
^ Other issues may also arise,

00:52:57.155 --> 00:52:58.603

like the occasional audio stutters we heard

00:52:58.603 --> 00:52:59.789

in Rogue Galaxy.

00:52:59.818 --> 00:53:01.408

You could also make an argument that

00:53:01.408 --> 00:53:04.169

higher-res 3D graphics don’t blend so well

00:53:04.169 --> 00:53:06.957

with the original 2D assets or a level of detail

00:53:06.957 --> 00:53:08.298

that was originally designed

00:53:08.298 --> 00:53:10.079

for standard definition TVs…

00:53:10.079 --> 00:53:12.628

making for a less cohesive presentation.

00:53:12.628 --> 00:53:14.050

I mean, yeah it’s great to see some

00:53:14.050 --> 00:53:15.552

of these games get a re-release,

00:53:15.552 --> 00:53:17.958

but there are also some strange choices…

00:53:17.958 --> 00:53:20.901
^ for example, Jak & Daxter ironically enough

00:53:20.901 --> 00:53:23.189
^ has a proper HD port for PS3,

00:53:23.189 --> 00:53:25.108
^ and the emulated version on PS4

00:53:25.108 --> 00:53:26.928
^ just doesn’t feel as clean.

00:53:30.228 --> 00:53:31.562

Speaking of HD ports,

00:53:31.562 --> 00:53:33.278

while they have plenty of detractors,

00:53:33.278 --> 00:53:35.143

it’s been one of our favorite gaming trends.

00:53:35.152 --> 00:53:36.823

With modern games having so much going

00:53:36.823 --> 00:53:38.495

on and assaulting your eyes

00:53:38.495 --> 00:53:40.132

with so many granular details,

00:53:40.132 --> 00:53:42.132

sometimes a good old PS2 game

00:53:42.132 --> 00:53:44.192

in high resolution is just the break you need.

00:53:44.192 --> 00:53:45.451

When properly handled,

00:53:45.451 --> 00:53:48.273

HD ports, or “remasters” if you prefer,

00:53:48.273 --> 00:53:50.651

have more potential than straight-up emulation

00:53:50.651 --> 00:53:51.933

because the developer can go back

00:53:51.933 --> 00:53:53.374

and tune the game to suit the

00:53:53.374 --> 00:53:55.073

new hardware that it’s running on.

00:53:55.073 --> 00:53:57.034

A higher level of detail can be pushed farther out,

00:53:57.034 --> 00:53:59.604

and the highest resolution textures

00:53:59.604 --> 00:54:01.123

available might be implemented,

00:54:01.123 --> 00:54:03.033
^ or even redrawn in some cases,

00:54:03.061 --> 00:54:04.012
^ At this point,

00:54:04.012 --> 00:54:05.685
^ it’s pretty much expected that character models

00:54:05.685 --> 00:54:07.242
^ will be at least moderately revamped

00:54:07.242 --> 00:54:08.873
^ with a higher polygon count.

00:54:08.873 --> 00:54:12.283

FMV renders can be given more refined upscales,

00:54:12.283 --> 00:54:13.982

and additional lighting and other effects

00:54:13.982 --> 00:54:15.753

are sometimes implemented to

00:54:15.753 --> 00:54:17.501

make it all look a touch more modern.

00:54:17.501 --> 00:54:19.223

And very often framerates are optimized for

00:54:19.223 --> 00:54:21.753

much better stability than the original versions,

00:54:21.753 --> 00:54:23.281
^ or in some instances you might even get

NOTE Paragraph

00:54:23.281 --> 00:54:25.351
^ a leap from a target of 30 frames per second

00:54:25.351 --> 00:54:27.283
^ to 60 frames per second...

00:54:27.283 --> 00:54:28.712
^ although 30 frames is sometimes

00:54:28.712 --> 00:54:30.500
^ too intertwined with a game’s original code

00:54:30.500 --> 00:54:32.753
^ to feasibly tamper with it.

00:54:32.753 --> 00:54:34.641
^ Remasters on PS3 tend to run between

00:54:34.641 --> 00:54:36.903
^ 720p and 1080p,

00:54:36.903 --> 00:54:38.671

while Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II

00:54:38.671 --> 00:54:41.503

have managed to push a native 4K resolution

00:54:41.503 --> 00:54:43.810

at 60 frames per second on PS4 Pro!

00:54:43.826 --> 00:54:45.615

Some studios, like Bluepoint Games,

00:54:45.615 --> 00:54:47.237

have even built an entire business

00:54:47.237 --> 00:54:48.958

around handling high quality conversions

00:54:48.958 --> 00:54:50.980

of games from earlier generations.

00:54:51.001 --> 00:54:53.280

Now, they aren’t all good,

00:54:53.280 --> 00:54:55.381

some HD ports are infamously bad,

00:54:55.381 --> 00:54:57.879

the Silent Hill HD Collection for example,

00:54:57.879 --> 00:54:59.851

while others are pretty no-frills,

00:54:59.851 --> 00:55:01.830

but at least technically sound.

00:55:01.830 --> 00:55:03.849
There's something to be said for the idea

00:55:03.849 --> 00:55:05.566
that this reduces the technical artistry

00:55:05.566 --> 00:55:07.250
that went into many of these games...

00:55:07.250 --> 00:55:09.089
which were so tightly designed around

00:55:09.089 --> 00:55:11.179
the PS2 hardware and pushed it beyond

00:55:11.179 --> 00:55:13.235
what anyone would have believed it's limits were.

00:55:13.235 --> 00:55:15.905

Luckily it feels like a very significant portion

00:55:15.916 --> 00:55:17.735

of the PS2’s most iconic games

00:55:17.735 --> 00:55:19.668

have already been properly remastered,

00:55:19.668 --> 00:55:21.335

sometimes with multiple ports already.

00:55:21.335 --> 00:55:23.516

But what if you want to see what

00:55:23.516 --> 00:55:25.290

Dragon Quest VIII looks like in HD?

00:55:25.290 --> 00:55:28.286

Seriously, why does this still have no HD version?

00:55:28.286 --> 00:55:29.408

Well obviously,

00:55:29.408 --> 00:55:31.859

we’re talking about emulating PS2 games on your PC.

00:55:38.559 --> 00:55:41.045

Emulation is changing every day thanks

00:55:41.055 --> 00:55:42.865

to dedicated communities that have worked

00:55:42.865 --> 00:55:44.489

some really impressive magic.

00:55:44.489 --> 00:55:45.504

That said,

00:55:45.504 --> 00:55:47.773

we aren’t super tuned into the scene ourselves,

00:55:47.773 --> 00:55:49.334

and don’t want to pretend we are.

00:55:49.356 --> 00:55:50.809

The particulars of emulation

00:55:50.809 --> 00:55:52.768

could fill entire videos themselves,

00:55:52.768 --> 00:55:55.236

which is better left to the real emulation experts,

00:55:55.236 --> 00:55:57.068

so this is just a quick look.

00:55:57.068 --> 00:55:58.838

In the world of PS2 emulation,

00:55:58.838 --> 00:56:02.108

PCSX2 seems to be the biggest game in town.

00:56:02.108 --> 00:56:05.238

It’s open source and completely legal in and of itself.

00:56:05.238 --> 00:56:08.029
^ It does require the PlayStation 2 BIOS to run,

00:56:08.029 --> 00:56:09.916
^ which they can’t legally distribute,

00:56:09.916 --> 00:56:11.408
^ but they do provide you with the tools

00:56:11.408 --> 00:56:12.964
^ to extract your the BIOS from

00:56:12.964 --> 00:56:14.989
^ your own PS2 console via homebrew.

00:56:14.989 --> 00:56:17.366

Typical of emulators for disc-based consoles,

00:56:17.366 --> 00:56:19.175

you can run your own copies of the game

00:56:19.175 --> 00:56:20.935

straight from your DVD drive.

00:56:20.950 --> 00:56:22.989

PCSX2 seems to have brought the state

00:56:22.989 --> 00:56:25.671

of PS2 emulation to a much higher level

00:56:25.671 --> 00:56:26.991

in recent years.

00:56:26.991 --> 00:56:28.870

They tout very high compatibility,

00:56:28.870 --> 00:56:30.441

easy controller support,

00:56:30.441 --> 00:56:32.566

resolutions beyond 4K,

00:56:32.566 --> 00:56:34.581

and plenty of graphics options.

00:56:34.581 --> 00:56:36.557

It can’t always match the developer’s touch

00:56:36.557 --> 00:56:37.989

of refinement when compared against

00:56:37.989 --> 00:56:39.720
^ the best official HD ports,

00:56:39.720 --> 00:56:41.463
^ but the appeal of raw resolution

00:56:41.463 --> 00:56:43.389
^ and the ability to hack, edit,

00:56:43.389 --> 00:56:46.236
^ and tinker might be just the thing for a lot of people.

00:56:50.826 --> 00:56:52.096
- Final Fantasy.

00:56:52.103 --> 00:56:53.097

Metal Gear.

00:56:53.097 --> 00:56:54.270

Devil May Cry.

00:56:54.270 --> 00:56:55.354

Rachet & Clank.

00:56:55.354 --> 00:56:56.454

Kingdom Hearts.

00:56:56.454 --> 00:56:57.434

God of War.

00:56:57.434 --> 00:56:58.463

Okami.

00:56:58.463 --> 00:56:59.375

Persona.

00:56:59.375 --> 00:57:00.974

Shadow of the Colossus.

00:57:00.974 --> 00:57:04.693

All just a few of the iconic PlayStation 2 titles

00:57:04.693 --> 00:57:07.723

at the base of its incredible legacy,

00:57:07.723 --> 00:57:09.648

but they are all also games that,

00:57:09.648 --> 00:57:10.583

since then,

00:57:10.583 --> 00:57:13.693

you’ve been able to play on more advanced platforms.

00:57:13.693 --> 00:57:17.303

But those games are far from the whole PS2 story.

00:57:17.303 --> 00:57:20.515

The PS2 is a treasure trove of cult classics,

00:57:20.515 --> 00:57:21.823

hidden gems,

00:57:21.823 --> 00:57:23.723

wonderfully weird experiments

00:57:23.723 --> 00:57:25.863

that we can’t believe were actually made,

00:57:25.863 --> 00:57:27.764

and that one dumb game you used to play

00:57:27.764 --> 00:57:29.009

with your friends that probably

00:57:29.009 --> 00:57:30.673

no one else cares about.

00:57:30.673 --> 00:57:33.263

The PS2 has one of the broadest libraries

00:57:33.263 --> 00:57:34.936
in gaming history.

00:57:34.962 --> 00:57:36.686

Is the PS2 retro yet?

00:57:36.686 --> 00:57:39.119

Or do you think it’s still kind of modern?

00:57:39.119 --> 00:57:42.028

Was the PS2 your main console in college?

00:57:42.028 --> 00:57:44.117

What you had as a little kid?

00:57:44.117 --> 00:57:45.007

Your introduction to

00:57:45.007 --> 00:57:47.767

the wide world of online gaming?

00:57:47.767 --> 00:57:49.407

Whatever your reason for revisiting

00:57:49.407 --> 00:57:50.887

the PS2 library

00:57:50.887 --> 00:57:53.098

(or checking it out for the first time),

00:57:53.098 --> 00:57:55.127

whether on an original console

00:57:55.127 --> 00:57:57.248

in composite or component,

00:57:57.248 --> 00:58:00.409

on a CRT, an HDTV, a 4K TV,

00:58:00.409 --> 00:58:03.955

a PS3, a PS4, your computer, whatever,

00:58:03.955 --> 00:58:05.659
no matter how you play

00:58:05.670 --> 00:58:08.516
the PS2's greatest strength will always be...

00:58:08.516 --> 00:58:11.106
that is has something for everyone!

00:58:46.935 --> 00:58:49.944
^ (Subtitling done by Jordan "Link584")