Here's an updated look at PCSX2 emulation against real PS2 hardware! Being an EX episode, this is not in depth as normal but still should do the job! (Edit: Many, many people are asking me about the background music starting from 01:22! The song is called Barham Battlefield and comes from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner! Also beware of CZcams's Stable Volume feature, if the audio sounds odd please turn it off for the original sound mix as intended!)
I prefer software mode to upscaling in most games. I don't like what upscaling does to to games and like things playing closer to the original format. However, 2D games look phenomenal in 4k.
@@Preludedraw pnach cheats are super easy to use. I'm just like you, I hate the pointless grind some games had back in the day. I am actually replaying games from my childhood that I didn't have the patience for back then and finishing them now. So every once in a while if I can't defeat a boss regardless of how many times I try, I will just enable an infinite health cheat and then disable it right after the battle, I am just into the stories.
I want to note, it may not have fixed it here but I wouldn't use the same settings for every game if you're having issues like in valkyrie. The PCSX2 wiki has a listing for each game generally that contains specific config requirements in case a game needs it. I think it'd be a better representation. Good video!
Oh I know, I even said in the video during the game that I believed the settings could be changed or even fixed if you take the time to look but I like to see how the same settings affect the games :) Sadly I don't have time to show every setting combination possible so as I always say, try it yourself and see what works :)
I remembered playing ff12 in pcsx2 32bit back then with many performance and graphical issues. Now, the latest version of the emulator was improved significantly and upscaling made the game looks amazing with stable fps/speed and no graphical bugs. It's amazing that Stenzek contributed and improved pcsx2 a lot in just couple of years.
This makes me wonder even more on why big companies like Capcom doesn't want to release new games from classic franchises like Rival Schools with a PS2 4k graphics just like Tekken 4 and the Soul Caliburs displayed on this video...
Grant Turismo 4 is missing all the post processing effects like the depth of field effect. Also, didn´t Soul Calibur 3 support 480p? or it was removed from the PAL release?
Yes, I mentioned it was missing some effects during the replays (not sure if it was missing any in gameplay but I bet it was) & yes, Soulcalibur III did have 480p but only in NTSC releases :) My PAL copy has only 50 or 60hz support, no 480p :) Gran Turismo 4 is the same, no 480p or 1080i in the PAL version :o
Something people don't talk about often is that under software mode, duckstation, pcsx2 and ppsspp offer 99% compatibility with no issues these days and you can use a dualshock 3 for pressure sensitive controls. The RPCS3 equivalent of that would be "Strict Rendering Mode" but that emulator still in the ~69% compatibility. We're not far from being able to have a "fully backwards compatible PS3" inside our PCs.
Emulation has come along way & it is always incredible to see software leap forward every few months or so :) The retro community doing what Sony & other big video game companies can't :)
unfortunately even software render doesn't fix everything, for example the current PCSX2 nightly build has a visual issue in God of War 2 that makes the wind tunnels not render correctly in the Dark Rider sequence, during his second sequence there is a white wall covering the island of creation.
Nightly version fixed a lot of Valkyrie Profile 2 graphic glitches including the red filter problem. Some depth of field problems still are present though...
That might be for the Windows version, this was using the Mac nightly build :) Had a few comments saying this now so maybe the Mac version will get the same fixes very soon :)
Good video, though I personally prefer playing most games on original PS2 hardware connected to a CRT TV via s-video/component video. PS2 era games were not designed for 4k resolution on a LCD/OLED display so they look pretty terrible IMO when texture and geometry flaws are so readily sharp and clear to see. CRT TVs do a great job hiding the shortcomings of those games, not to mention devs leveraged the fact that CRTs have a natural anti-aliasing effect. I recently emulated Resident Evil Code Veronica and Silent Hill 2 and they looked terrible at 4k on my OLED TV, though on my CRT running on native hardware, they still hold up, especially Silent Hill 2 with its more gritty artstyle, it still looks beautiful even today.
It's quite interesting because I actually do not mind seeing the image flaws using my OSSC on my 4K as I love the sharp look of RGB SCART, S-Video or Component video but, I understand the thoughts and as I tell everyone, we can all play as we wish thankfully :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I can understand that, some people really love having a sharp clean image. My only issue is that the artists and 3D modelers never intended for the game to be viewed at such high resolutions and purposefully designed the assets around the strengths and weaknesses of a CRT TV so it tends to break the visual makeup for me when viewed with modern displays and conventions. PS2 games for example look more visually and technically impressive when viewed on an era appropriate CRT TV vs upscaled to 4k on a modern TV.
Hmmmm I don't know xD I agree they were made with CRT's in mind no doubt but most people say you must use composite video :) Try a CRT with S-Video or even RGB and wow! Also, I always ask, if they were made with composite in mind, why do the consoles support other cable types? I feel RGB or S-Video was the intended look but composite was the most common and they had to keep this in mind at the time in my opinion but however you play or display retro games, as long as you have fun and enjoy what you see, it is a win win for everyone :)
@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Most people only had access to composite video so they simply didn't know better. S-video was superior due to better signal separation which made the image look its best within the confines of 480i resolution (which is the key here). Regardless if someone played with an RF connection, composite, or s-video the resolution was always 480i. Emulation, on the other hand takes the original source that was intended for 480i on a CRT and upscales it to resolutions never intended on displays that it was not designed for. Of course if people are happy playing that way it's fine, everyone has their preferences, but to me the textures, models and the effects of PS2 games simply don't hold up when played that way. Maybe 2D sprite games fair better, or simplistic cel shaded 3D games don't look that bad, but most other games do IMO.
i personally dont worry about the intention of someone around 20 years ago in this media because art is subjective. i have a crt and ps2 with component out. i still run emulation for slower paced games like rpgs that dont need better latency or streaming since compatibility with my set up is more desirable.
No :) I was using an RGB SCART cable on my PS2 to my OSSC when then went to my capture card :) The OSSC most of the time was in passthrough mode for interlaced content so I used my capture software OBS to deinterlace the image :) In 480p progressive scan games my OSSC was at line 2x mode, doubling the output to 960p for sharper results :) I do not own or use the Mclassic at all :) I prefer passthrough with interlaced content because it looks better, makes it easier to capture a screen shot and the OSSC's bob deinterlacing technique isn't my favourite :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial ohh oks , "ossc + mclassic" or "kaiko ps1/ps2 x2 lines + mclassic" helps old consoles for bether image, not as good as emu but close to it
emulation is getting better, i have the pcsx2 emulator on my steam deck and it looks awesome, but still have my ps2 plugged with component cables on my sony trinitron 27" and still looks fantastic.
There's a place for all methods regarding retro games & to see you using both an older method and a more updated one shows anyone can get into the hobby more :)
If you run the emulator at 640 × 480, you're upscaling it. The internal resolution of the PS2 is 512 × 448i/224P, and if you select this resolution, the emulator will look 1:1 with the PS2 for a more authentic look.
It's true for many games but not all of them. Most common resolution modes are 512x448 and 640x448. The emulator has an option to play with underscan in integer resolution but you still need to pay attention to the resolution I think.
To me, I'm not too fussed with getting the exact look as I usually play with real PS2 hardware and I don't mind a slight upscale using emulation in software mode :) But the choices are there to make the PS2 emulator as close or as far away from real hardware as possible :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial It actually helps for recording at native resolution since loads of games change their rendering resolution depending on whether it's cutscene, menu, battle system etc. From there I can use integer upscaling to get very sharp image for upload. I record longplays so these small details matter a lot for me. I have yet to use PCSX2 to record one but I have done some tinkering about.
I can understand & yes that is a good point as not all parts of games run in exactly the same resolution :) For me, I never notice anything substantial from this as everything appears sharp to me using the settings I use but, I know for the best results, monitoring everything is key :)
PCSX2 is absolutely amazing. I currently have 68 games that look and run fantastically with this emulator. Some of the shooting games can be played with keyboard+mouse and higher frame rates like normal PC shooters. TimeSplitters, Darkwatch, Black, The Chikyuu Boueigun 2...
It has come a long way & to see people using it, enjoying it, trying to figure out what graphics work best & of course, ongoing support means this emulator will be the ultimate PS2 experience soon if not already :)
It was the Sony Official RGB SCART Cable but, a better cheaper alternative is to visit Retro Gaming Cables & find a SCART or Component cable there :) Just type it into Google and it will pop right up :) I don't do links due to spam issues but hope it helps!
8:11 that one feeling when you understand that, the icon (clock on top right) has a little arrow shoeing up or down. On ps2 because of resolution I never was able to puzzle it out.
I was using RGB SCART whereas maybe using Composite the icon was to fuzzy to see :) It was a lot easier to see thanks to the resolution boost of PCSX2 when using upscaled resolutions :)
Many, many people have asked me about the music in this video haha... It is from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner & the song is called Barham Battleship :)
For pcsx2 I generally use progressive scan mode for the games that have it and no-interlace patch's for the rest. Gives you a much cleaner upscale less blurry.
The issues in hardware mode for Valkyrie Profile were just fixed with two new upscaling hack settings. Align to Native HPO and Native Scaling. Download the latest development build and see for yourself.
I've had this comment quite a few times now but I believe this is related to the Windows version currently :) This video used the Mac nightly build so not sure if that one got the treatment but, if not it should adapt the fixes soon!
Honestly I'd prefer PS2 graphic on it's original form. Upscaling only made the graphics look "cheaper" in my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't know what settings should I use in PCSX2 to preserve the original look.
Simply use the software rendering mode if you want a more accurate to PS2 look as possible :) I use it more than the hardware rendering mode personally :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I've tried it and it works well, it looks good and doesn't have performance problem either. Software mode improvement is very noticeable compared to 10 years ago.
The PCSX2 or PS2 label should be MUCH BIGGER and more visible, not tiny font at very bottom of screen. You should have title card labels onscreen for each game. Also you should emphasize and highlight what "special effects differences" you observed, instead of simply mentioning it and skipping past it. For example you should be comparing both Software mode in PCSX2 and advanced renderer modes, because that is where differences in effects become noticeable where they still exist. It's not useful to show an upscaled version and say it looks better than original low res jaggies and blur.
The first point I agree with because there was a couple of times where it was hidden & it is tough to size it correctly in certain games :) I will certainly try something different in future videos :) I didn't because I want viewers to see if they could spot the differences themselves, after all, not everyone will pick up on it & some may not care while others will :) It is useful because I was testing hardware rendering & I wanted to show the most upscaled version to show viewers what PCSX2 can really do :) Software mode is the most accurate to a real PS2 but no worries, I plan on making a video soon seeing how well the software renderer compares to real PS2 hardware to see how accurate it is :)
It's not really my scene as I never get enough time to test the games extensively & by the time I do update anything, people are well aware of the issues and the emulators are updated every frequently now :) I appreciate the idea though, never say never :)
Something is really off with this emulator in terms of smoothness in motion. Animations of characters are not as smooth as they should. I think the real PS2 looks better, especially in progressive scan mode.
It might be because these are the PAL versions of games (some were in 60hz or 480p progressive scan though), some games also had performance issues like Valkyrie Profile :) Otherwise, both are worth a look and remember you can use software mode if you want more accurate results from the emulator :)
In some ways yes but it is not perfect and some games still do not work properly but, it is getting better with each new update so PCSX2 is a great PS2 experience :)
The PS2 was very well known for being difficult to develop games for due to its architecture & as a result, emulating the Emotion Engine & the various components of the PS2 was not easy! Thankfully, the emulation team behind Duckstation has contributed to the emulator & has made huge strides making this now a great emulator :) Sadly, the Original XBOX is proving to be the hardest to emulate & it is a shame because many of its games are still fun today :)
Well NGL if you wanna see real hardcore change you should test MoH Frontline, not the remaster tho, let alone the FPS change is worth it + you can make the textures crisp unlike the blurry original
It has but this is the Mac version & I'm not sure if the fixes applied to this or the Windows version :) This video was recorded on June 24th 2024 so I think I just missed the update that fixes the game a bit :)
Why would you use 50Hz PAL versions for comparisons? There's pretty much zero reason to play PAL versions these days unless it's a PAL region exclusive game. Not to mention, NTSC versions offer 480p much more often than their PAL conversions, and I'm not even talking about all the other downsides of many PAL games when they were badly optimized for 50Hz output. Fyi, with Free McBoot you can play any PS2 game on any console, irrespective of the console's region.
I'm from the UK & to ensure fairness in the test, it was only natural to use PAL games so people can see the differences :) Like you, when I use emulators I also use mostly NTSC-J or NTSC American games for the reasons you pointed out but PAL software is not to be ignored & again PAL gamers shouldn't be ignored :) Also not true, I have Free MCBoot and it does not make a console region free. I have a Japanese game I tried & it did not work on my PS2 using the software.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I didn't mean booting discs from other regions, although there is a method for that too.. look into MechaPwn (at your own risk). But with FreeMcBoot, or more specifically OPL (the actual game loader) you can essentially play any PS2 game ISO from either USB, network, or hard drive. I don't recommend the USB method though, it's too slow. I personally use an SSD in my PS2 and it plays pretty much any game from any region on my PAL PS2.
Ah I did have the PS2 MC2SIO memory card which allowed SD cards to go into the PS2's memory card slot & then I used OPL but, sadly the games I tried most did not work & now there's a newer version so, in the future I will attempt it again & fingers crossed it will be more successful :) If it works, I could look into playing NTSC based games on my PS2 legit and using those to show the true potential of certain games, especially when using the GS Mode Selector :)
Wouldn't say PS5 but I do understand where you are coming from :) Of course & even better, if you want to you can actually overclock although this was not used for this video :) Similar to how PPSSPP does the same with its games!
It kind of annoys me some of my must have games aren't running well on pcsx2 after my ps2 collection disappearing over the years, but hopefully in the few years or so they all get fixed its a tall ask being how many games there are.
Many games that never worked or were having issues now work properly so, it is only a matter of time before the emulator improves along with game compatibility :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial we can thank the devs that took over after Talreth's childish tantrum and not only removed the adware but keep improving It in the form of NetherSX2.
Nice man but your gran turismo 4 and valkyrie profile 2 are the european version in this version, if you use the 1080i in both version your video gonna be the maximun, too bad you use s-video cable, and only japanese version of valkyrie profile 2 have 1080i with the code after hold triangule and X.
Well I only own PAL games being from the UK & I did explain in the video that I'm aware of those games and even Tekken 5 supporting progressive scan on NTSC versions :) I used RGB SCART, not S-Video, I even showed the cable at the beginning of the video :)
Soul Caliber 3 deserved a PS3 and Xbox 360 native port. Namco really shouldn't have ported it to the PS2. Atleast an HD rereleased version with all the arcade exclusive software updates in a PS3 and 360 version.
Give me $300 - $400 and I would gladly upgrade xD Sadly, right now the investment, along with import charges (The device is a US product only, I'm from the UK) means I can't buy one at the moment :)
Apple isn't the problem, the Vulkan renderer I tried as well had the same issues as the Metal rendering :) I had many comments talking about some PCSX2 fixes but, this was recorded on June 24th 2024 so I think the fixes for some games were released after I finished editing the video :)
This is Mac version of the PCSX2 nightly build so maybe the Windows version is further ahead and remember, these videos always go out of date immediately since they are update frequently :)
Obviamente se tiene que ver mejor en emulador porque una PC es muy muy superior técnicamente a una PS2. más bien es una proesa técnica muchos juegos que corren en la consola a pesar que cuenta con una memoria ram de los 64mb
Well we've come a long way since the PS2 launched & these days upscaling and wanting to see old games in a new light is all the rage :) I still love the PS2 & I adore the games and graphics from those days :)
Ah, I have to see who this individual is but they seem like a good person! (Edit) I have now seen the creator & I used to watch this guy for many many years!
Sadly, the rumble is not a priority although I understand it makes some games more playable or interesting on real hardware so, fingers crossed that emulation will catch up on this :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial you can tell he’s a good hearted dude , some people are envious and do not give anybody a shout out and see it as a competition
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial a device intended for television studios has no comparison with how the image is seen on an LCD screen with an emulator ,no matter how many resolutions and filters it has, has nothing to do with a pvm , get yourself a good one, connect it via RGB, and see for yourself. get some sony with pixel perfect, and then come back and comment again
This is using the Mac version of PCSX2 so Metal rendering is what ARM Mac chips use to hardware accelerate graphics, basically a Mac's version of OpenGL or Vulkan for x86 based systems :)
Don't blame the emulator on your problems, 100% of the issues you are having are your settings and hardware. Laptop = Integrated Graphics = Crap. Integrated Graphics not only use a good chunk of your system memory, it has to access that memory to and from the graphics chips, so it's MUCH slower than a dedicated graphics card. If an emulator runs out of graphic memory, it doesn't usually crash, you just end up with missing or corrupt textures. You're also more likely to end up having programs using virtual memory (slow!) because of the shared memory. The first solution is to lower you output resolution and/or the backend renderer (OpenGL fixes almost every issue). Also try reducing the internal render resolution - you don't have infinite memory. Biggest tip - Don't EVER use a laptop to compare an emulator to real hardware or for anything except traveling. Are laptops convenient? Yes. They are also potatoes compared to a desktop computer.
Not sure where this came from as I never once blamed my equipment for the emulation issues I had & my laptop is more than powerful enough to run these games in 4K, my desktop is much slower than my MacBook :) There was no OpenGL renderer available being this is the Mac version of PCSX2 & I said in the video the issues can be fixed or changed to help with image quality and performance :) Also not everyone needs or wants a desktop so it is great to see this emulator is working well for the most part on lower end systems like the Steam Deck, laptops and computers with iGPU's :)
That's only true since a few years ago for the Pcsx2. Before the emulator was rebuilt with the help of Dolphin dev it was a glorified FFX player with compatibility for other games added as an afterthought.
I've been using emulation for 15 years & while I'm not the best with every little detail, I did say in the video I used the same settings to ensure fair testing & I did say during the video settings can be changed at any time if performance or graphics start glitching up :) The emulator versions can also change results in the future too & I know some games need software rendering or other enhancements to work correctly :) If you want to help me get better results for a future emulation video, please tell me but don't attack me :) This was made for fun and nothing more :)
The Duckstation team are coding beasts,they created the best PS1 emulator in a short amount of time compared to the ePSXe and blew that emulator out of the water. No wonder PCSX2 has advanced so rapidly in the last few years,the Duckstation team rock hard af.💪💪💪
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Ah yes,easily the best Gamecube emulator ever made. i have it too,just like Xemu...another emulator that has advanced to the point of becoming a must have for OG Xbox games.
Here's an updated look at PCSX2 emulation against real PS2 hardware! Being an EX episode, this is not in depth as normal but still should do the job!
(Edit: Many, many people are asking me about the background music starting from 01:22! The song is called Barham Battlefield and comes from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner!
Also beware of CZcams's Stable Volume feature, if the audio sounds odd please turn it off for the original sound mix as intended!)
I'm just happy that PCSX2 finally made it possible (almost) to run games in software mode in it's original form
It is so much better now and a good number of games run nicely using software mode :)
I prefer software mode to upscaling in most games. I don't like what upscaling does to to games and like things playing closer to the original format. However, 2D games look phenomenal in 4k.
@@matsunami I agree with you, when I use emulation I use software mode where possible :)
Just imagine how good they really get when a ps2 static recompiler becomes available
but in software mode always shows black screen to me
I recommend people run the nightly version of PCSX2 since it has a lot of game fixes and a self updater.
This was using the Nightly version of PCSX2 :)
Definitely but too much effort to use cheat engine on it or i'm too dumb. Seriously, no time to grind stuffs, just wanna experience the stories.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Oh I couldn't tell because this is the mac version. I game on the Windows one.
@@Preludedraw pnach cheats are super easy to use. I'm just like you, I hate the pointless grind some games had back in the day. I am actually replaying games from my childhood that I didn't have the patience for back then and finishing them now. So every once in a while if I can't defeat a boss regardless of how many times I try, I will just enable an infinite health cheat and then disable it right after the battle, I am just into the stories.
Ah both are similar now in how they work thankfully :)
Thank to mr sujano for pointing out to this awesome channel and thanks to you for making this awesome comparison...👍🏽
I appreciate this & thank you for the kind words :) Also thank you to Mr Sujano! I hope that I can continue on this path!
Good information. I don't use emulators often, but this is going to come in handy.
Makes some of these games look a generation ahead.
Information can only be good should you try to use it in the future :)
Hello from Mr. Sujano's channel
Hello, hello, hello, hello :D
I want to note, it may not have fixed it here but I wouldn't use the same settings for every game if you're having issues like in valkyrie. The PCSX2 wiki has a listing for each game generally that contains specific config requirements in case a game needs it. I think it'd be a better representation. Good video!
Oh I know, I even said in the video during the game that I believed the settings could be changed or even fixed if you take the time to look but I like to see how the same settings affect the games :)
Sadly I don't have time to show every setting combination possible so as I always say, try it yourself and see what works :)
i aways have artifacts and sound bugs in Vlkyrie :(
I remembered playing ff12 in pcsx2 32bit back then with many performance and graphical issues. Now, the latest version of the emulator was improved significantly and upscaling made the game looks amazing with stable fps/speed and no graphical bugs. It's amazing that Stenzek contributed and improved pcsx2 a lot in just couple of years.
Goes to show how much has changed with PS2 emulation :)
This makes me wonder even more on why big companies like Capcom doesn't want to release new games from classic franchises like Rival Schools with a PS2 4k graphics just like Tekken 4 and the Soul Caliburs displayed on this video...
Sadly, many reasons :0
Money, time, audience, etc...
Plus some companies just don't want our money I guess...
Found this channel from my recommendations, algorithm in full swing.
Hope you are enjoying the content :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial so far I do. Nicely edited. Might subscribe
Thank you, I try xD
Love these comparisons! Keep up the great work 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you for the kind words :)
Grant Turismo 4 is missing all the post processing effects like the depth of field effect. Also, didn´t Soul Calibur 3 support 480p? or it was removed from the PAL release?
Yes, I mentioned it was missing some effects during the replays (not sure if it was missing any in gameplay but I bet it was) & yes, Soulcalibur III did have 480p but only in NTSC releases :)
My PAL copy has only 50 or 60hz support, no 480p :)
Gran Turismo 4 is the same, no 480p or 1080i in the PAL version :o
Something people don't talk about often is that under software mode, duckstation, pcsx2 and ppsspp offer 99% compatibility with no issues these days and you can use a dualshock 3 for pressure sensitive controls. The RPCS3 equivalent of that would be "Strict Rendering Mode" but that emulator still in the ~69% compatibility. We're not far from being able to have a "fully backwards compatible PS3" inside our PCs.
Emulation has come along way & it is always incredible to see software leap forward every few months or so :)
The retro community doing what Sony & other big video game companies can't :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial They could but there would be no money in that and they are too busy shutting down emulators and rom websites.
We can't have nice things for long can we? Shame they won't offer good retro game services instead, that would be the easiest solution!
unfortunately even software render doesn't fix everything, for example the current PCSX2 nightly build has a visual issue in God of War 2 that makes the wind tunnels not render correctly in the Dark Rider sequence, during his second sequence there is a white wall covering the island of creation.
This is correct & that is why there's still work to be done on this emulator but, it is in a much, much better state than ever before :)
Didn't expect someone who also playing Cel Damage Overdrive. Good video!
It was a PAL exclusive for the PS2 and I was lucky to have mine from 2003! Still works 21 years later :)
Nightly version fixed a lot of Valkyrie Profile 2 graphic glitches including the red filter problem. Some depth of field problems still are present though...
This is the nightly build of PCSX2 :) It is the Mac version so, perhaps the Windows version is ahead or works differently :)
Which version of PCSX2 did you use for the Video? The Stable (1.6.x) builds or the nightly (1.7.x) builds?
This used the nightly build :) This is the Mac version :)
PCSX2 just pushed an update that fixed a lot of the bloom rendering in games like Valkyrie Profile 2 at higher resolutions
That might be for the Windows version, this was using the Mac nightly build :)
Had a few comments saying this now so maybe the Mac version will get the same fixes very soon :)
Good video, though I personally prefer playing most games on original PS2 hardware connected to a CRT TV via s-video/component video. PS2 era games were not designed for 4k resolution on a LCD/OLED display so they look pretty terrible IMO when texture and geometry flaws are so readily sharp and clear to see. CRT TVs do a great job hiding the shortcomings of those games, not to mention devs leveraged the fact that CRTs have a natural anti-aliasing effect. I recently emulated Resident Evil Code Veronica and Silent Hill 2 and they looked terrible at 4k on my OLED TV, though on my CRT running on native hardware, they still hold up, especially Silent Hill 2 with its more gritty artstyle, it still looks beautiful even today.
It's quite interesting because I actually do not mind seeing the image flaws using my OSSC on my 4K as I love the sharp look of RGB SCART, S-Video or Component video but, I understand the thoughts and as I tell everyone, we can all play as we wish thankfully :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I can understand that, some people really love having a sharp clean image. My only issue is that the artists and 3D modelers never intended for the game to be viewed at such high resolutions and purposefully designed the assets around the strengths and weaknesses of a CRT TV so it tends to break the visual makeup for me when viewed with modern displays and conventions. PS2 games for example look more visually and technically impressive when viewed on an era appropriate CRT TV vs upscaled to 4k on a modern TV.
Hmmmm I don't know xD
I agree they were made with CRT's in mind no doubt but most people say you must use composite video :)
Try a CRT with S-Video or even RGB and wow!
Also, I always ask, if they were made with composite in mind, why do the consoles support other cable types?
I feel RGB or S-Video was the intended look but composite was the most common and they had to keep this in mind at the time in my opinion but however you play or display retro games, as long as you have fun and enjoy what you see, it is a win win for everyone :)
@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Most people only had access to composite video so they simply didn't know better. S-video was superior due to better signal separation which made the image look its best within the confines of 480i resolution (which is the key here). Regardless if someone played with an RF connection, composite, or s-video the resolution was always 480i. Emulation, on the other hand takes the original source that was intended for 480i on a CRT and upscales it to resolutions never intended on displays that it was not designed for.
Of course if people are happy playing that way it's fine, everyone has their preferences, but to me the textures, models and the effects of PS2 games simply don't hold up when played that way. Maybe 2D sprite games fair better, or simplistic cel shaded 3D games don't look that bad, but most other games do IMO.
i personally dont worry about the intention of someone around 20 years ago in this media because art is subjective. i have a crt and ps2 with component out. i still run emulation for slower paced games like rpgs that dont need better latency or streaming since compatibility with my set up is more desirable.
I wish the devs include bump mapping/normal mapping shader in the future revisions. That'd be great and game changer.
Never say never and I hope this could be a reality in future updates :)
Wonderful video, emulation is such a blessing
Honestly, one of the best pieces of software ever made!
Great video! Are some of the missing effects from using the Metal API? Looks great to my eyes though!
I think it is a hardware rendering problem, same thing happens with OpenGL & Vulcan :)
Only software mode restores the effects :)
so u was using ps2 to scar cable or componets and then add mclassic? also if you only do a passthrough ossc will do noting to the game grapics
No :)
I was using an RGB SCART cable on my PS2 to my OSSC when then went to my capture card :)
The OSSC most of the time was in passthrough mode for interlaced content so I used my capture software OBS to deinterlace the image :)
In 480p progressive scan games my OSSC was at line 2x mode, doubling the output to 960p for sharper results :)
I do not own or use the Mclassic at all :)
I prefer passthrough with interlaced content because it looks better, makes it easier to capture a screen shot and the OSSC's bob deinterlacing technique isn't my favourite :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial ohh oks , "ossc + mclassic" or "kaiko ps1/ps2 x2 lines + mclassic" helps old consoles for bether image, not as good as emu but close to it
I'm not a fan of the Mclassic & I much prefer a sharp look to my games but, this is just my preference :)
emulation is getting better, i have the pcsx2 emulator on my steam deck and it looks awesome, but still have my ps2 plugged with component cables on my sony trinitron 27" and still looks fantastic.
There's a place for all methods regarding retro games & to see you using both an older method and a more updated one shows anyone can get into the hobby more :)
If you run the emulator at 640 × 480, you're upscaling it.
The internal resolution of the PS2 is 512 × 448i/224P, and if you select this resolution, the emulator will look 1:1 with the PS2 for a more authentic look.
It's true for many games but not all of them. Most common resolution modes are 512x448 and 640x448. The emulator has an option to play with underscan in integer resolution but you still need to pay attention to the resolution I think.
To me, I'm not too fussed with getting the exact look as I usually play with real PS2 hardware and I don't mind a slight upscale using emulation in software mode :)
But the choices are there to make the PS2 emulator as close or as far away from real hardware as possible :)
@@nikodem123asdf It only matters if you want to use emulation to replicate the PS2 experience as much as possible but for me, it is not a concern :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial
It actually helps for recording at native resolution since loads of games change their rendering resolution depending on whether it's cutscene, menu, battle system etc.
From there I can use integer upscaling to get very sharp image for upload.
I record longplays so these small details matter a lot for me. I have yet to use PCSX2 to record one but I have done some tinkering about.
I can understand & yes that is a good point as not all parts of games run in exactly the same resolution :)
For me, I never notice anything substantial from this as everything appears sharp to me using the settings I use but, I know for the best results, monitoring everything is key :)
What song you use on the background?
Check the pinned comment of this video if you want to see what song was used :)
Whats the music title starting with the gran turismo part called?
Check my pinned comment for the song in question as many people have asked me about it over and over :)
Recognised it instantly. It's from zone of the Ender's 2 in the bahram battleship level
Most people sadly never played the game, myself included until I got both games this year :)
Never had so many people ask me about a background song!
GT4 is literally an early PS3 game, they used the same accents in the Gran Turismo HD Concept
Amazing how well the game has stood up :)
What’s an accent
Think he meant textures :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I'm not referring to the textures, but rather the 3D models of the cars
Ah I see, defiantly agreed the cars themselves are still incredible looking in GT4 :)
PCSX2 is absolutely amazing. I currently have 68 games that look and run fantastically with this emulator. Some of the shooting games can be played with keyboard+mouse and higher frame rates like normal PC shooters. TimeSplitters, Darkwatch, Black, The Chikyuu Boueigun 2...
It has come a long way & to see people using it, enjoying it, trying to figure out what graphics work best & of course, ongoing support means this emulator will be the ultimate PS2 experience soon if not already :)
Can you link the PS2 cables used? I'd also like to record native hardware.
It was the Sony Official RGB SCART Cable but, a better cheaper alternative is to visit Retro Gaming Cables & find a SCART or Component cable there :)
Just type it into Google and it will pop right up :)
I don't do links due to spam issues but hope it helps!
8:11 that one feeling when you understand that, the icon (clock on top right) has a little arrow shoeing up or down. On ps2 because of resolution I never was able to puzzle it out.
I was using RGB SCART whereas maybe using Composite the icon was to fuzzy to see :)
It was a lot easier to see thanks to the resolution boost of PCSX2 when using upscaled resolutions :)
Which song did you used? I remember it from a game, but don’t remember which one!
Many, many people have asked me about the music in this video haha...
It is from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner & the song is called Barham Battleship :)
For pcsx2 I generally use progressive scan mode for the games that have it and no-interlace patch's for the rest. Gives you a much cleaner upscale less blurry.
If the games support it, defiantly use 480p :)
I don't mind the current upscale since I would use software rendering :)
Mr.Sujano send me here ...
Greetings and thank you for stopping over!
The issues in hardware mode for Valkyrie Profile were just fixed with two new upscaling hack settings. Align to Native HPO and Native Scaling. Download the latest development build and see for yourself.
I've had this comment quite a few times now but I believe this is related to the Windows version currently :)
This video used the Mac nightly build so not sure if that one got the treatment but, if not it should adapt the fixes soon!
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Mac version should be on the same build 1.7.5948
If it is then one day I'll make another video with the updates included with new games tested!
this makes me what to get a crt monitor to see how emulation at a higher res would look like
If you get a VGA one that would be absolutely incredible :)
What's the name of the background music ?
Which one? Timestamp please :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Starting from 1:21
That's a song from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runners :)
The song is called Bahram Battleship :)
I have a pnach code which fixes most if not all problems with Valkyrie profile 2
If so that would be a game changer :)
Honestly I'd prefer PS2 graphic on it's original form. Upscaling only made the graphics look "cheaper" in my opinion.
Unfortunately, I don't know what settings should I use in PCSX2 to preserve the original look.
Simply use the software rendering mode if you want a more accurate to PS2 look as possible :)
I use it more than the hardware rendering mode personally :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial thanks for the tip, I'll try it.
No problem, hope you enjoy!
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I've tried it and it works well, it looks good and doesn't have performance problem either.
Software mode improvement is very noticeable compared to 10 years ago.
I love software mode & it has indeed improved over time especially with the optimisations with recent PCSX2 builds :)
The PCSX2 or PS2 label should be MUCH BIGGER and more visible, not tiny font at very bottom of screen. You should have title card labels onscreen for each game.
Also you should emphasize and highlight what "special effects differences" you observed, instead of simply mentioning it and skipping past it. For example you should be comparing both Software mode in PCSX2 and advanced renderer modes, because that is where differences in effects become noticeable where they still exist.
It's not useful to show an upscaled version and say it looks better than original low res jaggies and blur.
The first point I agree with because there was a couple of times where it was hidden & it is tough to size it correctly in certain games :) I will certainly try something different in future videos :)
I didn't because I want viewers to see if they could spot the differences themselves, after all, not everyone will pick up on it & some may not care while others will :)
It is useful because I was testing hardware rendering & I wanted to show the most upscaled version to show viewers what PCSX2 can really do :)
Software mode is the most accurate to a real PS2 but no worries, I plan on making a video soon seeing how well the software renderer compares to real PS2 hardware to see how accurate it is :)
what's the name of the video music
I've had this question a lot but, it is from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runners & the song is called Barham Battleship :)
It'd be nice if you could add your testing of the games to the PCSX2 wiki.
It's not really my scene as I never get enough time to test the games extensively & by the time I do update anything, people are well aware of the issues and the emulators are updated every frequently now :)
I appreciate the idea though, never say never :)
Song name? Is it from Z.O.E.?
Yes! It's from Zone Of The Enders The 2nd Runner :)
Someone asked me the same question I think it is Barham Battleship :)
We still need a reliable one but for XBox 360
One day, one day xD
with PCSX2 (nightly build) im enjoying more PS2 games 👌👌
This was the Nightly build of PCSX2 :)
Something is really off with this emulator in terms of smoothness in motion. Animations of characters are not as smooth as they should.
I think the real PS2 looks better, especially in progressive scan mode.
It might be because these are the PAL versions of games (some were in 60hz or 480p progressive scan though), some games also had performance issues like Valkyrie Profile :)
Otherwise, both are worth a look and remember you can use software mode if you want more accurate results from the emulator :)
Insane how emulation is better than og hardware
In some ways yes but it is not perfect and some games still do not work properly but, it is getting better with each new update so PCSX2 is a great PS2 experience :)
I want this 4k graphics on Chinese portable consoles on ps2 with stable 60fps! 🎉
Maybe one day...
what would happen whit Ps2 2D Games like Castlevania ?
would it look better ?
It would just look a bit sharper as you saw with the Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix section :)
I was wondering why the PS2 seems to be so much harder to emulate than the PS1 or many other consoles.
The PS2 was very well known for being difficult to develop games for due to its architecture & as a result, emulating the Emotion Engine & the various components of the PS2 was not easy!
Thankfully, the emulation team behind Duckstation has contributed to the emulator & has made huge strides making this now a great emulator :)
Sadly, the Original XBOX is proving to be the hardest to emulate & it is a shame because many of its games are still fun today :)
Well NGL if you wanna see real hardcore change you should test MoH Frontline, not the remaster tho, let alone the FPS change is worth it + you can make the textures crisp unlike the blurry original
It shows how emulation can improve games over real hardware sometimes and this cannot be overlooked :)
I thought latest PCSX2 version had fixed most of the effects on Silmeria.
It has but this is the Mac version & I'm not sure if the fixes applied to this or the Windows version :)
This video was recorded on June 24th 2024 so I think I just missed the update that fixes the game a bit :)
Why would you use 50Hz PAL versions for comparisons? There's pretty much zero reason to play PAL versions these days unless it's a PAL region exclusive game. Not to mention, NTSC versions offer 480p much more often than their PAL conversions, and I'm not even talking about all the other downsides of many PAL games when they were badly optimized for 50Hz output. Fyi, with Free McBoot you can play any PS2 game on any console, irrespective of the console's region.
I'm from the UK & to ensure fairness in the test, it was only natural to use PAL games so people can see the differences :)
Like you, when I use emulators I also use mostly NTSC-J or NTSC American games for the reasons you pointed out but PAL software is not to be ignored & again PAL gamers shouldn't be ignored :)
Also not true, I have Free MCBoot and it does not make a console region free. I have a Japanese game I tried & it did not work on my PS2 using the software.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I didn't mean booting discs from other regions, although there is a method for that too.. look into MechaPwn (at your own risk). But with FreeMcBoot, or more specifically OPL (the actual game loader) you can essentially play any PS2 game ISO from either USB, network, or hard drive. I don't recommend the USB method though, it's too slow. I personally use an SSD in my PS2 and it plays pretty much any game from any region on my PAL PS2.
Ah I did have the PS2 MC2SIO memory card which allowed SD cards to go into the PS2's memory card slot & then I used OPL but, sadly the games I tried most did not work & now there's a newer version so, in the future I will attempt it again & fingers crossed it will be more successful :)
If it works, I could look into playing NTSC based games on my PS2 legit and using those to show the true potential of certain games, especially when using the GS Mode Selector :)
dude...
NFS:MW might as well be the PS5 version, it's that improved! Never expected a buttery-smooth framerate! XD
Wouldn't say PS5 but I do understand where you are coming from :)
Of course & even better, if you want to you can actually overclock although this was not used for this video :) Similar to how PPSSPP does the same with its games!
Were you using a Mac?
Yes :) I did say I was using a MacBook, the M1 Pro 16 to be precise :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial 4sho
确实清晰了很多，看着舒服多了。
Many people would share those thoughts & I know some people prefer the clearer look of the 4K upscaled graphics :)
It kind of annoys me some of my must have games aren't running well on pcsx2 after my ps2 collection disappearing over the years, but hopefully in the few years or so they all get fixed its a tall ask being how many games there are.
Many games that never worked or were having issues now work properly so, it is only a matter of time before the emulator improves along with game compatibility :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial very true
Keep checking for updates and one day, the games will work nicely! :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial 😁
basically turns ps2 games into ps3 titles with the upscaled resolution
That's one way of looking at it or it makes soft looking games sharp just as they should be :)
Valkyrie Profile 2, the only game I want to play on the PS2 that i cannot play on my old laptop.
It is a tougher game to run unfortunately, maybe one day it'll work better with newer builds of PCSX2 :)
Good that the team pushing higher accuracy for it
The good thing they did is gamedb
The games work better for it and to see PCSX2 work on modest hardware is the best part :)
duckstation:
turn ps1 games into dreamcast
rpcs2:
turn ps2 games into ps3 port
I think this is a fair way to look at most of the 3D games :)
We can't blame aether
We can only support the team with videos of emulations
Spread words of emulation love
I know but I had to mention it as the team has not brought it back and we need to be thankful PCSX2 is still going strong :)
Actually, we can. The programmer started getting rude, alienated even their fans and left a last version riddled with adware without telling anyone.
This is why we have to support teams who are great to the community & are working on fixing or improving emulators that we use!
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial we can thank the devs that took over after Talreth's childish tantrum and not only removed the adware but keep improving It in the form of NetherSX2.
Nice man but your gran turismo 4 and valkyrie profile 2 are the european version in this version, if you use the 1080i in both version your video gonna be the maximun, too bad you use s-video cable, and only japanese version of valkyrie profile 2 have 1080i with the code after hold triangule and X.
Well I only own PAL games being from the UK & I did explain in the video that I'm aware of those games and even Tekken 5 supporting progressive scan on NTSC versions :)
I used RGB SCART, not S-Video, I even showed the cable at the beginning of the video :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial i thought it was s-video cuz is gray color so i think was a ps1 version of the cable.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial if have the chance try use valkyrie profile 2 japanese version.
This was a PS1 RGB SCART cable, might explain the confusion although the OSSC only accepts RGB SCART, Component & VGA :)
In a future video I might, although the lack of an English patch for it makes it hard to justify :)
Soul Caliber 3 deserved a PS3 and Xbox 360 native port. Namco really shouldn't have ported it to the PS2. Atleast an HD rereleased version with all the arcade exclusive software updates in a PS3 and 360 version.
It would have been interesting, after all Soulcalibur II did receive a HD port on the PS3!
Yo, how were you playing Tekken 3 Arcade!? 👀
It was included on Tekken 5 in the arcade history section which has Tekken 1, Tekken 2 & Tekken 3, all arcade versions :)
You gotta try a retrotink 5x or 4k
Give me $300 - $400 and I would gladly upgrade xD Sadly, right now the investment, along with import charges (The device is a US product only, I'm from the UK) means I can't buy one at the moment :)
thanks
Hope you enjoyed!
Graphical issues could very well be due to your APPLE and/or build.
Apple isn't the problem, the Vulkan renderer I tried as well had the same issues as the Metal rendering :)
I had many comments talking about some PCSX2 fixes but, this was recorded on June 24th 2024 so I think the fixes for some games were released after I finished editing the video :)
Still need work but i see the improvements through the years. Many games also need blending accuracy set to high and they can drop frames
It will never be perfect but to be at this stage is incredible :)
Indeed however, more games are playable, especially on lower end hardware :)
VP2 and ZOE mentioned = based
I'm pretty sure VP2 recently got fixed a bit.
This is Mac version of the PCSX2 nightly build so maybe the Windows version is further ahead and remember, these videos always go out of date immediately since they are update frequently :)
no shimmering, alaising is the best thing in pcsx2 high res. ps2 was natorious with this.
I love the look of original PS2 graphics but I also understand this angle and this is why emulation is a good choice in this day and age :)
PS2 at native resolution is underrated imo.
Oh it sure is & I love the original PS2 graphics :)
Bro is airing out all the PAL region's L's in this one. Lol
I'm from the UK, all my games are PAL versions and it is only fair to make it consistent for both platforms :)
Obviamente se tiene que ver mejor en emulador porque una PC es muy muy superior técnicamente a una PS2. más bien es una proesa técnica muchos juegos que corren en la consola a pesar que cuenta con una memoria ram de los 64mb
Well we've come a long way since the PS2 launched & these days upscaling and wanting to see old games in a new light is all the rage :)
I still love the PS2 & I adore the games and graphics from those days :)
soul calibur... NICE
I love the series & try to feature the 3rd or second entries where possible :)
Sujano gang😅
Ah, I have to see who this individual is but they seem like a good person!
(Edit) I have now seen the creator & I used to watch this guy for many many years!
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial he host an emulation news channel, and recommanded on your video.
Oh I know the gentlemen, I used to watch him daily for a long time :) I'm happy he recommended my video & I'm glad people are enjoying it :)
Legaia dual saga plz
I'll see what I can do in the future :)
The rumble, im playing ps2 now because the rumble emulation is not good same as duckstation, it Just not hits how it should be
Sadly, the rumble is not a priority although I understand it makes some games more playable or interesting on real hardware so, fingers crossed that emulation will catch up on this :)
MrSujano is your daddy bro.
I wish xD I'm from the UK but I appreciate his shout out for this video & it is nice to see so many people enjoy it :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial yes. And i like your channel. Won't ever find it if it wasn't because of his shout out.
I appreciate the kind words & hopefully more good videos are on the horizon!
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial you can tell he’s a good hearted dude , some people are envious and do not give anybody a shout out and see it as a competition
There's a lot of people out there who do not want to help or make drama out of nothing, sad state of the world right now!
use a pvm via rgb to the ps2
I don't have one sadly :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial a device intended for television studios has no comparison with how the image is seen on an LCD screen with an emulator ,no matter how many resolutions and filters it has, has nothing to do with a pvm , get yourself a good one, connect it via RGB, and see for yourself. get some sony with pixel perfect, and then come back and comment again
Sadly, I would rather use the money to get a Retrotink 4K or 5x as that is more important to me & I wouldn't the PVM, just not for me :)
lol wtf is metal rendering
This is using the Mac version of PCSX2 so Metal rendering is what ARM Mac chips use to hardware accelerate graphics, basically a Mac's version of OpenGL or Vulkan for x86 based systems :)
Don't blame the emulator on your problems, 100% of the issues you are having are your settings and hardware. Laptop = Integrated Graphics = Crap. Integrated Graphics not only use a good chunk of your system memory, it has to access that memory to and from the graphics chips, so it's MUCH slower than a dedicated graphics card. If an emulator runs out of graphic memory, it doesn't usually crash, you just end up with missing or corrupt textures. You're also more likely to end up having programs using virtual memory (slow!) because of the shared memory.
The first solution is to lower you output resolution and/or the backend renderer (OpenGL fixes almost every issue).
Also try reducing the internal render resolution - you don't have infinite memory.
Biggest tip - Don't EVER use a laptop to compare an emulator to real hardware or for anything except traveling. Are laptops convenient? Yes. They are also potatoes compared to a desktop computer.
Not sure where this came from as I never once blamed my equipment for the emulation issues I had & my laptop is more than powerful enough to run these games in 4K, my desktop is much slower than my MacBook :)
There was no OpenGL renderer available being this is the Mac version of PCSX2 & I said in the video the issues can be fixed or changed to help with image quality and performance :)
Also not everyone needs or wants a desktop so it is great to see this emulator is working well for the most part on lower end systems like the Steam Deck, laptops and computers with iGPU's :)
Emulators will always be better than original hardware
Play Xenoblade Chronicles 2 at even half the Switch's frame rate on hardware thrice as strong, you can't.
It's not always better.
My 5950X struggles with this too, I can attest to it.
@@BlueEyedVibeChecker I don't need to play shitty games
@@BlueEyedVibeChecker you should've bought 5800 X3D, much better for gaming
That's only true since a few years ago for the Pcsx2. Before the emulator was rebuilt with the help of Dolphin dev it was a glorified FFX player with compatibility for other games added as an afterthought.
lmao this guy know nothing about emulation...
I've been using emulation for 15 years & while I'm not the best with every little detail, I did say in the video I used the same settings to ensure fair testing & I did say during the video settings can be changed at any time if performance or graphics start glitching up :)
The emulator versions can also change results in the future too & I know some games need software rendering or other enhancements to work correctly :)
If you want to help me get better results for a future emulation video, please tell me but don't attack me :) This was made for fun and nothing more :)
What's music on video?
It is in the pinned comment of this video if you want to know the song :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Thanks)
No problem :)
The Duckstation team are coding beasts,they created the best PS1 emulator in a short amount of time compared to the ePSXe and blew that emulator out of the water.
No wonder PCSX2 has advanced so rapidly in the last few years,the Duckstation team rock hard af.💪💪💪
This is why I'm thankful they helped out & made PCSX2 one of the best emulators right now :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Yep,i have Duckstation and PCSX2 installed...best emulators of both consoles out there.
Dolphin is up there too but yes, those two emulators are my favourite :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Ah yes,easily the best Gamecube emulator ever made.
i have it too,just like Xemu...another emulator that has advanced to the point of becoming a must have for OG Xbox games.
Fluff approved. 🐈🫡
This makes me happy :D