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! Also check out PCSX2 on Steam Deck - th-cam.com/video/CPI6Ca41ONQ/w-d-xo.html PCSX2 Software Rendering Vs Real PS2 Hardware -th-cam.com/video/lHEVDygC2eg/w-d-xo.html (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 TH-cam's Stable Volume feature, if the audio sounds odd please turn it off for the original sound mix as intended!) Also this video used PCSX2 V1.7.5928 nightly for Mac!
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.
You remember the game being played on crt tv sceen. This comparison wont do the justice for that. I remember when flat sceen TVs appeared back then and i hated them because of how each pixel border popped on them.
@@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 remembered playing ff12 in pcsx2 32bit back then with many performance and graphical issues. Now, the latest version of the emulator has 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.
Man, I've been using PCSX2, since around 2006. The improvements in only the last 4/5 years are insane and much better than anything done post 2011 or so. It has finally become the Dolphin of PS2 emulation.
I've dabbled with PCSX2 since 2016 & the improvements have definitely accelerated since 2021 😊 It is easy to recommend although still not perfect :) It's actually worth trying out now for a lot of people :)
@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I've been using it as a PS2 replacement now since around 2010 when I sold my last PS2, kept the games and backed them up back when I still had a dvd drive on my PC. Was able to finish all the games I had, though I had some of the most popular games so most of them were fully playable with minimal errors.
I use it mostly on Steam Deck now & most games work with little issue although some games do not or need a bit more work to run properly :) Still, PCSX2 is good enough to be a PS2 replacement 😊
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.
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 :)
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...
Thank you for showing Valkyrie Profile 2. It's one of the game and series that's in my heart forever. For VP2 PCSX2 there are some cheats you can enable to fix the beginning zone issues and some other as well.
I found THE GAME for testing PCSX2, and that is the game called Frequency. Its a time sensitive musical game. If the settings between graphics and sound aren't correct, you will have a bad time. From stutters, to missing notes even though you pressed at the right time. It took me forever to figure out the best settings for my system. But once I did, every other game played literally flawlessly. its the gold standard for setting up the emulator in my opinion. because all games play perfectly after settings it to play frequency.... on that note, the biggest hurdle is audio settings. timestretch is fine, but you have to reduce the settings. with x-audio2, reduce latency without touching the advanced settings as low as possible before the sound starts sounding like shit. then back up a notch to make it clear again. after that, go into the advanced settings for timestretch and reduce settings to their lowest (sequence 20, seekwindow 10, overlap 5). this will make frequency run PERFECTLY. and thus every other game follows. and yes, audio issues can cause games to lag/stutter when in reality they shouldn't.... for games with tileset issues, there was a fix build into pcsx2.... i remember where they are in the original verison (v1.6) but don't know where the settings are in the new v2.x editions.
Can I mention two points - First, I defiantly will find this game, try it for myself & then see how the rest of my games play going forward :) Second, I wish more people would comment in this manner when suggesting ways to improve our emulation experience, not people saying x system is terrible or that I the creator is dumb lol xD Thank you for pointing all this out & people need to remember I'm still learning about the ins and outs of this great piece of software!
The history of the PS2 is a bit complicated because when it hit the market, the graphics looked great on old tube TVs. However, it was also the transition period to widescreen LCD TVs at 720p, and the resolution didn't feel as impressive. Developers had to navigate these obstacles. I believe that with emulators, we finally have a version of how PS2 games would look in optimal conditions on our screens.
While I feel this explanation does make sense since many companies wanted to move away from low resolution screens at that time, I still enjoy the look of real PS2 hardware despite everything:)
Ah I've been using the software since 2016 & being able to experience Need For Speed: Most Wanted at full speed on Steam Deck has been a dream come true :)
That's pretty nice for the PC users although I'm happy playing it via emulation using PCSX2 or my real PS2 :) It can be brought on the PS4 or PS5 I believe as well :)
It's quite impressive how well these 6th gen games hold up when upscale, in wide screen and improved performance, they look fantastic. Let's also consider that even 5th gen or other 6th gen 2D sprite based games look better on emulation as well, since the PS2 is notorious for having weird video output, specially compared to the Dreamcast, Game Cube and Xbox, which are much sharper in comparison.
Upscaling can defiantly look good and benefit some games, PS2 to my eyes benefits more than most! Ah I've done extensive work on the video outputs on the 6th generation consoles and here's what I found - PS2 - All regions have 480p support although PAL games had less of them but, overall video output is sharp unless a game had a flicker filter toggle which in all cases can be turned off :) XBOX Original - Sadly, this one is notorious! PAL systems had no 480p, 720p or 1080i options unlike NTSC counterparts unless modded & using standard resolution (480i, 576i) looks terrible especially because all XBOX games have a flicker filter which cannot be disabled outside a few games! Even then, the quality is still not up to par! Gamecube - Same as PS2, only all PAL systems and games did not support 480p without modding & component cables or a HDMI solution is required for 480p unlike PS2 which can use RGB SCART via RGsB or Component for 480p :) Dreamcast - Same as PS2, very sharp when using VGA for its 480p output (or an RGB SCART switcher which has standard output & 480p VGA mode on the same cable) some games do not support VGA mode so RGB is the next best cable :) All this I found using the systems for about a year or more each & I have videos on all of them here on the channel or even on my main channel (theaffroshow) Hope all this explains a few things!
Interesting, but honestly, PAL was never suited to video games, aside from very rare occasions, so, when we talk about video outputs, we are considering the NTSC standards. In that regard, the PS2 is the worst of the 6th gen, heck, even the Dreamcast features VGA output and will look sharp enough, while hooking a PS2 to a modern TV shows how bad it actually is. This is why my comment above applauds how well these games end up looking using emulation, beating the original hardware not only in video output, but performance and enhancements.
I mean it is interesting because it depends :) As explained before, here in the PAL countries the PS2 & Dreamcast were the best whereas in the NTSC regions, the others beat the PS2 in video output but, the big selling point of the PS2 was the games & plenty of them still looked incredible in my opinion despite the others :) I know emulation can defiantly help now & there's other interesting hacks using emulation that can also make certain games more playable now thanks to CPU overclocking :)
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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 :)
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...
I love how both Duckstation and PCSX2 share similar UI/UX elements now. And it makes me wish other emulators like xemu or Project64 took notes. Heck I think a games library with covers/tiles is a must, it's almost unthinkable.
@DaXzOr I hope someday the XBOX original emulation scene improves dramatically & if it does I feel many people will play it's versions of games :) Yes, the UI I hope would be like what we currently have with PCSX2 & Duckstation:)
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 :)
It’s amazing how well the artwork of most of the games shown still holds up. With higher resolution and better texture filtering you could sell most as a remaster. It’s just some UI textures that could use a higher resolution and you‘re golden.
Wow NFS MW upscaled looks precisely like the one I played on PC. What an achievement by the team! Also, little I knew there is apparently a PS2 game about Firefly's early days on Glamoth :D
It does look good & certainly closer, but it is missing effects & some of the extra foliage of the PC version :) Still a great game mind! Ah the more you learn :)
I used to love emulation but as I've grown up I've realised more and more how much of a compromise it is. Yes, it is very close, but the amount of games that have slowdown or missing effects is rather annoying, and upscaling games comes with a host of issues like incongruent textures and HUDs. I'll always love emulation for preservation, especially of obscure systems, but real hardware on a CRT is the way to go for me. Unless it's a handheld, in which case I can overlook these issues.
I love real hardware although I've switched to upscalers because of HDMI, no matter how you play, CRT or otherwise, there's a place for all hardware & best part is you can softmod the PS2 for cheap :) I will soon invest in a Memory card SD adapter so I can download Roms onto the PS2 & play them that way on the actual hardware :) I agree with your assessment of PS2 emulation but it really has come along way & many games fuctiom well & if you want more accurate PS2 graphics, simply use software rendering :)
I'd have to look into it in the future, but from my own testing, I've found OpenGL to be more reliable in terms of game speed :) It is yet another aspect I need to test again since updates could change this :)
I still have a SD CRT and real PS2 hardware for sentimental reasons, but these old PS2 games run and look better on the emulator and modern display. I played "black" at 60fps on the PCSX2 emulator and it was a much better experience (aiming at 30fps on the real PS2 feels laggy). Also, the CRT phosphor mask (I recommend guestHD CRT mask) allows me to get way more detailed and sharper image compared to SD CRT (PVM-like picture quality). For example, on my SD CRT I can barely read anything on the GTA SA map, however on my LCD monitor everything is perfectly readable despite the same 480i resolution. I always thought PS2 games looked best on my SD CRT, but I just wasnt aware of how much detail I was missing because of that extreme CRT blur.
I know I responded to this on my main channel but, it shows there's a lot of choices on how you can tailor your PS2 experience now thanks to both knowledge & the technology we have today :)
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
The answer to which one is better depends on what game the player is going to play. First, PCSX2 has made significant progress, but there are still unresolved issues, one of which is that the input timing is more than one frame slower than the actual PS2. This issue makes PCSX2 a better choice than the actual PS2 for RPG (games that do not require fast input speed), but for shooting games, fighting games, and rhythm games, it falls outside the acceptable range for input frames. This is why many gamers still prefer to play on the actual PS2.
It's very interesting because I do indeed play Racing games, fighting games & I find both to be largely the same, I've never had a worse experience on PCSX2 so, I feel the setup or displays used makes a huge difference :) Always check the settings for frame pacing & the like, if they are set correctly, the lag issues can be improved significantly :) Not saying this will be the case for everyone but it has helped me for the last few years :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Yes, that's right. Each player has different standards for satisfaction, so if they determine that there is no problem, then that is their answer. However, what is concerning is when even developers consider this aspect to be without issues. In reality, the complaints regarding the input response speed of PCSX2 are much more prevalent among those who experience issues than among those who do not.
I hope for those who experience issues, a simple fix in the menu should do the trick but, I do agree the developers should look into the software & improve it on their end too to help reduce potential issues with lag :)
what is impressive, is that if you take some of the rally game and upscale it to maximum, it runs well and look the same as modern equivalent like dirt or wrc while being emulated. It show the difference of optimisation between the two platforms.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial true I forgot to mention their incredible work. It's almost surreal! what a joy to play those game with such quality and ease! It's even better than having a console because many features improves the experience!
While I do agree with you on the emulator's features improving the gameplay or graphics, I still love the look of actual PS2 graphics so, I stick with Software Rendering while enabling EE Cycle Rate to remove any frame rate drops in games which used to stutter :) However, it is amazing we can now choose how to play PS2 games and you don't need a supercomputer to run the software!
as a huge fan of Zone of the Enders, it's nice that PCSX2 can emulate the second game just fine, but I highly, HIGHLY recommend the MARS remaster - it's practically flawless and only adds to the game
@TheExFatal I definitely want the remastered version someday but, I love the PS2 original & to have it on PCSX2 on my Steam Deck makes it a great way to play on the go :)
@@ForzaHorizon3-ln5vu In that case, real hardware or software mode on emulation is the answer :) I love how PS2 games look & I almost always use software mode personally :)
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 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 :)
In my PC, Valkirye Profile 2 runs perfect and there is no more that red glitch with last version before version 2.0. I put a texture pack and it looks clean and sharp now.
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.
Im sorry for not watching the whole thing rn. I just wanted to point something out that for the time the resolution of the PS2 didn't matter it wasn't really considered as the avg.CRT didn't really hold anything up to the 4k standards we see so common today. The coolest part was that it had the geometry, sound, looks, and feeling that made it better then the PS1 (sometimes) Im not saying that you should redo the whole vid with CRT but if you can try it your self. Its an added level also that most sets where 3x4. Wide screen was only a thing in the Movie Theater. Thanks for the vid have a great one.
Unfortunately I do not own a CRT although I'm old enough to remember playing on them back in the late 90s until 2012 :) While I understand why people love them & what they do, I'm firmly in HDMI & now I'm happy with how the games look using modern (Good) upscalers on modern displays :) It helps I have RGB SCART & Component rather than Composite although Composite still looks decent on CRT :) Ultimately this channel will cover the modern side of retro gaming but if you still love the CRT for your retro needs, keep using it :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial No yeah I now get the reason for the vid. DUH (on my part) Im glad to that you where able to play some on the CRTs and Im also glad they are some what a thing of the past. PCSX2 overall has dome a long way in emulation. Although I think there is something to be said about the multiple steps in turning on a PS2 game. Flicking on the PSU, pushing the power button, etc. All the tactile steps and owning each part, no internet updates needed. Compared to most games now a days. Cheers
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!
Awesome video, personally I've been using framemeister to make ps2 into 480p then going through mclassic up to 1080p and it has been working superb, it does clean a lot of the jaggies but it isn't perfect.
Ah no solution will ever be perfect but if it gets into a look you enjoy & can tolerate, this the most important aspect of trying to get these kinds of graphics looking good :)
@@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.
I don't mind them, never have done but if you want to minimise them, just upscale the graphics and maybe add a bilinear filter to help soften the graphics :)
i try my best to just play on actualy hardware, but its great for the certain games that are outside your region :). i do love the fact we can play these games in the highest resolutiion possible, like it would have looked as they were developing them. sadly a bunch of games run into graphical issues. ghosting etc.
@@afr_gem I feel the emulator has become so good that soon it will become the default way of trying or playing PlayStation 2 games:) They are getting less & less & software mode can be used instead if you do run into problems:) I also still love using real hardware where possible, I've always enjoyed the PS2 :)
Not everyone will & while yes I'm sure it looks fantastic, me personally I enjoy my setup & emulation is a nice way to experience PS2 games :) However, if you love the CRT experience, keep using it :)
I never knew this was a thing & although my Macbook indeed has a 120hz screen, I'd rather play at the native hz of the game, but it sounds interesting :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial If there was an similar app on Mac I think you would prefer to run them interpolated to 120hz, it is surprisingly seamless. With only a tiny bit of extra latency and some extra artifacts showing. But the extra motion resolution is absolutely worth it in most cases. Check out some videos on it Digital Foundry have one for example.
I'll certainly look into it & if it does indeed work on Mac, I might showcase it if I feel it warrants a look :) But I will say, even if I do like it, more likely than not I'll just play the games natively, that's just me xD
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Just to be clear. As far as I know this is not available on Mac yet. But the same shaders could run on Mac hardware without any problem if someone makes them available. As far as I know it seem to be based on AMD's FSR3 and that code I think is open source. So it is possible someone port a similar solution.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial By the way, how strange my previous answer was hidden in the thread but you got it anyway. TH-cam's censor is wild these days.
I'm still partial to a real ps2 on a good crt. Though I must admit the added clarity really modernizes some of these games. Not in every case, however, I think less can be more.
I personally prefer software rendering on emulation to keep it looking like a real PS2 as much as possible:) But you can always change the settings to make it more to your taste & even add filters if you'd like :)
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 :)
For some reason, when fixing PS2 things like low resolution and anti-alisiang, it's ofcourse look better, but you know, it kinda loses it's atmosphere and nostalgia. Like there actually some vibes in some olds games, when they rendered as they were back in game.
For me personally, I would either use real hardware or emulation using software rendering as I love the look of PS2 games as they are:) There's choices here, so don't feel you have to upscale the graphics if you wish not to :)
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.
I wouldn't say unfixed, clearly a lot of attention has been paid to the emulator & I can confirm this game is running so much better now :) Also, was updated, if you see my PCSX2 video on the Steam Deck, although still not perfect, the game has seen great improvements :)
I use the OSSC and the Elgato HD60s Plus capture card connected to the computer via OBS :) I disabled link posting but a quick Google search will find these items :)
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 :)
I've been 100% emulation for 13+ years now with every console I own (and uh.. don't own *cough*). The quality, and quality of life, improvements emulators provide just makes playing on original hardware a worse experience in every regard. Sure there might be some visual oddities here and there, but for the most part it's just a far superior experience. Plus we don't have to degrade our hardware even further, or try and lug out a working CRT. When you have emulators like Cemu effectively converting Breath of the Wild to a native PC game (uncapped fps, ultrawide, increased graphics options).. well, there really is no reason to ever use a console again. For novelty purposes though? Nothing will ever replace actually playing on old machines. Can reactivate memories you forgot existed. And heck, might even come to prefer some games that old looking way.
I feel your comment sums up perfectly what I & most people feel regarding emulation :) I will say I love still playing real hardware, albeit on a HDMI display with a good upscaler, still looks nice in my opinion 😁
Never noticed it because I no longer have original hardware, but it sounds like the emulator boosts the mids while losing a lot of the low end of the original's outputs
The one thing emulators still haven't gotten right is CRT post-filtering. Pretty much every single ps2 game was designed to run on a crt television and looks horrible when displayed on modern lcd screens
Personally I disagree, PS2 games look great on modern screens albeit yes, it can look a bit pixilated with modern upscalers when using RGB SCART or Component cables:) I understand the appeal of the CRT look but hopefully, emulators will continue to improve CRT shaders :)
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 :)
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.
@TOCS94 I'm not a fan of trilinear filter & I only use anisotropic when playing games that have a visible seam as you play (Gran Turismo 4 is one example) :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Yup, i use the nightly pcsx2 so the updates came early, i also use the vp2 4k remaster v2 texture pack that makes it even better
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!
Also check out PCSX2 on Steam Deck - th-cam.com/video/CPI6Ca41ONQ/w-d-xo.html
PCSX2 Software Rendering Vs Real PS2 Hardware -th-cam.com/video/lHEVDygC2eg/w-d-xo.html
(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 TH-cam's Stable Volume feature, if the audio sounds odd please turn it off for the original sound mix as intended!)
Also this video used PCSX2 V1.7.5928 nightly for Mac!
Now they lauched the version 2.0 :)
Would be good see the upgrade!
I still have my monster hunter 1, freedom, freedom 2, freedom 2 unite for ps2 save files for ps2 hahaha! Might visit old monster hunter worlds again.
The upgrade has been shown on my PCSX2 on Steam Deck video & the newest PCSX2 Software Rendering Vs Real PS2 Hardware at V2.1.163!
Do it, I hear the games are still fun to play!
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
This is "how I remember the game" vs "how it actually looks"
@leeshenshun I still enjoy real hardware graphics despite their age but at least there is a solution:)
Tbh if you had a CRT it looked like the emulator, the pixelation is a consequence of modern higher resolution TVs
I still enjoy my OSSC setup all the same, I don't mind the look at all :)
@@detdeet CRT was the goat of videogames, and i still think it is, it had the lowest Input ms for a very long time.
You remember the game being played on crt tv sceen. This comparison wont do the justice for that. I remember when flat sceen TVs appeared back then and i hated them because of how each pixel border popped on them.
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 :)
I remembered playing ff12 in pcsx2 32bit back then with many performance and graphical issues. Now, the latest version of the emulator has 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 :)
It's probably better to play the Zodiac age on PC though. It's actually the best version, not just of FFXII but of the Zodiac age particularly.
Man, I've been using PCSX2, since around 2006. The improvements in only the last 4/5 years are insane and much better than anything done post 2011 or so. It has finally become the Dolphin of PS2 emulation.
I've dabbled with PCSX2 since 2016 & the improvements have definitely accelerated since 2021 😊
It is easy to recommend although still not perfect :) It's actually worth trying out now for a lot of people :)
@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial I've been using it as a PS2 replacement now since around 2010 when I sold my last PS2, kept the games and backed them up back when I still had a dvd drive on my PC. Was able to finish all the games I had, though I had some of the most popular games so most of them were fully playable with minimal errors.
I use it mostly on Steam Deck now & most games work with little issue although some games do not or need a bit more work to run properly :)
Still, PCSX2 is good enough to be a PS2 replacement 😊
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!
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 :)
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 :(
It's still not perfect unfortunately but it will get better as updates continue to roll out :)
Hello from Mr. Sujano's channel
Hello, hello, hello, hello :D
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...
Closest you'll get to ps2 graphics of Rival Schools is Project Justice ( sequel to rival schools) for the Dreamcast. Which Flycast runs well.
I have that on real hardware, very good & looks nice with VGA!
Thank you for showing Valkyrie Profile 2. It's one of the game and series that's in my heart forever.
For VP2 PCSX2 there are some cheats you can enable to fix the beginning zone issues and some other as well.
PCSX2 also got updated since this video & VP2 has been improved visually:)
Hope the other settings & hacks improve preformce further :)
& anytime!
I found THE GAME for testing PCSX2, and that is the game called Frequency. Its a time sensitive musical game. If the settings between graphics and sound aren't correct, you will have a bad time. From stutters, to missing notes even though you pressed at the right time. It took me forever to figure out the best settings for my system. But once I did, every other game played literally flawlessly. its the gold standard for setting up the emulator in my opinion. because all games play perfectly after settings it to play frequency.... on that note, the biggest hurdle is audio settings. timestretch is fine, but you have to reduce the settings. with x-audio2, reduce latency without touching the advanced settings as low as possible before the sound starts sounding like shit. then back up a notch to make it clear again. after that, go into the advanced settings for timestretch and reduce settings to their lowest (sequence 20, seekwindow 10, overlap 5). this will make frequency run PERFECTLY. and thus every other game follows. and yes, audio issues can cause games to lag/stutter when in reality they shouldn't....
for games with tileset issues, there was a fix build into pcsx2.... i remember where they are in the original verison (v1.6) but don't know where the settings are in the new v2.x editions.
Can I mention two points -
First, I defiantly will find this game, try it for myself & then see how the rest of my games play going forward :)
Second, I wish more people would comment in this manner when suggesting ways to improve our emulation experience, not people saying x system is terrible or that I the creator is dumb lol xD
Thank you for pointing all this out & people need to remember I'm still learning about the ins and outs of this great piece of software!
Amplitude is better
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 :)
The history of the PS2 is a bit complicated because when it hit the market, the graphics looked great on old tube TVs. However, it was also the transition period to widescreen LCD TVs at 720p, and the resolution didn't feel as impressive. Developers had to navigate these obstacles. I believe that with emulators, we finally have a version of how PS2 games would look in optimal conditions on our screens.
While I feel this explanation does make sense since many companies wanted to move away from low resolution screens at that time, I still enjoy the look of real PS2 hardware despite everything:)
nope, the transition would be about 5-6 years later
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 :)
Love these comparisons! Keep up the great work 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you for the kind words :)
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
ive been using PCSX2 for a week now, need for speed underground has been a nostalgic experience.
Ah I've been using the software since 2016 & being able to experience Need For Speed: Most Wanted at full speed on Steam Deck has been a dream come true :)
Zone of the Enders 2 is available on PC via Steam directly along with a Japanese dub mod :)
That's pretty nice for the PC users although I'm happy playing it via emulation using PCSX2 or my real PS2 :)
It can be brought on the PS4 or PS5 I believe as well :)
It's quite impressive how well these 6th gen games hold up when upscale, in wide screen and improved performance, they look fantastic. Let's also consider that even 5th gen or other 6th gen 2D sprite based games look better on emulation as well, since the PS2 is notorious for having weird video output, specially compared to the Dreamcast, Game Cube and Xbox, which are much sharper in comparison.
Upscaling can defiantly look good and benefit some games, PS2 to my eyes benefits more than most!
Ah I've done extensive work on the video outputs on the 6th generation consoles and here's what I found -
PS2 - All regions have 480p support although PAL games had less of them but, overall video output is sharp unless a game had a flicker filter toggle which in all cases can be turned off :)
XBOX Original - Sadly, this one is notorious! PAL systems had no 480p, 720p or 1080i options unlike NTSC counterparts unless modded & using standard resolution (480i, 576i) looks terrible especially because all XBOX games have a flicker filter which cannot be disabled outside a few games! Even then, the quality is still not up to par!
Gamecube - Same as PS2, only all PAL systems and games did not support 480p without modding & component cables or a HDMI solution is required for 480p unlike PS2 which can use RGB SCART via RGsB or Component for 480p :)
Dreamcast - Same as PS2, very sharp when using VGA for its 480p output (or an RGB SCART switcher which has standard output & 480p VGA mode on the same cable) some games do not support VGA mode so RGB is the next best cable :)
All this I found using the systems for about a year or more each & I have videos on all of them here on the channel or even on my main channel (theaffroshow)
Hope all this explains a few things!
Interesting, but honestly, PAL was never suited to video games, aside from very rare occasions, so, when we talk about video outputs, we are considering the NTSC standards. In that regard, the PS2 is the worst of the 6th gen, heck, even the Dreamcast features VGA output and will look sharp enough, while hooking a PS2 to a modern TV shows how bad it actually is. This is why my comment above applauds how well these games end up looking using emulation, beating the original hardware not only in video output, but performance and enhancements.
I mean it is interesting because it depends :)
As explained before, here in the PAL countries the PS2 & Dreamcast were the best whereas in the NTSC regions, the others beat the PS2 in video output but, the big selling point of the PS2 was the games & plenty of them still looked incredible in my opinion despite the others :)
I know emulation can defiantly help now & there's other interesting hacks using emulation that can also make certain games more playable now thanks to CPU overclocking :)
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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 :)
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 :)
Valkyrie Profile 2 is such an underrated game.
It is & to find it for £12 was a steal, very good game & graphically incredible :)
Valkyrie and nfsmw had the biggest glowup on emu.
They definitely had a big change with the 4K upscaling :)
I’m glad the PS2 library is being preserved like this. I just don’t like when people turn the conversation into how the PS2 version is unplayable
I love PS2 games and it really isn't unplayable at all, at least not in my eyes :)
But everyone is different and you cannot please everyone :)
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 :)
Soundtrack is from zone of the enders 2nd runner
Yes & the song name is in my pinned comment if you want to know exactly which one :)
Great video! It looks amazing!
I appreciate the comment & glad you enjoyed :)
I love how both Duckstation and PCSX2 share similar UI/UX elements now. And it makes me wish other emulators like xemu or Project64 took notes. Heck I think a games library with covers/tiles is a must, it's almost unthinkable.
@DaXzOr I hope someday the XBOX original emulation scene improves dramatically & if it does I feel many people will play it's versions of games :)
Yes, the UI I hope would be like what we currently have with PCSX2 & Duckstation:)
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 :)
It’s amazing how well the artwork of most of the games shown still holds up. With higher resolution and better texture filtering you could sell most as a remaster.
It’s just some UI textures that could use a higher resolution and you‘re golden.
They do upscale well a lot of the games & it gives a new to a lot of them :)
The emulator is getting better all the time 😊
Wow NFS MW upscaled looks precisely like the one I played on PC. What an achievement by the team!
Also, little I knew there is apparently a PS2 game about Firefly's early days on Glamoth :D
It does look good & certainly closer, but it is missing effects & some of the extra foliage of the PC version :)
Still a great game mind! Ah the more you learn :)
Haha, lets just say I did not play on High back then 😂😂
You can make the PC version look even nicer with Mods.
I used to love emulation but as I've grown up I've realised more and more how much of a compromise it is. Yes, it is very close, but the amount of games that have slowdown or missing effects is rather annoying, and upscaling games comes with a host of issues like incongruent textures and HUDs. I'll always love emulation for preservation, especially of obscure systems, but real hardware on a CRT is the way to go for me. Unless it's a handheld, in which case I can overlook these issues.
I love real hardware although I've switched to upscalers because of HDMI, no matter how you play, CRT or otherwise, there's a place for all hardware & best part is you can softmod the PS2 for cheap :)
I will soon invest in a Memory card SD adapter so I can download Roms onto the PS2 & play them that way on the actual hardware :)
I agree with your assessment of PS2 emulation but it really has come along way & many games fuctiom well & if you want more accurate PS2 graphics, simply use software rendering :)
Mr.Sujano send me here ...
Greetings and thank you for stopping over!
The Vulkan API really made a lot of progress on console emulation in PC.
I'd have to look into it in the future, but from my own testing, I've found OpenGL to be more reliable in terms of game speed :)
It is yet another aspect I need to test again since updates could change this :)
with PCSX2 (nightly build) im enjoying more PS2 games 👌👌
This was the Nightly build of PCSX2 :)
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 :)
I like content exactly like this. I hope I will see other platforms as well!
The PSP is next & I've already done Duckstation against PS1 😊
There's plenty more on the channel to see :)
Appreciate the support 😊
I still have a SD CRT and real PS2 hardware for sentimental reasons, but these old PS2 games run and look better on the emulator and modern display. I played "black" at 60fps on the PCSX2 emulator and it was a much better experience (aiming at 30fps on the real PS2 feels laggy). Also, the CRT phosphor mask (I recommend guestHD CRT mask) allows me to get way more detailed and sharper image compared to SD CRT (PVM-like picture quality). For example, on my SD CRT I can barely read anything on the GTA SA map, however on my LCD monitor everything is perfectly readable despite the same 480i resolution. I always thought PS2 games looked best on my SD CRT, but I just wasnt aware of how much detail I was missing because of that extreme CRT blur.
I know I responded to this on my main channel but, it shows there's a lot of choices on how you can tailor your PS2 experience now thanks to both knowledge & the technology we have today :)
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
It maybe removing blur feature of the emulator. Turn it off and try that way.
I accidentally had your video at 720p, I thought it looked nice and crisp. Pumped it up to 4K and :o
Good work
Thank you & on this channel I make everything at the highest quality possible:)
Glad you enjoyed!
The answer to which one is better depends on what game the player is going to play. First, PCSX2 has made significant progress, but there are still unresolved issues, one of which is that the input timing is more than one frame slower than the actual PS2. This issue makes PCSX2 a better choice than the actual PS2 for RPG (games that do not require fast input speed), but for shooting games, fighting games, and rhythm games, it falls outside the acceptable range for input frames. This is why many gamers still prefer to play on the actual PS2.
It's very interesting because I do indeed play Racing games, fighting games & I find both to be largely the same, I've never had a worse experience on PCSX2 so, I feel the setup or displays used makes a huge difference :)
Always check the settings for frame pacing & the like, if they are set correctly, the lag issues can be improved significantly :) Not saying this will be the case for everyone but it has helped me for the last few years :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Yes, that's right. Each player has different standards for satisfaction, so if they determine that there is no problem, then that is their answer. However, what is concerning is when even developers consider this aspect to be without issues. In reality, the complaints regarding the input response speed of PCSX2 are much more prevalent among those who experience issues than among those who do not.
I hope for those who experience issues, a simple fix in the menu should do the trick but, I do agree the developers should look into the software & improve it on their end too to help reduce potential issues with lag :)
what is impressive, is that if you take some of the rally game and upscale it to maximum, it runs well and look the same as modern equivalent like dirt or wrc while being emulated. It show the difference of optimisation between the two platforms.
The Duckstation team are the ones to thank as they made PCSX2 emulation much better for everyone :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial true I forgot to mention their incredible work. It's almost surreal! what a joy to play those game with such quality and ease! It's even better than having a console because many features improves the experience!
While I do agree with you on the emulator's features improving the gameplay or graphics, I still love the look of actual PS2 graphics so, I stick with Software Rendering while enabling EE Cycle Rate to remove any frame rate drops in games which used to stutter :)
However, it is amazing we can now choose how to play PS2 games and you don't need a supercomputer to run the software!
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial ok I will try that feature, natural is good too I agree.
as a huge fan of Zone of the Enders, it's nice that PCSX2 can emulate the second game just fine, but I highly, HIGHLY recommend the MARS remaster - it's practically flawless and only adds to the game
@TheExFatal I definitely want the remastered version someday but, I love the PS2 original & to have it on PCSX2 on my Steam Deck makes it a great way to play on the go :)
Using Zone of the Enders 2 music is such a win
As it turns out :) Never had so many people ask me about the soundtrack :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Glad to see another Orbital Frame Enjoyer
Thank you, it is a great game, especially the second game :)
Honestly for some reason, for these older games, I still prefer the blurry textures especially when playing on bigger screens.
@@ForzaHorizon3-ln5vu In that case, real hardware or software mode on emulation is the answer :)
I love how PS2 games look & I almost always use software mode personally :)
Cool video, man.
Thank you & glad you enjoyed :)
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 :)
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 :)
tekken 4 is still such a BEAUTIFUL game, even on native hardware (in progressive scan)
It is one of the best examples of PS2 games looking incredible with 480p :)
It was released in 2002 so it is an earlier title for the PS2!
In my PC, Valkirye Profile 2 runs perfect and there is no more that red glitch with last version before version 2.0. I put a texture pack and it looks clean and sharp now.
@gutozardy5568 I know, this was recorded on June 25th before V2 & before the fixes for Valkyrie Profile 2 came out :)
Stunning game though!
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.
Man VP2 really needs a remaster... would be a strong seller I feel.
Not sure if it would be a strong seller but I agree I'd love to see it remade! :)
Im sorry for not watching the whole thing rn. I just wanted to point something out that for the time the resolution of the PS2 didn't matter it wasn't really considered as the avg.CRT didn't really hold anything up to the 4k standards we see so common today. The coolest part was that it had the geometry, sound, looks, and feeling that made it better then the PS1 (sometimes) Im not saying that you should redo the whole vid with CRT but if you can try it your self. Its an added level also that most sets where 3x4. Wide screen was only a thing in the Movie Theater. Thanks for the vid have a great one.
Unfortunately I do not own a CRT although I'm old enough to remember playing on them back in the late 90s until 2012 :)
While I understand why people love them & what they do, I'm firmly in HDMI & now I'm happy with how the games look using modern (Good) upscalers on modern displays :)
It helps I have RGB SCART & Component rather than Composite although Composite still looks decent on CRT :)
Ultimately this channel will cover the modern side of retro gaming but if you still love the CRT for your retro needs, keep using it :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial No yeah I now get the reason for the vid. DUH (on my part) Im glad to that you where able to play some on the CRTs and Im also glad they are some what a thing of the past. PCSX2 overall has dome a long way in emulation. Although I think there is something to be said about the multiple steps in turning on a PS2 game. Flicking on the PSU, pushing the power button, etc. All the tactile steps and owning each part, no internet updates needed. Compared to most games now a days. Cheers
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!
Awesome video, personally I've been using framemeister to make ps2 into 480p then going through mclassic up to 1080p and it has been working superb, it does clean a lot of the jaggies but it isn't perfect.
Ah no solution will ever be perfect but if it gets into a look you enjoy & can tolerate, this the most important aspect of trying to get these kinds of graphics looking good :)
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.
4:34 it kinda looks better when it's softened
It's personal preference, all other versions are actually sharper but I like the crisp look :)
Nothing wrong with the softer look if you prefer it :)
I miss the days when I never notice jagged lines in games.
I don't mind them, never have done but if you want to minimise them, just upscale the graphics and maybe add a bilinear filter to help soften the graphics :)
i try my best to just play on actualy hardware, but its great for the certain games that are outside your region :). i do love the fact we can play these games in the highest resolutiion possible, like it would have looked as they were developing them. sadly a bunch of games run into graphical issues. ghosting etc.
@@afr_gem I feel the emulator has become so good that soon it will become the default way of trying or playing PlayStation 2 games:)
They are getting less & less & software mode can be used instead if you do run into problems:)
I also still love using real hardware where possible, I've always enjoyed the PS2 :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial true they are getting better and better as time goes on!
It is always advised to check back with emulation every few months, the improvements are vast & worthwhile :)
Grand Turismo 4 aged like a fine wine 🙏💯
It looks even better if you mod it with the HD texture pack 😊
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Agreed on that one, we do appreciate your vids Sir 💯
I really appreciate the comments & I do my best on each video 😊
I just want to play VP 2 again. I played it multiple times back in the day. Like an addict looking for its next fix, I want to experience it again. 😭
Luckily newer versions of this emulator have improved the preformce of this title & it now runs better!
Definitely would try it out now :)
What's the background music? It's dope.
Background music & name is in the pinned comment :)
We still need a reliable one but for XBox 360
One day, one day xD
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 :)
If you use a CRT with Compound cables...you can forget use a PCSX Emulator.
Not everyone will & while yes I'm sure it looks fantastic, me personally I enjoy my setup & emulation is a nice way to experience PS2 games :)
However, if you love the CRT experience, keep using it :)
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 :)
Don't forget that we can run the lossless scaling app to interpolate the 60 hz emu output to 120 hz for an even smoother look.
I never knew this was a thing & although my Macbook indeed has a 120hz screen, I'd rather play at the native hz of the game, but it sounds interesting :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial If there was an similar app on Mac I think you would prefer to run them interpolated to 120hz, it is surprisingly seamless. With only a tiny bit of extra latency and some extra artifacts showing. But the extra motion resolution is absolutely worth it in most cases.
Check out some videos on it Digital Foundry have one for example.
I'll certainly look into it & if it does indeed work on Mac, I might showcase it if I feel it warrants a look :)
But I will say, even if I do like it, more likely than not I'll just play the games natively, that's just me xD
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Just to be clear. As far as I know this is not available on Mac yet. But the same shaders could run on Mac hardware without any problem if someone makes them available. As far as I know it seem to be based on AMD's FSR3 and that code I think is open source. So it is possible someone port a similar solution.
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial By the way, how strange my previous answer was hidden in the thread but you got it anyway. TH-cam's censor is wild these days.
I'm still partial to a real ps2 on a good crt. Though I must admit the added clarity really modernizes some of these games. Not in every case, however, I think less can be more.
I personally prefer software rendering on emulation to keep it looking like a real PS2 as much as possible:)
But you can always change the settings to make it more to your taste & even add filters if you'd like :)
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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
Shoutout to ZoE2 OST
Yes, many people wanted to know the song in question & I had to pin it xD
For some reason, when fixing PS2 things like low resolution and anti-alisiang, it's ofcourse look better, but you know, it kinda loses it's atmosphere and nostalgia. Like there actually some vibes in some olds games, when they rendered as they were back in game.
For me personally, I would either use real hardware or emulation using software rendering as I love the look of PS2 games as they are:)
There's choices here, so don't feel you have to upscale the graphics if you wish not to :)
What music was used here? Sound's like something from nfs 5 porsche unleashed
The music used is in the pinned comment :)
It's from Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner :)
OMG what is the song at 2:18 ? thanks!
Check the pinned comment if you want to know the song :)
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 :)
Even today Valkyrie Profile Simeria remains unfixed in PSCXS2 .... guess i have to wait forever 😮💨
I wouldn't say unfixed, clearly a lot of attention has been paid to the emulator & I can confirm this game is running so much better now :)
Also, was updated, if you see my PCSX2 video on the Steam Deck, although still not perfect, the game has seen great improvements :)
what device you use in connecting yuor PS2 to obs? if you have the link to share where to buy ito? much appreciated, thanks! :D
I use the OSSC and the Elgato HD60s Plus capture card connected to the computer via OBS :)
I disabled link posting but a quick Google search will find these items :)
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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
Need to redo this for v2 and up. Its night and day better difference
Sadly, no matter what I do, the emulator will always update :)
I could make a new video on it tomorrow & it would be outdated shortly thereafter :)
I've been 100% emulation for 13+ years now with every console I own (and uh.. don't own *cough*).
The quality, and quality of life, improvements emulators provide just makes playing on original hardware a worse experience in every regard. Sure there might be some visual oddities here and there, but for the most part it's just a far superior experience. Plus we don't have to degrade our hardware even further, or try and lug out a working CRT.
When you have emulators like Cemu effectively converting Breath of the Wild to a native PC game (uncapped fps, ultrawide, increased graphics options).. well, there really is no reason to ever use a console again.
For novelty purposes though? Nothing will ever replace actually playing on old machines. Can reactivate memories you forgot existed. And heck, might even come to prefer some games that old looking way.
I feel your comment sums up perfectly what I & most people feel regarding emulation :)
I will say I love still playing real hardware, albeit on a HDMI display with a good upscaler, still looks nice in my opinion 😁
i disagree 100%, esp with ps2 emulation, but ok
Never noticed it because I no longer have original hardware, but it sounds like the emulator boosts the mids while losing a lot of the low end of the original's outputs
I can agree, the sound is more tinny & less punchy compared to real hardware :)
the future of emulation it's becoming more and more accurate than in the future they will be better than the real hardware, thanks to the AIs
It means soon everyone can play their favourite games no matter the system or device used, real hardware is also getting nice modifications too :)
The one thing emulators still haven't gotten right is CRT post-filtering. Pretty much every single ps2 game was designed to run on a crt television and looks horrible when displayed on modern lcd screens
Personally I disagree, PS2 games look great on modern screens albeit yes, it can look a bit pixilated with modern upscalers when using RGB SCART or Component cables:)
I understand the appeal of the CRT look but hopefully, emulators will continue to improve CRT shaders :)
people glaze crt way too much. i had one and the only things it did was mask the aliasing a bit better and had less input lag, thats it
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 :)
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 :)
I have a pnach code which fixes most if not all problems with Valkyrie profile 2
If so that would be a game changer :)
PS2 at native resolution is underrated imo.
Oh it sure is & I love the original PS2 graphics :)
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!
You should enable trilinear and anisotropic filtering for better quality. It doesn't affect performance on a modern machine.
@TOCS94 I'm not a fan of trilinear filter & I only use anisotropic when playing games that have a visible seam as you play (Gran Turismo 4 is one example) :)
Can you please try Front Mission 4 & 5?
I can certainly look into them in the future :)
now it just needs a high quality crt shader
I love the way it looks already (using software rendering) but I hope the option gets improved in the future :)
My VP2 don't have these graphical glitches on PCSX2, there was already some fixes for these problems and some more others
@@rafa.farinha This was recorded on June 24th & I know, had many people tell me & I can confirm the game is now improved with less gitchy visuals :)
@@AffrosCuriositiesOfficial Yup, i use the nightly pcsx2 so the updates came early, i also use the vp2 4k remaster v2 texture pack that makes it even better
@rafa.farinha This was using the nightly build :)
I just recorded it too early & sadly no matter when I post, the emulator will update :)