300°

Sony's new PlayStation 2 emulator tested - and it's another disappointing effort

Sony is wasting PS5's emulation potential through poor upscaling, disappointing filters and a profound lack of care for its classic PS2 and PSP titles.

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eurogamer.net
darthv72310d ago

Its getting better. Im pretty stoked about the rumors of PS3 games hitting the PS5 outside of PS+ streaming. Would love to insert a 3 disc into my 5 and have it download the digital version to play.

Snookies12310d ago (Edited 310d ago )

It shouldn't be "getting better". It should be top-tier already. There are so many emulators out there that do the job far better on PC's (even for low end systems.) Those are made by random people as a hobby. There's no excuse for a company that made the actual system to do the bare minimum with stuff like this. That goes for Nintendo as well, because apparently Perfect Dark is a poor emulation, too.

_SilverHawk_310d ago

Some people don't understand how a proper business wants to work. A lot of people don't want to buy a lot of ps2 or ps3 games and have them work 70 percent of the time or crash a lot or have a lot of issues. It's OK to get emulators for free that works some of the time with a bunch of issues but sony would like to make emulators that works all the time with minimal issues. Imagine the outrage if Sony releases 80 percent of the ps3 library on ps5 and millions of people are constantly complaining about how majority of the games are crashing or freezing after they purchased a few games.

MrBaskerville309d ago

Sometimes people forget that these emulators have been under development for ages by several people. while sony is probably just paying 1-2 guys to do the same thing in a fairly short amount of time on a limited budget. They should put more in it, but if they atleast can achieve accuracy, that's a start.

babadivad309d ago (Edited 309d ago )

There are PS2 emulators that play games better than the original hardware. How is it possible that Sony can't get this right? The only conclusion I can come to is, they don't WANT to get it right.

just_looken309d ago (Edited 309d ago )

I like these comments darth and everyone else its like again 0 people ever used a playstation 3 in its first year.

Playstation 14 years ago had the best ps2 backwards compatible machine back in the launch era i played my ps2 games online via ps3 and even had ps1 support.

Right now i can grab my motorstorm ps3 toss in a ps2 game and output 720p no problem or just toss in the hd tomb raider collection that is uncensored and runs better then the trash that was just tossed out.

The ps5 has worse backwards compatibility than a launch ps3 which is just fn sad

https://youtu.be/WLacSye8Eo...

My launch ps3 playing ps1 games
1080p ps1 from my ps3 straight from the disc
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

13years ago disc goes in you hit play
https://youtu.be/C87EHqBtI3...

Today its well look you can move the avatar and wow its almost 720i sony is a goat lets rebuy all my ps2 games digitally.Just like nintendio every new console you are off to rebuy the same titles

__y2jb309d ago

That's because the launch ps3 had a ps2 CPU and GPU built in. It wasn't running emulation.

VariantAEC309d ago

PS5 doesn't have native PS1-PS3 BC. That's the difference dude and if you knew that you wouldn't have written what you did.

Xbox made 718 to 740 BC Xbox and Xbox 360 games work for Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles over almost 15 years. Only 61 original Xbox games are available via Xbox's BC program the rest are Xbox 360 titles.

PS had over 200 PS1 games and 59 PS2 games available for download on PS3 according to Wikipedia and none featured any enhancements whatsoever. Now they have 76 BC games across 3 platforms (including PSP now) on PS5 and all of them are enhanced in less than 4 years time and yet PS' output is poor?

As for PC emulation, that wasn't made for free. Devs have accepted donations for decades and it took decades to make all these emulators. Even PPSSPP (plus or pro or whatever the official non-free edition was called) on Android cost money back in the day, that was their donation - along with donating directly on their website. Even so does PPSSPP or any emulator offer rewind like Syrup Engine does? Sure PC emulation can be completely free for you, but everyone acts like it was free to make and came up over a couple years. I was in college when PCSX2 was still a totally broken piece of s••• emulator barely able to run any games at all. That was about 20 years ago! PCSX2 still doesn't run every PS2 game right at default settings.

Many gamers lack perspective, unfortunately.

MrBaskerville309d ago

@VariantAEC

Exactly. it's like why can't these new releases do the same as an emulator developed for 20 years?

Mr Logic309d ago

@__y2jb

A CFW PS3 with 0 PS2 hardware achieves PS2 BC for ~65% of the PS2 library.

JEECE309d ago

Two bad the vast majority of consumers in 2006-2007 voted with their wallets against having a PlayStation that could play every physical PlayStation Disc from every generation. Imagine if we had actually supported the launch PS3 and shown that the premium feature of native backwards compatibility was worth a premium price. Now we all whine about the lack of BC and game preservation, but when the chips were down people gave up the ability to play their entire old libraries so they could play Dead Rising and Gears of War.

just_looken309d ago

@VariantAEC
@ disagrees

They had software/hardware emulation on the launch ps3 console it depended on what you got the ps3 slim could also do ps2 games if modded.
https://youtu.be/BkHBEpiF9F...

My point stands we had all the ps2/ps1 backwards compatible over a decade ago that was way better than the crap on the ps5.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 309d ago
310d ago Replies(2)
XiNatsuDragnel310d ago

Oh that's sad I'm more like let's play ps2 emulator on PC tbh

ApocalypseShadow310d ago (Edited 310d ago )

Hit piece. Part of IGN Network huh?

This isn't PC. Where years of time was spent from gamers and garage developers, to make old school games look decent beyond the consoles they played on using emulation. You would think these PC graphic whore critics would know this.

It would be nice to make all old school games look great. But PS5 is not a PC. And Sony isn't going to spend their time on emulation when they mostly spend their time making new games, new content and supporting 3rd parties and indies that make new games. Be happy that PS5 is playing some of the old ones at all. Could have been none.

VariantAEC309d ago

Sony isn't spending much time on this. They seem to have contracted the developer Implicit Conversions to handle these BC ports to PS4 and PS5. If PS spent the time to do this themselves I'm sure they could do the same or better. The thing is this isn't native BC. It's just like Xbox and Nintendo emulation now; all in software. I am hopeful that PC is working on native PS3 BC, but I'm not going to hold my breath for it.

Einhander1972309d ago

These guys are full of crap, this is propaganda, A literal attempt to convince people PlayStation Plus isn't a good value.

The emulation looks good and plays great which is the important thing.

309d ago
Tacoboto310d ago

Read it here, folks.

PS gamers should be blessed with low quality efforts, because... Wait for next E3.

Hypertension140309d ago (Edited 309d ago )

It's not a low quality effort, they added trophy support, save states, rewind, controller configurations per game, Microsoft doesn't offer any of that. All of these features for only $10/5 is more than worth it.

While I agree that the low resolution is disappointing, at least the games run solid and are bug free, im surprised Digital Foundry didn't talk about that.
They they instead brought up the performance issues of the PSP emulator, like they refused to say anything positive whatsoever.

just_looken309d ago

wow trophy support stop the press they added trophies.

Also btw microsoft with the xbox had achievement's decades ago they started that trend there old games from 360 have it day one. Were as sony not until end of 2008.So toss in your 360 disc play your xbox game get the achievement if that is your thing.

Or on playstation 5 toss in oh wait you can not toss in old disc's anymore forgot you guys like it rough now.

The bug free again 2006 we had that on the playstation 3 you and many many others are thanking sony for a inferior product they once had along with rebuying games.

VariantAEC309d ago (Edited 309d ago )

Low res? They're higher resolution than PS2 HD ports. Didn't *DF also mention that in this clip?
Everyone acts like this is all standard in emulation but it isn't. Most of these are mods and some just managed to work their way into the overlaying emu software which is why most emus offer per-game settings profiles.

No emulator is perfect we only hear about the pluses and never about the drawbacks.

Many console warriors are comparing PS5 BC to Xbox BC and I'm remining them that https://www.xbox.com/en-us/... shows only around 650 original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games were enhanced. Sounds great until you realize Xbox lists over 5,000 games as part of their BC program. Making matters much worse is only 39 of those enhanced games are original Xbox and Xbox 360 games... yeah... 39 not 390 just thirty-nine games!

PS5 already has 76 enhanced classic games (excluding PS4 games that are better when played on PS5).

See PS5 has true BC and Xbox Series consoles have Xbox One BC. True BC or native BC is debatable on Series consoles because many Xbox One games still required patches on first run to play which PS4 games did not need just to run on PS5.

Of MS' BC offerings most improved games are Xbox One games not Xbox and Xbox 360 games PER MICROSOFT XBOX themselves! So PS' official BC starts looking better. Additionally Nintendo has more games through VC on Switch than PS does, but most are 2D titles are are very easy to emulate. Nintendo's issue is forcing players to check in every week to play offline. You never really own Nintendo's BC games where PS allows you to buy them outright.

The only other real plus of Xbox's BC offering over PS and Nintendo is that you can play any supported BC game if you own the game disc and have an Xbox that can read discs and it's better than paying per game because some games aren't available to users who don't have the disc through Xbox's very convoluted BC system.

In the end the most complete native BC on console was on PS3. Will we ever see BC as good as PS3 on console again? Probably not, sadly. But PS is actually putting in a good effort now, though it looks insignificant next to Xbox's library of 718 Xbox and Xbox 360 BC games (again only 39 of those were enhanced) and Nintendo's own drip feed of ancient 2D games they rereleased over and over again since the Wii Virtual Console days.

[* DG -> DF no other edits]

BrettAwesome309d ago (Edited 309d ago )

No no. You got it backwards. Next E3 is when the Xbox will finally crush PS 😂😂😂 😂

just_looken309d ago

Right how dare xbox allow us to get a $5 ebay game too play on our xbox one with 0 issues boo right?

We need that $500 ps5 a internet connection and then buy a digital ps2 game to run at the same res but with tacked on crap no one cares about.

Einhander1972309d ago

But you haven't even seen the emulator for yourself.

The games look and play great.

And while I don't even agree with the video the previous emulators have had numerous updates since the new service launched. Again I don't even agree with this video but this is the very first set of PS2 games, I can guarantee you that this isn't the end of either the games being added or the emulator version.

Show all comments (44)
230°

PS5 Pro Is No Longer the Most Expensive Console You Can Buy

In the aftermath of Microsoft’s price adjustments, the top-line Xbox will cost you $729.99 in the United States. That’s $30 more than the PS5 Pro’s $699.99.

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pushsquare.com
fr0sty5h ago

Mango Mussolini just made gaming more expensive for all of us.

gigoran83h ago

Microsoft last raised their prices in 2023. Should we have blamed the serving POTUS back then too, or its just corporate greed this time too?

CrimsonWing691h ago(Edited 1h ago)

I’ll bite.

So, what’s the exact reason they raised the prices now? I’ll give you a hint, it’s the same reason Nintendo postponed Switch 2 pre-orders. I’ll give you another hint, it’s the same thing that forced them to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”’

Oops… I think I gave it away with using Nintendo’s exact frackin’ quote.

And Microsoft said their increase was because of “market conditions
and rising costs of production. The price hikes are happening globally and come amid concerns about President Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, where many Xbox consoles and accessories are manufactured.”

But look, let’s forget those facts for a moment, and you tell me the reasoning for the price increases.

Keeper771h ago

Crazy that your post could even get any upvotes.

Everything is going up because of these stupid tariffs.

z2g31m ago(Edited 26m ago)

not even remotely the same. MS (and also Sony) were adjusting their prices to markets that were long resistant to the price changes they needed. now the model is nearly unsustainable. also - they are corporations. their primary task is to make profit.

The difference now is you have a stupid f**k president who doesn't understand how tariffs work basically made us shoot ourselves in the foot to look tough to other countries. No company is going to eat import taxes for the American consumer. If that were true, then we wouldn't have inflation. If it costs an American importer 145% more money because of import taxes (aka tariffs) who do you think that cost increase is going to be passed along to? thats right. you and me. and that will also lower demand - more money means less demand. less demand means prices will go up even beyond the tariff prices - think the beginning of covid. except this time we did it to ourselves.

Also just FYI its stupid to draw a false equivalence between a corporation whose primary task is to produce profit and a nation - whose primary task is to protect its citizens. And just so you know - the tariffs are an attempt to cover the cost deficit of the tax cuts they want to give to ----- not you..... not me.... wealthy people and corporations. you ever wonder why the middle class is shrinking? why more people are finding it harder to get by? while the rich keep getting richer - to the point that 1% of the population owns 98% of the wealth?

Time to study up and know what you are actually talking about.

darthv722h ago

....does this pro price include the optical drive?

lukasmain2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

$80 digital games? Yep all Trump's fault. an old lady fell and broke her hip outside my house the other day and guess whose fault it is? You can connect the dots and figure out a way to blame anyone or anything. But if the economy gets better after all this negotiating in foreign trade comes to an end, do you think MS will suddenly drop their prices on games? HELL NO

rlow13h ago(Edited 3h ago)

No these companies are price gouging and if the tariffs never kick in, they’ll still keep them high.

What’s disgusting about MS move is they’re charging more for a five year old console. At least Sony did a mid gen refresh.

PRIMORDUS2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

The whole video game industry is turning to shit, too much greed and mass layoffs. I don't have much hope for the future of gaming.

Profchaos2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

They are charging this to spread the impact out. Given that Xboxs main user base is in the US it's not surprising they have had to increase the cost in the US vs Sony who has not had to alter the US price much as only a percentage of their fan base exists in the US as they are the only console in town next to the switch for most of the world

If the US alone absorbed the price would be far higher it's absolutely a knee jerk reaction globally.

Sony doing a mid gen refresh really doesn't matter as they have also increased the cost of the base model at least in my region the cost has risen from $750 at launch to $829

Switch 2 pricing took the cost into consideration I imagine the cost would have been $100 less had the looming threat of tarrifs and the poor Japanese yen been a factor

But at the end of the day it is what it is and we should just be thankful that we already own the systems we want assuming here you do as most hardcore gamers will have a console if they intended on getting one by now.

It's the next gen systems I'm worried about

PRIMORDUS2h ago

So they want to sell less, is all I see.

andy852h ago

I remember the alt account trying to make fun of the Pro last week saying it's the most expensive console in history (it wasn't). And now MS decide to actually have the most expensive one in history that's just a base Xbox model 😂

Profchaos2h ago

Same deal with the switch 2 it's sad that people get so emotional over priced of plastic and feel these companies owe them

rlow11h ago

I don’t think people feel they’re owed anything, but when you have a business model that has been done the same for decades. It’s hard to adjust. Also the fact that gaming has always been affordable to pretty much everyone no matter financial status. But now it’s getting to a point where people are going to get knocked out of a hobby they love and enjoy.

Orsoes30m ago

It’s still the most expensive

You can buy a series X for far less than a Pro

Show all comments (23)
140°

Marathon is doomed — ARC Raiders is already a much better extraction shooter

Windows Central: “Embark Studios' ARC Raiders is the extraction shooter I've been waiting for. Here's why it's better than Bungie's upcoming Marathon.”

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windowscentral.com
_SilverHawk_3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

This is silly. I think both games are amazing. Both games can be very successful at the same time and I hope they are.

z2g3h ago

I hate articles like this. “My opinion is all that matters. Click my stuff”. Both games will have their audiences. Some ppl like rock. Some ppl like rap. Not everyone is the same.

LordoftheCritics1h ago

Both are just another streamer game.

z2g3h ago

So we can we can see into the future now? I’m sure ARC is fine, me personally? Far more interested in Marathon. Between known Bungie’s solid gameplay and world building to the aesthetics and concept, I’m all in on Marathon.

InUrFoxHole1h ago

Yeah but unfortunately marathon are both in the hands of gamers and one has been recommend for delay.

jjb19813h ago

I played the Technical Test 2 earlier today and had a blast. I got thrown in an instance, saw a guy walking up some stairs, started shooting at him and watched him run for his life. It was funny until I got killed by some random drones. They're both different games and will have their space. Only the gameplay loop will tell.

pwnmaster30003h ago

Why do gamers/gamejournalist do this? We need to stop with all this doom article game shit.

lodossrage3h ago

windowscentral wouldn't have wrote this "piece" if Bungie was still owned by Microsoft.

And yes, I'm implying exactly what anyone reading this comment thinks.

2h ago
Show all comments (14)
60°

The Latest Major Order Sends the Helldivers 2 Players to Reclaim Various Strategic Sites

The Illuminate made quite a mess in the previous Major Order and it's up to Helldivers 2 players to clean it and reclaim important sites.