This is a cool thing especially for someone who still plays PS2 games regularly. 2 problems. 1, the price is pretty steep and 2, the soldering. I have multiple PS2s because of serial numbers. Some games work better on different models. I literally have 4 PS2 consoles that I swap between depending on the game.
Honestly, the results look about the same as using a fully backwards compatible PS3, and pushing all the games to 1080i using an OPL version with GSM built in. Results are pretty damn clean, a lot more so than using Component on an original PS2 with the same OPL/GSM honebrew.
i'd rather emulate. much simpler, can run 4k texture mods or filters, speed up or slow my game, do almost anything with emulation, even make it look like a CRTtv. no reason to do all of this to an original ps2.
Always better to have alternative. We're lucky that Sony executives is not as tight as Nintendo for their emulation policy, But we don't know how in the future.
@@edemehtawardhana5962 Well, their prior CEO was notorious for mentioning that older games weren't worth their time to go back to (Jim was talking about Gran Tourismo's outings on the PS1 and PS2 at the time) before walking back that statement (like Jim usually did) and eventually having retro games appear via Sony's subscription plan. It's more like Sony doesn't care much about older games until they were pressured by fans to do so (hence why there are many dead franchises like Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper, Legend of Dragoon, inFAMOUS, and so on).
Nothing can beat playing on the original hardware. But PCSX2 is undeniably more convenient and flexible. It's a shame that media preservation is far down the bottom of gaming companies' list of priorities. So many classic games just left behind in the dust.
Hopefully, ps6 is backwards compatible then they can resell physical disc version of these games like 6 great classic games games in 1 disc! Like the gameboy and psone days. Both sides won 🎉
Just get an HDMI converter for your PS2's cables it's way better and works on any TV, they literally sell them on Amazon and don't require ANYYY effort.
I think its a cool addition. Nowadays I mostly use my PS2 Slim for gaming, although mainly to play PS1 games on a CRT. I feel like its the best way to play them, but the more options, the better.
This fancy mod isn't capable of increasing lackluster framerate of the original. Emulator on PC is. Why does many of those "geek journalists" completly disregard the topic of framerate?
See the main problem here is that the lower resolution and lack of sharpness on it is what made it look more anti aliased and higher resolution in the first place, and the retrogem lacks a filter to fix that.
The correct and only way to appreciate ps2 is to use an era appropriate crt television, this is the medium for which the games was authored and the system designed. You are doing a disservice to the original developers if you use any other means, this is extremely important.
Ok everyone chill. The reason why IGN is promoting this instead of the ps2 emulator is because of legal issues. They cannot promote emulators as they can be flagged by Sony and worse, receive a lawsuit from them.
This is awesome, but there are 3 words that prevent me from even considering installing this mod: *Light Gun Games.* With the PS2 backwards compatibility with PS1 games, there's a decent library of Light Gun Games to play.
I'm going to bet no. If there is a difference, it's probably so minute that you won't notice from moment-to-moment gameplay, and the RetroTink works with other consoles too.
This is quiet a nice upgrade..i wonder if those devs making this product will made the same hardeare upgrade for the Switch? It might be nice addition to Switch if in docked mode..
This looks league worse than playing natively with a CRT tv as intended. These pixels were designed too stay slightly blurred and they look great that way
I own OG hardware with mclassic and a 2xScaler. Image is pretty good (especially in 2D Fighting, like NeoGeo compilations etc.).... The issue is that PCSX2 isn't as good and there's too much bugs in comparison to Duckstation for PS1, or AetherSx2 on an ARM android based support. Now if you're a PES - Winning Eleven fan, PCSX2 is the worst choice. - Original Ps2 hardware is pretty okay on the pitch with my config, but there's a bit too much flickering/aliasing on the crowd and the goal's nets. From long distance. - PCSX2 yes you can upscale to 4K... But there's tons of disappearing polygons (hair, part of the body) and i just can't tolerate it. The PCSX2 devs said they won't do anything about it, clearly. - I tried it on a ARM based console with AestherSX2, now we got something serious. Upscaled, no bugs or latency, that's the best way to play that game. Unfortunately it's an ARM Android/Linux based so you need a type of Aliexpress console, i run all version on the Super Console Pro X5 from Kihank and i don't see any issues. So yes as "it's better to play with emulator" as you can enhance stuffs, but PCSX2 is compiling too much irreperable bugs on tons of games. Aesther, from people who got aknowledge about Emulation, got a way better basis and coherence on the emulation process than PCSX2. I pray one day that they release a real Windows version.
Why you compare it to AV if there are so many plug and play solutions out there like external HDMI converter which is not a true HDMI but at least it uses component instead AV or component cable combined with GSM has almost the same picture quality
@@xxarcangelxx143 No it's definitely not a me problem. Only 1.23% of games are listed as perfect on the PCSX2 website. No amount of tweaking by the user will fix that (or the input lag)
@@JoshuaR9763 Sounds like it's you who never emulated games before. Not all games are compatible to run smoothly or perfect. Literally on the PCSX2 site prove that only less than 2% games that runs perfectly.
@@zeroskaterz92 what’s games I’ve emulated have been perfectly fine because most of the games that are actually worth emulating and playing are optimised well.
I mean, this looks good and all, but who is this for? Wouldn’t you get the same results if you were to emulate it on PC? Not to mention you have to manually install this chip onto your PS2. And it cost $189. No thanks. I’ll stick to emulating on PC.
This device is being marketed to original hardware enthusiasts. People who specifically don't want to just emulate. It's a niche expensive hardware mod.
@@TPRES_74 Those little PS2 to HDMI adaptors are horrible. Noisy image, black level crush, high input lag and audio buzzing. You're much better off with a RAD2x
Original hardware is preferable to some, whether that be nostalgia or accuracy. Software emulation has its downsides. The people buying this likely still have their old systems and games and just want a decent image on their flat screen.
Modest Carats are several times smaller than your average 4K tv, but if you really don’t have space for a small crt then sure anything’s better than nothing
There aren't many simply because the gamecube can already do digital out via a simple hdmi adapter. An internal mod like this would yield similar results to those. Products like the Carby and GCHD are what I'm referring to.
@@Michael-jr3gz bro the mere fact your saying the same thing in every comment is cope while also being wrong have you even tried the latest nightly build for emulators are amazing you have servers for Online Ratchet and Clank 3 a discord RC 3 community made them with ps2 players and emulators users from pal and ntsc region they both are compatible but It's 100 years easier to use a emulator nightly build all the menu bugs the Ratchet games had are gone and on a potato pc the games run smothly have you seen the metal gear collection for steam what a joke
Even though HDMI is better, there is something about playing it natively on a CRT TV.
yeah, it's called nostalgia
@@kidrobot.And there's nothing wrong about that
@@rhythmkhandelwal2940 actually, it clouds judgement
@@kidrobot. We don't care about that, If we love it, we love it. No need for logic and science there
@@rhythmkhandelwal2940 lolll
I just don't trust myself not to fuck up my ps2 slim if I have to solder the thing myself
Hopefully the next iteration for the mod could have a plug and play kind of system.
@@edemehtawardhana5962 Not impossible. The mod works by tapping the digital signal from the GPU. It will always require soldering
Yeah the Retro GEM is something you need a experienced modded to handle the installation
IGN hired the comics explained guy?
Then get it serviced by a professional.
Pretty sick for physical game and console collectors
If you don’t want to mod your system, you can do component cables and a scaler.
Scaler?
@@kaseyrolowyes, GSM 1080i
Yeah this is the bettter way in my opinion because a really good scaler will outperform this mod easily
This is a cool thing especially for someone who still plays PS2 games regularly. 2 problems. 1, the price is pretty steep and 2, the soldering. I have multiple PS2s because of serial numbers. Some games work better on different models. I literally have 4 PS2 consoles that I swap between depending on the game.
That's the nerdiest gamer thing I've ever heard, it borders on the psychotic.
What games work on what models better wtf
He capping
Honestly, the results look about the same as using a fully backwards compatible PS3, and pushing all the games to 1080i using an OPL version with GSM built in. Results are pretty damn clean, a lot more so than using Component on an original PS2 with the same OPL/GSM honebrew.
How about you just make the new PlayStation back backwards compatible
Bingo
Ffr
Would lose them money
If only ps2 games were backwards compatible.
Super 😂 Ps2 🎉
they are on PC, you can just pop the disk in and play with an emulator
If you have a modded PS3 or an early PS3 they are
What does that even mean
Just change to component cable, its not hd but its a huge improvement over composite.
The cables aren't really the issue. Those converters are cheap garbage. You have to fork over cash for better than those things.
Just finish silent hill 2. Such epicness in gaming form.
One of the greatest games ever made.
Great SilentHill 234
The best way is to emulate them.
Uhh nothing will ever beat playing on original hardware dingus, learn that.
@@hailrugal2695it's actually a much better than the actual hardware improve the experience all the way.
Not if you care about accuracy, compatibility and input lag
@@hailrugal2695that's nostalgia drugs right there
@@Michael-jr3gz every single ps2 game is compatible and there's less input lag than on the original console lol
Nothing beats hooking up an actual PS2 to a quality CRT TV.
PS2 wasn't made for CRT.
@@JuanDiaz-jo1rw Yes it was. When it came out and most of it's life span CRT was still the standard.
@@JuanDiaz-jo1rw Yes it was.. The general output of the PS2 was 480i there were some games that supported 480p but the majority were Interlaced
i'd rather emulate. much simpler, can run 4k texture mods or filters, speed up or slow my game, do almost anything with emulation, even make it look like a CRTtv. no reason to do all of this to an original ps2.
Reasons not to emulate
1. Compatibility issues
2. Less accurate
3. Input lag
@@Michael-jr3gz exactly lol it just works
@@potentfrog I'm referring to original hardware
Always better to have alternative.
We're lucky that Sony executives is not as tight as Nintendo for their emulation policy, But we don't know how in the future.
@@edemehtawardhana5962 Well, their prior CEO was notorious for mentioning that older games weren't worth their time to go back to (Jim was talking about Gran Tourismo's outings on the PS1 and PS2 at the time) before walking back that statement (like Jim usually did) and eventually having retro games appear via Sony's subscription plan. It's more like Sony doesn't care much about older games until they were pressured by fans to do so (hence why there are many dead franchises like Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper, Legend of Dragoon, inFAMOUS, and so on).
Oh no! This console deserves a CRT.
Hyperkin has a PS2 cable with HDMI for 30, much better than those crappy converter boxes
Those Hyperkin cables are just as poor quality and unshieded as those crappy converter boxes. Same as Pound and Bitfunx. Never buy from them
Definitely a better option, gotta play around with the setting but once you figure it out the image looks crisp as hell
@@sfd4603 No it doesn't. It's just as poorly made as those cheap converter boxes
Those Hyperkin cables are just as poor quality as those cheap converter boxes. Same with the Pound and Bitfunx adaptors.
Never buy from them
@@Michael-jr3gz Yeah, get a Rad2x cable! it upscales the component output.
Couldn't see the difference on GTA or MGS3 all that much but it was huge difference on Tekken, SOTC and SH2.
I'll just keep emulating
Same, simply way too convenient and offers a lot more features.
Nothing can beat playing on the original hardware. But PCSX2 is undeniably more convenient and flexible. It's a shame that media preservation is far down the bottom of gaming companies' list of priorities. So many classic games just left behind in the dust.
Hopefully, ps6 is backwards compatible then they can resell physical disc version of these games like 6 great classic games games in 1 disc! Like the gameboy and psone days. Both sides won 🎉
Simply incredible
CRT for the win!!!!
Just get an HDMI converter for your PS2's cables it's way better and works on any TV, they literally sell them on Amazon and don't require ANYYY effort.
But they produce all kinds of problems in upscaling, color correction and lag
Cheap and affordable, yes. Better? Absolutely not.
I think its a cool addition. Nowadays I mostly use my PS2 Slim for gaming, although mainly to play PS1 games on a CRT. I feel like its the best way to play them, but the more options, the better.
This fancy mod isn't capable of increasing lackluster framerate of the original. Emulator on PC is.
Why does many of those "geek journalists" completly disregard the topic of framerate?
See the main problem here is that the lower resolution and lack of sharpness on it is what made it look more anti aliased and higher resolution in the first place, and the retrogem lacks a filter to fix that.
Explain
looks absolutely amazing
The correct and only way to appreciate ps2 is to use an era appropriate crt television, this is the medium for which the games was authored and the system designed. You are doing a disservice to the original developers if you use any other means, this is extremely important.
no we aren’t 😂
That's taking things a little too far lol
yeah... I'll stick with emulation for upscaling older games. hardware dont last forever
Ok everyone chill. The reason why IGN is promoting this instead of the ps2 emulator is because of legal issues. They cannot promote emulators as they can be flagged by Sony and worse, receive a lawsuit from them.
Or simply get the CRT TV from the basement and play those games the way they are meant to be.
Not everyone owns a CRT anymore or has the space for one
@@Michael-jr3gzsame with a ps2,that’s why emulation exists even though it ain’t perfect
@@Michael-jr3gzwell then stop being a ps2 snob to everyone then if your not playing it the "intended" way
@@strippymcroe6534 a PS2 is much smaller and cheaper than a CRT though
@@xxarcangelxx143 I'm not being a snob. I'm simply correcting the people who believe that emulation is 100% objectively better than real hardware
This is awesome, but there are 3 words that prevent me from even considering installing this mod: *Light Gun Games.*
With the PS2 backwards compatibility with PS1 games, there's a decent library of Light Gun Games to play.
It's not a bad idea but if your not playing ps2 everyday it's not worth it just for a little upgrade
lovely this adapter, i will buy it
Thnk y bro
Anyone know if this is better than just plugging your ps2 into a retrotink?
I'm going to bet no. If there is a difference, it's probably so minute that you won't notice from moment-to-moment gameplay, and the RetroTink works with other consoles too.
Hardware mods are cool and all, but I'd rather use a component or scart cable for a more sharper image
This mod is sharper than component and scart cables
@@Michael-jr3gz true, but they are still way better than the crappy composite to hdmi adapters
@@berkant_k For sure but why did you claim this mod was less sharp than the scart and component cables?
Not big improvement, still prefer PCSX2.
The first TEKKEN 4 difference is what the emulator does lol exact same colors and sharp visuals emulators have been here for a decade
The people who say just emulate have never had the joy of playing on og hardware on a CRT TV
A real high cost for HDMI
Retrotink does it sooo much better - speak to Maximilian Dood...
This is quiet a nice upgrade..i wonder if those devs making this product will made the same hardeare upgrade for the Switch? It might be nice addition to Switch if in docked mode..
This device adds digital hdmi out to retro consoles. The switch can already do hdmi out.
You're a kid aren't you lol
This looks league worse than playing natively with a CRT tv as intended. These pixels were designed too stay slightly blurred and they look great that way
Crt got the move
thanks but emulators do the work for me.
I own OG hardware with mclassic and a 2xScaler. Image is pretty good (especially in 2D Fighting, like NeoGeo compilations etc.)....
The issue is that PCSX2 isn't as good and there's too much bugs in comparison to Duckstation for PS1, or AetherSx2 on an ARM android based support.
Now if you're a PES - Winning Eleven fan, PCSX2 is the worst choice.
- Original Ps2 hardware is pretty okay on the pitch with my config, but there's a bit too much flickering/aliasing on the crowd and the goal's nets. From long distance.
- PCSX2 yes you can upscale to 4K... But there's tons of disappearing polygons (hair, part of the body) and i just can't tolerate it. The PCSX2 devs said they won't do anything about it, clearly.
- I tried it on a ARM based console with AestherSX2, now we got something serious. Upscaled, no bugs or latency, that's the best way to play that game. Unfortunately it's an ARM Android/Linux based so you need a type of Aliexpress console, i run all version on the Super Console Pro X5 from Kihank and i don't see any issues.
So yes as "it's better to play with emulator" as you can enhance stuffs, but PCSX2 is compiling too much irreperable bugs on tons of games. Aesther, from people who got aknowledge about Emulation, got a way better basis and coherence on the emulation process than PCSX2.
I pray one day that they release a real Windows version.
Why you compare it to AV if there are so many plug and play solutions out there like external HDMI converter which is not a true HDMI but at least it uses component instead AV or component cable combined with GSM has almost the same picture quality
Emulate them with 2x 3x of 4 x the original resolution
No thanks, my Steam Deck runs it better.
with worse compatibility and higher input lag
@@Michael-jr3gzsounds like a you problem.
@@xxarcangelxx143 no it sounds like an emulator problem
@@Michael-jr3gz no its a you problem. Get the right one and tweak the settings correctly you snob
@@xxarcangelxx143 No it's definitely not a me problem. Only 1.23% of games are listed as perfect on the PCSX2 website. No amount of tweaking by the user will fix that (or the input lag)
should've invested in emulation
And deal with compatibility issues and input lag? No thanks
@@Michael-jr3gz it's not anywhere near as bad as you try to make it sound. It's also free.
@@Michael-jr3gz Better than spending over $100 on an hdmi.
If you mod a PS3 to play PS2 library will that upscale the games too?
Yes but not to 1440p
Ps2 Pro
Great ps2 👍❤
Rubish! Just emulate the games on a pc!!
Time to play the og yakuza games with this.
PS2 had component what are you waffling on about?
Yes but the RetroGEM looks much better
most TVs now above 43 inches don't have component, and the composite input is usually a 3.5 mm jack.
Or you could just emulate?
And suffer through worse compatibility and input lag
@@Michael-jr3gz yeah you definitely haven’t emulated a game before.
@@JoshuaR9763 Sounds like it's you who never emulated games before. Not all games are compatible to run smoothly or perfect. Literally on the PCSX2 site prove that only less than 2% games that runs perfectly.
@@zeroskaterz92 what’s games I’ve emulated have been perfectly fine because most of the games that are actually worth emulating and playing are optimised well.
@@Michael-jr3gzsnob
Nothing new, anything soldering onto a console is a waste of time and not worth it.
Speak for yourself
@@Michael-jr3gzhe's right, just emulate it at that point.
@@xxarcangelxx143 Emulation isn't for everyone. It has high input lag and less than 100% compatibility
@@Michael-jr3gz it's not high lol. You effed up your settings or have a dinosaur of a pc. Definitely a you problem
Consoles gamers are scared of PC mods
The title is a blatant lie. This silly mod is not preferable to emulation in any way.
It is if you prioritise compatibility and accuracy above convenience
Well, my PS3 kind of already does this. Is this better than that?
Sometimes, it looks better, but it's emulation. better to mod the original system with original games, so theirs no artifacts, bugs, and lag.
I'd rather go with the Rad2x cable...
Or you could get a backwards compatible PS3 with HDMI & wireless controllers...
Interesting stuff, but im gonna stick with my framemeister for that
That's one pricey solution. I'll keep my emulation or arcade cabinet with old crt.
Lol, our phones can emulate ps2 games to 4k, not to mention pc
Emulation has higher input lag and worse compatibility compared to a real PS2
There is a Ps2 to HDMI device that does just as well as it uses the HD Composite output. only cost £6
Try the Emulator on PC with hd textures.
Why wasn't Cricket 05 used as an example?
I mean, this looks good and all, but who is this for? Wouldn’t you get the same results if you were to emulate it on PC? Not to mention you have to manually install this chip onto your PS2. And it cost $189. No thanks. I’ll stick to emulating on PC.
That was more of cutscene and less of gameplay footage.
Cool!
PCSX2 begs to differ.
It is better to make the most beautiful old games a remake better than these movements on old devices 🤗 .
Some people enjoy the classics more than remakes
price point puts it out of reach to the less well off starting out, at the price its currently at will push people to emulation with the same results.
This device is being marketed to original hardware enthusiasts. People who specifically don't want to just emulate. It's a niche expensive hardware mod.
For the uninformed people in the comments:
Original hardware has perfect compatibility / accuracy and less input lag than emulation
It truly is amazing, however! Not compatible with OPL😢
It does work with OPL
I'll stick with PS2 to HDMI and OPL.
@@TPRES_74 You mean that cheap black HDMI adaptor?
@@TPRES_74 Those little PS2 to HDMI adaptors are horrible. Noisy image, black level crush, high input lag and audio buzzing. You're much better off with a RAD2x
@@Michael-jr3gz - Yeah. It's nothing special.
Why go through all this effort? You can literally download PCSX2 and upscale to 4K.
Original hardware is preferable to some, whether that be nostalgia or accuracy. Software emulation has its downsides. The people buying this likely still have their old systems and games and just want a decent image on their flat screen.
PCSX2
Thanks for the info game programmer Daniel Radcliffe
The best way to play PS2 games is the newest dev builds of PCSX2. Bar none.
No snap-on as of yet?
I'll just stick to my composite-to-hdmi adapter
Dope 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👍
Aethersx 2 with mods 4k or pcsx 2 emulator
Ps2 emulation way better now days.
How does this compare to something like a RetroTink?
There is no need for this mod with retrotink 4k. You also get hdr with RTK 4k and 5x pro.
Lo necesito! ❤
The best way to play PS2 is on a CRT.
Not everyone owns a CRT or has the space for one
Unless you have a retrotink 4k.. Apparently.
Modest Carats are several times smaller than your average 4K tv, but if you really don’t have space for a small crt then sure anything’s better than nothing
CRT‘s not carats lol
Namco system 246 is based on ps2
The look of the original is better in Silent Hill 2...
Steam deck. Pcsx2 ......
Yes, you couldn't possibly use emulators....😏
or get a gen 1 phat ps3
What about a mod for nintendo gamecube?
There aren't many simply because the gamecube can already do digital out via a simple hdmi adapter. An internal mod like this would yield similar results to those. Products like the Carby and GCHD are what I'm referring to.
Well it’s great on PS5 with ps plus premium
just emulate lol
just suffer through worse compatibility and input lag lol
@@Michael-jr3gzYou say input lag, on all your reply comments, but I've never experienced that with emulation.
@@Michael-jr3gzcope
@@xxarcangelxx143 You cope
@@Michael-jr3gz bro the mere fact your saying the same thing in every comment is cope while also being wrong have you even tried the latest nightly build for emulators are amazing you have servers for Online Ratchet and Clank 3 a discord RC 3 community made them with ps2 players and emulators users from pal and ntsc region they both are compatible but It's 100 years easier to use a emulator nightly build all the menu bugs the Ratchet games had are gone and on a potato pc the games run smothly have you seen the metal gear collection for steam what a joke
Almost $200 ... 🥺
I am actually waiting for the day where you can properly emulate ps2 games in mobile
or just buy old tv
No a crt television
The correct way to play PS2 games is not too because those days are over now grow up
How about "No"?!
Feels like the blacks get washed out and become grayer
Na ill just emulate them at 4K on pc 👍