PlayStation 3: Hardware vs Software Emulation

[Seraphic]

Is there any difference in the quality of PS2 games on PlayStation 3 when it is done in Hardware vs Software for the Emulation? The original PS3s hardware emulation while later ones used software. But from what I understand, PS1 games have always been done v.i software, so is there a difference for PS2 games in this area for native and upscaled quality?

[Ex-Cyber]

Is there any difference in the quality of PS2 games on PlayStation 3 when it is done in Hardware vs Software for the Emulation? The original PS3s hardware emulation while later ones used software. But from what I understand, PS1 games have always been done v.i software, so is there a difference for PS2 games in this area for native and upscaled quality?

At the level of pushing pixels, the graphics should be identical or nearly so, because even the "emulation" still uses an actual Graphics Synthesizer chip (i.e. only the Emotion Engine and IOP are emulated in software; this is why Sony could save money by eliminating PS2 compatibility). Shortcomings of the EE emulation can lead to graphical bugs, slowdowns, or crashes in some games.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Which particular PSX & PS2 games were known to have bugs when run on a 1st-gen PS3 with hardware-based backwards compatibility?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Elixir]

I went through this sometime last year on my blog, when I bought a JP PS3 with hardware emulation (CECHA model). I already had a PS3, but I thought it'd be nice to have a multi-purpose console.

Well, that didn't really work out at all, haha. Even after hooking it up to my XRGB2+ and playing around with Daioujou a bit, I did notice a significant amount of lag in controls. Graphics were fine, it looked practically identical to playing Daioujou via a PS2 on my XRGB, but I couldn't stand the lag and it threw me off my game. I don't know what software emulation for the PS3 is like, but, chances are, it's much worse.

[gray117]

PS1 is soooo much easier to emulate than ps2 - primarily due to the nature and relationship of the graphics system to the functioning of the machine in the ps2. The ps2 is a flexible system to put stuff into, but a nightmare to simulate and therefore many 'emulations' actually feature hacks/patched fixes, and rely upon re-interpreting certain operations. As well as being an iteratively easier process, PS1 emulation is also more complete in terms of true emulation with only a handful of re-routing required.

Thus, unfortunately, ps2 software emulation is significantly sub par compared to [relative?] ps1 emulation and ps2 hardware assisted emulation. That being said once successfully emulated both formats are upscaled quite acceptably via a ps3.

[Seraphic]

I have found that 4:3 PlayStation 1 games (at least the ones I play) look great upscaled to 720p/1080p on PS3 (need smoothing enabled of course). The 16:9 PlayStation 2 games I play have native 480p support, but PS3 does not upscale them from 480p but rather in 480i. Thus, when upscaled to 720p/1080p they do not look that great.

[Fudoh]

need smoothing enabled of course

a typo of course, right ?

Smoothing has to be disabled of course. Then PS1 look actually stunning on a PS3 upscaled to 1080p.

[Seraphic]

Of course, smoothing needs to be enabled. It might be different for some games rather then others, but with smoothing disabled, games I play are a blurry mess.

[Fudoh]

Guess you mean the right thing, but you got it wrong again in the text

[guigui]

In my experience, G Darius PS1 on my PS3 slim (all PAL) presents a bug appearing roughly always at the same moments in the game : ships does not respond to controller input. This is somehow annoying as you imagine.

[Shocky]

What about the PS1 / PC-Engine games that are available from the PSN store(s)? Anyone have knowledge how those compare to physical games run in actual PS2, or PS3 with hw/sw emulation? The only thing I noticed was that R-Type felt laggy compared to an actual coin-op, but I think that had to do with me playing with a HRAP + PS2 -> USB adapter.. although that particular adapter should be lagless, and I never noticed any lag in SFIV. Then I bought a Hori FS 3, and felt like there was less lag. Yesterday I bought Thunderforce V from Japan store and played with the DS3 pad, didn't notice any lag (then again, I've only briefly played the physical version..)

Is there a way to actually measure the lag somehow?

[guigui]

What about the PS1 / PC-Engine games that are available from the PSN store(s)?

Always in my experience with G Darius explained earlier, Japanese PSN version of the game does not suffer from the non-responsive ship bug at all. It has quite a bit of lag though, but I think it was already here in the regular PS1, wasn't it ?
I play with HRAP2 via PS2->USB converter. Lag obviously does not come from the stick.

[neorichieb1971]

To prevent lag, just don't use wireless controllers, put the USB cable on it and it should in theory sort that problem out. I remember reading about the PS2 GOW2 pad trick to make the game a higher res than usual. Montreal studios said to do the trick on the PS3 is harder because there is a lag time connecting to the controller in PS2 mode when the game is booting up (you had to be quick).

I'm sure PS3 games account for lag, but ps1 games don't have that facility written into them. Although the PSN versions should.