PS3 Backward Compatibility Jaggies
Just saw a post over on Engadget comparing the output of a PS2 game to the output of the same game on a PS3 using backwards compatibility. Shows some pretty nasty jaggies that just don’t appear on the real PS2 – which is a bummer. I’d seen the same with Okami, but hadn’t thought too much about it since I’m in the middle of setting up a new receiver that does HDMI switching as well as scaling, and thought I might not have gotten it dialed in right yet.
Anyway, looks like there’s some work to be done on the PS3’s backward compatibility (yes, I’m well aware the same can be said of the 360). I was actually hoping to play Okami through on the PS3, but I may need to pull the old system back out of the basement if they can’t fix it. (Not holding my breath, though – this may be another ramification of the PS3 not having hardware scaling built-in.)
Anyway, here’s a sample video showing the issue.
[YouTube:IoCD9TwLrVs]
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yeah, that is typical sony for you…
What happened to the colour in the PS3 side of the screen? Is that the same as what’s happening to ports that seem flat on the PS3 while vivid on the 360?
Ah the quality work put into the PS3 does not surprise me at all. Add this to the laundry list of problems with the PS3, its turning into a royal SNAFU. So glad I got a 360. And props for getting Psychonauts working on the Back Compat.
imaginedbug – if you watch the video you’ll see that at times the PS3 side color-matches the PS2 side perfectly, and at other times the colors are washed out on the PS3 side, even on the same clip. So it’s not likely to be a cabling/contrast issue on the set.
I’d guess it’s just poor emulation, which hopefully can be patched later, when they get around to finishing it. Posts on other sources have indicated it’s limited to games that didn’t run in 480p, or something. I don’t know – I don’t own either a PS2 or 3.
just another example why PS3 has been rushed just to cash in the 2006 holiday season. It’s sad to see the decision some companies make just to make a quick buck, even if it means ruining your reputation!
The stills are solid but the videos are suspect.
They got 2 differnt game systems with different bootimes, the ps2 and ps3, to sync PERFECTLY to the point where they can do a side by side comparison.
Looking at the attached linked site I really doubt it.
The thing to test is the PS2 with component video cables. I found the PS2 had some horrible jaggies. Enough that I disconnecnted them and went back to composite. I had to keep a dedicated dvd player.
This may be 100% accurate and 100% backwards compatable.
Oh yeah and 100% crappy looking.
@ Joseph
To sync up the videos perfectly is not a problem, especially if you are recording from the same source. I could do it with the 360 just as well. Just a little Adobe After Effects or Premiere work to sync up the video and your done. The reason why I mention After Effects is I find it personally easier to use for this kind of work.
Oh dear. That does look utterly horrible.
Backwards compatibility doesn’t matter to me, and I don’t have any of my Xbox 1 games anymore, but if I’d bought into Sony’s BC story I’d be expecting perfect emulation, especially considering they actually have a PS2 in their box!
Not that I’ll be buying a PS3 or even a Wii any time soon, not until there are some worthwhile games on either system. Not that the 360 had a perfect launch by any means either Oz. ;P
Oh dear. I shudder to think how us outcasts in the PAL territories will fare when it finally arrives. The PS2 already had enough lazy conversions from NTSC. Just letterbox everything. Now we’ll have to deal with dodgy PS3 emulation on top.
And while we’re on the subject, for a device that was touted as a DVD media center, and many people were buying it for just that reason, the PS2 didn’t cope with NTSC DVDs. You see, some companies release region locked DVDs but don’t bother converting the signal, as most TVs can convert NTSC to PAL. The PS2 outputs them as black and white regardless of your TV’s capabilities. Nice one.
The PS3 doesn’t get free Anti-Aliasing with its video chipset? That seems wrong.. I thought all modern video cards (chipsets) gave that away…
Dave
It’s better to have 95% BC with extra jaggies, then barely having any BC games supported at all.
And I’m surprised you haven’t commented on the wireless headset issues, which I’ve personally experienced.
There are more important things for you to blog about then slight jaggies in BC on PS3. Like seriously, give me a break.
And I thought you had decided to stop slagging off the PS3…
I didn’t think that the PS3 even really used emulation since the hardware that comprises the P@ is included in the box. As Ozy mentioned this is most likely a scaler issue, since you can not punch those games past 480i to 480p. I believe ultimately Sony wants to go to all software emulation, which would give them the ability to do things more similar to the 360, but with a potential loss in the percentage of BC games. That said, what is the deal with the updating of the BC list Ozy? As a person who favors the 360 over either of the other new gen consoles, i can’t help but think that MS is ultimately biding their time until no one asks about BC anymore and then they can just call it a day. Frankly i have at least 10 more games sitting in my stack of Xbox 60 Xbox games that i would love to play on my 360. Please don’t let the BC project just fall byu the wayside because you all think there arent folks that want it. There are, and i am one of them.
@ DD
I would hardly call them slight jaggies if you can see it in a horribly compressed 320×240 video.. seeing how TV rez is 720×480, it would make it quite apparent.
the colour difference between ps3 an ps2 is due to difference btween HDMI and Component???
Ozy-
Reading in the forum that was the source for the stills, the problem pretty closely matches issues with the original PS2. Even then people in the forum have shown PS3 playing some of the games without the severe jaggies.It suspected to be a combination of tv and cable that cause this.
The only games I haven’t seen a fix for are the FFX games. The closest workaround is to switch to an interlaced video format, such as 1080i.
Try setting okemi(sp) to an interlaced mode and see it it cleans up.
Even then, that is a bummer for me, I hate workarounds.
I bet http://www.slurrey.com got a ton of traffic though
Dave H. etal
So far as I have read the PS3 does no ps2 emulation. It actually contains a PS2 hardware on the board, just as the ps2 contained ps1 hardware. So it doesn’t get any advantage from the cell or video hardware of the PS3.
-ExTester
It was my impression from the video that this was recorded from the same screen at the same time. The video also animated some stills. All in all the text is inaccurate and the claim exaggerated, but I bet they got a ton of traffic out of it.
Ozy-
Reading in the forum that was the source for the stills, the problem pretty closely matches issues with the original PS2. Even then people in the forum have shown PS3 playing some of the games without the severe jaggies.It suspected to be a combination of tv and cable that cause this.
The only games I haven’t seen a fix for are the FFX games. The closest workaround is to switch to an interlaced video format, such as 1080i.
Try setting okemi(sp) to an interlaced mode and see it it cleans up.
Even then, that is a bummer for me, I hate workarounds.
I bet http://www.slurrey.com got a ton of traffic though
Dave H. etal
So far as I have read the PS3 does no ps2 emulation. It actually contains a PS2 hardware on the board, just as the ps2 contained ps1 hardware. So it doesn’t get any advantage from the cell or video hardware of the PS3.
-ExTester
It was my impression from the video that this was recorded from the same screen at the same time. The video also animated some stills. All in all the text is inaccurate and the claim exaggerated, but I bet they got a ton of traffic out of it.
It is a noticable difference in those screens/videos but from what I’ve read not every game is as noticable.
Since Sony has been pretty good about having updates for the PS3 since release I don’t expect this to be a problem for much longer, and in the meantime you can play pretty much any PS/PS2 game you want, something that the 360 is still struggling with.
Wow. Assuming that is legit, assuming both sources were recorded and displayed properly and everything . . . that is horrible. Even the PS3’s colouring was off.
I’d rather have my BC games kick ass and be well done than poorly emulated. Don’t forget that Sony’s BC is pretty bad across the board, even for popular titles such as Final Fantasy. Not that the 360’s BC is great (it isn’t), but that’s just . . .
Urgh.
-Rob
"I’d rather have my BC games kick ass and be well done than poorly emulated."
Obviously but actually having BC is better than none, and so far PS3 has done so far.
when i play halo 2 on the 360 the jaggies are as bad as that final fantasy test. halo and forza (the only original xbox games i have) aren’t as jaggie, but they aint perfect.
i’m assuming if you set the ps3 to output at 480i/p before playing your ps1/2 games you wouldn’t have this issue then?
"Obviously but actually having BC is better than none, and so far PS3 has done so far."
The 360 also has BC.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not blindly defending the 360’s BC: I won’t be satisfied until Unreal Championship 2 and the Otogi games are BC, which they probably won’t be.
But to use 100% BC as a selling point over the 360 then to screw up like that . . .
RE: PS3 Backward Compatibility Jaggies
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RE: PS3 Backward Compatibility Jaggies
No, not being sarcastic – it appears there’s finally some unabashedly good news for PS3 owners out there.
RE: PS3 Backward Compatibility Jaggies
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