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Seems that way. Having played Devil Summoner and Disgaea - two of the most shitty looking titles (in the PS3) - I can confirm that they look goddamn wonderful. Edges are crisp, colors are vibrant, text is tight, and it isn't a muddy mess.

And there was much rejoicing.

Now PS2 titles on the PS3 look better than PS2 titles on the PS2 (at least hooked up to my samsung DLP TV).  Excellent.  Go Sony.

Now all they need to do is figure out how to share the bluetooth session keys between the XMB/PS3 environment and the PS2 emulation environment so I don't have to tap the PS button to rebond the sixaxis controller every time I start a PS2 game or return to the XMB and they're golden.

- Q

Nyko is making a PS3 adaptor for PS2 Accessories as well (i.e. Guitar Hero). After that, seems like everything should be covered.

[EDIT]

Still no Blu-Ray at 720 though.

What Quinton said.  The PS3 is nearly fully armed and operational now.  Devil Summoner and FFXII actually look good.  HOWEVER I am going to retest Ye Olde Librarye before I break out the Mad Dog.  I was late for a meeting this morning due to this update and testing those two titles.  Tonight, booting Okami at the minimum.  I have also recovered my San Andreas disc finally, so I'll give that a whirl, I guess.

Just to reiterate, my number one complaint now is the Sixaxis in general, and the manual resync when entering and exiting PS2 mode.  Ah, and not being able to charge it while the PS3 is "off".  I mean, Jesus, doesn't one of the Sony engineers have a 360?  Hello, McFly?!

What exactly?

Personally, I never thought I'd miss rumble so much. Everything else I don't mind (though I've come to expect new controller designs for each successive generation....It's a damn tradition.....The Sixaxis still looks and feels like a Dualshock. But I guess this is just a superficial complaint).

I can live with the resync and power on recharging.

Anyways, this is awesome news.

The only thing weird about the sixaxis for me is it feels a little light (due to the lack of rumble hardware), but this isn't a big deal and I expect after using the ps3 primarily for a while I'll stop noticing that there's anything different.  The wireless is nicer than I expected (I've never really felt like I was missing out with wired controllers).

It *would* be cool if they'd do upscaling to 720p or whatever for PS2 content rather than just spitting out 480p, since I bet they could do a better job of it than my TV does.  Having non-looking-like-ass 480p output is pretty fantastic though.

-Q

You picked two of my issues right there.  The Sixaxis isn't Lucifer Junior come to roast my balls over a brazier, like the backward-compatibility LIES, but it is an annoyance.  A minor one in the scheme of things, really; like you, I can live with that irritation.

For posterity:
1. Pressing the PS button when switching modes.
2. Connecting the USB cable for updates.
3. Nonreplacable battery.
4. No recharge during hibernation.
5. Occasional Bluetooth hangups, the kind that remembers your last button press.

The one that is a real pisser is #5, the rest is just annoying.

Here's a question. Is there ANY WAY (legal or otherwise) you can get Japanese PS2 games to play on an American ps3?

I have not tried.  Word is the PS3 is region-free but I don't know what that means for PS2 games.

Maybe install Linux and a PS2 emulator.  keke

Don't think so Bhodi. Probably the best you can do with DVD media at this point is watch region free DVD films through Linux (don't count me on that...I'm not sure how good/bad video playback is yet). The console just came out though, so lack of mods is to be expected, I guess.

It is region free for PS3 and PSP (?) games though.


Back to the update:

I haven't messed with PS2 games much before on the PS3, but now they load pretty fast. Cool.


Also, I heard some games look even better by using component and 480i. Gonna try that later.

Well, my entire problem was with 480i being horribly shitty.  I'd even call it shit-tay.  Things in 480p looked great.  All is welll now for 480i titles that previously sucked, such as FFXII.  The interesting thing is that Schild had the additional issue of his TV not caring for 480 in general, and that seems to be fixed as well.

No, 480 is still my TVs arch nemesis. I'm gonna try out Sony brand component cables tonight when I pick up Hotel Dusk.

Suddenly, with backwards compatibility fixed, buying a PS3 is viable.

Update for us if Rogue Galaxy works on it.

Rogue Galaxy will work.

Everything will work outside PS2 accessory specific titles (though those will work too...You'd just have to use the normal control scheme).

Now you guys can play all the PS2 games coming out this year on your PS3 and pretend that the PS3 has a great library of games being released.

You mean all the GREAT PS2 games. Hey, look at the Wii, it's not getting any Wii games OR gamecube games. Just saying.

This latest developement is a dangerous threat to my income tax return.  I hope you all are in cahoots and this is just a big fat lie.

Schild when he found his PS3 would play PS2 games correctly? Who knows...

(http://content.ytmnd.com/content/0/8/0/080c05cad9550e55c2ca343d921384ea.gif)

I'd be doing this (http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h292/ahoythematey/mattfoley.gif) if my $600 PS2 emulator finally started working like it was meant to.

Seriously, this is good news. The level of backwards compatibility on the PS3 is nothing to scoff at. I now have have a faster loading, better looking, wireless enabled PS2, that can also play high def movies and PS3 games.  :-P


I'm digging the idea of XBLA and VC for retro compatibility as well, so here's hoping Sony delivers on that too (so far, it's just PS1 games in their store....And some old Midway titles coming soon).

I might actually buy a PS3 if this is for reals, including the accessories.  I've been seriously considering picking up a used PS2 for a while, but if I can get something that plays all the PS2 titles and has room to grow...

If you're mainly interested in PS2 titles for now, then I don't know... You'd definitely be saving money on a PS2 then. You could get a used PS2 for $100 easily. And you wouldn't have to worry about an HDTV for now either (though it's not absolutely necessary to get one for PS3 games...It's just highly recommended).

Hell, you can get a brand new PS2 for $130 these days (the little slimline ones are kinda cute).

If you don't have a HDTV and you only care about ps2 content, just a ps2 does make more sense, unless you're planning on moving to ps3 and/or snazzier tv stuffas.

-Q

I kinda tired, imagine that I found a pic of a fish with a hook in its mouth and posted it here in an attempt at humorous expression of my belief that you will be wasting money.

Nope. Cables worked. Looks better than HDMI. Zing.

On my Samsung DLP, HDMI looks better than component, *but* the TV seems to deal with interlaced content a little better from the component input (not sure why).

-Q

Fixed PS2 compatibility - check.
Has good games - pending.
Atrocious price gets cut - pending.

Getting closer to where I'll buy it.  Some good games and a $500 price tag and I'd bite.

You could get the 20GB version*, and probably upgrade the drive for a better price than getting a 60 gig PS3. You'd also get a decent discount if you traded in your PS2 at EB.

Good games...Yeah, no argument here. Resistance is pretty good, I think (and that's coming from someone burned out on military shooters).....But not system seller quality. Definitely not as drab as it appears as it first though.

Unfortunately, the first true system sellers won't be out until at least the summer. Right now, it's more of a system for people who 1) didn't buy a 360 yet and 2) need to replace or get a PS2.


* That's if you don't mind not having wireless (or the less coveted memory card slots).

What you get for the $600 version that's not in the $500 version:
- 40GB more disk
- sdcard / cfcard / memorystick reader
- 802.11

However:
- You can replace the disk with any 2.5" SATA drive down the road
- any usb mass storage compliant card reader works (as do USB thumb drives, etc)
- the only *feature* you lose from no 802.11 is "psp as a remote control"

So, from my standpoint, the 20GB model is pretty much the no-brainer.
I'd guess we'll see price cuts too, given time.

- Q

In case someone reading this does not realize this, the PS3 does not have PS/PS2 memory card slots.  It (the big one, that is) has a CF, SD and Memory Stick slot, plus it has some USB holes.  If you want to put a PS or PS2 memory card in there, first thing is you will need to buy the dongle called Memory Card Adaptor or some such.  It plugs into a USB port.  Secondly, you will need to know that the PS3 cannot write to a PS/PS2 memory card; it's a one-way trip for your savegames.

Yep, just flash cards and shit. Didn't mean to confuse anyone.

So how are PS/PS2 saves handled, via the HDD?

Yes, virtual Memory Cards. I have cards set up for each company. KOEI, Capcom, NISA, Atlus, SCEA, Square, etc.

Haha. Damn.

I just have virtual "PSX Memory Card 1" and "PS2 Memory Card 1".   8-)

..

Don't think I'm going to bother with an adaptor any time soon. I'll just replay some games as I get around to it. I'm in the process of re-unlocking SC3 stuff atm.

Hot damn.

Exactly how necessary is a HDTV for a PS3? Is it a "you should get HDTV or you will miss out on the extra shiney" or is it "the games will look twisted as fuck so don't buy one without a HDTV"?

Get an HDTV.

I don't have the cash to drop on the PS3, games, AND a HDTV right now. Basically I've been thinking of buying an NTSC PS2 for a while, but I figure it would be better to simply buy a PS3 with an NTSC PS2 chip now, and then when I actually want a PS3 for its own games I'll already have one. In the end it should cost roughly the same and I only need one system (I'll let my brother claim all the PAL games we have). I don't watch many movies, definitely not enough to buy them again in a new format, and I don't have HDTV cable or w/e, so the only thing I'd want a HDTV for would be for the PS3. I'm already being an idiot by looking to extend my gaming while also blowing all kinds of money on music. If I don't need a HDTV I'd like to put it off for now. :P

You don't NEED an HDTV. I was messing with Resistance on composite/CRT the other day, and it looked OK. The graphics capability of both the 360 and PS3 is like the difference between Quake 2 and Quake 4 over their predecessors -- you will see an improvement no matter how old your television is. It's just that HDTV accentuates that by an even larger measure. Standard definition is livable, but it's pretty damn cool to go for the entire HD experience.

What kind of cables does the PS3 come with, component?  What would I get the best image quality out of, in your opinion?  I don't want to look in the PS3 threads at Pc Games, too lazy.

I use component. I didn't like what HDMI did to movies (or games).

Hmmm.  Sounds like I might not need a new HDTV then(no HDMI).  It does come with component, right?

Neg. But you can use PS2 ones. I bought the Sony ones though, for $29.99. They have a better build quality than every single Monster cable I've ever owned.

Ahh, excellent.  I have the Sony comp too.  So it comes with HDMI then?  The reason I ask is because I can't find that information for some reason, tried both best buy and amazon.

No HDMI cable, unfortunately. Just composite (very stupid, Sony).

Looks like another update is out (1.51). I'm not sure what it did.

I don't know if it's worthwhile to look up the change list since I don't think Sony is very interested in making a complete and accurate list.

Also I might have to get a Sony composite cable if it is really that awesome.

About HDTV... last night my wife was watching some sort of football game.  She watched like two quarters of it before she decided to switch to the CBS HD channel and immediately said "Why wasn't I watching this in HD?  It looks soooo much better!"  I just shook my head and kept playing Children of Mana.  So, it's not necessary at all, but it is definitely nice.  I don't know what the HD content is like in Oz, also, so you'll have to consider that.  I would not buy a HDTV just for the PS3, but when you consider HD television and movies it makes more sense.