PS2 Appreciation Thread

[phillv85]

I’ve set up my PS2 again as my game room is taking shape, just had an afternoon playing some Capcom vs SNK 2, which is sadly only 50hz it seems, and some Marvel vs Capcom 2 (in 60hz). What a time for fighting games that it was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

[megamixer]

3 hours ago, phillv85 said:

I’ve set up my PS2 again as my game room is taking shape, just had an afternoon playing some Capcom vs SNK 2, which is sadly only 50hz it seems, and some Marvel vs Capcom 2 (in 60hz). What a time for fighting games that it was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

Yeah, PAL CvSNK2 isn't great. It's one game where I have the Japanese version which is really nice without the borders.

 

I haven't played PAL MvC2 for ages but I don't remember it being 60Hz capable so that sounds good. One thing I do know is that it has one of those horrible blue-bottom CD discs that makes your PS2 sound like it's revving up for a drag race.

[bplus]

On 06/01/2023 at 14:19, Shimmyhill said:

I have an odd feeling about the PS2, at the time I loved it and some of my favourite gaming experiences were on it but I dont have any nostalgia towards it! However, my other half has a slim version and a load of games and I have a few knocking around so with my new OSSC and a new RGB scart cable acquired I had a go on it yesterday and I was transported back in time.

 

I can see problems ahead, I hadn’t banked on buying old PS2 games and im already thinking it needs to be modded for multi region / 60hz…..

 

While I dont have GT3 or GT4 so can’t recreate the glory days of doing a 24hour race I did have GT concept and it doesn’t look too bad via the OSSC (pic looks better than real life tho)

 

You can just run NTSC games on it at 60hz using a soft modded memory card. Well that's what I did, along with a hard disc.

 

I could never get a good pic using the ossc and PS2.

[Shimmyhill]

52 minutes ago, bplus said:

You can just run NTSC games on it at 60hz using a soft modded memory card. Well that's what I did, along with a hard disc.

 

I could never get a good pic using the ossc and PS2.

 

Ohh times have moved on, shoes it do ps1 games too?

 

How do you run it assuming not via the OSSC?

[Lyrical Donut]

18 minutes ago, Shimmyhill said:

 

Ohh times have moved on, shoes it do ps1 games too?

 

How do you run it assuming not via the OSSC?

 

It'll work with PS1 games too, it just switches from 50/60hz depending on the game disc. Modded PS1s were the same.

[gossi the dog]

17 hours ago, phillv85 said:

I’ve set up my PS2 again as my game room is taking shape, just had an afternoon playing some Capcom vs SNK 2, which is sadly only 50hz it seems, and some Marvel vs Capcom 2 (in 60hz). What a time for fighting games that it was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

Capcom vs SNK 2 was one of the first games Capcom published themselves in Europe (they only started publishing games in the region in 2001). After the backlash from the shoddy PAL version of Devil May Cry, to their credit they added NTSC modes to all their subsequent PS2 releases.

[Shimmyhill]

15 hours ago, bplus said:

You can just run NTSC games on it at 60hz using a soft modded memory card. Well that's what I did, along with a hard disc.

 

I could never get a good pic using the ossc and PS2.

 

13 hours ago, Lyrical Donut said:

 

It'll work with PS1 games too, it just switches from 50/60hz depending on the game disc. Modded PS1s were the same.

 

Are we talking about a Mcboot memory card or something else?

[bplus]

On 08/01/2023 at 11:54, Shimmyhill said:

 

 

Are we talking about a Mcboot memory card or something else?

Sorry, mcboot. It's been a while since I messed about with this stuff. My setup is a pal PS2 with free mcboot, a hard drive with NTSC versions of games. All runs at 60hz no problem

[bplus]

On 07/01/2023 at 21:35, Shimmyhill said:

 

Ohh times have moved on, shoes it do ps1 games too?

 

How do you run it assuming not via the OSSC?

I do run it via ossc, I just never liked the picture I got from ossc. Snes, nes megadrive are spectacular thru ossc. For whatever reason n64, ps1 and PS2 come out looking rough. That's just my experience though. I'm sure people on here have had better results than me.

 

 

[Vimster]

I'm no expert on this but I think PS2 is a pain with OSSC due to interlace. I could never get a decent picture though it and doing some research PS2+OSSC is a proper ballache. I ended up just using a component cable in the end, but unless there's a good guide I honestly don't know of a good HDMI solution. 

[Shimmyhill]

22 minutes ago, bplus said:

Sorry, mcboot. It's been a while since I messed about with this stuff. My setup is a pal PS2 with free mcboot, a hard drive with NTSC versions of games. All runs at 60hz no problem

 

So this will allow me region free PS1 & PS2?

 

18 minutes ago, bplus said:

I do run it via ossc, I just never liked the picture I got from ossc. Snes, nes megadrive are spectacular thru ossc. For whatever reason n64, ps1 and PS2 come out looking rough. That's just my experience though. I'm sure people on here have had better results than me.

 

 

 

Im getting the same feelings - the PS1 and PS2 games are obviously improved but still a bit ropey - im running RGB scart into the OSSC and I suspect a combo of deinterlacing and poor scaling on my telly isnt helping, doesn’t help that I dont really know what im doing or what the best settings are.

[Shimmyhill]

23 minutes ago, Vimster said:

I'm no expert on this but I think PS2 is a pain with OSSC due to interlace. I could never get a decent picture though it and doing some research PS2+OSSC is a proper ballache. I ended up just using a component cable in the end, but unless there's a good guide I honestly don't know of a good HDMI solution. 

 

Are you using PS2 component into the OSSC or into the telly?

 

I have my GameCube with the digital out into HDMI so can force 480p - while its a good picture again I think my currently telly just doesn’t upscale from 480p > 4k very well, I wonder if likewise it would be better to run it into the OSSC via component and get it to do some of the line doubling before the telly takes over.

[Vimster]

6 minutes ago, Shimmyhill said:

 

Are you using PS2 component into the OSSC or into the telly?

 

I have my GameCube with the digital out into HDMI so can force 480p - while its a good picture again I think my currently telly just doesn’t upscale from 480p > 4k very well, I wonder if likewise it would be better to run it into the OSSC via component and get it to do some of the line doubling before the telly takes over.

I switched to a component straight into the telly. Had SCART into OSSC previously. 

[Jazz Glands]

3 hours ago, bplus said:

Sorry, mcboot. It's been a while since I messed about with this stuff. My setup is a pal PS2 with free mcboot, a hard drive with NTSC versions of games. All runs at 60hz no problem

How tricky is it setting up a hard drive with Free McBoot? Is anything else required? I seem to remember you used to need a PS2 network adapter? 
need alternatives as my Matrix Infinity PS2 no longer reads discs 

[bplus]

2 hours ago, Shimmyhill said:

 

So this will allow me region free PS1 & PS2?

 

 

Im getting the same feelings - the PS1 and PS2 games are obviously improved but still a bit ropey - im running RGB scart into the OSSC and I suspect a combo of deinterlacing and poor scaling on my telly isnt helping, doesn’t help that I dont really know what im doing or what the best settings are.

No PS1 as far as I know with free mcboot, don't think you can play ps1 games using it but region free PS2 yes.

 

 

[bplus]

Also I think by the end I was just using a component cable and pass thru on my PS2 , i.e the ossc was just converting to hdmi and no other processing

[bplus]

7 minutes ago, Jazz Glands said:

How tricky is it setting up a hard drive with Free McBoot? Is anything else required? I seem to remember you used to need a PS2 network adapter? 
need alternatives as my Matrix Infinity PS2 no longer reads discs 

Hrm, I don't remember it being particularly difficult. I used something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XBERSTAR-Network-Adapter-Adaptor-Playstation/dp/B08HVGN9QK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2Q9WUP4XLO55E&keywords=ps2+hard+drive+adapter&qid=1673287295&sprefix=PS2+har%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-3

 

It's doesn't have a network adapter in it, just has a sata connector so you can use modern hard discs.

[bplus]

I now want to dig out my PS2 and try it on my new 4k oled. No doubt it will look awful.

[Darwock]

16 hours ago, bplus said:

No PS1 as far as I know with free mcboot, don't think you can play ps1 games using it but region free PS2 yes.

 

 

freemcboot opens the door to do the mechapwn mod though, which allows you to load all ps1 games regardless of region/media. OPL also loads PS1 games but uses popstation emulation which is a bit hit or miss… I gave up on it when it wouldn’t allow me to play some of my favourites (e.g. Tekken 3) and decided to just use discs for PS1.

[Vimster]

16 hours ago, bplus said:

Hrm, I don't remember it being particularly difficult. I used something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XBERSTAR-Network-Adapter-Adaptor-Playstation/dp/B08HVGN9QK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2Q9WUP4XLO55E&keywords=ps2+hard+drive+adapter&qid=1673287295&sprefix=PS2+har%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-3

 

It's doesn't have a network adapter in it, just has a sata connector so you can use modern hard discs.

Is there no network connector under the yellow sticker then?

[Ninja Doctor]

The third party ones never have a network port

[bplus]

On 10/01/2023 at 10:21, Darwock said:

freemcboot opens the door to do the mechapwn mod though, which allows you to load all ps1 games regardless of region/media. OPL also loads PS1 games but uses popstation emulation which is a bit hit or miss… I gave up on it when it wouldn’t allow me to play some of my favourites (e.g. Tekken 3) and decided to just use discs for PS1.

Yeah, it can't use the ps1 hardware in the PS2? Is that right?

[matt!]

On 11/01/2023 at 18:16, bplus said:

Yeah, it can't use the ps1 hardware in the PS2? Is that right?

Mechapwn simply disables region checking, it doesn't change the PS1 compatibility which still varies depending on what model PS2 you have. 
 

Mechapwn see how-to section for what it allows

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/mechapwn-by-mecharesearch.33498/

 

PS2 hardware changes affecting PS1 compatibility

 

[New York Mikey]

On 10/01/2023 at 05:00, bplus said:

Also I think by the end I was just using a component cable and pass thru on my PS2 , i.e the ossc was just converting to hdmi and no other processing

To get the best PS2 picture you'll end up going down the Retrotink 5x rabbit hole - I did as the interlacing via my tv or the ossc gave me a headache. Good news is that the tink can replace the OSSC for pretty much all scenarios while doing a more user friendly job. Bit of an investment but totally worth it if you're playing a lot of PS2.

[ianinthefuture]

A cheaper option is the GBS-C - especially if you build your own. But even the prebuilt ones aren't too pricey.

 

They're not as good as OSSCs or Retrotinks, but they do some level of scaling, you can muck about with image quality a bit, and best of all they do motion adaptive deinterlacing so your TV (which is likely terrible at the job) doesn't have to do it.

 

I use a bare board one I built to record PS2 footage from my chonky console, it works a treat.