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[BacklashWave534]

The media (especially cd based games) will eventually wear out and die. Better to just emulate these days.

 

[Krathoon]

pcsx2 has this weird thing with not quite playing video clips right.

It is like they can't decide the best way to play the damn video. The PS1 emulators do not have this problem.

 

[phant0m]

I don't think so but everyone will have their own opinion.



I thought PS2 emulation was pretty much perfect with powerful enough hardware?

It’s like 98% but I guess based on the below that’s not _actually_ perfect so it’s no good. I have a library of ~2 dozen games and they are all not only very playable but look surprisingly good at 3x internal res (1440p).

It has incomplete compatibility and patches/hacks are needed for some things to appear correctly. Also, there are definite audio artifacts on PCSX2 no matter the setting.

P.S. PS2 hardware is also in a wierd place where its color pallete is very limited, its default resolution is blurry, and assets are of differing quality unless viewed on a CRT or PVM.

Use PCSX2 at 2x or 3x internal res with AA. Looks fantastic.

So what's the best solution if you want to revisit PS2/Game-cube games you missed out on.....especially if you don't have a state-of-the-art PC? Or is it a case of buying a modded Wii, and slim PS2?

PCSX2 and Dolphin. You really don’t need that beefy of hardware — I play GameCube games on my Steam Deck as a point of comparison. Google Vimm.

Nope, and I wonder if it will ever be. PS2 has such a shitty architecture... Last time I tried emulators, I had the choice between having no input lag but no VSync (which looked awful) or having VSync but input lag as well (which was not playable enough).

What do you need Vsync for? Everything pretty much just runs locked at the original 30 or 60 fps. But maybe I’m spoiled with a 144hz monitor.

 

[RAIDEN1]

For PS2 get OG phat so you can connect SATA SAD through an adapter and easily run games off that.

For GameCube, not sure, but probably hacked Wii.

That's what I thought hacked Wii, so I can FINALLY get to go back Wave Race, F-Zero, James Bond etc...

 

[cireza]

What do you need Vsync for?

No VSync = ugly tearing across the screen. The very principle of VSync.

 

[SF Kosmo]

A year or two ago I bought a dedicated hard drive and put the effort into modernizing and organizing and expanding my emulation set up with Launch Box, with complete English sets of everything up through sixth gen, and I haven't looked back since.

The ease of access that comes with a well curated emulation setup means I spend way more time actually playing these games. It took a lot of doing, but it was so worth it.

I still have my classic systems and games but they're not hooked up.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Just get a steam deck

 

[bobone]

I have all the old consoles. Like ALL of them. And I really enjoy playing them every year.
In 2023 I played DK64, Doom on 32X, Zelda Master Quest on Gamecube, and 5 or 6 arcade ports on the NeoGeo CD.
I am lucky enough to still have our old family TV from 2001, a Sony Trinitron 34". Which makes a huge difference.
I played Donkey Kong Country on Snes with my wife on our 4k TV on new years eve, and man that looks awful.

So if you really want to get into the retro stuff, its awesome. But if you're not really interested in it as a hobby then I would do what most are saying on here and just emulate the games and enjoy them.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

I don’t think I could go back to having retro consoles setup, don’t get me wrong I love having them but there either in storage (Ps1, ps2 etc) or on display (Dreamcast with karaoke unit, Saturn, master system etc)

I have an og modded Xbox with xecuter 3 chip and faceplate for all consoles upto ps1, including Capcom cps 1/2, neo geo etc.

Then on pc I have
Saturn
Dreamcast
Naiomi
Model 2/3
N64
GameCube
Wii
Wii u
Switch
Ps1
Ps2
Xbox 360

I find it all so much more convenient and with all the modern benefits emulation brings.

Plus not having to deal with all the wires and controllers and space etc that come with having them all out.

 

[TheDreadLord]

I’d say that maintaining old consoles is a nice hobby but retro gaming is too expensive nowadays

 

[phant0m]

No VSync = ugly tearing across the screen. The very principle of VSync.

I have never experienced this in PCSX2.

 

[fart town usa]

No not really, and I say that as someone who has a good amount of retro consoles still hooked up.

It's only worth it if you have the necessary gear to properly display it, either CRT or scaler. Also need to get an SD card solution because used game prices aren't worth it and playing on OG cartridges is not advisable. Too many risks with dead save batteries. It's just a money sink.

Emulate on PC or get one of those emulation handhelds. I recently got one of those for Dreamcast and PC Engine. It's great.

 

[NeverYouMind]

So what's the best solution if you want to revisit PS2/Game-cube games you missed out on.....especially if you don't have a state-of-the-art PC? Or is it a case of buying a modded Wii, and slim PS2?

Gamecube emulation with Dolphin Emulator has good performance on weaker PC hardware and amazing accuracy. If you go the modded Wii route make sure to use original discs in games with streaming audio as digital backups can't play it for some reason.

For PS2... PS2 Slim with CRT/PVM. However, I would recommend multiplatform games on other consoles most of the time because 480p can be used for Gamecube (with modded Wii/emulation) and classic Xbox instead of the awful 480i standard.

Use PCSX2 at 2x or 3x internal res with AA. Looks fantastic.

I am referring to the original hardware and upscaling low resolution textures is an emulation crapshoot. PCSX2 also usually fails to properly emulate all the particle effects and many other things. Whenever possible I just play remasters of the games or PC versions.

 

[simpatico]

I enjoy it. I've got a SNES and Gensis and an old CRT in my home office. Prefer it to play on an LCD. Got a ton of great gaming done on it this year. Will continue mission next year. Haven't done any "maintaining". The hardware is cheap and plentiful. No oil changing required. Looking to add a PS2 and GC.

 

[-Zelda-]

I would keep one or more yes. I'm not getting rid of my PS3 until hopefully get Tales of Xillia 1 and 2, along with Tales of Graces F, the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, Metal Gear Solid 4, Lord of the Rings: The War in the North until they are on the PS5 and Nintendo Switch because I do not do PC gaming, nor do I plan on buying any Xbox consoles only for those few games. I still have two Wii's and a wii u with downloaded games in them.

 

[Krathoon]

N64 in Retroarch on the PC works really well. There is also Ares.

 

[KloetenQuetsche]

I'm not a big fan of firing up retro consoles. To be honest I just prefer emulation.

Emulation is shit, in my opinion. I struggled long time getting things working as it should.

I gave up. Not worth my time!

Thing changes with my Analogue Pocket.

One session to configure, then just play.

I will never ever configure Retroarch or similar shit again in my life.

Playing snes, megadrive, GB, gba, NeoGeo, Capcom and Taito Arcade is pure fun and little better than emulated.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

The media (especially cd based games) will eventually wear out and die. Better to just emulate these days.

Oh, sure sure. “Eventually”.

Meanwhile, I’m playing my nearly 30-year-old PS1 discs and 40-year-old cartridges, while listening to my music CDs from the 80s.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Not worth it imo.

 

[DonJimbo]

Im in a sad situation that my psone and ps2 stopped to work and i dont like emulation and there is no one repairing it

 

[Fox Mulder]

If you like the games, have nostalgia, or just like all the community around retro gaming. There’s all kinds of hdmi mods or sd card options for consoles these days. Even people making modern power supply options so you don’t need 30 year old bricks.

Retro game collecting was fun in like 2009 before it blew up and you could find them anywhere for cheap. I found like a 29 inch Sony PVM at a flea market for $15 years ago. Games are stupid expensive now and I honestly would just rather emulate now on a modern tv. It’s good enough.

 

[Happosai]

It's worth it if you're willing to invest. The reason this thread has lead heavy toward emulation is due to accessibility and quality. The emulators have certainly become higher quality, are more accessible and will emulate more than just one console. They are designed to run through HDMI to any given modern TV.

That said, a 4K TV...you'd have to buy RCA adapters to my knowledge just to get most fired up and it's simply going to look poor. If the older consoles are affordable, you really intend to play...consider buying a decent CRT TV too. Certain games on SNES or PS2 were mass produced and will be easier to find at a local used game store. However, if you want to be one of 'those' serious retro gamers -- best have a lot of money to invest. The reason many who sold off their retro consoles are not / will not go back is due to the expense of games. One SNES cart can be as expensive as buying a single emulator. There are those too who don't know what they're doing with pricing, so use this at minimum to make sure you don't get scalped either: https://www.pricecharting.com/

Anyway, I kept my retro consoles but many games are gone. I've purchased many Megadrive games I no longer own on Steam and the remainder (things like Tomba which were stupid expensive) is all emu.

 

[ChoosableOne]

Is sex better with your hand or a real human being?

Depends on her age and how she looks.

 

[Rival]

If you get an NES make sure you learn the proper cart blowing technique.