HD upscaling of PS2 games on PS3: Is it really worthwhile?

[*~Onna76~*]

Well, since there was already a thread about this, I didn't feel like opening a new one.

Since yesterday I was finally able to put on my PS3. Well, maybe sooner, but without the converter I rather not took the risk. After a very rough start because of a freezing console, 3 times, thanks to the online registration option and surviving a headache because of getting used to the smaller menu letters all of the sudden... comparing to a WII, I took the time this morning to test 2 PS2 games. KH2 and FFX-2. BC was a major reason to buy the PS3 in the first place.

I've checked FFX-2 very quickly yesterday and looked alright with me, though tested it on 720p.

Upscaling is indeed for my Sony Bravia LCD TV, a must, but.. not too much I've noticed, when it comes to PS2 games. I've noticed 480p is just enough. The more you upscale a PS2 game, the blurrier it gets. To show the differences I've included 4 pictures, 2 taken in 480p scan with smoothing and 2 taken in 720p with smoothing. Smoothing is in my case needed. Well... quite a difference, isn't it? 480p is so much better. I noticed this already with KH2, the background was very blurry and the characters (Japanese letters) as well in 720p and it got worse when I put it in 1080i. Mind you though, I have only a component cable. Which reminds me... does the images even get better with a HDMI cable?

Really, playing FFX-2 is like playing it again on my older TV, in a good sense. Hardly any jaggies, just about the same images as you would expect on a normal TV. Playing KH2 is looking at a Roxas in one piece instead of an amount of pixels floating on my screen. For that, credits to Sony for making the upscale upgrades work so fine, at least in Japan.

I haven't tested all the games yet and need to test PS games as well, but with the results of KH2 and FFX-2 I can really say... BC rules and should continue to stay alive on the PS3! Especially for LCD owners like me, and there are many of them.

FFX-2 NTSC/JP 480P - SMOOTHING

720P - SMOOTHING

480P - SMOOTHING

720P - SMOOTHING