ps2 software emulation???Since When???

[Chad Edward]

I'm not real active here much, Still run hdloader on ps2's and JB my 3.41PS3 with dongle...Today, after reading more about the cobra dongle and related stuff I'm hearing now for the first time in my life that all ps3's have "built in ps2 emulation software"???WTF? I've searched and read and read and there's so much conflicting info. I've read some say:
"ps2 emulation was always there in the software."
"ps2 software emulation was added in a later firmware."
"The non bc models still have the emotion engine chipset, but not the graphics synthesizer chipset"
"There are two types of BC models, a 20gb and a 60gb that has actual ps2 hardware; AND a 60gb and a 80gb that have software ps2 emulation, but it's not as good."
"Good PS2 playback is ONLY with a bc unit that has the hardware, and there are NO emulators that run anywhere near as good as the hardware."
So what's true, and what's not? What's this "partial ps2 software emulation(SONY)" and why've I never heard of it existing before? As far as the cobra stuff, if it's running ps2 on a non bc ps3, then it has to be ALL emulation, doesn't it? Where'd this emulator come from? About the cobra and ps2, some say it works with any ps3, some say only if it's bc or partially bc to begin with.
Off the top of my head after all the reading I've done, these are just a few of the reasons for my confusion. Since the launch of the 40gb models, I've always been under the impression that true ps2 playback demanded the actual ps2 chipset of the older, BC models and would never be achieved through any known emulation. Also that Sony had no intentions of a software emulation, and because of manufacturing/parts cost would never include unused (even partial) chipsets in non bc models, would they?
AND, I'm still having a hard time finding any actual proof of ps2 games running great on a slim ps3. I'm just plain confooosed...

[Cyris]

ok there was the 20 gb and 60gb launch consoles that had the GPU and CPU of the ps2 right on the motherboard. then a 40gg and 80gb pal version that had only the GPU and the CPU was emulated by the CELL CPU of the PS3. then we have the PHAT US 40gb 80gb 160gb etc that had neither and the slims that have neither. However the PS3 has a software emulator that was built by sony for the obvious reason of screwing people who had already bought their PS2 games and make them buy them from PSN (this will happen in the near future IMO) or the to buy crappy "HD" remakes that will just be PS2 games that are retextured or upscaled by the emulator using some kinda code. Team Cobra comes along and solves our problems by "unlocking" the PSX, PSP AND PS2 Emulator Self files ( I'm guessing they found the key to modify and resign those files).

So Yes as far as i know all ps3 models with a cobra dongle can now play PS2 originals and back ups although Software Emulation of anything will never be better then using the actual hardware e.g. backward compatible systems. I myself plan on Buying on of those dongles soon for my non-bc 40gb console. hope that helped and didn't just confuse you more it's 3am in ohio soo.....

[Turkish-PSG]

ok there was the 20 gb and 60gb launch consoles that had the GPU and CPU of the ps2 right on the motherboard. then a 40gg and 80gb pal version that had only the GPU and the CPU was emulated by the CELL CPU of the PS3. then we have the PHAT US 40gb 80gb 160gb etc that had neither and the slims that have neither. However the PS3 has a software emulator that was built by sony for the obvious reason of screwing people who had already bought their PS2 games and make them buy them from PSN (this will happen in the near future IMO) or the to buy crappy "HD" remakes that will just be PS2 games that are retextured or upscaled by the emulator using some kinda code. Team Cobra comes along and solves our problems by "unlocking" the PSX, PSP AND PS2 Emulator Self files ( I'm guessing they found the key to modify and resign those files).

So Yes as far as i know all ps3 models with a cobra dongle can now play PS2 originals and back ups although Software Emulation of anything will never be better then using the actual hardware e.g. backward compatible systems. I myself plan on Buying on of those dongles soon for my non-bc 40gb console. hope that helped and didn't just confuse you more it's 3am in ohio soo.....

The HD ports are not crappy, they look so much better than the PS2 versions, especially the Sony HD ports, the ones from Ubisoft and Crapcom suck. Ive even compared the HD ports of the PS3 with the PCSX2 emulator on my pc with 4 times native resolution... it looks SHIT on my 50" plasma compared to the HD ports, for one the movies and other cgi look horrible, for two the textures look so horrible.

[Chad Edward]

Thanks for the info., Cyris. It definately helped. So the Sony ps2 software emulation is what allows me to play psn ps1 and ps2 games? But this emulation won't allow me to run any ps1 or ps2 game image or disk, only the changed psn versions, correct? That makes much more sense. Now does that mean when I play my disk of the SOTC/ICO collection, are they actual completely recoded ps3 games, not involving the ps2 emulation at all? Just curious.

[Cyris]

no the cobra lets you play orginal or "backup" PS2 games and ISOs i was mearly expressing later in my post how they stopped working on the software emulation to sell us crappy HD remakes of games some people already have.

Cobra USB = PSP and PS2 emulation on any ps3 system

PS3 Non-backwards compatible = PS1 Emulation only

PS3 backwards compatible = PS2 and PS1 Emulation

[sel2killa]

so much wrong information in this thread.... i dont know where to start? to begin, only the original 20gb & 60gb ps3s had the ee/gs chip from the ps2 on the motherboard. the later 80gb bc ps3 had a graphics synthesizer (gs) and EMULATED emotion engine (ee) - the 40gb ps3 never had backwards compatibility. the cobra usb tries to emulate ps2 on non-backwards compatible ps3s, but does NOT do a good job of it. with any luck they'll get it working better (doubtful). ALL ps3s can play ps1 games - period. lastly, hd remakes of ps2 games look better than a ps2 displaying games on component cables (i wont even mention composite cables since they just plain suck). backwards compatible ps3s running ps2 games still look inferior to ps2 games that were revamped into a "crappy hd remake"....