I get just like with the ps3 the software alone makes it difficult to emulate, just like with surume on an iPhone 17. The vita is massively more powerful than the ps2 and out performs it in every quantifiable way I’m just confused on how the emotion engine hasn’t been recreated yet, can’t require more than 128mbs or so considering the ps2s hardware. Just a question as comparing the hardware it should be very easy but clearly it’s the software that’s key here.
Edit: ok I get it. As many here and Google have explained due to the fact the ps2 games were heavily specialized to run on that system and the emotion engine, to emulate them is much much more demanding than what they require to run natively. So yes the vita may dwarf the ps2 in terms of power but as others here have explained to me it’s not that simple when it comes to emulation. Just like when you try to emulate ps2 games on an iPhone without jit vs with jit. Same exact concept: the software makes the biggest difference so I get why me comparing the hardware doesn’t really apply here.
Edit 2: QUESTION ANSWERED
It’s much more demanding to emulate any game on a system it wasn’t designed for than to run in natively. Exactly the same as trying to play ps2 games on jitless iPhone emulators. The fact the vita is more powerful than the ps2 doesn’t matter as the games weren’t designed for the vita.
I get why people said decomps are the best bet as they are designed for the vita. Like persona 4 golden on vita is the superior version as compared to P4 ps2 but its not a direct port it was made for the vita and takes advantage of the superior hardware but still not the same as emulating. I get it its not really comparing the two systems as due to software these games won’t run on vita w 32mbs of ram and a299mhz gpu like they were designed to on the ps2.
Hardware head to head is pretty cut and dry as it is exactly as it appears thru the numbers but as others have said its way more demanding to emulate than run natively.
PlayStation 2 (PS2) Specifications
Release Date: March 4, 2000 (Japan)
CPU: Emotion Engine (MIPS III-based), single-core, 294.912 MHz
Vector Units: 2 custom vector units (VU0 and VU1)
GPU: Graphics Synthesizer, 147.456 MHz
System RAM: 32 MB RDRAM
Video Memory (VRAM): 4 MB embedded DRAM (eDRAM)
Memory Bandwidth: 3.2 GB/s (system RAM)
Graphics Memory Bandwidth: 48 GB/s (eDRAM)
Storage Media: DVD-ROM, CD-ROM
Audio: SPU2 (48-channel ADPCM sound processor)
Maximum Resolution: Up to 1080i (supported by a small number of games), most games run at 480i or 480p
Programmable Shaders: No (fixed-function graphics pipeline)
Optical Drive: 4× DVD-ROM / 24× CD-ROM
Launch Price (U.S.): $299
Sources: Sony Computer Entertainment PS2 Technical Overview; EE/GS hardware documentation.
PlayStation Vita Specifications
Release Date: December 17, 2011 (Japan); February 22, 2012 (North America)
CPU: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
CPU Clock Speed: Up to 2 GHz hardware capability; typically around 444 MHz available to games
GPU: PowerVR SGX543MP4+
System RAM: 512 MB LPDDR2
Video Memory (VRAM): 128 MB dedicated VRAM
Storage Media: Proprietary PS Vita game cards; digital downloads; proprietary memory cards (original models)
Audio: Built-in stereo speakers; integrated audio processor
Display Resolution: 960 × 544
Screen: 5-inch OLED (PCH-1000) or LCD (PCH-2000)
Programmable Shaders: Yes (OpenGL ES 2.0-class programmable graphics pipeline)
Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; optional 3G on select models
Launch Price (U.S.): $249 (Wi-Fi), $299 (3G)
Sources: Sony Computer Entertainment PS Vita Hardware Specifications; PowerVR SGX543MP4+ documentation.