Ok guys, as promised, here's the comparison. I used Dino Crisis (PS1) running on my PS2 Slim to really see how the jaggies are affected by the mClassic. The images are rather large, maybe too large, but it gives a good idea. Keep in mind, these are not screen captures either, but simply pics I took with my phone... so not perfect, but it is what it is.
First... everything that was needed for this test to even function:
1. Hyperkin PS2 HDMI cable: $30
2. HDMI passthrough with two female ends: $5
3. mClassic: $100
I wasn't aware of the need for the two female ended HDMI passthrough until I tried hooking it up. Had to do a quick run to the store to snag one. It really depends on what you're plugging into if you need that or not. Not pictured was a basic HDMI cable going from the mClassic to the TV. As an added pain, both the Hyperkin and mClassic require external USB power sources. The nice part here, is that you can use the two ports on the front of the PS2 if you want. Most modern TVs have two USB ports in the back as well so there are options. Needless to say, the mess of cords surrounding the PS2 was a bit stupid.
On the side of the mClassic device is a switch that toggles from Off, On (green light), and Classic mode (blue light). I tested all three on Dino Crisis.
Starting with just the Hyperkin (having taken the picture before attaching the mClassic at all, my newer TV did a better job than my last one at making the text readable. That said, the game still looks janky as hell as seen in the first photo below. Take a look at Regina's shoulders and amaze yourself at how your imagination filled in the gaps. It's not pretty but it is playable. You'll also see that it's in the regular 4:3 aspect ratio just fine.
The second photo is the mClassic turned on in Retro Mode. Everything smoothed out to a point, but oddly, the picture was squished vertically. Honestly, I completely forgot to test the 4:3 and 16:9 switch on the Hyperkin in this mode, so I'll have to retest that to see if the 16:9 option will help it from getting squished. It's playable but she looks like a female version of Slender Man.
The final photo at the very bottom is the regular processing of the mClassic with the green light. This is the mode you'd use on the Switch or PS3 or Xbox 360. You can see that it keeps the 4:3 aspect ratio just fine and smooths everything out. The problem here, is that there are occasionally blinks that occur where the screen goes black for a second before returning. Couple that with odd thin interference lines occasionally coming through the picture. Without those two issues, this would be the obvious winner.
Now, as a side test, I compared the Nintendo Switch with and without playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild. With the mClassic plugged in, the colors were far more vibrant and the picture was a tad more smooth. If you're wanting the mClassic just for Switch... I'd wager the $100 asking price would be a bit steep for what you get.
Sorry for the large photos, but they do help with comparison. I recommend centering on Regina for a good comparison as her surroundings are a dull hallway. Let me know what you think.
Just Hyperkin HDMI adapter. No mClassic assist.
With mClassic Retro Mode (Blue Light)
With mClassic regular uprez mode (Green light)
