Plug & Play PS1/2 HDMI! Should You Buy the Hyperkin HDTV Cable for the Sony PlayStation 1 and 2

In this video, we unbox and test out the Hyperkin HDTV Cable for the Sony PlayStation, PlayStation One, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 2 Slim.

Hyperkin has launched a number of cables with an emphasis on making it easy to connect your retro video game console's to modern HD TVs via HDMI. They have cables for Nintendo Consoles, the original Xbox, the Sega Master System & Genesis/Mega Drive, and the cables we have here for the PS1 and PS2. The cables have been designed to upscale the output of the systems to 720P as well, making it not only an easier way to connect your system to an HDMI port, but also yield better image quality, at least in theory.

The 7-foot long cable has a small box in the middle of the cable, which houses the guts of the system. Inside this box is the actual upscaler, which is powered by a micro USB cable (included). You will need to provide your own 5V, 1A power supply, and I used my 5-port USB charging hub I've used in the past.

When the system is not powered on, there is a familiar "No Signal" message on the screen. This is very similar to the message displayed on the CoolDigital AV2HDMI adapter I've tested in the past, leaving me to wonder if the core of the upscaling isn't done by similar hardware.

One thing I was a bit surprised by was how tight the connection to my PSOne was; it was extremely tight! I did not expect this, especially when my PS2 Fat and PlayStation 1 fitment was good, but not tight. This PSOne doesn't have a ton of usage to it, so it may be that the connector itself is just that tight.

I started testing with the PSOne, and overall things looked and sounded pretty good. I did think the reds were a bit blown out on the color palette, not terribly but I did notice it. Beyond that, the graphics looked much improved over the stock composite cables. I don't think the quality was quite up to par with what component cables and an OSSC or a RetroTink2x would deliver, but then again, this cable is considerably less expensive than that option.

When I tested my PS2, I did want to see if the cable would work with DVD playback. Unfortunately, it did not. Similarly to the Pound HDMI cable, the DVD playback had a green hue to it. Oh well.

On the PS2, I was similarly pleased with the graphic results. I didn't notice the reds being overblown like on the PS1, but then again I didn't play Crash on it either! Overall, on each system the quality looked good and I did not notice any increase in lag, latency, or delay.

Why it RoX:
- Connects you PS1 or PS2 to an HDMI port
- Only $30
- Upscales to 720P
- 7-foot long cable
- Micro USB power cable included
- Does improve the quality of the video compared to composite

What Could Be Improved?
- Very tight fit on PSOne port
- Reds were a little blown out on Crash Bandicoot
- A dongle design would allow users to plug in any length HDMI cable
- External power required
- Does not support DVD Playback

Should You Buy One?
If you are looking for an easy way to connect your PS1 or PS2 to your modern flat-panel TV, the Hyperkin HDTV Cable does a reasonable job for a reasonable price. It's not without its flaws, however, those are fairly minor. I was a bit surprised at how tight the connector fit was on the PSOne, which was unexpected, but it didn't affect performance. For the money, it does a good job, and it is something you may want to consider for your system.

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)

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