SDTV gaming question

Hey gang. Sorry if this question has been asked to death, but I don't spend a lot of time on this particular board. Anyway, I'm planning on getting a PS3 pretty soon (by the end of the year at the latest), but I won't be able to afford an HDTV any time soon. Now I know that PS3 games are playable on SDTV (games obviously don't look as good), but I've read lots of comments from people saying that they couldn't read the text. So I guess my question is: Is text really completely illegible on an SDTV? Because if so, that would suck. A lot. Since most games are pretty text heavy. Especially in the menu/submenu screens, or if there is a lot of dialogue in the game. Thanks for your time.

It won't be illegible but you will need a damn good pair of reading glasses. Some dev's make the text so damn small it's even hard to see sitting a normal distance away from even HD screens. I think you will still enjoy your games whether you use an SD or an HD set though. Make sure you use the highest quality input your TV allows.

Every game I've played on PS3 with a SDTV look fine to me. The text is completely readable. It helps to use component instead of composite too. The image will be cleaner and crisper with the extra bandwidth.

Well, I used to play on SD with my 360 about 6 months ago. It isn't all bad. Only certain games where you'd find you wont be able to read text.

I've also tried 480p on the PS3 for the sake of it. I tried InFAMOUS and being honest here, it looks completely fine and the text is readable, at least in that game.

Yes Hd does make a difference from my experience in playing games on a SDTV the text can be hard to read so i had to get fairly close sometimes to be able to read it.

depends on the game, in some games it is impossible to read text but other games have pretty clear text.

Every game I've played on PS3 with a SDTV look fine to me. The text is completely readable. It helps to use component instead of composite too. The image will be cleaner and crisper with the extra bandwidth.

Spindoc_SEI

I agree with Sindoc...the Component cables will make a big difference just as using a HDTV will make an even bigger difference in eye-candy, you'll see ;)

Yea, unfortunately they do suffer from what I'd like to call 'Dead Rising Syndrome'. Some games are easier to read than others, but you will need to squint a bit depending on the size of your SDTV. It's definitly worth saving up for an HDTV, you'll never look back!

Every game i've played has been legible, except for warhawk. It was pretty hard to read that text sometimes.

aww am i too late to add some input?.. these guys gave good answers & ill have to agree with those who said it differs from game to game.. for instance-- Resident evil 5 is a very considerate game to sdtv users.. every text is completely readable + if you have an sdtv that supports S Video (look on the back of your tv) the text will stop being fuzzy around the edges.. i got a universal s video cable (wasted $20, i wanted the one for just ps3 that cost $10 less) a few weeks ago and it has really improved my gaming visually.. its just a tiny step closer to hd gaming.. good luck and have fun with your new ps3.