So Steam finally ported FFX/FFX-2 to... Steam. PC.

I only played the original release on PS2 when it first came out. Played it to death.
Don't think I was ever happy with my materia setup. That huge maze of a chart.
I think I had over a dozen different saves and one card dedicated to FFX alone.

Would the Steam version be identical to the console HD remaster?

I go through comments section on the Steam page a couple times and it's hard to find any useful reviews, as they're mostly all doing it for likes.

Having not bought the HD remaster on console, would it be a safe bet this is a good first-time purchase?

I've been hearing for years how "lip synch" doesn't match at all.
But, I think we're past that point now. The North American distribution vs the Japan distribution are two entirely different beasts.
The English dub, I don't really care about. I was used to watching Jackie Chan and Jet Li dubs for the longest time, I took this game in the same vein.
But, getting a mod for Japanese audio with English subtitles, wouldn't that be better just to find an import of the Japanese disc and find someone who re-programmed it for English subtitles?

Steam beats the PS2 version (INTL. only; NA whiffs completely) by miles.