PS1 Games on PS4, PS5 Have a Big Downside
By
Adrian Morales
Players diving into PlayStation Plus Premium’s catalog of PS1 games discover that Sony is using inferior versions of classic games.
Earlier this year, Sony announced PlayStation Plus Premium, a new subscription model for its paid online service. This revamped service offers three tiers of subscription, with its most expensive option granting players the opportunity to play classic games across Playstation’s back catalog. However, with today’s launch of PlayStation Plus Premium in Asia, fans have noticed that many of its PS1 games are, in fact, the PAL ports of classic titles instead of the original NTSC versions.
While mostly abandoned in the modern era of gaming, the European 50 Hz refresh rate PAL standard is often considered inferior to the 60 Hz NTSC standard in the United States and Japan. Game developers throughout the PS1 era mainly optimized their games for NTSC regions and later created what some fans consider inferior PAL ports due to graphical problems and game speed issues. Today’s gamers frequently ignore Europen PAL versions of classic games due to frame rate inconsistencies and noticeable screen-tearing on modern 60 Hz screens.
RELATED: PS Plus Premium Upgrades Reportedly Come With a Huge Catch
On May 24, Sony’s PlayStation Plus Premium service launched in Asian markets, where players quickly noticed the service’s utilization of PAL ports. Taking note of the PAL-based PS1 games, YouTuber Andshrew uploaded gameplay footage of their PS5 running Ape Escape through the new PS1 emulator. Players can observe the game running at 25 fps and producing multiple instances of screen tearing due to the framerate not syncing with the PS5’s 60 Hz output. VGC reports that all current first-party games featured in PlayStation Plus Premium’s “Classics” catalog are the European PAL versions.
Currently, the only NTSC games are third-party titles like Toy Story 2 and Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee.
PlayStation 1 titles currently listed as PAL versions include Everybody’s Golf, Wild Arms, Jumping Flash, Kurushi, Worms World Party, Worms Armageddon, and Ape Escape. Sony has not released any details regarding its decision to use PAL region ports instead of NTSC originals at the time of this writing. Still, it isn’t the first time the company has found itself using PAL ports, to the disappointment of many fans.
In 2018 Sony released the PlayStation Classic to negative fan reception. Players noticed that the PlayStation Classic elected to use European PAL ROMs, much like today’s PS1 emulator discovery, and found the visual inconsistencies difficult to manage. Sony has never addressed fan criticisms regarding its use of PAL region ports, leaving it up to fan speculation as to why the company continues to use what some consider the inferior of the two standards.
As PlayStation Plus Premium rolls out throughout the rest of the world, fans can only hope that Sony adds an option to toggle between PAL and NTSC regions the same way Nintendo does with its classic games.
PlayStation Plus Premium launches June 13 in North America.
MORE: Comparing PS Plus Premium’s Launch Games to Xbox Game Pass’
Source: VGC
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About The Author
Adrian has been writing, critiquing, and thinking about games since he first picked up an N64 controller many years ago.
These days he writes reviews, news, and features for Game Rant and believes games should be held to the same artistic standards as books, movies, and television shows. When he’s not writing for Game Rant, Adrian writes even more reviews for Sirus Gaming and likes to get nerdy about tech and retro games at HackerNoon. Outside the gaming world, he spends plenty of time enjoying movies or listening to every genre of music under the sun. Follow him on Twitter for nonsense tweets likely related to Dragon Ball Z, or check out Breadhouse Records for some tunes.
The best retro remakes on PS4 – essential buyer’s guide
essential buyer’s guide
Shadow of the Colossus
Developer: Bluepoint Games / JAPAN Studio
Publisher: SIE
Players: 1
The 2018 remake of Team ICO’s classic retained everything that made it such a hit on PlayStation 2 while rebuilding its visual assets from the ground up.
The result is an incredibly beautiful action adventure that enhances its original, haunting tale with rich HD graphics and revamped control options. Best go into this one knowing as little about it as possible for maximum impact…
Iconic moment:
When the first colossus falls beneath your sword…and all the emotions that follow.
PaRappa the Rapper Remastered
Developer: SIE Japan Studio
Publisher: SIE
Players: 1
Rapping dogs became the in-thing when the orange beanie hat-wearing PaRappa bounced onto the PlayStation scene in 1996. After a sequel and a series of spin-offs, fans were clamoring for a return, which came in the welcome shape of a PS4 remake in 2017.
PaRappa’s rhythm action rhymes and quest to win the heart of the fragrant flower Sunny Funny are back with enhanced audio, high-res textures, additional features, and dynamic 4K support for PS4 Pro. Chop Chop Master Onion, Cheap Cheap The Cooking Chicken, and the rest of Parappa’s crew never looked or sounded so good.
Iconic moment:
«Kick, punch, it’s all in the mind!» Hearing Chop Chop Master Onion’s crazy flows again.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Activision
Players: 1
Spinning an influential path through 3D platform adventures, the world-famous marsupial was an instant hit on PlayStation in 1996, preceding a variety of follow-ups to satisfy fan fervor.
This glossy PS4 return to the original three games delighted players as Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped all got a HD makeover. Fur shaders, more detailed environments, and dynamic lighting are but a few of the enhancements, along with smoother controls to match.
Iconic moment:
Spinning into your first crate, complete with zany sound effects.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
Another game which had been on fans’ wishlists for decades, Square Enix finally answered their prayers with a return to the city of Midgar that left jaws agape.
No expense has been spared to bring back Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and their friends in this iconic RPG featuring a fleshed-out story, staggering visuals, and voice acting that captures the essence of the original. Not only that, but the combat system has been overhauled to retain the classic feel while incorporating exciting real-time action with lots of options on how you play.
Iconic moment:
The opening scene with Aerith in Midgar that drifts into Cloud’s introduction, all set to Nobuo Uematsu masterful score.
LocoRoco 2 Remastered
Developer: Japan Studio
Publisher: SIE
Players: 1
The colorful singing blobs made popular on PSP lose none of their charm in this HD PS4 remake. Tasked with saving the world, the LocoRoco’s battle to defeat the dastardly Moja army is a vibrant jaunt across a kaleidoscopic landscape of platforms and puzzles.
While the PSP original used the L1 and R1 buttons to control the joyful blobs, the DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller lets you not only use those same shoulder buttons but also motion controls.
Now you can roll, bounce, and tilt the LocoRoco through 25 musical stages in an enjoyable new way.
Iconic moment:
When the LocoRoco start harmonising to the background music for the first time.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Developer: Beenox
Publisher: Activision
Players: 1-8
Not to be left in the dust by Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, this high-speed remake of the PlayStation original came powersliding onto PS4 to make sure Crash fans had plenty to get revved up for.
While all the classic tracks and racers are present, the glossy new visuals, online multiplayer, and global leaderboards make this a Crash Team Racing fan’s dream.
Iconic moment:
Seeing Crash’s flailing legs as you get some turbo-boosted air time.
Resident Evil 2
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1
After an unforgettable debut on PlayStation back in 1998, returning to the zombie-infested streets of Racoon City is more terrifying than ever with stunning new visuals and remastered audio.
But it isn’t just the horrifically good presentation that brings Resident Evil 2 up to date – a new over-the-shoulder viewpoint, refined controls, and rebuilt environments all ensure you’re getting a modern revamp of the iconic survival horror experience.
Iconic moment:
Your first, bloodcurdling encounter with Mr. X.
WipEout Omega Collection
Developer: Sony XDev, Clever Beans & EPOS Game Studios
Publisher: SIE
Players: 1-8
Futuristic racing picked up speed when the hugely popular WipEout made its debut on PlayStation in 1995, creating fans so fast that it got a sequel only a year later. So it should come as no surprise that both games feature in this PS4 collection, also strapping in WipEout HD Fury for the ride.
With 26 reversible circuits, 46 unique ships, online multiplayer, and a full HD overhaul – also enhanced for PS4 Pro – WipEout Omega Collection is a dream for any racing fan.
And let’s not forget the iconic soundtrack, which has been updated to feel as fresh now as it did over a decade ago.
Iconic moment:
Seeing the dramatic camera pan around your anti-gravity ship as it hovers at the starting gird.
Resident Evil 3
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1-5
When the hulking and near-indestructible bio weapon Nemesis first burst onto the scene on PlayStation in 1999, it was an unforgettable experience that shook up the series. That shock to the system is recreated in stunning HD on PS4, a chilling reimagination of Capcom’s survival horror masterwork.
Wrapping classic, spinetingling Resident Evil gameplay within the same powerful graphical engine used in the Resident Evil 2 remake, this latest revision to the series is a striking showstopper. If you want to switch up your scares, the online 4 vs. 1 asymmetrical multiplayer game Resident Evil Resistance is also included.
Iconic moment:
Nemesis bursting through the wall to make his terrifying introduction.
Trials of Mana
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
With the original only released outside of Japan in 2019, for many this vibrant remake is their first encounter with the sequel to classic 16-bit action RPG Secret of Mana.
Delivering a stunning 3D version of the original’s beautifully drawn 2D graphics, Trials of Mana takes an epic tale of six heroes in a world on the brink of destruction and revamps it for a modern age. Voice acting, a remastered soundtrack, an upgraded battle system, and other extras make this an unmissable feast for JRPG fans.
Iconic moment:
When the first strains of Hiroki Kikuta’s musical score begins, riffing off the Mana series’ most popular tracks.
Yakuza Kiwami
Developer: SEGA / Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Deep Silver (EU) / Sega of America (US)
Players: 1-2
Kazuma Kiryu’s adventures across the dark and dangerous streets of Kamurocho became legend on PS2 classic Yakuza, so it was only a matter of time before SEGA brought him back for the PS4 generation.
After emerging from a 10-year stint behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit, it’s up to you to guide the so-called Dragon of Dojima through a gritty urban action adventure. The original crime laden story is enhanced with additional dialogue and extended cutscenes, while upgraded character models, audio, and other technical improvements help bring the city to life.
Iconic moment:
Watching Kazuma Kiryu coolly stroll down the neon-lit streets in his crisp white suit as if he owns the world.
MediEvil
Developer: Other Ocean Emeryville & Sony Worldwide Studios
Publisher: SIE
Players: 1
The battle between Sir Daniel Fortesque and the evil sorcerer Zarok was one PlayStation gamers held close to their hearts back in 1998, so seeing the skeletal knight arise from the grave (again) to take up arms on PS4 was a welcome sight.
Maintaining the fun hack-and-slash action adventuring from yesteryear and pairing it with eye-popping HD presentation, an improved camera system, and other tweaks means there’s plenty for old and new fans alike.
And if you’re feeling particularly nostalgic, there’s even a version of the original game hidden away for you to discover…
Iconic moment:
Watching Sir Dan’s single eyeball swivel around in its socket as he faces down the demon hordes.
Ratchet & Clank
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: SIE
Players: 1
It’s not often a game becomes so popular that its modern day return is also in collaboration with a movie, but that’s exactly what Insomniac Games’ action platformer did. Kicking off a successful franchise on PS2 in 2002, Ratchet & Clank spawned over a dozen sequels and spin-offs before its remake on PS4.
This spectacular reimagining packs all the zany humor and over the top adventuring of its precursor with a fresh retelling of how furry Lombax mechanic Ratchet and rebellious sentry robot Clank became best of buds.
Iconic moment:
Beating back enemies with Ratchet’s trusty Omni-wrench.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Developer: Toys for Bob
Publisher: Activision
Players: 1
The plucky little dragon who lit a fire under PlayStation gamers in 1998 brought back the heat on PS4 in a collection of three fan-favorite action platformers: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.
Remastered with vibrant textures and character models for a dazzling contemporary look and improved controls, this is the best way to wage hot war against Gnasty Gnorc, Ripto, and other villainous foes across the realms of Dragon World.
Iconic moment:
Taking to the skies with Spyro’s little purple wings for the first time.
The Bard’s Tale: Remastered and Resnarkled
Developer: inXile Entertainment
Publisher: inXile Entertainment
Players: 1
Fans of the 1980’s home computer classic probably never expected to see this genre-defining role-playing game return, so its arrival on PS4 was like a sweet song from the Bard himself.
A remaster of the 2004 remake, The Bard’s Tale: Remastered and Resnarkled follows the basic story template of its forebearers, adding modern visuals, voice acting by Hollywood talent such as The Princess Bride’s Cary Elwes, and a more action-oriented combat system. One of the biggest changes is to the Bard himself, now a selfish world-weary rogue in the centre of a hilarious satire of the RPG genre.
Iconic moment:
Hearing that lute laden intro music, casting the perfect atmosphere of swords and sorcery.
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Many PS1 games for PS4 and PS5 seem to come from the PAL region — this is not good
PS1 games for PS4 and PS5 are currently only available in Asian countries, and they have already noticed a suspicious trend: in many cases, users are offered versions from the PAL region, which imposes unpleasant technical restrictions.
Simplified, the situation with the regions of the PS1 era looks like this:
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Games worked in two main television formats — PAL (Europe) and NTSC (USA and Japan). nine0003
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PAL has an operating refresh rate of 50 hertz and 25 fps, while NTSC has 60 hertz and 30 fps.
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Usually the NTSC version was taken as the basis, and not all developers carefully approached the conversion to PAL: for example, games could simply work more slowly. Yes, and 30 fps is in any case smoother and more enjoyable than 25 fps.
Ape Escape on PS5 has already measured fps. There 25 frames per second is the PAL version.
Taiwan is an NTSC region, but VGC found that Sony released PAL versions of PS1 games there. After further investigation, the portal came to the following conclusion:
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All the classic PS1 games published by Sony itself (for example, Ape Escape , Everybody’s Golf , Wild Arms , and Jumpushi 3 ) appeared in Taiwan in PAL versions.
Judging by the words of eyewitnesses, there is only one exception — Siphon Filter . -
Worms World Party and Worms Armageddon from a third party publisher have also been released in PAL.
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Other games from third-party publishers (such as Tekken 2 , Abe’s Oddysee and Mr. Driller ) have been released in NTSC.
VGC believes that if Taiwan, where there should be NTSC versions, released PAL, then Sony can do the same with all other countries. A similar problem was observed with the 2018 PlayStation Classic souvenir console — almost half of the built-in games were provided in PAL format for some reason, regardless of the region. nine0003
How the situation will actually be, most likely we will find out after the launch of the updated PlayStation Plus — PS1 games are offered in one of the subscription categories. For now, the expanded PS Plus is available in Asia (except Japan), and will arrive in Japan, the US and Europe during June.
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Backward compatible on Sony consoles / Sudo Null IT News
Introduced in 1999, the PlayStation 2 console was able to play almost all games from the PlayStation 1 and even supported memory cards and controllers of the first model.
But this is not the first set-top box with backward compatibility support. The Sega Genesis came with a Power Base Converter adapter that allows you to run games from the Master System. And the earlier Atari 7800 ran almost all Atari 2600 cartridges, and is the first console to support this feature. nine0003
Atari 7800 and Sega Genesis with adapter
But back to PS2.
The console I/O processor is the central processing unit from the PS1. In later models, it was replaced by a PowerPC chip, and the PS1 core was already emulated in software. As such, some PS1 games will not work correctly on late PS2 models, if they will run at all.
One of the Playstation 2’s hardware features is the VU0 and VU1 vector modules. VU0 is used to transform polygons, physics and other things related to gameplay. When the console is in PS1 mode, the block implements support for the original controller — GTE (Geometry Transformation Engine). In the PS1, it was used to work with three-dimensional graphics and was placed on the same chip with the central processor.
The VU1 module is used for polygon transformation, lighting, and other rendering-related calculations. nine0003
Sony designed the Playstation 2 not only as an evolution of the console, but also made sure that PS1 support was implemented at the hardware level. The only thing that was emulated in software was the PS1 GPU implementation, which was the responsibility of the PS2 «Emotion Engine». The bonus was new options in older games — accelerated disk reading and texture smoothing. The PS2’s architecture consisted of three key parts: the «Emotion Engine» CPU, the «Graphics Synthesizer» GPU, and RDRAM. The console became the best-selling console in history, and Sony took care of backward compatibility, promoting the next generation of its devices to the market. nine0003
Original PlayStation2 board SCPH-10000
At E3 2005, the company introduced the PlayStation 3 and announced that it would be compatible with PS1 and PS2 games. Early models contain chips from the PS2, including the «Emotion Engine», «Graphics Synthesizer» and RDRAM memory.
These ICs were soldered directly to the motherboard, replicating PS2 hardware. But emulation was also used here. I/O implementation and sound processing were not hardware, so PS1 emulation was done in software. The Cell processor was responsible for both functions. nine0003
PS3 CECH A and B models are still in demand in the secondary market due to PS2 hardware emulation. But they are hard to find because the devices are extremely unreliable. You may encounter «yellow fire of death» and overheating problems, as well as the drive fails quickly.
Photos of the PS3 board and Cell die: «Emotion Engine», «Graphics Synthesizer» and RDRAM memory are on the motherboard, and the rest of the architecture is emulated by the SPE cores of the processor
In 2006, Sony released firmware 3.0 for the PSP handheld console. This added PS1 backwards compatibility. And again, emulation was implemented properly. The portable system was built on the MIPS R4000 processor, a direct successor to the MIPS R3000 from the PS1, which allowed running games from the old console with good performance.
The addition of new features encouraged users to update the firmware. Thus, security holes were fixed. There was a constant fight between the company and the hackers. The new firmware will allow you to play the latest games and access the PS1 catalog. And the company will get rid of a vulnerability with which you can run pirated ROMs and install your own firmware. But hackers will find a new hole and force Sony to update the software. nine0003
Going forward, the company is changing direction to focus on current and future games.
The reason for the high cost of PS3 consoles was, among other things, the PS2 hardware support. This meant that Sony did not make money on the sale of consoles. To save money, the architecture was revised, removing the «Emotion Engine» and RDRAM memory, but retaining the «Graphics Synthesizer» chip. «Emotion Engine» began to be emulated programmatically. This task was hung up on the PS3 physical accelerator, and all other SPE cores will emulate the remaining equipment.
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In later PS3 models, only the Cell processor was responsible for emulation
In the Slim version of the console, backward compatibility was completely cut out, abandoning the Graphics Synthesizer chip and software emulation. This reduced the cost of manufacturing devices, which was important for Sony, as the company was losing the battle with Microsoft — the Xbox 360 was the market leader.
Sony will return PS2 support to PS3, but through the digital PlayStation Store. The «classic hits» section will offer about 70 games. This is a completely software emulation, the central and SPE cores of the Cell processor are responsible for it. Despite low compatibility, the emulator works well and in some cases offers better performance than the original hardware. nine0003
Collections of classic games in the PSN store on PS3 and PS4
Sony’s latest portable, the PS Vita, supports PSP software emulation with a high level of compatibility.
PSP games are available through the PSN store.
The PlayStation 4 was released in 2013 without backwards compatibility. Many were left perplexed by the lack of support for PS3 games. The reason was the complexity of the Cell processor architecture. Sony did not try to emulate it on new consoles, focusing on remastering games. nine0003
In 2015, the company officially confirmed that PS2 games would be coming to PS4. Unfortunately, you will not be able to play a PS2 disc by inserting it into the console. The PSN digital store has added a section for buying games from the special collection. And many were disappointed.
Trophies have been added to PS2 classics, but we are drawn to old games because of nostalgia, and trophy hunters are another layer of gamers.
In 2017, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan stated that the company was not interested in supporting classic games, saying it was one of those features that are highly requested but not really used by anyone.
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Ahead of the launch of the PS5, Sony announced that most PS4 games are backwards compatible, including disc reading. At the time of writing, I did not find information about support for earlier generations. It is clear that the hardware is capable of this, and with modern technologies of AI and neural networks, it is possible to scale and reconstruct the picture. That is, old games can look great even on a 4K TV.
Over the next year, the company will be busy with PS4 backwards compatibility to fill the window before new games are released. From the first generations, only classic hits will be available through the PSN store. nine0003
Output
You can achieve software emulation, but you have to work with the source code of each game. It’s much easier to copy hardware by releasing new revisions of old consoles. But few people will downgrade the living room, returning the CRT TV. Most want to play on 4K TVs with surround sound. But these consoles and games are not designed for 4K and such sound — you can’t just solder HDMI and an optical audio output, and give AI and neural networks the finalization of games.
