Updated at 23/04/2024 -
✅After 293 days ALL first party PS1 games now have an NTSC option!
Three of the 3rd party launch games are all that remain (it's been 1 year, 10 months, 10 days and 33 out of the 37 PS1 classics now have an NTSC option)
* PAL Frame Blending
Sony have started to use a form of frame interpolation on the PAL version of the game as a means to try and improve the issues they have from having to force these 50hz games to output at 60hz when played on PS4 and PS5. With no option to disable this it creates a subjectively worse visual experience for those who actually want to play the PAL version of the game, as this attempt to generate additional frames results in a clearly visible ghosting effect. This effect is demonstrated in this gif and this video.
** Free Upgrade / PS+ Exclusive
Free PS3/PSP upgrade availability and PS+ exclusivity is based on European PS Store regions.
Games listed with 1 indicate this element was added post release via a patch; otherwise the game shipped with this.
Games listed with 2 indicate that while locked behind PS+ exclusivity the game can still be upgraded from the PS3/PSP version for free without a current PS+ membership.
Original post
As we've now reached the milestone of more than 100 days since Sony announced their intention to "roll out NTSC options for a majority of classic games offered on the PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe plan" for those of us in European regions, I wanted to post a thread to update on how this is progressing (or isn't).
For those who don't know the difference between PAL and NTSC versions of games from this era, and why this is an issue:
It's disappointing (but not surprising) that they haven't made better progress on this. But it is genuinely incredible that the single game that they did release with selectable PAL and NTSC versions ended up being (and still is) broken.
Hopefully there won't need be a 200 day follow-up...
✅After 293 days ALL first party PS1 games now have an NTSC option!
Three of the 3rd party launch games are all that remain (it's been 1 year, 10 months, 10 days and 33 out of the 37 PS1 classics now have an NTSC option)
Title | PAL | NTSC | PAL Frame Blending (Forced) | PAL Frame Blending (User Selectable) | Controller Re-map | Trophy List | Free Upgrade from PS3/PSP | PS+ Exclusive | Additional Notes |
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare | X | X | X | X 1 | X | Released 16/04/2024 Patched 17/04/2024 | |||
Ape Escape | X | X 1 | X 1 | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 01/12/2022 * Patch has improved analog controls * The NTSC version in the European PS4 version may have glitched trophies Patched 11/01/2023 * Fixed the trophy issues introduced in previous patch | |||
Cool Boarders | X | X | X | X | X | Released 19/03/2024 | |||
Disney•Pixar Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | X | X | X | X | Released 19/12/2023 | ||||
Disney•Pixar Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) * Analog controller not working, but vibration is working | ||||||
Everybody's Golf | X | X 1 | X 1 | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 25/02/2023 | |||
Everybody's Golf 2 | X | X | X | X | X | Released 17/01/2023 | |||
Grandia | X | X | X | X | Released 21/11/2023 | ||||
Harvest Moon: Back to Nature | X | X | X | X | Released 21/02/2023 | ||||
Herc's Adventures | X | X | Released 20/06/2023 | ||||||
Jet Moto / Jet Rider | X | X | X | X | X | Released 21/11/2023 | |||
Jet Moto 2 / Jet Rider 2 | X | X | X | X 1 | X | X | Released 20/02/2024 * Controller is configured as digital, when the original game supported the analog controller. * In-game FPS is increased from 20 to 30, and this seems to affect the bike physics. Patched 05/03/2024 * Controller now configured as analog. Patched 18/04/2024 * Controller is back to digital (re-mapping now enabled). * In-game FPS reverted to original 20 FPS, which fixes the above issue. | ||
Jumping Flash! | X | X 1 | X 1 | X 1 | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 30/01/2023 * Patch has introduced visual glitches on the in-game HUD (note vertical and horizontal lines over sections of the screen) Patched 22/04/2023 * Fixed HUD graphical glitches introduced by previous patch. | |||
Kurushi | X | X 1 | X 1 | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 16/12/2022 | ||||
Kurushi Final: Mental Blocks | X | N/A | X | X | X | Released 17/10/2023 * Original game did not receive a North American release so no English NTSC version is available. There is a Japanese NTSC release that is mostly English but they have opted not to include that. | |||
MediEvil | X | X | X | X | X | X | Released 16/04/2024 * SIEE English region users can currently only upgrade from a PS3/PSP version via the PS Store on a PS4. | ||
Mr. Driller | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) No longer PS+ exclusive as of 15/08/2023 | ||||||
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus | X | X | X | X | Released 20/12/2022 | ||||
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee | X | X 1 | X 1 | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 24/10/2023 * "General Bug Fixes" Patched 26/10/2023 * Added NTSC and PAL frame blending toggle | ||||
Rally Cross | X | X | X | X | X | Released 16/01/2024 * Analog controller is working, but vibration is not working | |||
Resident Evil: Director's Cut | X | X | X 2 | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) | |||||
RIDGE RACER TYPE 4 | X | X | X | X | Released 21/03/2023 * No option for steering via the dpad as the game is configured to use a Dual Shock controller only. Dpad steering required a digital controller or pressing the analog button on the Dual Shock controller (which this emulator does not give access to). No longer PS+ exclusive as of 15/08/2023 | ||||
STAR WARS Demolition | X | X | X | Released 17/01/2023 * Analog controller is working, but vibration is not working | |||||
STAR WARS™ Episode I - The Phantom Menace | X | X | X | Released 16/01/2024 * Analog controls are overly sensitive | |||||
STAR WARS Rebel Assault II - The Hidden Empire | X | X | X | X 1 | Released 16/04/2024 Patched 23/04/2024 | ||||
Syphon Filter | X | X 1 | X 1 | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 01/12/2022 * Patch has added analog controls | |||
Syphon Filter 2 | X | X | X | X | X | Released 20/09/2022 * NTSC version is broken running ~18% slower than the orignal version * Analog controller not working, vibration is also not working Patched 08/03/2023 * NTSC version running slowly has been fixed * Analog controller has been fixed | |||
Syphon Filter 3 | X | X | X | X | X | Released 17/01/2023 * Analog controller not working, but vibration is working Patched 27/01/2023 * Disabled unlocking trophies via original cheat codes Patched 01/03/2023 * Analog controller has been fixed | |||
Tekken 2 | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) No longer PS+ exclusive as of 15/08/2023 | ||||||
The Legend of Dragoon | X | X | X | X | Released 21/02/2023 * Several technical issues causing the game to freeze Patched 27/02/2023 * Fixes initial releases technical issues | ||||
Twisted Metal | X | X | X | X | X | Released 18/07/2023 | |||
Twisted Metal World Tour (2) | X | X | X | X | Released 18/07/2023 | ||||
Wild Arms | X | X 1 | X 1 | X | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 12/04/2023 | |||
Wild Arms 2 | X | X | Released 21/02/2023 | ||||||
Worms | X | X | X | X | Released 20/06/2023 Free upgrade is from owning Worms (2009) on PS3, not from owning a PS3/PSP PS1 classic. | ||||
Worms Armageddon | X | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) | |||||||
Worms World Party | X | X 1 | X 1 | Released 23/06/2022 (Launch Title) Patched 13/10/2023 |
* PAL Frame Blending
Sony have started to use a form of frame interpolation on the PAL version of the game as a means to try and improve the issues they have from having to force these 50hz games to output at 60hz when played on PS4 and PS5. With no option to disable this it creates a subjectively worse visual experience for those who actually want to play the PAL version of the game, as this attempt to generate additional frames results in a clearly visible ghosting effect. This effect is demonstrated in this gif and this video.
** Free Upgrade / PS+ Exclusive
Free PS3/PSP upgrade availability and PS+ exclusivity is based on European PS Store regions.
Games listed with 1 indicate this element was added post release via a patch; otherwise the game shipped with this.
Games listed with 2 indicate that while locked behind PS+ exclusivity the game can still be upgraded from the PS3/PSP version for free without a current PS+ membership.
Original post
As we've now reached the milestone of more than 100 days since Sony announced their intention to "roll out NTSC options for a majority of classic games offered on the PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe plan" for those of us in European regions, I wanted to post a thread to update on how this is progressing (or isn't).
For those who don't know the difference between PAL and NTSC versions of games from this era, and why this is an issue:
https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2018-playstation-classic-emulation-first-look said:"So what's the problem here? Well, these days all console systems run at 60Hz - a format accepted by HDTVs the world over. Back in the day, PAL territories used TVs that ran at 50Hz instead, and the easiest way to 'port' games over to PAL systems was to simply run them more slowly. Most PAL games run at 83.3 per cent of the full-speed of the NTSC versions in terms of frame-rate, and most of the time in terms of actual gameplay speed too. Side-by-side with the NTSC equivalents, PAL versions are generally slow and plodding and don't properly represent a US or Japanese developer's original vision."
- Sony have released 14 PS1 games so far on PS4 and PS5. They have only added 1 game to the selection in this 100 day period.
- Sony have released a single game (Syphon Filter 2) which delivers on their intentions. This includes both the PAL and NTSC versions of the original game for European users to select between. However the NTSC version of the game made available here is broken and runs ~18% slower than the NTSC version is supposed to.
- Sony patched three of the games (Everybody's Golf, Wild Arms, and Jumping Flash!) to utilise frame blending to try and improve the issues of running 50hz content at 60hz but this has subjectively left these games in a worse state than they were released in due to the image ghosting it causes.
- There are controller input issues reported for some games, and there are some where they have essentially misconfigured their emulator to think a digital pad is connected despite the game having full support for the Dual Shock pad – so no analog controls or vibration is available (and they have form for doing this, Crash Bandicoot 2 on the PS3 was misconfigured in the same way and never fixed meaning you only got digital input despite the game supporting the analog controller).
- One of decisions Sony did get right was allowing people who bought the games on PS3/PSP/PSV to upgrade them for free to the PS4/PS5 versions, but even this is a mixed bag. Games like Resident Evil are upgradable in the European regions, but not upgradable in American regions. Nothing has been done to address these issues.
Title | PAL | NTSC | Additional Issues |
Ape Escape | X | ||
Syphon Filter | X | ||
Everybody's Golf | X | Patched to try to address PAL issues with frame blending | |
Wild Arms | X | Patched to try to address PAL issues with frame blending | |
Kurushi | X | ||
Jumping Flash! | X | Patched to try to address PAL issues with frame blending | |
Syphon Filter 2 | X | X | NTSC version is broken running ~18% slower than the orignal version Dual Shock controller input is broken |
Worms Armageddon | X | ||
Worms World Party | X | ||
Disney/Pixar Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! | X | ||
Resident Evil: Director's Cut | X | ||
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee | X | ||
Tekken 2 | X | ||
Mr. Driller | X |
It's disappointing (but not surprising) that they haven't made better progress on this. But it is genuinely incredible that the single game that they did release with selectable PAL and NTSC versions ended up being (and still is) broken.
Hopefully there won't need be a 200 day follow-up...
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