PS1 - options for playing games in 60Hz

[speedlolita]

Thanks. I presume PSOne had a better laser at manufacture. Would a PSOne always be better than any laser in a PSX, even if replaced?

You could certainly try a replacement, I've not had much luck with them in the past. The PSone uses a 440-BAM but the cable is too short unless you use an extension, or you have a launch unit.

As wakka has mentioned though I stopped using discs in favour of an xStation. Up front cost is a little high but it sure beats fiddling with lasers and burning CD-R.

[egparadigm]

You could certainly try a replacement, I've not had much luck with them in the past. The PSone uses a 440-BAM but the cable is too short unless you use an extension, or you have a launch unit.

As wakka has mentioned though I stopped using discs in favour of an xStation. Up front cost is a little high but it sure beats fiddling with lasers and burning CD-R.

Thanks for this. Yeah I guess if you use Xstation that reduces hassle quite a bit. I now have 2 modded playstations with busted lasers, they certainly seem temperamental!

[speedlolita]

Thanks for this. Yeah I guess if you use Xstation that reduces hassle quite a bit. I now have 2 modded playstations with busted lasers, they certainly seem temperamental!

Indeed. I have two different non PSone units that have struggling lasers too. And without an oscilloscope I can't extract what little life may be left in them either.

[dataDave]

I’ve gone through about eleven. My last remaining NTSC PSOne (which Speedy modded) has been retired, unless I occasionally want to run it on the mini LCD screen.

All our PSX gaming is done on the MiSTer now.

[egparadigm]

Thank you both for further replies. Decided to try a replacement laser for the PS1 I've got first. Hopefully my enthusiasm for playing it will die before the laser!

[wakka]

Gonna necro this thread as I have questions for egparadigm (or anyone else who has insight!).

I was doing some research on the best way to play a console edition of the early Tomb Raider games, and my google searches led me right back here! Haha!

EG, I was wondering if you had thoughts on which was the best way to play Tomb Raider 1 on console.

The options as it seems to me are:

Saturn PAL 50hz
Saturn Japanese 60hz (which according to S3M 's RandomisedGaming site, contains improvements and bugfixes not present in the PAL and US versions as it was released later)

PS1 PAL 50hz
PS1 NTSC U/J 60hz

I note that in a post above you show how the graphics are stretched in NTSC-U Tomb Raider 2. RandomisedGaming's page on Saturn TR shows that this appears to be the case in Tomb Raider 1 also.

However it does seem that 50hz Tomb Raider 1 is not speed optimised...so it seems you're forced to choose between having the graphics stretched and full speed gameplay, or correct graphics and slower gameplay.

But maybe I don't have that right.

Do you have any thoughts? How did you play Tomb Raider 2 in the end? Was the PAL 50hz version speed optimised or did it run slower than the stretched NTSC-U version?

Lots of questions I know, thoughts welcome

EDIT:

As an extra wrinkle, I see that last year a fanhacked version of the game for Saturn was released which includes the Unfinished Business expansion (which was not officially released on the platform). It also includes other bugfixes and improvements.

From the YouTube videos of it, it looks like this might be a 'goldilocks' version that uses 60hz speed and eliminates stretching:



I'm thinking I might try this one. It also has a convenience factor for me cos my Saturn's already hooked up at the mo.

[egparadigm]

wakka, happy to help. I believe that the PS1 PAL version is the best commercial release available on a console. From what I know/remember the game was designed in 50Hz and so actually it was not properly optimized for 60Hz. The playing speed is the same for both 50 and 60Hz, it’s just the stretched image/ cropping that creates the issue.

The Saturn version for PAL land was also a little hobbled compared to later releases because it was rushed out for purposes of console exclusivity. Hence later software updates aren’t included. The game itself is overly dark which I don’t think applied to the PS1.

Take a look at the version differences and what’s included in the fan hack you mention to compare. The Cutting Room Floor is a good resource, linked to above.

I did like the controller layout on Saturn and it’s still a good game wherever you choose to play it.

[wakka]

Thanks dude, that's really helpful. Think PAL PS1 might be the way to go then, but I'm also interested in this Saturn fanhack.

I will report back my findings when I get around to playing it.

[Asura]

Wait a tick - isn't PAL Saturn the best way? I had always thought it was.

I knew about TR being developed for 50hz, being from a UK developer, but wasn't it also originally to be a Saturn exclusive that was later adapted into a simultaneously-released PS1 game?

[egparadigm]

Theres an interesting article about TR1 on randomised gaming, with video on youtube also. https://randomisedgaming.tumblr.com/...the-unfinished

Asura if you look at the above quoted article it should address your point.

[wakka]

Wait a tick - isn't PAL Saturn the best way? I had always thought it was.

I knew about TR being developed for 50hz, being from a UK developer, but wasn't it also originally to be a Saturn exclusive that was later adapted into a simultaneously-released PS1 game?

The TLDR of the article is - developed in tandem for both machines, with the Saturn release coming first after a timed exclusivity deal was struck with Sega Europe.

This meant the Saturn version had to release earlier than planned and so includes bugs that are not present in the PS1 version (or the Japanese Saturn release, which came later).