PS1/2 PAL PS1 and PS2. Best option for PS1 imports?

[OldSchoolTech]

Hi. The title basically says it all. If I was to buy NTSC PS1 games would there be any way to play them in my PAL consoles or would I have to just get a modchip or NTSC console? I heard of using Popstarter but I'm not sure it that will work the same because it's supposed to be an emulator.

The idea is that I don't like having to play the slower PAL games since most were only NTSC optimised.

 

[Ryccardo]

A (PS1) chip is the best way to play foreign and/or backup PS1 discs, distant second comes the swap trick (manual or with facilitating discs/homebrews)

Popstarter is fine for non-disc backups of the supported games (it has a disc mode, but it needs bypassing the hardware-enforced region lock anyway, and it sucks)

 

[AmandaRose]

Find somewhere that sells this it worked with every jap game I tried

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Thanks for the quick replies. Some games are fine even though they have a lower framerate but Rayman 1 for example is slowed down on PAL consoles where I'd rather play the full speed NTSC version. Most people probably wouldn't care but I'm fussy

I guess Popstarter would do me if I had to use it for it, since I own the PAL disc already and the only glitch I've seen is the subtitles disappear too early at scenes which isn't that important.

I'd do the swap trick but then the video mode is set to PAL while the game would be NTSC so I don't think that would work, even if the game did work at all doing that. I'll have a look anyway though for that disc or I'd get a modchip if I had to.

I have a PS1 SCPH-9001 then 3 PS2 fat models and 2 PS2 slims. I wouldn't mind modifying a PS2 either since I have so many.

 

[Ryccardo]

I'd do the swap trick but then the video mode is set to PAL while the game would be NTSC so I don't think that would work, even if the game did work at all doing that. I'll have a look anyway though for that disc or I'd get a modchip if I had to.

There's an homebrew called "PS1 video mode negator", maybe it's the right one for you?

 

[OldSchoolTech]

There's an homebrew called "PS1 video mode negator", maybe it's the right one for you?

Thanks for that. I managed to find that elf file. The only thing is I assume I have to actually have the NTSC game and put it in the drive and a burned ISO won't work?

I don't mind buying the NTSC copy despite already owning the PAL one just as long as it will work if I buy it

 

[Ryccardo]

The only thing is I assume I have to actually have the NTSC game and put it in the drive and a burned ISO won't work?

There's no difference between a pirate and a foreign PS1 game - neither has the correct region string your console's mechacon wants to read itself before it will allow arbitrary disc reads (the purpose of a PS1 chip is to supply that string)

 

[OldSchoolTech]

I know hotswapping works though as I've done it with GSM then PSXlauncher before on the slim. The problem is GSM selects interlaced but I want 240p. I guess I can try hotswap in the slim with that other video elf for now, but getting the timing right could be very difficult.

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Sorry for the double guys but would I be best just tracking down an NTSC PS1 or PS2 console if I can find one and buying the NTSC copy of the game? I seen that the PAL and NTSC have different clocks so will run slower similar to the Mega Drive.

If I had an NTSC/J console I assume it won't play NTSC/U games, I assume also that a modchipped PS1 will still be slightly slow. I was thinking od buying a modbo for PS2 since I have a few consoles but it doesn't look easy with how small some of those solder joints seem in the videos.

Does anybody sell PS2's with a chip preinstalled in the UK (I live in Ireland) or is it easier to install than it looks in the videos?

I apologise for all the questions but if it wasn't for the region lock this would be far easier. All the disc swapping will become an effort trying to use my PAL PS2 for this.

 

[Evilengine]

Best option for PS1 games is the PS1! If you have money and can wait a long time best loader option is the PS-IO.
PAL PS1 can play NTSC in 60Hz(when chipped or when you use something like Xploder 9000 or similar).
There are two kinds of chips, those who show black/white screen on european TVs without RGB cable and color with RGB cable and those who are always in color.
The chips are dead cheap and a child could solder them(we did it when we were children!)

Ps2 is also pretty good for PS1, but some titles won't play. Popsloader compatibility is not perfect.

PS2 no chip needed! checkout FMCB! it is perfect with Open PS2 Loader. you just need a memory card, but someone with a chip needs to install it. avalable through ebay. I am able to create FMCB MCs but also many other people.

 

[OldSchoolTech]

Oh I never mentioned I already have FMCB MC's from years ago when I used the disc swap to run the exploit. Yeah PS1 in NTSC is really all I want to be able to do now without having to use disc swapping etc.

I don't mind buying the games again in NTSC that I want to play but I already own them in PAL. It's just a shame about the PAL slowdown because I'd much rather play the game at the intended speed. It's like Mario players seeing the cheap PAL NES clones where the game goes really slow and since Rayman 1 is 2D it looks very slow in comparison toe the NTSC version. I know Crash Bandicoot Warped is 25fps here but I think it still runs at the correct speed unlike Rayman (both the PAL first and second games on PS1 are slow). The Dreamcast version of Rayman 2 is much better anyway but the PS1 version of Rayman 1 is by far my favourite so I want to try get the NTSC disc and have it run on real hardware.

I much prefer the hardware than the emulators

 

[Kyuuketsuki]

For backups and imports, if your PlayStation has the port at the back. I'd recommend getting an XplorerFX, which my PlayStation can play imports and backups without the spring cap. I have no idea if the XplorerFX comes as standard this way, or I was just lucky to get one (years and years ago) that had been hacked via it's 25 pin serial connection... I may take a look into this, if I can find my scart cable (the best way of getting NTSC in colour when I last played it).

 

[OldSchoolTech]

I have the RGB cable and I have an OSSC too so I guess I should still get colour. Unfortunately my PS1 is an SCPH-9001 so it doesn't have that port on the back.