PS1/PS2 dilemma

[RCBH928]

Hello

The latest article about psx horror/survival games on racketboy has only increased my desire for a psx. But here is the problem.

I want psx because its about the only console other than NES that I got memories and nostalgia for. I honestly really want the gray psx and I wish for psx games a lot more than ps2 games.

BUT

-The PSX is pretty old, and since it is laser based it is not very durable.
-Finding the good scph-9000 models is difficult
-I recall psx memory cards being really unreliable at the time , leave alone being a decade old
-Buying a psx will be more difficult and going to cost almost as much as a new ps2
-ps2 can play ps1+ps2 games as a bonus(not bad at all)

You see any one with a rational mind would buy a ps2, but I ask this here in racketboy, because you guys are the RETRO guys and you will go out of your way to play the real thing.

So how much is it worth it to get the real thing?
I really don't want to buy a psx every 6 month paying $50 for it(including shipping for me far away). I really cant fix it if any kind of failure happens such as a new laser or bad circuit.

Advice and opinions please?

I think there are brand new psx's where I am(PAL), but they cost something like at least $130 thats with no modchip!

[BigTinz]

So where in PAL LAND are you?

A psx shouldn't cost more than $20 anywhere. They are by far the cheapest systems around...followed by a stock gamecube.

Honestly, the ONLY reason I could see getting a ps1 over ps2 would be that they're eaiser to mod.

[Hobie-wan]

There's no reason not to just use a PS2, especially since getting a PS1 is hard for you. I use my PS2 since I can switch to faster loading and have component out. I only use my modded PS1 if I'm playing an import or a backup.

I was going to offer you a cheap PS1 if you were set on a gray brick since I have a ton of them, but then you said PAL. Doh!

[blue_veilvet]

I kind of understand your dilemma. I play all my PSX games on my PS2 or PS3 for all the practical reasons. But I did not manage to sell my old PSX, just too much nostalgia involved with it. It just looks so charming, like a SNES that can play CDs

I never looked into current prices (I also live in PAL territory), but since a new PS2 is worth well around 100 Euros, I guess any price below that for a PS1 is fine. Think of it that way: You maybe pay some extra money for the feeling of playing on the thing that started it all. You have to decide wether it's worth your money or not.

I think if you want a certain retro feeling, money or other practical considerations should not be a huge obstacle. I recently calculated that it would be way cheaper to buy a Wii and download all titles that interest me from Virtual Console than buying all the cartridges for the original hardware. But I kind of hate the Wii and would rather spend more money to play the games the way they were meant to be.

[Pulsar_t]

ePSXe and pSX.

[Niode]

Pulsar he's specifically asking for a physical system, suggesting emulators isn't going to help anything. Please think before posting.

If you are wanting to mod the system then you should definitely go for an original PS1, PS2's are notoriously hard to physically modify, especially if you want to be able to play PS1 copies (softmod PS2s are unable to play backup PS1 games unfortunately) If you are just interested in playing originals then getting a PS2 will probably satisfy your request. It's compatible with all the peripherals for the PS1 and only a very small percentage (<1% I think) of games don't work 100%.

Bear in mind if you go the PS2 route the 8MB Magic Gate memory cards the PS2 uses aren't compatible with PS1 games, you must use a PS1 memory card.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with the PS1 the best available video out option is S-Video, and that's a step below Component which you could get from using the PS2 and PS3.

I have my PS2 hooked up to my SDTV via Component and there's a pretty significant difference in picture quality on all PS1 and PS2 games. Everything is much sharper and clearer versus Composite.

Even though I can't compare Component to S-Video, I would still believe Component to be the best video option since a lot of people have complained about how bad PS1 games look on their HDTV's via HDMI on PS3

[noiseredux]

-I recall psx memory cards being really unreliable at the time , leave alone being a decade old

you still have to use PS1 memory cards for PS1 games on a PS2.

[Anayo]

For you: if a PSX fills you with nostalgic glee, go for it. That's half the reason we retro game anyway.

For me: I owned a PSX for a while and now have a PS2, and to be honest? I like the PS2 better. The games are just more fun and appealing for me.

[Hobie-wan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with the PS1 the best available video out option is S-Video, and that's a step below Component which you could get from using the PS2 and PS3.

That's correct. Although at least in my case, the S-video out of my Japanese PSOne/Plasma combo with a good cable is excellent.