Sega Saturn PAL 60hz question

[emurozii]

I'm thinking about modding my PAL Saturn for a 50/60 HZ switch, but I'm not sure if PAL games work well or not at 60hz.

So will Saturn PAL games work fine at 60hz, or will I encounter problems or borders?

[Reprise]

I'm thinking of doing the same too. I've wanted to do it for ages actually, but still haven't got round to it. I'll have to try it soon.

Anyways, as far as I've heard, a lot of PAL games will work fine at 60hz. The ones that wont though are the games that were actually PAL optimised. Those will have their picture become stretched too much and/or the game will run too fast

[emurozii]

If you're right and the only PAL games that wont run correctly at 60hz are the ones that were actually PAL optimised, then here's a list of almost every Saturn game released in Europe. The ones with a red star are the ones that're pal optimised.

http://www.segasaturn.co.uk/games/sega_saturn_pal.html

[emurozii]

Can anyone else give some input?

[lordofduct]

Why do you want the switch?

The switch is not necessary to play imports. It was originally for compatibility with your display. Furthermore the switch does not convert it from one mode to another permanently, you get to 'switch' it back and forth between 50 and 60hz. So if a game sucks in one mode, you switch it to another mode.

Also most modern TVs usually support both 50 and 60hz. In the past you may have installed the switch just so you could get an import console to work on your display. Or you might have used it to put it into an unsupported mode because the game refused to play in the wrong frequency (this caused squashed pictures, games to go B&W, etc). But today it's not a big deal really (unless you have an old or crappy TV), because our TVs usually support both modes now, really it's just about putting the console into the appropriate mode for the game, so the game looks the best no matter your hardware.

Now the big question is, does your TV support both 50 and 60hz... that is usually tough to find out because it's not usually listed in the manual. Install the switch... find out if it's supports both... if it doesn't you can always just keep it in the correct mode supported by your TV. It is a switch and all...

[Reprise]

PAL Saturns cannot output at 60hz without the mod switch. I don't know about the original poster, but I'm interested in doing this because I'd rather not play my JPN games with horrible borders and 17% slower than they're supposed to be... Would be nice to play some of PAL games (that weren't optimized) at 60hz too.

My TV is compatible, as is nearly every TV made in the last 10 years, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem I don't think.

[emurozii]

Why do you want the switch?

The switch is not necessary to play imports. It was originally for compatibility with your display. Furthermore the switch does not convert it from one mode to another permanently, you get to 'switch' it back and forth between 50 and 60hz. So if a game sucks in one mode, you switch it to another mode.

Also most modern TVs usually support both 50 and 60hz. In the past you may have installed the switch just so you could get an import console to work on your display. Or you might have used it to put it into an unsupported mode because the game refused to play in the wrong frequency (this caused squashed pictures, games to go B&W, etc). But today it's not a big deal really (unless you have an old or crappy TV), because our TVs usually support both modes now, really it's just about putting the console into the appropriate mode for the game, so the game looks the best no matter your hardware.

Now the big question is, does your TV support both 50 and 60hz... that is usually tough to find out because it's not usually listed in the manual. Install the switch... find out if it's supports both... if it doesn't you can always just keep it in the correct mode supported by your TV. It is a switch and all...

The PAL saturn, as stated by the poster above, cannot output 60hz unless the mod switch has been peformed. This is the same for all European consoles before the Dreamcast - before the Dreamcast they would all only output 50hz.

All seven of my TV's will do both 50hz and 60hz; I know this from playing some early Dreamcast/PS2 games that give you the option for both. It's not rare to find a TV that does both at all? Infact they're really common. It'd actually be hard for me to find a TV that doesn't do both and just the 50hz -I'd have to find something pretty old. I know you didn't actually state 'It's hard to find a TV that does both in PAL land', but you must've meant that, or something along similar lines, by saying 'Now the big question is, does your TV support both 50 and 60hz... that is usually tough to find out because it's not usually listed in the manual'.

I realize the switch isn't necessary for playing my imports, but when I do play them it's pretty crappy having to play them approximately 18% slower with (minor) graphical glitches and annoying borders. I want the switch to play my PAL games at 60hz for the slighty faster speed as well.

What the above poster said about PAL optimised games being the only ones that can't play seems logical and I'm pretty sure he's right

I'm gonna get around to peforming the mod switch in a few days and I'll post here with the results

[lordofduct]

The PAL saturn, as stated by the poster above, cannot output 60hz unless the mod switch has been peformed. This is the same for all European consoles before the Dreamcast - before the Dreamcast they would all only output 50hz.

I didn't say it wouldn't have to be done.

I was saying that doing it doesn't force you into only 60hz... it's a switch. Do it, what's the matter... you can always pop the switch back into 50hz mode if your TV doesn't support 60hz, or if the game looks like crap in 60hz.

note the OP's statement:

I'm thinking about modding my PAL Saturn for a 50/60 HZ switch, but I'm not sure if PAL games work well or not at 60hz.

What's it matter? It's a switch. Switches are designed to SWITCH.

[emurozii]

'I didn't say it wouldn't have to be done.

I was saying that doing it doesn't force you into only 60hz... it's a switch. Do it, what's the matter... you can always pop the switch back into 50hz mode if your TV doesn't support 60hz, or if the game looks like crap in 60hz.'

Lmao..I am aware of that obviously.

'note the OP's statement:

Quote:
I'm thinking about modding my PAL Saturn for a 50/60 HZ switch, but I'm not sure if PAL games work well or not at 60hz.

What's it matter? It's a switch. Switches are designed to SWITCH.'

I had no idea wether ANY PAL games would work in 60hz. For all I knew, they might all run badly with borders and speed problems making them unplayable. Incase something like that was the case that made Saturn PAL games at 60hz not very playable, I didn't want to spend a few hours of my time doing a mod that'd be useless. I wanted to know for definite wether or not they'd work at 60hz first.

[emurozii]

Not to mention I'd have to buy a few parts aswell.

I'm not going to buy a few parts and spend a few hours peforming a mod on my Saturn if I don't even know wether or not it'd serve any purpose. I'm mainly doing it for the PAL games to run at 60hz, I'm just viewing the imports running better as a bonus.

It'd be silly of me to do something I didn't know wether or not would work lmao