Some old games feel slower than you remember, and the European version is to blame
Playing old school games today can often come with a nasty surprise in the form of slowdown, and it's all because of European standards.
Remembering a childhood game as looking stunning, only to encounter a different experience today can be a common feeling. However, it may not be solely due to the game's age; it might also be attributed to regional variations, particularly the PAL versions of the games. The PAL versions, primarily in Europe, can make these games feel slower than expected.
This issue dates back to when electrical power grids were first implemented globally, with the United States opting for 60Hz current at 110V-120V, while Europe chose 50Hz current at 220V-240V. Consequently, TVs had to adjust their refresh rates accordingly, impacting early video games. As a result, games in PAL regions were limited to 50fps, compared to up to 60fps in the US.
Although modern TVs can adapt to both 60Hz and 50Hz, older games may still suffer from the slower frame rates. One major reason for this is that many developers simply slowed down the games from the original 60Hz version to accommodate the PAL regions, even though adapting the games to run at 50Hz would have maintained the same content displayed in the same amount of time.
Some developers did attempt to optimize, such as in Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, which allowed players to choose between 50Hz and 60Hz modes. Today, playing old games from either the NTSC (US) or PAL (Europe) regions is feasible, but it's crucial to select the appropriate version to ensure the best experience.
Written by urgent.news from XDA Developers's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
