PS1:PAL Optimized Titles

Considering the PAL and NTSC region differences, many PS1 titles released in the PAL region had gameplay speed that ran 17% slower than NTSC counterparts in the US and Japan. The PAL standard allowed for a higher vertical resolution of 576 lines compared to NTSC's 480, which meant PAL players saw big black borders in many games, due to a lack optimisation. Some titles may also have issues with sound and music being slower or clocks and timers being inaccurate. This is partially because of timing differences in the PS1's internal frequency oscillator and developers not compensating for these differences.

If you have not modified your PS1 by installing a Dual Frequency Oscillator (DFO) to address these problems, even MM3 modchipped consoles can experience minor issues while running out of region games on original hardware. If you do not plan to install a DFO, there are some PAL optimised titles available within the PS1 library. This means the speed of gameplay has been corrected while still running at 50hz / 50 fps, the music and sound effects being identical in tempo to NTSC. Clocks, timers and save game data are accurate to the second.

Due to technical limitations, PAL games cannot take full advantage of the PAL resolution (the image is effectively squeezed down). However, if you look at games like the Crash Bandicoot series, they do not have big black borders (because of quality optimsation) and run at a perfect speed. Forcing these games to 60Hz would break them, speed up the gameplay or cause UI elements to draw out of the viewable area. With a CRT that has overscan, you will not see the small borders, hence why they might be called 'fullscreen'. In terms of forcing these games to 60Hz on original hardware, some tests have been carried out with the FreePSXBoot softmod for the PlayStation and GSM tool for the PlayStation 2. Below is a table with some information of games that have undergone testing.

Gran Turismo (Part Optimised)

Crash Bandicoot 3 (Fully Optimised)

This is by no means a definitive list, as one does not exist. Titles tagged with Fully or Part Optimised might run too fast at 60Hz. Fully Optimised means no big borders or games that are bordered, running in native aspect ratio.

If the game you're looking for is not listed here, generally it is safe to assume that European developers optimised their games for the PAL region. Codemasters, Psygnosis and Rockstar North / Rockstar Lincoln have done so for many of their releases. Prominent offenders include developers such as Square, Konami and Namco, as they are based in NTSC territories.

PAL PlayStation Games Tested for Optimisation

	Fully Optimised	Part Optimised	Unoptimised	60Hz with FreePSXBoot	60Hz with GSM	LibCrypt Protection
007 The World Is Not Enough	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
007 Tomorrow Never Dies	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
40 Winks	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Actua Soccer	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Air Combat	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Aironauts (PAL Exclusive)	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Alien Trilogy	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Alone in the Dark - Jack Is Back	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Alundra	No	Yes, correct music speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested, music will probably run fast	Untested	No
Alundra 2	No	Yes, correct music speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested, music will probably run fast	Untested	No
Ape Escape	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested	Untested	Yes
Army Men: Lock 'N' Load	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Asterix (PAL Exclusive)	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Battle Arena Toshinden	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, big borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Beatmania	Yes, has localised music and is optimsed due to it being a rhythm based game	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Bloody Roar - Hyper Beast Duel	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, big borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Bomberman	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Bomberman World	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, small borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Broken Sword - The Shadow of the Templars	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Bushido Blade	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
C-12 - Final Resistance	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Clock Tower	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Colin McRae Rally	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Colin McRae Rally 2.0	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Cool Boarders	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, small borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Crash Bandicoot	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Crash Bash	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	Yes
Crash Team Racing	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos	No	No	Yes	Yes	Untested	No
D	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Darkstalkers 3	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Dead Or Alive	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Descent	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Destruction Derby	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Destruction Derby 2	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Destruction Derby Raw	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Diablo	Yes, squares become rectangles when running in NTSC, due to British developer	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Die Hard Trilogy	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Dino Crisis	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	Yes
Dino Crisis 2	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Disney-Pixar Toy Story 2 - Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Doom	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Driver	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Driver 2	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Duke Nukem	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Dynasty Warriors	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Earthworm Jim 2 (PAL Exclusive)	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
EA Sports Superbike 2000	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, small borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	Yes
Ehrgeiz - God Bless the Ring	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Evil Dead - Hail to the King	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Exhumed	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Fade to Black	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Fear Effect	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
FIFA Football 2005	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Final Fantasy Anthology	No	Yes, correct music speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Music runs too fast, graphical corruption	Music and game run too fast	No
Final Fantasy VI	No	Yes, correct music speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Music and game run too fast	Music and game run too fast	No
Final Fantasy VII	No	No	Yes	Yes, image slightly shifted up and right	Untested, probably works same as other FF games - video skip, X & Y adjust in NTSC mode	No
Final Fantasy VIII	No	No	Yes	Reverts to 50Hz	Works in NTSC mode	Yes
Final Fantasy IX	No	No	Yes	Reverts to 50Hz	Works in NTSC mode	Yes
Firestorm - Thunderhawk 2	No	No	Yes	Yes	Untested	No
Formula One	No	Yes, correct game speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Hangs at loading screen	Runs too fast	No
Galerians	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	Yes
Gex	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Gex 3D - Enter the Gecko	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Ghost in the Shell	No	Yes, optimised movement speed, big borders, slower gameplay	No	Untested, probably speeds up walking	Untested	No
Grandia	No	Yes, big borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested, probably breaks cutscenes	Untested	No
Gran Turismo	No	Yes, correct game speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Runs too fast	Untested	No
Gran Turismo 2	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Grand Theft Auto	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Granstream Saga	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Guardian's Crusade	No	Yes, correct music speed, small borders	No	Untested, music will probably run fast	Untested	No
Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Yes, image is slightly shifted to the side, but working	Squashed image	No
Harvest Moon - Back to Nature	No	Yes, optimised movement speed, slow text boxes, small borders	No	Untested, probably speeds up walking	Untested	No
Heart of Darkness	No	No	Yes	Untested	Yes	No
Hydro Thunder	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
ISS Pro Evolution	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested, probably breaks cutscenes	Untested	No
Jackie Chan Stuntmaster	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	Yes
Jade Cocoon - Story of the Tamamayu	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Jumping Flash	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, small borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Kagero - Deception II	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
King's Field	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Kingsley's Adventure	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Klonoa	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Koudelka	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Kula World	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Kurushi	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	No, causes bouncing image	Squashed image	Yes
Legend of Kartia	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Legend of Legaia	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Lifeforce Tenka	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Loaded	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Lost Vikings 2 - Norse by Norsewest	No	Yes, big borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested, probably breaks cutscenes	Untested	No
Louvre - The Final Curse (PAL Exclusive)	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
MDK	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Medal of Honor	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
MediEvil	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Mega Man Legends 2	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Mega Man X4	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Mega Man X5	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Mega Man X6	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Metal Gear Solid	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested	Untested	No
Metal Slug X	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Mickey's Wild Adventure	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Mortal Kombat Trilogy	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Music	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
NBA Jam - Tournament Edition	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Nightmare Creatures	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Ninja - Shadow of Darkness	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Oddworld: Abe's Exodus	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
One	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested, probably breaks cutscene	Untested	No
OverBlood	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Overboard	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Pandemonium	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
PaRappa the Rapper	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Parasite Eve 2	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	Yes
Quake II	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
R-Types	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Rage Racer	No	Yes, correct game speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested	Untested	No
Rayman	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Rayman 2 - The Great Escape	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested, cutscenes stutter under Duckstation emulator forced 60Hz	Untested	No
Re-Loaded	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested, briefings run too fast under Duckstation emulator forced 60Hz	Untested	No
ReBoot	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Return Fire	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Resident Evil	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Resident Evil 2	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	Yes
Ridge Racer	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Ridge Racer Revolution	No	Yes, correct game speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested	Untested	No
Ridge Racer Type 4	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Road Rash	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Shadow Man	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Silent Hill	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay (PAL version has minor censorship)	No	Correct speed, but causes overscan (picture draws out on viewable area)	Untested	No
Skullmonkeys	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	N/A	N/A	No
Sled Storm	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Soul Blade	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Spider-Man	No	Yes, small borders but only cutscenes optimised	No	Untested	Untested	No
Sports Car GT	No	No	Yes	Untested	Squashed image	No
Spyro the Dragon	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Spyro: Year of the Dragon	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Star Ocean - The Second Story	No	Yes, correct game speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested, probably speeds game up	Untested	No
Star Wars - Dark Force	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Suikoden	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Suikoden II	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Syphon Filter	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Team Buddies	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, small borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay (PAL version has major censorship)	No	Untested	Untested	No
Terracon (PAL Exclusive)	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Time Crisis - Project Titan	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay and slow timer	No	Untested	Untested	No
Tiny Toon Adventures - Buster and the Beanstalk	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Tekken	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Tekken 2	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Tekken 3 (Western releases have minor censorship in one cutscene)	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
The Unholy War	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
TOCA World Touring Cars	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Tombi!	No	Yes, small borders but slower gameplay	No	Untested	Untested	No
Tomb Raider	No	Yes, aspect ratio correct at 50Hz, intended to run in 60Hz speed (PC version is definitive)	No	Untested	Untested	No
Tomb Raider II Starring Lara Croft	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Tomb Raider: Chronicles	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Tony Hawk's Skateboarding	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Twisted Metal	No	Yes, correct game speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested, probably speeds up game	Untested	No
Urban Chaos	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
V-Rally - 97 Championship Edition	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Vagrant Story	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Vandal Hearts	No	Yes, big borders but only cutscenes optimised (opening cutscene)	No	Untested, probably breaks opening cutscene	Untested	No
Vib-Ribbon	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Vigilante 8	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Wacky Races (PAL Exclusive)	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Warcraft II - The Dark Saga	Yes, squares become rectangles when running in NTSC, due to British developer	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Wild Arms	No	Yes, correct music speed, wrong aspect ratio (letterboxed)	No	Untested, music will probably run fast	Untested	No
Wipeout	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Wipeout 2097	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
Wipeout 3	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	Yes
Worms	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No
X-Men - Children of the Atom	No	Yes, timer optimised, slower gameplay, big borders	No	Untested, will probably break timer	Untested	No
Yusha - Heaven's Gate (PAL & JP Exclusive)	No	No	Yes	Untested	Untested	No
Z (PAL Exclusive)	Yes	No	No	N/A	N/A	No

More data from personal testing is welcome, with an emphasis on the use of original hardware (PS1, PS2). Side to side runs from Duckstation emulator can also provide results on resolution differences, as the emulator does not remove the PAL picture squeeze you would get on original hardware.