Sony’s new PlayStation Plus will let gamers access retro games on their consoles. In fact, Sony launched the all-new PS Plus in parts of Asia on May 24, as per schedule. However, reports regarding the classic titles running on the slower European PAL format, even in NTSC-supported regions, started emerging after the launch.
To patch this up, Sony tried deploying an update for a few games but failed to impress fans anyway. Apparently, the patch update ‘blended the frames’ to ‘improve PAL output’. The result? Users reported facing ‘horrible’ ghosting effects.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The new PlayStation Plus subscription service will allow players to access a huge library of PS games on-demand, exactly like Xbox Game Pass. But unfortunately, fans aren’t very happy with what Sony did with the retro games’ quality.
As it happens, there are three tiers available in the new PlayStation Plus subscription service and the issue happens to involve only the highest-priced one. The PS Plus ‘Premium’ lets users access a library of 400 PS4 and PS5 games, along with an additional 340 retro games from the PS3, PS2, and PSP platforms.
WATCH THIS STORY: Biggest games announced at the recently concluded PlayStation State of Play
Players can also choose to buy certain games separately, eliminating the need to subscribe to the ‘Premium’ or ‘Extra’ tier if not desired. But, the ghosting effect has reportedly affected all first-party PS1 games.
The patch update has triggered ghosting effects, leading to massive letdown
The patch update that Sony deployed apparently tries to mix up the existing frames to upscale the frame rate. In the process, Sony failed to realize that the ‘blending of frames’ will only create a visual paradox. John Linneman, an enthusiast at the Digital Foundry, explained everything in a very detailed video (watch it below) featuring visual comparisons.
The patch, indeed, leaves ‘ghosting trails behind every frame’, as Linneman mentions. A Twitter user named ‘Windy Corner TV – Robert’ included before and after screenshots of what the ghosting effect looks like.
Sony has released a patch for a few PS1 Classics on the PS4/PS5 that "improves" the PAL output.
The patch upscales the PAL code to 60hz by blending frames.
But the technique has introduced these horrible ghosting artifacts.
Here's a before and after comparison.#ps5 #ps4 pic.twitter.com/S1yphRrKuQ
— Windy Corner TV – Robert (@windycornertv) May 27, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Some fans wanted to know why Sony used the controversial PAL format in their classic games. The whole point was to ‘revamp’ the PS Plus service; Sony could have easily used the NTSC format that supports 60Hz and is faster. However, Sony could be considering the fact that PAL supports more languages.
Maybe they used pal versions because they have more diverse languages available? Just wondering, not really sure if that's the case.
— Guille M (@merenguerrilla) May 27, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Fans heavily criticized Sony’s lazy attempt to patch things up with a blending effect, instead of introducing an actual fix. It’s evident that fans want to play their favorite classic PS1 games at actual 60 FPS. How Sony tackles this situation is something we’ll have to wait and see!
READ MORE: Rumors Swirl Around PlayStation as Handheld Console Tipped For 2024 Launch
