PAL and NTSC were different TV standards used in different parts of the world. For retro gaming, the biggest difference is refresh rate.
- PAL: Usually 50Hz, used in the UK and most of Europe
- NTSC: Usually 60Hz, used in North America and Japan
This meant many PAL versions of older games actually ran slower than their NTSC counterparts. By the PS2, Dreamcast and GameCube era, however, 60Hz support became increasingly common in European games.
What Are PAL and NTSC?
PAL and NTSC were two different standards for analogue TV.
PAL, or Phase Alternating Line, was used across the UK, most of Europe, Australia and various other parts of the world.
NTSC, or National Television System Committee, was primarily used in North America and Japan.
There are loads of technical differences between them, but for retro gaming there are two that actually matter: resolution and refresh rate.
50Hz vs 60Hz
This is the big one.
PAL TVs operated at 50Hz, while NTSC TVs operated at roughly 60Hz.
That meant an NTSC game could update the screen around 60 times per second, while a PAL game was limited to 50.
That doesn't automatically mean every NTSC game runs at 60fps. A game running at 30fps on NTSC might run at 25fps in PAL, for example.
And this led to one of the biggest problems with PAL retro games.
Did PAL Games Really Run Slower?
Yep. A lot of them did.
During the 8-bit, 16-bit and early 3D eras, games were often developed around the 60Hz NTSC standard and then converted to PAL for their European release.
Sometimes developers properly adapted the game for 50Hz.
Sometimes they didn't.
A lazy PAL conversion could simply run the entire game roughly 17% slower than the original. Gameplay, animations and even music could all be affected.
If you grew up in the UK, there's a decent chance you played some games for years without ever knowing you were playing a slower version.
Why Did PAL Games Have Black Borders?
This is the other giveaway.
PAL actually had a higher vertical resolution than NTSC. PAL used 625 lines, compared with NTSC's 525 lines.
That sounds like an advantage, but games developed for NTSC weren't designed to use that extra space.
Poorly converted PAL games would simply display the original game image with large black borders at the top and bottom.
So you could end up with a game that was both slower and squashed into a smaller portion of the screen.
Not ideal.
Were All PAL Games Worse?
No.
Some developers properly optimised their games for PAL. Others offered a 60Hz mode, allowing European players with a compatible TV to run the game much closer to its NTSC counterpart.
This became increasingly common around the Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox and PS2 era.
Boot up certain PAL games and you'll even be asked whether you want to play in 50Hz or 60Hz.
By this point, TVs capable of displaying a 60Hz signal were also becoming much more common in UK homes.
What About PAL60?
You might also come across the term PAL60.
PAL60 essentially combines aspects of the two standards, allowing a PAL TV system to display a picture at 60Hz.
For gaming, the important bit is simple: it allowed European players to enjoy 60Hz gameplay without needing an NTSC TV.
If your console, game and TV all supported it, you could get the smoother 60Hz experience while using European hardware.
Are PAL and NTSC Consoles Region Locked?
Often, yes, but PAL and NTSC aren't actually the same thing as region locking.
They're TV standards, while region locking is a separate restriction imposed by console manufacturers.
For example, Japanese and North American games are both generally NTSC, but that doesn't mean a Japanese game will work in an American console.
The original PlayStation has separate PAL, NTSC-U/C and NTSC-J regions despite the latter two both using NTSC.
So bypassing a console's region lock doesn't solve every PAL/NTSC compatibility issue either.
Can Modern TVs Display Both?
Generally, yes.
Modern TVs are far more flexible than the CRT TVs these consoles were originally designed for, and most UK TVs can handle both 50Hz and 60Hz signals without much trouble.
The bigger problem today is usually connecting an old analogue console to a modern digital TV in the first place, rather than whether the TV understands PAL or NTSC.
There can still be quirks depending on the console, cable and TV you're using, particularly with older hardware.
Is NTSC Better for Retro Gaming?
If we're comparing poorly converted PAL games with their original NTSC releases, yes.
60Hz gameplay is smoother, and many games run at the speed their developers originally intended.
But that doesn't mean you should avoid PAL games.
Plenty were properly optimised, particularly as we get into later console generations. PAL games also make more sense for a UK collector who wants to use original UK hardware without messing around with imports or mods.
The important thing is knowing that two copies of the same retro game from different regions aren't always identical.
For some games the difference is barely noticeable.
For others, switching from a 50Hz PAL version to the original 60Hz release can make you wonder why we put up with the slower one for so long.
