Compiling a retro console collection

Yep, as long as the voltage is correct you can use any PSU.

Both my PC Engine and Super Famicom run on a PAL Megadrive PSU.

As long as the PSU is external of course. Internal PSU would need to be replaced for something like a Dreamcast, PS2 or Saturn.

I've never tried, but I'd say it'll work on the same idea (just reversed) as a modified PAL snes and NTSC carts.

You'd install switches and boot the game in 50Hz, then switch it to 60hz.

Edit - I'm a fool, that's actually what I do with my Snes! I have an NTSC JAP Super Famicom and play my PAL games on it.

Retr0gamer wrote: »

What you are better off getting is getting either a top loading US NES (they can be expensive though) or do like me and get a Famicom with a converter to play NES games. Neither of them have connection problems (trust me after a month that 72 pin connector will be giving trouble and will need to be replaced with in 6-12 months) and neither need a region unlocking mod. Postage of a famicom from japan should be cheap enough.

I would agree with this 100%, if anybody is starting out NTSC consoles and games are the way to go. I have noticed one thing about modded PAL consoles, that sometimes a 60hz mod isn't exactly 60hz. What may not be noticable on a CRT can look nasty when run through the xrgb scaler and displayed on a lcd. When I done a bit of research I found this can be a common problem with modded PAL consoles.

I have taken the following passages from linked pages.
http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/XRGB-mini_FRAMEMEISTER
Sync Mode

This setting affects the output frame rate of the unit. When set to OFF, the Framemeister's output frame rate is converted to a standard NTSC output rate, regardless of the input frame rate. When set to AUTO the output frame rate more closely matches the input frame rate, even if this deviates from the official HDMI timings. On other video processors, this is called a framerate lock or output frame lock.
Ideally, it is best to leave this setting on AUTO. When input and output refresh rates are mismatched, picture stutter or judder can occur. However, many old games systems (particularly PAL systems that have been modded for 60hz output) have refresh rates that are too out of spec for some TV's to cope with. In this case you may need to set sync mode to OFF and just put up with the picture judder. For more information, see this page.

Link to this.
http://www.videogameperfection.com/2012/06/22/what-causes-games-to-stutter/
When 60hz isn’t 60hz

We’ve established that for silky smooth scrolling, all we need to do is make sure that the input refresh rate matches the output. Since HDMI supports 50hz and 60hz, this should be easy, right? In retro gaming we talk about 50hz consoles and 60hz consoles, but actually there’s probably no such thing. Retro consoles rarely have a vertical refresh that is bang on 60hz. My Saturn, for instance, has a vertical refresh of 59.82hz. Older CRT TV’s were much more tolerant to this kind of variation, but newer TV’s can actually fail to display the picture properly if the refresh is too far out of spec. When this happens, you’ll see tearing, stuttering or the white streak lines across the image (as seen in the picture above). In practise most consoles are fine. Genuine NTSC consoles seem to fare better than PAL consoles that have been modded to output at 60hz. Some of the biggest offenders of out of spec 60hz are listed below:-
Sega Megadrive:- The vertical refresh rates on my 60hz modded PAL Megadrive is a problematic 59.37hz, too far off spec to v-lock with most TV’s. Genuine Japanese Megadrives report a much more respectable 59.91hz.
Neo Geo – The Neo Geo MVS and AES’s video output vertical refresh is a way out of spec 59.15hz or 61.18hz. This is outside of the tolerance of most HDTV’s and the only option is to turn off the v-sync lock and put up with a little stuttering. Some more adventurous Neo Geo owners are investigating actually changing the machines timing crystals to remedy this, but so far I don’t know of anyone who has pulled it off successfully.
Amiga CD32 – My Amiga CD32 is reported as having a vertical refresh of 59.28hz when running in 60hz mode. Again, too far outside the spec of my TV to be usable with v-sync lock on. I’d be interested to know if the rarer NTSC model of the CD32 also has this problem. Since the timing crystals are different between NTSC and PAL Amigas, the chances are it does not.

It's something to think about if anybody is thinking of buying a xrgb in the future, I have had display issues with a modded Saturn and PS1 myself. Can't say how bad the Megadrive is or would be as I don't have one, if the article is correct it too may suffer these problems. What I can say is I never had any problems with NTSC hardware or software.

o1s1n wrote: »

Yep, as long as the voltage is correct you can use any PSU.

Both my PC Engine and Super Famicom run on a PAL Megadrive PSU.

As long as the PSU is external of course. Internal PSU would need to be replaced for something like a Dreamcast, PS2 or Saturn.

Thanks. I was mostly curious about the Super Famicom. I used an emulator to play Umihara Kawase a few years ago and ever since I've thought about picking one up.

Thanks for the info!

I didn't realise there was a difference