by Vladimir Vega 👾
◆ Some of you might be wondering what this popular mod for Sega Mega Drive PAL systems is for and why many retro gamers consider it a must-have today. The answer is simple, the vast majority of games, with the exception of PAL-exclusive titles, were originally developed for the NTSC 60Hz video format at a resolution of 320×224/60fps. This video format was typical for the American and Japanese markets, but not for Europe and Australia, where the 50Hz PAL standard existed <resolution: 320×288/50 fps>.
One of the common problems at the time was that games weren’t properly optimized for PAL systems, meaning they ran up to 17% slower than their NTSC counterparts <PAL games run at 50Hz instead of 60Hz>. One of the best examples is the PAL version of Sonic The Hedgehog, which was notoriously unoptimized, or rather, not optimized at all, and is frequently used to demonstrate this mod. In addition to slower gameplay, unoptimized PAL titles suffered from audio slowdowns, making the in-game music feel noticeably dragged out. Furthermore, games didn’t fill the entire screen <because PAL resolution is higher than NTSC> so the image appeared vertically compressed with black bars at the top and bottom.
All in all, we Europeans really got the short end of the stick when it came to playing on the Sega Mega Drive. Fortunately, this quick and simple hardware modification steps in to bring us closer to the real experience. Additionally, this mod turns your console into a region-free system, allowing you to play titles from all regions. Keep in mind that you’ll definitely need an RGB SCART cable to run everything properly. Yep, once you switch to 60Hz/60fps gameplay, you’ll probably never look back. Heck, this mod even works with the Sega CD add-on!
In this guide, I’ll show you how to modify your Mega Drive I or Mega Drive II consoles. Please note that my tutorial does not include an additional switch <language mode>, as is the case in some other mods.
The things you need are a 3-pin toggle switch and a few colored wires for better identification. You can buy these at almost any electronics store, and they are quite inexpensive. You will also need a soldering iron.
SEGA MEGA DRIVE <50/60HZ MOD>
◆ The first thing we do is, of course, disassemble the entire console to gain access to the motherboard. Next, locate the JP1-JP4 jumpers on the board and break the connection on JP3 <see picture>. Carefully do this with a hobby knife.
NOTE: On some motherboard revisions, there is a capacitor on JP1 that needs to be removed.
The next step is to solder the wires to the appropriate solder points on jumpers JP1 & JP4.
As I mentioned earlier, it is highly advisable to use colored wires for easier identification. Solder the other ends of these wires to the switch <see picture>.
The wire layout on the switch is not strictly critical, but it is usually done according to the table below, where the center pin <0> connects to JP4 <yellow wire, left-pad, see picture>. The other two modes <50Hz PAL and 60Hz NTSC-JPN> go to the remaining two pins on the switch and are connected to JP4 <red wire, right-pad> and JP1 <black wire, right-pad>, respectively.
And that’s it! Of course, you’ll need to figure out where to drill a hole in the console and fit your switch. It’s a good idea to first start your PAL games in their original 50Hz mode and then switch to NTSC mode, because many titles won’t start in 60Hz!
SEGA MEGA DRIVE II <50/60HZ MOD>
◆ Modding the Mega Drive II console works on the exact same principle as the Mega Drive I, the only difference is the motherboard layout. First, locate the area shown in the picture below and cut the trace at the highlighted spot. In addition, gently scrape away a bit of the green protective coating from the trace, as we will be soldering a wire there <see image>.
Next, solder one wire <red wire> to the C8 point, while the remaining two wires go to the R12 point <blue wire> and to the spot where we previously scraped off the green protective coating <white wire>.
The other end of that same white wire goes to the center pin <0> on the switch, while the remaining two wires connect to the outer two pins.
And with that, we’ve successfully completed the Mega Drive II modification as well, congratulations!
One response to “TIPS & TRICKS : Sega Mega Drive | NTSC 60Hz mod <ARCHIVE>”
-
Welcome!
Leave a Reply