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Forums - Sony - I want to experience the PS1. What are the must-play games?

 

How should I play these games?

OG hardware with OG game discs 7 58.33%
 
Emulate on XBSX Dev Mode 2 16.67%
 
Steam Deck 2 16.67%
 
PlayStation Online Sub Se... 1 8.33%
 
Total:12
Leynos on 29 September 2025
Veknoid_Outcast said:

@firebush03 if you're considering pirating these games, please don't. Don't be part of the problem. There are plenty of ways to purchase and experience PS1 games legally, whether digitally on PS3, PS4, PS5, and PSV, or physically on the original hardware. Some of the best PS1 games are also available via modern collections, like Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, and Castlevania Requiem.

Many of these games are still stuck. Emulating 30-year-old games is not some moral dilemma. Companies got their money, and some don't exist anymore, and rights are up in the air. I collect and own physical games from all eras, but it's not exactly the most affordable or accessible option. Not to mention a lot of modern companies don't even know they have a bunch of dormant IPs. A SEGA exec a few years ago never heard of many classic SEGA games. When Warner Discovery brought AEW to TV they had never heard of WCW. Jim Ryan had no idea about many older Sony games and didn't think people should play old games. It's one thing to pirate a modern game but something from 30 years ago, esp stuff stuck on PS1. Give it up. It's fine. If something is re-released on modern systems then I agree go with that version. Emulate wasn't easy to access.

Side note in the last few years, emulation has saved many games from being entirely lost. That's the other thing. A lot of Japan lost the source code for many games in the 80s and 90s. They did not think to preserve it. Emulating has saved countless games and if you read a website called Time Extension. find out many games thought to be lost have been found due to fans ROMs. Emulation has also inspired fans to translate many classic games. Check out the amazing English translation for Bulk Slash. Even English VA.https://www.timeextension.com/

Last edited by Leynos - on 29 September 2025

Bite my shiny metal cockpit!

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RedKingXIII on 29 September 2025
firebush03 said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:

@firebush03 if you're considering pirating these games, please don't. Don't be part of the problem. There are plenty of ways to purchase and experience PS1 games legally, whether digitally on PS3, PS4, PS5, and PSV, or physically on the original hardware. Some of the best PS1 games are also available via modern collections, like Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, and Castlevania Requiem.

Thank you for the note, Veknoid. However, hear me out: if these PS1 games were available on cartridge at no more than the original MSRP, then I would more than happy to take the safe and easy route of simply purchasing them. But these are discs (meaning that scratching and other wear makes purchasing more of a gamble) that would be purchased 2nd-hand (meaning it would make no difference to the OG dev teams) at potentially marked up prices running on a console produced two or three decades ago (meaning wear may make these devices unusable). IMO emulation in this context would not be an instance of unethical pirating, but a taking advantage of the preservationist aspect of gaming emulation.

That said, however, you do also suggest searching after official emulators. This is an option I would prefer to take as it would be significantly less cumbersome for me to set up…the only downside? Where can I purchase these games in an uncompromised manner? Are the original Spyro and Crash trilogies (not the remakes but the OG releases) available on Steam, PS, or Nintendo? And as far as I’m aware, Insomniac Game and Naughty Dog developed these two trilogies, yet Microsoft would be the one receiving all the profits…what would be unethical about simply “pirating” these games when there is no way to support any of the original devs behind the projects?

If you want to support these companies buy the official re-releases on your modern platform of choice. Maybe even play these games that way. I guess it's a fine way of experiencing them, though you'd get a lot more options if you just use unofficial emulators.

If there's no official re-release, then just pirate it. Buying a used copy will only give money to the seller, not the company.



 

firebush03 on 29 September 2025
SvennoJ said:
firebush03 said:

I’d rather just purchase the physical copy and then emulate. I don’t see anything ethically wrong with that. (Unless you believe it is unethical to purchase second-hand copies of games...) I like collecting physical, even if the disc doesn’t work. I appreciate the resources!

If you want to experience the PS1, you really need to get the original hardware and an old CRT. Emulation doesn't recreate the experience. But yeah you do have the risk now of faulty disks and memory cards.

Dunno if emulation on CRT is available, but the games were made for interlaced CRT. Just not the same on modern displays :/ Same with PS2, looks horrible on modern 4K tv :/

I would need to hook up noise cancelling headphones to any TV I’m playing (I’ve got a funny little neurological disorder that makes it very uncomfortable to play games otherwise, at least for the short term). So, as much as I would love to play CRT, I’ll have to stomach visuals plastered on a 4k TV.

That said, I think the plan is this: I purchase an OG PS1 (to get that real authentic experience), purchase a game that looks very enticing (Ape Escape is top of the list), and if the disc/console doesn’t work, either (i) research disc/console repair OR (ii) DuckStation on my Steam Deck if all else fails.

Last edited by firebush03 - on 29 September 2025

Leynos on 29 September 2025
firebush03 said:
SvennoJ said:

If you want to experience the PS1, you really need to get the original hardware and an old CRT. Emulation doesn't recreate the experience. But yeah you do have the risk now of faulty disks and memory cards.

Dunno if emulation on CRT is available, but the games were made for interlaced CRT. Just not the same on modern displays :/ Same with PS2, looks horrible on modern 4K tv :/

I would need to hook up noise cancelling headphones to any TV I’m playing (I’ve got a funny little neurological disorder that makes it very uncomfortable to play games otherwise, at least for the short term). So, as much as I would love to play CRT, I’ll have to stomach visuals plastered on a 4k TV.

That said, I think the plan is this: I purchase an OG PS1 (to get that real authentic experience), purchase a game that looks very enticing (Ape Escape is top of the list), and if the disc/console doesn’t work, either (i) research disc/console repair OR (ii) emulate if all else fails.

I don't know if they are easily available to buy yet but a Polymega is a solid choice. It plays the original discs but also burns a copy to the console so you don't need the disc and has save states and other accessibility options. I enjoyed my Polymega quite a bit. I do have the original hardware to play all this. Another option is buy a PS2 refurb off Ebay. Since PS2 plays both PS2 and PS1 games. PS2's I believe, are easier to repair. 



Bite my shiny metal cockpit!

firebush03 on 29 September 2025
Leynos said:
firebush03 said:

I would need to hook up noise cancelling headphones to any TV I’m playing (I’ve got a funny little neurological disorder that makes it very uncomfortable to play games otherwise, at least for the short term). So, as much as I would love to play CRT, I’ll have to stomach visuals plastered on a 4k TV.

That said, I think the plan is this: I purchase an OG PS1 (to get that real authentic experience), purchase a game that looks very enticing (Ape Escape is top of the list), and if the disc/console doesn’t work, either (i) research disc/console repair OR (ii) emulate if all else fails.

I don't know if they are easily available to buy yet but a Polymega is a solid choice. It plays the original discs but also burns a copy to the console so you don't need the disc and has save states and other accessibility options. I enjoyed my Polymega quite a bit. I do have the original hardware to play all this. Another option is buy a PS2 refurb off Ebay. Since PS2 plays both PS2 and PS1 games. PS2's I believe, are easier to repair. 

That Polymega sounds really nice!! I’m curious how it might be different than Steam Deck, though? I’ll have to look into that.



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BraLoD on 29 September 2025
Leynos said:
firebush03 said:

I would need to hook up noise cancelling headphones to any TV I’m playing (I’ve got a funny little neurological disorder that makes it very uncomfortable to play games otherwise, at least for the short term). So, as much as I would love to play CRT, I’ll have to stomach visuals plastered on a 4k TV.

That said, I think the plan is this: I purchase an OG PS1 (to get that real authentic experience), purchase a game that looks very enticing (Ape Escape is top of the list), and if the disc/console doesn’t work, either (i) research disc/console repair OR (ii) emulate if all else fails.

I don't know if they are easily available to buy yet but a Polymega is a solid choice. It plays the original discs but also burns a copy to the console so you don't need the disc and has save states and other accessibility options. I enjoyed my Polymega quite a bit. I do have the original hardware to play all this. Another option is buy a PS2 refurb off Ebay. Since PS2 plays both PS2 and PS1 games. PS2's I believe, are easier to repair. 

To me it's a way bigger offense to use savestates on old games that you never played before (if it's not the first time it's fine) then emulating them.

You want the PS1 experience? You use a memory card/virtual memory card and use the game save points.



Link: www.facebook.com/FernandoGuadixartworks/

Leynos on 29 September 2025
BraLoD said:
Leynos said:

I don't know if they are easily available to buy yet but a Polymega is a solid choice. It plays the original discs but also burns a copy to the console so you don't need the disc and has save states and other accessibility options. I enjoyed my Polymega quite a bit. I do have the original hardware to play all this. Another option is buy a PS2 refurb off Ebay. Since PS2 plays both PS2 and PS1 games. PS2's I believe, are easier to repair. 

To me it's a way bigger offense to use savestates on old games that you never played before (if it's not the first time it's fine) then emulating them.

You want the PS1 experience? You use a memory card/virtual memory card and use the game save points.

Meh. It's a QOL feature not a cheat. People who are adults have other things going on in life. Kid screaming about something in the other room? It's handy.  This pure thing is silly. Sure let's also have them put the console upside down to work as well.



Bite my shiny metal cockpit!

BraLoD on 29 September 2025
Leynos said:
BraLoD said:

To me it's a way bigger offense to use savestates on old games that you never played before (if it's not the first time it's fine) then emulating them.

You want the PS1 experience? You use a memory card/virtual memory card and use the game save points.

Meh. It's a QOL feature not a cheat. People who are adults have other things going on in life. Kid screaming about something in the other room? It's handy.  This pure thing is silly. Sure let's also have them put the console upside down to work as well.

Anyone can play how they feel like, indeed.

I'm not against it if you are replaying a game as I said, as you want to go over it again so saving time is understandable, but when you are playing the game for the first time it can literally make the whole thing pointless.

To each their own, everyone knows their priorities.



Link: www.facebook.com/FernandoGuadixartworks/

super_etecoon on 29 September 2025

PS2s are pretty common and cheap in the wild and they play PS1 games. It’s kind of a no brained to have a PS2 if you plan on playing any of the PlayStation classic games, regardless of the ease of emulation. Memory cards are a bit of a pain, but also pretty cheap.



Davy on 30 September 2025

I support emulation because most emulators improve game graphics vastly. If you want to be legit, buy the game and create an ISO and play it on emulator.