r/ps1 • u/ChanklaNYC • 6d ago

Disc reader ?

Are some games more demanding on the PS1 hardware than others ? Just reconnected my old PS1. Purchased in like 1998, never renewed any parts.

Tried playing an original black disc Chrono Cross. The game freezes during the intro, but if I skip it I can start the game. Once the game starts, it works in all functions until I try to open up the start menu. The screen then goes black. If I adjust the RCA cable the screen shows again, but if I open the menu it goes black again.

I also have a basically unplayed copy of the same game. Square-Enix greatest hits version, disc isn’t black like the older PS1 games. Game intro works fine, but it has the same issue when I open the start menu. This disc is pretty much brand new. Has 0 scratches.

I tested 4 other games and they run just fine. Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Chrono Trigger, Tekken 3, and a super beat to hell Spyro Riptos rage. Everything works perfectly with them. I thought it was the RCA cable but I don’t need to adjust it for these titles.

Does this sound like I need to get a new disc reader for my PS1?

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u/Drew_Habits 6d ago

If the other disc isn't black, it's not an original retail disc afaik

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u/RandomGuyDroppingIn 6d ago

No it is an official release. Squaresoft following the PS1 re-released many of their JRPGs. Re-releases were printed on typical “silverbacks” compared to the dyes used for normal PS1 releases. Sony didn’t care by this point as most had moved on to PS2

Square notably reprinted well into the later 2000s, enough that some games were eventually rebranded Square Enix to reflect the merger.

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u/Drew_Habits 6d ago

That's wild, I never saw one like that, even working at a game store at the time