How to Connect a PAL PS1 to Modern TVs in 2026

Right Then — Your PS1 Won’t Talk to Your Telly

Picture pulling a PAL PlayStation 1 out of the loft, genuinely excited to replay Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and a pile of JRPGs left unfinished in the late nineties. Plug in the grey AV cable, look at the back of a modern LG OLED, and there it is. No SCART socket. Not even a hint of one. Of course there wasn’t — modern TVs haven’t shipped with SCART in years, and the few budget sets that still include it are rapidly disappearing from shelves. The PS1 was born in a SCART world, and now it has to survive without one.

The good news is that getting a PAL PlayStation 1 running on a modern TV in 2025 is genuinely very doable, and you don’t need to spend a fortune doing it. The less good news is that there are a lot of converters and cables on the market that are absolute rubbish, and if you buy the wrong one you’ll end up with a fuzzy, laggy mess that makes Gran Turismo 2 look like it’s being projected through a sock. This guide has been through the trial and error so you don’t have to. This guide covers every viable method, in order of cost and quality, with honest advice on each.

If you’re also wrestling with older hardware on modern screens, our guide on how to connect a PAL Super Nintendo to a modern TV without SCART covers a lot of the same territory and is worth reading alongside this one — the general principles are very similar, though the PS1 has a few unique quirks worth knowing about.

Understanding What Outputs Your PAL PS1 Actually Has

Before you buy anything, you need to understand what signals your PAL PlayStation 1 can actually output. The console has a single proprietary port on the back — the Multi AV Out — and depending on which cable you plug into it, you get different signal types. Here’s what’s available:

• RF (Radio Frequency): The absolute worst option. Blurry, noisy, almost unwatchable on any screen. Forget it exists.
• Composite video: The yellow-red-white cable most people think of first. Single video signal. Workable, but soft and prone to dot crawl on solid colours.
• S-Video: Separates brightness (luma) from colour (chroma), giving you a noticeably cleaner image than composite. This is the sweet spot for budget setups.
• RGB SCART: The best analogue signal the PS1 can output. Sharp, clean, accurate colours — but requires SCART on the display end, which is exactly what we’re trying to work around.
• Component video (YPbPr): Available via an unofficial modification or a third-party cable. Genuinely excellent quality, and increasingly useful.

The critical thing to understand is that these aren’t interchangeable at the display end. Your TV almost certainly only has HDMI and possibly one set of composite inputs if it’s older. That means you either need a cable that outputs the right format directly, or a converter box in the middle. We’ll cover both.

Which PS1 Model Do You Have?

PAL PlayStation 1 hardware came in several variants across its life, and while they all share the same Multi AV Out port, it’s worth knowing which unit you have before you start. The original fat PS1 (SCPH-1002 being the most common PAL launch model) and its successors up through the SCPH-7502 all support composite, S-Video, and RGB via the Multi AV Out. The later slim PS One (SCPH-102) does the same. The RGB signal is always there — you just need the right cable and conversion hardware to use it properly. S-Video is also present on all PAL models, which is important because it’ll be our recommended mid-range solution.

One thing to check: make sure your Multi AV Out port is physically clean and undamaged. It’s a recessed port and they can collect dust, and the plastic retaining clips inside occasionally break on older units. Give it a look before you start. A damaged port will give you intermittent signal problems that are maddening to diagnose, and it’s easy to waste an afternoon convinced a composite converter is faulty when actually the port was just grimy.

What You’ll Need — Full Requirements List

You don’t need everything on this list — it breaks down by which method you’re using. Read through the methods first, pick one, then come back here to confirm your kit.

For the Composite to HDMI Method (Budget Option — approx. £15–25 total)

• PAL PlayStation 1 console (any model)
• Official or quality third-party PS1 composite AV cable (yellow/red/white, Multi AV Out)
• A composite-to-HDMI converter box (more on which ones to trust below)
• A short HDMI cable to connect the converter to your TV
• USB power cable (most converters are USB-powered — a phone charger works)
• A TV with at least one HDMI input (virtually all modern TVs)

For the S-Video to HDMI Method (Better Quality — approx. £25–50 total)

• PAL PlayStation 1 console (any model)
• PS1 S-Video cable (Multi AV Out to 4-pin S-Video connector)
• An S-Video to HDMI converter, or the Retrotink 2X Mini (highly recommended)
• HDMI cable
• USB power

For the RGB to HDMI Method (Best Quality — approx. £50–250+ depending on upscaler)

• PAL PlayStation 1 console (any model)
• PS1 RGB SCART cable (Multi AV Out to SCART)
• An SCART to HDMI converter (cheap), or a quality upscaler such as the Retrotink 5X Pro
• HDMI cable
• USB or mains power depending on upscaler

Tools and Extras Worth Having

• Your PS1’s original power supply (the UK PAL power brick — check it’s the correct voltage, 240V)
• A working controller (DualShock or original digital pad)
• A game to test with — something with both still menus and fast motion works well for checking lag and image quality
• Your TV’s remote — you’ll likely need to switch input modes and possibly adjust picture settings

Method 1: Composite Video to HDMI — Step-by-Step

This is the starting point for most people and honestly, if you manage your expectations, it works fine. Composite isn’t pretty — it has that slightly fuzzy, colour-bleeding quality that’s actually quite nostalgic if you remember playing PS1 games on a big old CRT — but it gets you up and running for very little money. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Get the Right Composite Cable

Your PAL PS1 needs a cable that connects to the Multi AV Out port (the rectangular socket on the back, not the controller ports) and terminates in the classic three-colour RCA connectors — yellow for video, red and white for stereo audio. These are sometimes called “PS1 AV cables” or “PlayStation composite cables” online.

The official Sony cable is the gold standard and can often be found secondhand for £5–10. Third-party cables are fine, but avoid the absolutely rock-bottom ones — some cut corners on shielding and you’ll get interference noise in the audio or a slightly degraded picture. Anything from a reasonably known brand (Valueline, Hama, or similar) is fine. Spend at least £5. Cables that come in at £2 delivered from overseas marketplaces are usually not worth the trouble.

Why this step matters: A bad cable at this point undermines everything downstream. Even the best converter can’t fix a bad signal coming in.

Step 2: Choose a Decent Composite-to-HDMI Converter

This is where people go wrong most often. Search “composite to HDMI converter” on Amazon and you’ll find dozens of near-identical boxes, many sharing the same cheap chipset, all priced at around £10–20. Some are fine. Some are genuinely terrible. The ones to avoid are the completely unbranded white or black boxes with no model number — these often add noticeable input lag, which kills the feel of any PS1 game that requires precise timing.

The models widely found acceptable at this price point include the Neoteck composite-to-HDMI converter (around £15) and the Ezcap EZV100 (slightly more but better build quality). Neither is amazing, but both work reliably and don’t add crippling lag. For this budget tier, that’s the bar you’re clearing.

What you want in a converter: 1080p upscaling output, USB bus-powered (no need for a separate mains socket), and — crucially — support for PAL input. Not all cheap converters handle PAL signals properly. The label should say it accepts PAL/NTSC. If it doesn’t specify, email the seller or skip it.

Pro tip: some converters work perfectly for NTSC signals but produce a rolling image with a PAL unit. PAL compatibility is genuinely variable on cheap converters — don’t assume.

Step 3: Connect Everything Up

1. With everything powered off, plug the composite cable’s Multi AV Out end into the back of your PS1.
2. Plug the yellow RCA connector into the video-in port on your converter (usually labelled “Video In” or marked with yellow colour coding).
3. Plug the red and white RCA connectors into the corresponding audio-in ports on the converter.
4. Connect one end of your HDMI cable to the converter’s HDMI out port.
5. Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to a free HDMI port on your TV. Make a note of which HDMI input number it is (e.g., HDMI 2).
6. Plug the USB power cable into the converter, and plug the USB end into a phone charger or USB port.

Why the order matters: Powering up the converter before the console is generally fine, but connecting cables to a powered console can sometimes cause signal detection issues. Cold connections are good practice.

Step 4: Power On and Select the Right Input

1. Power on your PS1 first.
2. Make sure the converter is also powered (most have an LED indicator).
3. On your TV remote, press the Input or Source button and cycle through until you reach the HDMI port you plugged into.
4. You should see the PS1 boot screen — the Sony Computer Entertainment logo and then either the PlayStation menu or your game’s title screen.

If you see a blank screen, don’t panic. Go to the troubleshooting section below. It’s rarely a serious problem.

Step 5: Adjust Your TV’s Picture Settings

Modern TVs often apply a lot of processing to incoming signals — noise reduction, motion smoothing, dynamic contrast adjustments. With a composite PS1 signal, most of this processing is working against you. It can add lag, create artefacts, and make the picture look plasticky rather than genuinely retro.

Look for a “Game Mode” on your TV — almost all modern sets have one. Enabling Game Mode typically disables most post-processing and reduces input lag significantly. It’s worth doing even if you’re not a competitive gamer, purely for the improved responsiveness.

Also turn off any noise reduction filters. With composite video, the TV’s noise reduction will often smear fine details trying to “help” — it’s not helping.

Method 2: S-Video to HDMI — Step-by-Step

S-Video is genuinely the hidden gem of PS1 setup, and more people should know about it. The image quality jump from composite to S-Video is noticeable even on smaller screens — colours are cleaner, fine details like text in menus are sharper, and that dot-crawl shimmer that makes composite PS1 look soft is largely eliminated. And it costs almost nothing extra over the composite route if you’re already buying a converter.

Step 6: Get a PS1 S-Video Cable

You need a PS1 Multi AV Out to S-Video cable. These have the same proprietary connector on the PS1 end and terminate in a 4-pin mini-DIN S-Video connector plus two RCA audio connectors. They’re widely available online for around £8–15. Search “PS1 S-Video cable” or “PlayStation 1 S-Video Multi AV Out.” Avoid anything that claims to be “PS1 S-Video to HDMI” in a single cable — those are either composite mislabelled or use internal conversion that’s often poor quality.

Pro tip: The S-Video cable also carries the composite signal on some variants — check the listing. On proper S-Video cables, the separate video pins carry the Y (luma) and C (chroma) signals independently to the 4-pin connector. You don’t need the composite output if you have S-Video.

Step 7: Choose Your S-Video Converter

The cheap “S-Video to HDMI converter” boxes available online for £15–20 are… variable. Some work fine. Some have a strong green tint, some add lag, some only work with NTSC. At this tier I strongly recommend spending a little more and getting the Retrotink 2X Mini.

The Retrotink 2X Mini costs around £40–50 in the UK and accepts composite and S-Video inputs, doubles the incoming signal to 480p, and outputs via HDMI with minimal lag. It’s not the flashiest upscaler, but it’s reliable, well-supported, and specifically designed for retro gaming. Compared to generic converters, the image is noticeably more stable and the colours are more accurate.

If you already own a cheap composite converter and just want to try S-Video, it’s worth checking whether your existing converter has an S-Video input as well — many do, they just don’t advertise it prominently. Look for a 4-pin mini-DIN socket on the unit.

Step 8: Connect and Configure

1. With everything powered off, connect your S-Video cable to the PS1’s Multi AV Out port.
2. Plug the 4-pin S-Video connector into the S-Video in port on your Retrotink 2X Mini (or equivalent converter).
3. Plug the red and white audio RCA cables into the corresponding audio inputs on the converter.
4. Connect HDMI from converter to TV.
5. Power on the converter, then power on the PS1.
6. Select the correct HDMI input on your TV.
7. On the Retrotink 2X Mini, press the button on the unit to cycle through input modes until you’re on S-Video (the LED will indicate the active input — check the Retrotink documentation for your specific model’s LED codes).

Why this step matters: The Retrotink 2X Mini doesn’t auto-detect inputs — it cycles through them manually. A lot of people spend ages thinking their S-Video connection isn’t working when actually the unit is still set to composite input from a previous session. Always check the active input mode.

Method 3: RGB via SCART Cable + Upscaler — Step-by-Step

This is the best analogue picture you’ll get from a PAL PS1 without modding the console. RGB is the native signal the PS1 was designed around — it’s what you’d have been using if you had a proper SCART telly back in the day. Getting it to your modern TV requires a conversion step, but the results are genuinely excellent.

Step 9: Get a PS1 RGB SCART Cable

You need a PS1 RGB SCART cable — specifically one that carries the RGB signal correctly, with proper sync handling. Search for “PS1 SCART cable RGB” and look for cables explicitly described as RGB, not just “SCART.” The difference matters. Cheap SCART cables sometimes carry composite video through the SCART connector rather than RGB — they use the same physical plug but a totally different internal wiring. These are useless for our purposes.

Recommended sources in the UK: Retro Gaming Cables (retrogamingcables.co.uk) make excellent, properly shielded RGB cables for the PS1 and are widely trusted in the retro community. Expect to pay around £12–20 for a quality cable. It’s worth every penny.

Important PAL-specific note: PAL PS1 units output composite sync (CSYNC) on the RGB SCART cable by default. Most SCART converters and upscalers handle this fine, but some budget SCART-to-HDMI boxes prefer sync-on-luma (SOG). If you’re using a high-end upscaler like the Retrotink 5X Pro, it’ll handle CSYNC without issue. If you’re using a cheap converter box and getting a black screen, sync format is the first thing to check.

Step 10: Choose Your SCART Conversion Method

You have two realistic options here:

Budget option — SCART to HDMI converter box (approx. £15–30): Widely available online. Quality varies enormously. Look for converters with positive reviews specifically from retro gaming users — general A/V reviews don’t always catch the issues these units have with older hardware. The Mcbazel SCART to HDMI and the AV.io SCART converters have both been reasonably reliable in community testing. You won’t get line-doubling or any image enhancement — just a direct conversion — but for casual play it’s perfectly usable.

Proper option — Retrotink 5X Pro (approx. £200–230 UK): This is the gold standard for PS1 via RGB in 2025. The Retrotink 5X Pro accepts SCART input via an included SCART adapter, handles virtually every sync format the PS1 throws at it, and outputs at 1080p or 4K with selectable scanline filters, interpolation options, and near-zero lag. If you’re serious about playing your PS1 at its best, this is the route. It’s expensive, but it also handles SNES, Mega Drive, N64 — basically every console with SCART output. Spread across your whole retro collection it’s outstanding value.

There’s a middle ground too: the Retrotink 2X Pro Multiformat (around £70–90) handles SCART input, performs line doubling, and is a significant step up from cheap converters without the full investment of the 5X Pro.

Step 11: Connect RGB SCART to Your Upscaler or Converter

1. With everything powered off, connect your RGB SCART cable to the PS1’s Multi AV Out.
2. Plug the SCART end into your converter or upscaler’s SCART input.
3. If using the Retrotink 5X Pro, use the included SCART adapter and connect to the appropriate input port on the unit.
4. Connect HDMI from converter/upscaler to your TV.
5. If your upscaler requires mains power, connect that too.
6. Power on the upscaler first, then the PS1.
7. Select the correct input on the upscaler (for the Retrotink 5X Pro, press the Input button and select SCART/RGBs depending on your firmware version).
8. Select the correct HDMI input on your TV.

Step 12: Configure the Retrotink 5X Pro for PS1 (Optional but Recommended)

If you’re using the Retrotink 5X Pro, there are a few specific settings worth tweaking for PS1 content. The PS1 natively outputs at 240p (for 2D games) and 480i (for some menus and some games). The 5X Pro handles both, but you can get slightly better results by selecting the correct output mode.

• For 240p content (most 2D PS1 games, many 3D games too): Set the Retrotink to 1080p output with the 5x scale preset. This gives you a perfectly sharp 240p image scaled up cleanly, with optional scanlines if you want the CRT aesthetic.
• For 480i content: The Retrotink 5X Pro will deinterlace this automatically. The “Bob” deinterlacing mode works well for fast motion; “Weave” is better for still images.
• The PS1 also has a quirk where certain games switch resolution mid-session. Metal Gear Solid does this, jumping between 240p gameplay and 480i cutscenes. The Retrotink handles this gracefully; cheaper converters sometimes lose signal or produce a momentary blank screen on the switch.

Speaking of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night — if you’re thinking about picking up the PAL version to play through your newly connected setup, our Castlevania: Symphony of the Night PAL review covers exactly what you’re in for, including the PAL-specific slowdown issue that’s been debated for years. Well worth reading before you commit to a copy.

PAL-Specific Issues You Need to Know About

PAL PS1 games run at 50Hz rather than the 60Hz of NTSC versions. This is the fundamental legacy of PAL broadcasting standards, and it has some specific implications for your setup that don’t apply if you’re using a Japanese or American unit.

The 50Hz Slowdown Issue

Many PAL PS1 games were poorly converted from their NTSC originals. Rather than being properly sped up to compensate for the 50Hz/60Hz difference, they simply run slower — typically about 17% slower than intended. This is very noticeable in some games (the classic example is Final Fantasy VII, where battle animations are sluggish compared to the Japanese original) and barely perceptible in others. There’s nothing you can do about this at the hardware level without modding the console — it’s baked into the software.

Some games were properly optimised for PAL — Tekken 3 and Gran Turismo 2 being well-known examples — and these play absolutely fine. But it’s worth knowing that if a game feels oddly sluggish, it might not be your setup. It might just be the PAL version being the PAL version. This is actually one of the reasons PAL PlayStation games still collect at different prices to their NTSC counterparts — the differences are real and collectors know it.

50Hz on Modern TVs

Most modern TVs handle 50Hz input fine, but some cheaper sets have limited support for it. If your PS1 is outputting 50Hz composite or S-Video through a converter and your TV is refusing to display a picture, the converter might be the issue rather than the TV. Some cheap composite converters convert to 60Hz output regardless of input — which is actually useful here, as it means your TV sees a 60Hz HDMI signal and is perfectly happy. The Retrotink 2X Mini does this by default.

Higher-end setups like the Retrotink 5X Pro give you control over output frame rate, which means you can match the 50Hz input (useful for minimising judder on CRT-mimicking displays) or convert to 60Hz (better compatibility with modern TV panels). For most people, just letting the upscaler or converter handle it is fine.

Aspect Ratio

PAL PS1 games were designed for 4:3 displays. On a 16:9 modern TV, you’ll either get black bars on the sides (pillarboxing) or a stretched image. Always use 4:3 mode — your TV should have a picture size or aspect ratio setting that forces this. It’s usually called “4:3,” “Normal,” or “Dot by Dot” depending on your TV brand. Never stretch a PS1 image to fill a widescreen — it looks wrong, it changes how the game was intended to appear, and Crash Bandicoot ends up looking like he’s been sat on.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Here’s the section that genuinely should exist for anyone starting out. These are all common pitfalls, or questions that come up repeatedly from readers.

No Picture at All

Problem: You power on and the TV shows nothing, or shows “No Signal.”

Check these in order:

1. Are you on the right HDMI input on the TV? Press Source or Input and cycle through every option, including HDMI 1, 2, 3, and 4 — you might have plugged in the wrong one.
2. Is the converter actually powered on? Check for an LED indicator. Most converters need USB power even if they’re physically connected.
3. Is the composite or S-Video cable properly seated in the PS1’s Multi AV Out port? Give it a firm push. The connector has a recessed socket and a loose fit is common.
4. Is your HDMI cable working? Try it in another device.
5. Does your cheap converter support PAL input? This is a common cause of no picture with PAL consoles. Check the specs.

Rolling or Flickering Image

Problem: You get a picture but it rolls vertically, flickers, or tears horizontally.

This is almost always a sync issue. With PAL PS1, CSYNC is the default. If your converter is expecting SOG (sync-on-green) or doesn’t handle CSYNC well, you’ll see this. Possible fixes: try a different cable (some SCART cables use different sync methods), or try a composite connection instead of RGB SCART to confirm the console itself is fine. If composite works but RGB SCART doesn’t, it’s definitely a sync compatibility issue with your converter.

Sound But No Picture (or Picture But No Sound)

Problem: Audio and video are separated.

This almost always means one of the RCA connections is in the wrong socket. Yellow into audio, or red audio into the video socket — it happens more than you’d think, especially with cheap cables where the colour coding is faint. Unplug everything and reconnect carefully, checking each connector colour against each socket.

Very Dark or Washed-Out Image

Problem: Picture is too dark, too bright, or colours look washed out.

First, check whether your converter has a brightness or contrast control. Many do. Then check your TV’s picture mode — some TVs aggressively alter the brightness in “Vivid” or “Dynamic” modes in ways that look terrible with retro hardware. Switch to “Movie,” “Cinema,” or “Custom” mode. Also check that you haven’t accidentally plugged into the composite video socket on the TV directly — some older TVs still have these, and a low-quality composite signal from a cheap cable will look exactly as you’d expect: soft and slightly washed.

Green Tint on the Image

Problem: Everything has a green tinge.

Classic symptom of a broken SCART cable or a converter that isn’t handling the RGB signal correctly. The R (red) and B (blue) channels are missing, leaving only green. Check your RGB SCART cable is genuinely an RGB cable and not a composite-over-SCART type. Also check the cable isn’t damaged — a break in the red or blue wire will cause exactly this.

Input Lag Making the Game Feel Wrong

Problem: The game responds to your inputs with a noticeable delay.

This can come from two sources: your TV’s processing, or your converter. First, make sure Game Mode is enabled on your TV (this typically reduces TV-introduced lag from ~100ms to ~15ms or less). If lag persists, your converter may simply be adding significant delay in its processing. Cheap converters vary wildly — some add 2 frames of lag, some add 6. If this is bothering you, the Retrotink 2X Mini or 5X Pro are your friends. They’re designed specifically to minimise this.

PS1 Works on Composite but Not S-Video

Problem: Composite connection works fine but S-Video shows no signal.

Confirm you’re using a genuine S-Video cable and not a composite cable you’ve accidentally plugged into an S-Video socket. Then check the converter’s input selection — if you’re using the Retrotink 2X Mini, press the input button to cycle to S-Video mode. A common mistake is leaving it on composite input. Also check the 4-pin S-Video connector is clean — these pins can oxidise and benefit from a gentle clean with a cotton bud.

Getting the Most from Your Setup — Pro Tips

Right, you’re up and running. Here are the things that make a genuine difference to the experience beyond just getting a picture on screen.

Use the Right Controller

The original PlayStation digital pad works fine, but if you’re playing anything that uses analogue sticks — and most good PS1 games do — you want the DualShock. The original grey DualShock (SCPH-1200 for PAL) is the one to have. Controllers for the PS One slim used the same DualShock design but are sometimes found in lighter, more washed-out plastic. Both work identically.

Be careful with third-party PS1 controllers in 2025 — the ones being made today for retro use are often quite poor. The analogue sticks on cheap modern replicas have terrible dead zones, and the shoulder buttons sometimes feel mushy compared to the originals. Genuine Sony DualShocks are still easy to find secondhand for £10–20. Spend the extra and get the real thing.

Memory Cards

Don’t forget you need a memory card to save. PS1 memory cards are proprietary and first-party Sony ones are preferable — they’re reliable and readily available secondhand for a couple of pounds. Third-party memory cards from the late nineties era are mostly fine. The newly manufactured “retro” memory cards sold today vary enormously in reliability, and reports of them corrupting save files are common. Stick to genuine Sony cards if you can.

Cleaning Your Lens

If you’re getting disc read errors — games not loading, getting stuck at the boot screen, showing “Please Insert PlayStation CD-ROM” errors when a disc is clearly in — the laser lens very likely needs cleaning. This is the most common fault on PS1 hardware in 2025. A lens cleaning disc (the ones with tiny brushes) can help with minor contamination. For a more thorough clean, you’ll need to open the console and use isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud very gently on the lens surface. Don’t use anything abrasive. Don’t press hard. And don’t do this before you’ve confirmed it’s actually the lens — test with a few different discs first, as a single scratched disc is often mistaken for a hardware fault.

Scanline Filters — To Use or Not?

If you’re using the Retrotink 5X Pro or a similar quality upscaler, you’ll have the option to add scanline overlays — horizontal dark lines that simulate the appearance of a CRT display. Opinions divide sharply on this. Some people feel it brings back the original atmosphere and masks the rough polygons of PS1 graphics in a way that looks natural. Others find it distracting and prefer the clean, sharp image.

A sensible approach: try it with light scanlines first (25–50% opacity rather than full strength), on 240p content specifically. 2D games and menus can look genuinely lovely with scanlines. Fast-paced 3D games — especially anything with lots of fine polygon work like Wipeout — are usually better with scanlines off, because they can make the image harder to read. It’s a personal preference thing and there’s no wrong answer. The fact that you have the option at all is one of the nicest things about quality upscalers.

Consider Component Video if You Want the Best Without a Full Upscaler

This is a niche option that’s worth mentioning. Third-party component video cables for the PS1 have been available for years — they carry YPbPr component signals through the Multi AV Out port. A small number of modern TVs, particularly higher-end sets from around 2015–2020, still have component video inputs. If yours does, a component cable for around £15–20 will give you an excellent picture — arguably cleaner than S-Video, and close to RGB quality — without needing any converter box at all.

It’s increasingly rare for TVs to have component inputs in 2025, but if yours does, it’s worth knowing this option exists. Component-to-HDMI converters also exist and work better with component signals than most composite converters do with composite, simply because the input signal is higher quality to begin with.

Which Method Should You Actually Use?

Right, let me give you a direct answer rather than leaving you to figure it out from the options above.

If you just want to play your PS1 with minimum faff and spending: Composite cable + a decent composite-to-HDMI converter (£15–25 total). The Neoteck converter is currently available on Amazon UK for around £14 and works well with PAL. You’re not getting the best picture, but you’re playing your games today with no headaches.

If you care about image quality and are spending money on games: S-Video cable + Retrotink 2X Mini (£50–60 total). This is genuinely where the value is in 2025. The improvement over composite is real and meaningful, the Retrotink is reliable and well-supported, and you’re not spending serious upscaler money.

If you have a collection of SCART-compatible consoles and want everything to look its best: RGB SCART cable + Retrotink 5X Pro. Yes, it’s £200+, but spread across a PAL PS1, SNES, Mega Drive, N64 and PS2, it’s an investment in all of them simultaneously. The image quality is genuinely stunning and if you’re the kind of person who’s obsessing about this stuff, you know who you are.

If you’re in the process of building out a proper retro collection and want to think about what else you might be gaming on, our overview of why PAL Xbox games are still cheap in 2025 is a good companion read — the original Xbox has similar connection challenges on modern TVs and some of the same converter solutions apply.

Should You Just Emulate Instead?

Honestly, this question comes up in the comments every single time original hardware comes up, and it deserves a genuine answer rather than a brush-off.

PlayStation 1 emulation in 2025 is excellent. DuckStation is the definitive PS1 emulator and it runs on virtually anything — including handheld devices. If you want to play PS1 games without any of the above hassle, emulation on a capable handheld or PC is a completely legitimate option. There’s no pretending otherwise.

But. Playing on original hardware with a real disc and a real DualShock is a different experience. The loading times, the disc spin-up sound, the slight imperfection of the image — for me, that’s the point. It’s the difference between listening to a record and listening to a lossless digital file. Technically the digital file might be “better,” but the record feels like something.

Also, the PAL PS1 library has some games that still aren’t fully emulated correctly, some that rely on hardware quirks, and some that just feel better with the original controller feedback. If emulation suits you, no one’s judging. But if you’re reading this guide, you probably already know why you’re going original hardware. Keep going.

If you’re curious about handheld emulation as a companion to original hardware for PS1 gaming on the go, the Anbernic RG40XX H review covers a device that handles PS1 emulation very well indeed at a price that won’t make you wince.

A Word on PAL PS1 Games Worth Playing in 2025

You’ve got the hardware set up. What are you actually putting in it? The PAL PS1 library is enormous and a lot of it is still very affordable — this is one of the last great retro platforms where you can build a serious collection without spending obscene amounts of money.

The essentials you probably already know: Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII–IX, Resident Evil 2, Tekken 3, Gran Turismo 2, Tomb Raider II. These are all still very playable in 2025, none of them are expensive in PAL, and on a properly set-up screen with a quality upscaler they look surprisingly good. The pre-rendered backgrounds in Final Fantasy VIII in particular hold up remarkably well through an RGB chain — better than you might expect.

But the gems that get overlooked are arguably better value. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is visually stunning even now. Alundra is one of the best action RPGs ever made and the PAL version is not hard to find. Vagrant Story is a masterpiece that costs around £20–30 complete in box in PAL. Silent Hill is increasingly valuable but still findable for under £50 if you’re patient.

And yes — if you set all this up specifically to play Symphony of the Night, that’s a completely valid life choice. Our detailed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night PAL review will tell you everything you need to know about playing the PAL version specifically, including the infamous slowdown in certain areas and whether it actually matters as much as people online claim it does.

Final Thoughts: Get It Done, Then Get Playing

The PAL PlayStation 1 deserves better than being left in a loft because modern TVs got rid of SCART. It’s one of the most important consoles ever made, its library is enormous and still largely affordable, and with the right converter it looks and plays brilliantly on a modern screen. The setup cost ranges from about £15 to £250 depending on how obsessive you want to get, and every tier delivers a genuine improvement over the previous one.

My personal recommendation for most people in 2025 is to start with composite and a cheap converter just to confirm everything is working, then invest in S-Video and a Retrotink 2X Mini once you know you’re actually going to use the console regularly. The jump in image quality is satisfying in a way that’s hard to describe until you’ve experienced it — it’s not just technical improvement, it genuinely changes how the games feel to play. Less fatigue, more focus, more presence.

Don’t let the options paralyse you. Even composite on a cheap converter is infinitely better than a PS1 gathering dust because you couldn’t figure out the connections. Pick a method, get the cables, plug it in, and go and play something. The games are waiting.

If you’re on a broader retro collecting journey and wondering what else pairs well with a PS1 setup, the guide on connecting a PAL Commodore 64 to a modern TV covers similar ground for a very different platform — and the Commodore 64 library is one of the best rabbit holes you can fall down once the gaming bug properly bites.

📚 Related: Browse the full HDMI & Display Fix Hub — all UK retro gaming guides in one place.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the editor. See our Editorial Standards.