Download Patch:
https://www.dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18173
Riggles has just released a major quality-of-life patch for “Skies of Arcadia” on the SEGA Dreamcast. Now, for the first time ever, the multi-language PAL version of the game can be run in full 60hz over RGB SCART without any audio desync!
For some background, the NTSC-U version of “Skies” supported VGA, along with standard S-Video/Composite. The European PAL release, on the other hand, did not support VGA, though it did have support for RGB SCART. The downside? It only ran at 50hz!
That being said, Japanese Cake added VGA support to the PAL release years ago, which allowed for this new patch to truly serve as an all-in-one.
Now, in 2025, this brand-new patch brings “Skies of Arcadia” fans the following (list taken from Dreamcast-Talk forum patch-release post)…
- Audio in cutscenes are all in sync 1:1 with the JP/US release, no more drifting delayed audio.
- SFX’s are also reverted to the JP/US release ones as these also were 50Hz optimized.
- Walking speed is now the exact value as the JP/US release.
- Region-Free
- RGB, VGA, Composite, all in 60Hz with multi-language support for the first time without issues.
Interestingly, previous efforts to force “Skies” to run in 60hz over RGB SCART all failed because of the MIDI tables being optimized for 50hz with the PAL release. Even the original sound effects were optimized for 50hz too. As a result, Riggles has leveraged these assets from the NTSC-U version to restore correct playback speeds.
The patch comes in DCP format for use with my Universal Dreamcast Patcher software. Be sure to check the README for additional information, including steps on how to increase the character walk/run speed, or cut the random encounter rate in half.
If you want to learn more about a MASSIVE upcoming improvement patch for “Skies”, check out this post in the forum thread linked at the top of this article.