This $60 Chip Fixes a Lengthy-Time period Tremendous Nintendo Flaw

Nintendo offered greater than 49 million Tremendous Nintendo consoles, however not all have been created equal. A later {hardware} revision improved the standard of the SNES’s video output, and greater than three a long time later, one modder discovered a approach to convey those self same enhancements to almost each Tremendous Nintendo ever launched.

Zach Henson, console modder which can be identified by the title Vultarhas created a DIY modification package for older Tremendous Nintendo consoles referred to as the Edge Enhancer. Anticipated to promote for round $60, the modification package upgrades the console’s video output, making graphics sharper and colours extra vibrant.

Whereas Nintendo made plenty of adjustments to the Tremendous Nintendo {hardware} through the console’s manufacturing run, for retro players, there are primarily two variations of the SNES that matter. The unique, now referred to as the SHVC or dual-chip mannequin, and the up to date model that got here later, often known as the 1CHIP mannequin, based mostly on how Nintendo labeled its motherboard.

The twin-chip SNES had a video digital-to-analog converter within the image processing unit (PPU) that players discovered couldn’t change between totally different colours shortly. This triggered the video output to look tender or washed out, with a halo or shadow showing across the graphics.

The issue wasn’t as noticeable within the 90s when everybody was taking part in on CRT TVs, however with the Tremendous Nintendo related to a contemporary show, the variations grew to become extra noticeable.

For the later 1CHIP Tremendous Nintendo, the corporate mixed the unique’s two video chips and CPU right into a single chip. This was a cost-cutting transfer to make the console cheaper to fabricate, however the brand new elements additionally resulted in a lot sharper video output with noticeably improved colours.

For retro players preferring to play on the unique {hardware}, 1CHIP Tremendous Nintendo consoles are at the moment in excessive demand and may promote for properly over $200. However demand could quickly wane because of this new improve package.

Putting in the Voultar’s Edge Enhancer mod will not be for freshmen, as Tito Perez from Macho Nacho Productions on YouTube lately demonstrated in a video. Not solely does the SNES should be fully disassembled, however there may be fairly a little bit of soldering concerned, and you’ll have to take away the unique transistors, capacitors, and resistors from the console’s motherboard.

Lots can go incorrect when putting in the varied elements required for the mod, so for now Vultar plans to ultimately promote a self-service Edge Enhancer setup package as soon as the documentation and tutorials are full, however it can initially solely be out there as a part of a dearer set up service that may guarantee upgrades are carried out appropriately.

Pricing hasn’t been revealed but, however with 1CHIP Tremendous Nintendo consoles turning into more and more uncommon, the Edge Enhancer mod might be less expensive, even after factoring in the price of transport a Tremendous Nintendo motherboard for the improve.