Nintendo bought over 49 million Tremendous Nintendo consoles, however not all of them have been created equal. A later {hardware} revision improved the standard of the SNES’s video output, and over three a long time later, one modder has give you a solution to carry those self same enhancements to just about each Tremendous Nintendo ever launched.
Zach Henson, a console modder who additionally goes by the identify Voultar, has created a DIY modification equipment for older Tremendous Nintendo consoles referred to as the Edge Enhancer. Anticipated to promote for round $60, the mod equipment upgrades the console’s video output, making graphics seem a lot sharper and colours extra saturated.
Though Nintendo made many revisions to the Tremendous Nintendo’s {hardware} throughout the console’s manufacturing run, for retro players, there are primarily two variations of the SNES that matter. The unique, which is now known as the SHVC or two-chip mannequin, and an upgraded model that got here later, often called the 1CHIP mannequin primarily based on how Nintendo labeled its motherboard.
The 2-chip SNES featured a video digital to analog converter in its image processing unit (PPU) that players have since found wasn’t in a position to shortly transition between totally different colours. This resulted in video output that tended to look tender or blurred as a result of the graphics appeared to have a halo or shadow round them.
The issue wasn’t as noticeable within the ’90s when everybody performed on CRT TVs, however with a Tremendous Nintendo related to a contemporary show, the variations are extra distinguished.
For the later 1CHIP model of the Tremendous Nintendo, the corporate merged the unique’s two video chips and CPU right into a single chip. It was a cost-cutting transfer to make it cheaper to fabricate the console, however the brand new parts additionally resulted in video output that was a lot sharper with noticeably improved colours.
For retro players preferring to play on authentic {hardware}, the 1CHIP Tremendous Nintendo consoles at the moment are very a lot wanted and may promote for nicely over $200. However demand may quickly be waning, because of this new improve equipment.
Putting in Voultar’s Edge Enhancer mod isn’t for newcomers, as Tito Perez from YouTube’s Macho Nacho Productions lately demonstrated in a video. Not solely does the SNES need to be utterly dismantled, however there’s fairly a little bit of soldering required, and you must take away the unique transistors, capacitors, and resistors from the console’s motherboard.
Quite a bit may go incorrect when putting in the varied parts wanted for the mod. So whereas Voultar plans to ultimately promote a DIY Edge Enhancer equipment as soon as the documentation and tutorials are finalized, it is going to initially solely be out there as a part of a costlier set up service that may make sure the upgrades are carried out appropriately.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed simply but, however on condition that 1CHIP Tremendous Nintendo consoles have gotten more and more uncommon, the Edge Enhancer mod may nonetheless be less expensive, even with the price of transport a Tremendous Nintendo’s motherboard off to be upgraded.
