Nintendo sold more than 49 million Super Nintendo consoles, but not all of them were identical in hardware. Later versions featured video output with improved image quality. More than three decades later, console modder Zach Henson, who goes by the name Voultar, found a way to bring the same improvements to any Super Nintendo. He created a $60 upgrade kit for older consoles called the Edge Enhancer.
Image source: Macho Nacho Productions
While Nintendo made many changes to the Super Nintendo hardware over the console’s lifespan, for retro gamers, two versions of the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) are important. The original, now called the SHVC or dual-chip model, and the later updated version known as the 1CHIP.
The dual-chip SNES had a video digital-to-analog converter in the picture processing unit (PPU), which gamers found could not switch between different colors quickly. As a result, video images looked soft and washed out, with halos appearing around graphical objects. The problem was not as noticeable in the 1990s when gamers were using CRT TVs, but on a modern display the differences are much more pronounced.
In the later 1CHIP version of the Super Nintendo, the company combined the original’s two video chips and processor into a single processor. It was a move aimed at making the console cheaper to produce, but it also had a somewhat unexpected result: the image became sharper and the colors were noticeably better.
For retro gamers who prefer to play on the original hardware, the 1CHIP Super Nintendo consoles are currently in high demand and can sell for over $200. But that could soon change thanks to a kit designed by Henson.
Installing Voultar’s Edge Enhancer mod is a daunting task, even for experienced electronics enthusiasts. First, the console must be completely disassembled, and then the original transistors, capacitors, and resistors must be removed from the console’s motherboard using a soldering iron. Henson plans to sell his Edge Enhancer kit once documentation and tutorials are complete, but for now it is offered as an installation service that guarantees the SNES will work.
Final pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but with 1CHIP Super Nintendo consoles becoming increasingly difficult to find on the secondary market, buying the Edge Enhancer mod may be a better deal, even after factoring in the cost of sending your motherboard in for the upgrade.
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