Nintendo sold more than 49 million Super Nintendo consoles, but not all of them were created equal. A later hardware revision improved the quality of the SNES's video output, and more than three decades later, one modder has found a way to incorporate those same improvements into nearly every Super Nintendo ever released.
Zach Henson, a console modder who also goes by the name Voultar, has created a DIY modification kit for older Super Nintendo consoles called the Edge Enhancer. Expected to sell for around $60, the mod kit improves the console’s video output, making graphics look much sharper and colors more saturated.
Though Nintendo made many revisions to the Super Nintendo hardware during the console's production run, for retro gamers, there are essentially two versions of the SNES that matter: the original, now known as the SHVC, or 2-Chip model, and an upgraded version that came later, known as the 1CHIP model, based on the designation Nintendo gave to its motherboard.
The dual-chip SNES included a digital-to-analog video converter in its picture processing unit (PPU) that gamers found was unable to perform quick transitions between different colors. This resulted in video output that tended to look soft or blurry because the graphics appeared to have a halo or shadow around them.
The problem wasn't as noticeable in the '90s when everyone was playing on CRT TVs, but with a Super Nintendo connected to a modern display, the differences are more prominent.
For the later 1CHIP version of the Super Nintendo, the company merged the original model's two video chips and CPU into a single chip. This was a cost-cutting measure that made the console cheaper to manufacture, but the new components also resulted in much sharper video output with noticeably improved colors.
For retro gamers who prefer to play on the original hardware, 1CHIP's Super Nintendo consoles are highly sought after and can sell for upwards of $200. But demand could soon wane thanks to this new upgrade kit.
Installing Voultar's Edge Enhancer mod is not for beginners, as Tito Perez says Macho Nacho Productions from YouTube It was recently demonstrated in a video that not only do you have to completely disassemble the SNES, but you also have to do a lot of soldering and remove the original transistors, capacitors, and resistors from the console's motherboard.
Many things could go wrong when installing the various components needed for the mod. So while Fly While a DIY Edge Enhancer kit is planned to eventually be sold once documentation and tutorials are finalized, it will initially only be available as part of a more expensive installation service that will ensure the upgrades are done correctly.
Pricing has yet to be revealed, but with Super Nintendo 1CHIP consoles becoming increasingly rare, the Edge Enhancer mod could still be a lot cheaper, even with the cost of shipping a Super Nintendo motherboard to upgrade it.
