An SNES Classic Edition teardown revealed that the retro console is very similar to last year's NES Classic Edition, a discovery that may have some important implications.
The Sept. 29 launch date of the SNES Classic Edition is fast approaching, but apparently, there are still some things that we don't know about Nintendo's new retro console.
SNES Classic Edition Has Same Motherboard As NES Classic Edition
With the SNES Classic Edition launch just around the corner, Eurogamer decided to catch a glimpse of the internals of the retro console by opening up the review unit in its possession.
Eurogamer suspected that the SNES Classic Edition retained the hardware of the NES Classic Edition due to similarities between the retro consoles. These include the controller interface, the placements of the HDMI and USB ports, the user interface, maximum HDMI output of 720p, and general system behavior.
A teardown performed by Twitter user Chiimaero confirmed Eurogamer's suspicions that the SNES Classic Edition packs the same hardware as the NES Classic Edition. Eurogamer followed by opening up its review unit, discovering that the two consoles have the same motherboard.
While the motherboard remains the same as the NES Classic Edition, the SNES Classic Edition is able to emulate SNES games due to the emulation software that Nintendo built from scratch. The software, however, goes beyond emulation, as it also mimics the add-on processors of specific SNES games such as the Super FX and Super FX2 chips for Star Fox and its sequel and the SA1 CPU upgrade for Super Mario RPG.
The SNES Classic Edition Is The NES Classic Edition With A New Shell: Implications?
The SNES Classic Edition mostly being the NES Classic Edition with a new shell is likely a huge reason why the NES Classic Edition will return next year. The motherboard of the SNES Classic Edition even has the notches that would allow it to fit in the NES Classic Edition shell. With Nintendo claiming that the SNES Classic Edition production has dramatically increased, it will be easy to manufacture both retro consoles due to the same internals.
Additionally, the similarities between the two consoles means that the NES Classic Edition hack that added more games to the device will also be supported by the SNES Classic Edition. A hacked SNES Classic Edition with an expanded library has not yet surfaced, but it will likely not take much time before Chrono Trigger is playable on the retro console.
