Aging SNES Consoles Run Faster: APU Frequency Boosts by 182 Hz After 35 Years

Alan Cecil, a security expert and the brains behind the TASBot (a robot championing Tool-Assisted Speedruns), stumbled upon an intriguing discovery about Super Nintendo systems. Apparently, these nostalgic consoles are running at slightly faster speeds, all thanks to one of their components. Based on insights from a 404 Media report, the beloved Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) employs a Sony SPC700 audio processing unit, which is designed to operate at a digital signal processing rate of 32,000 Hz. Yet, way back in 2007, those clever SNES emulator developers realized that the chips were actually performing just a bit brisker at a rate of 32,040 Hz. To keep some games from glitching, they adjusted their settings to this new speed.

The heart of the SPC700 is its coprocessor, which uses a ceramic resonator calibrated at 24,576 Hz to dictate its frequency. However, these are delicate bits of tech, easily influenced by heat and other environmental quirks. Fast forward to late February, Cecil took to Bluesky, through the TASBot handle, sharing his theory and reaching out to SNES users for more data. Early numbers point out an interesting trend: as these SNES units age, their SPC700 chips seem to accelerate. The current top reading is 32,182 Hz. While this boost is under 1% from the original 32,000 Hz, it still has potential implications for in-game audio and even stability in select titles.

The recent jump in frequency on the SPC700 might present challenges, especially for dedicated speedrunners. As it only manages audio data, the SPC700 ostensibly doesn’t meddle with gameplay—unless you mute the sound. But, for the speedrunners and bots relying on pinpoint timing, this marginally quicker load time could cause a ripple. Once a stage wraps up and the screen fades to black, the console kicks into gear, gearing up for the next level by loading necessary data, audio included. With the APU delivering this data slightly ahead of schedule, overall load times may shuffle forward.

While everyday gamers might welcome this subtle performance uptick, it throws a spanner in the works for speed-running enthusiasts and their automated counterparts. Thankfully, the human speedrunners seem unaffected by this SPC700 perk.

“We’re still piecing together the full extent of its impact on extended speedruns,” remarks Cecil. “However, it’s clear that it influences the speed at which data is traded between the CPU and APU.”

Meanwhile, TASBot’s precision-demanding playthroughs might need a little tweaking, given their reliance on millisecond accuracy. Cecil remains committed to aggregating more data to grasp the implications of aging consoles. As these devices, much like countless others, march on in years, learning to adapt to these shifts will be key to preserving the classic games that have shaped our childhood memories.