The speedrunning community is buzzing with excitement over a peculiar phenomenon that suggests the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) might be running games faster as it ages. In early February, Alan Cecil, a Bluesky user known as @tas.bot, ignited discussions by revealing that the iconic console appears to be performing better now than when it first hit the shelves in the 1990s. This theory implies that the nearly 50 million SNES units sold could be offering enhanced gameplay experiences in classics like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Star Fox, rather than deteriorating over time.
The notion that a video game console could improve its performance with age might sound far-fetched, but Cecil's research points to a specific component that might be behind this surprising trend.
The Fastest Thing Alive
According to an interview with 404 Media, Cecil highlighted that the official specifications from Nintendo state the SNES's audio processing unit (APU) SPC700 has a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000Hz, controlled by a ceramic resonator operating at 24.576MHz. However, enthusiasts have long noted discrepancies, with recordings over the years showing variations in DSP rates influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature. These variations mean the console processes audio and communicates with the CPU at rates different from those advertised by Nintendo, subtly affecting game speed.
The plot thickens with Cecil's recent findings. After asking SNES owners to record data, he gathered over 140 responses that showed a consistent increase in DSP rates over time. The average DSP rate recorded in 2007 was around 32,040Hz, but Cecil's current data suggests an increase to 32,076Hz. While environmental factors like temperature do influence these rates, they don't account for the overall upward trend observed.
In a follow-up Bluesky post, Cecil shared detailed data layouts, noting, "Based on 143 responses, the SNES DSP rate averages 32,076Hz, rising 8Hz from cold to warm. Warm DSP rates go from 31,965 to 32,182Hz, a 217Hz range. Therefore, temperature is less significant. Why? How does it affect games? We do not know. Yet."
Any%
While the findings are intriguing, Cecil emphasizes the need for further research to pinpoint the exact cause and extent of this speed increase. Historical data from the console's early years is scarce, making it challenging to draw definitive conclusions. Nevertheless, as the SNES approaches its 35th anniversary, it seems to be aging gracefully.
This phenomenon has stirred the speedrunning community, as a faster SPC700 could theoretically reduce load times in games. If audio processing speeds up over time, it might challenge decades of speedrunning records and leaderboards. However, the impact on actual gameplay, such as in a Super Mario World speedrun, is not straightforward.
It's important to note that APU speeds don't directly correlate to visual game speed. Even under the most extreme scenarios suggested by these findings, the impact on speedruns would likely be minimal—less than a second. The extent to which different games might benefit from these changes remains uncertain, and the speedrunning community's research is still in its early stages. The consensus so far is that players have little to worry about.
As Cecil continues his investigation into what makes the SNES tick, the console seems to be thriving in its 30s. For more on the SNES, check out the list of best-selling consoles of all time.
