SNES Speedrunners Puzzled by Discovery: Console Speeds Up with Age

The speedrunning community is buzzing with excitement and confusion over a peculiar phenomenon: the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) appears to be running games faster as it ages. This intriguing development was first brought to light by Bluesky user Alan Cecil (@tas.bot) in early February, suggesting that the nearly 50 million SNES units sold worldwide might be delivering enhanced performance in games like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Star Fox.

The notion that a gaming console could improve its performance over time might sound far-fetched, but Cecil's research points to a specific component that could be responsible for this unexpected behavior. In an interview with 404 Media, Cecil explained that the SNES's audio processing unit (APU), known as the SPC700, has a digital signal processing (DSP) rate officially listed at 32,000Hz, driven by a 24.576MHz ceramic resonator. However, long-term observations by retro console enthusiasts have shown that these specs can vary slightly based on environmental conditions like temperature, affecting the audio processing and, consequently, the game's speed.

The SNES appears to be getting faster with age. Photo by Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images.

Cecil's call for data from SNES owners has yielded over 140 responses, revealing a clear trend of increasing DSP rates over time. While earlier measurements from 2007 averaged around 32,040Hz, Cecil's recent data suggests an average of 32,076Hz. This rise is not solely attributable to temperature fluctuations, which only account for a 217Hz range between cold and warm conditions, as per Cecil's findings shared on Bluesky.

"Based on 143 responses, the SNES DSP rate averages 32,076Hz, rising 8Hz from cold to warm," Cecil noted. "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."

While the exact cause of this acceleration remains under investigation, the potential implications for speedrunning are significant. A faster SPC700 could theoretically reduce load times in certain game sections, impacting long-standing records and leaderboard rankings. However, the actual effect on game speed is not a direct correlation to the APU's speed. Even under the most extreme scenarios, the impact on a speedrun might be less than a second.

The speedrunning community is in the early stages of understanding how these changes might affect their runs. As Cecil continues to delve into the mystery of the aging SNES, the console seems to be thriving as it approaches its 35th anniversary. For more insights into the SNES's legacy, check out its ranking on the list of best-selling consoles of all time.