The storied Super Nintendo Entertainment System is now 35 years old, yet it continues to hold a special place in the hearts of retro gaming enthusiasts. Recently, the speedrunning community has been buzzing with the revelation that this aging console might actually be operating slightly faster as it ages.

According to 404 Media, insights from TASBot administrator Alan Cecil reveal that data gathered from BlueSky users indicates that some older Super Nintendo consoles show marginal, yet measurable speed increases compared to their initial performance. This trend has intrigued speedrunning fans.

The anomaly seems to stem from the SPC700, a Sony audio processing unit. Historical documentation from the 90s instructed game developers that the DSP rate for the SPC700 should be 32,000 Hz, governed by a ceramic resonator.

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The fluctuation in speed can be linked to temperature changes affecting the ceramic resonators, leading them to potentially operate at accelerated frequencies as they become older. The fastest SPC700 observed so far recorded a speed of 32,182 Hz—just a small leap from standard performance. Although the difference may not seem significant, to the precision-oriented speedrunning community, every millisecond counts.

The implications of these findings are not yet clear. According to Cecil, these slight enhancements may not significantly alter gameplay for human speedrunners. However, for tool-assisted speedruns, where every frame matters, these variations could play a crucial role. As Cecil continues to analyze and document these changes, they hope to shed light on accurately emulating Super Nintendo consoles moving forward.