Speedrunners Left Scratching Their Heads After New Discovery Suggests the SNES Works Faster as It Ages

The speedrunning community is buzzing about a peculiar phenomenon: the SNES seems to be running games faster as it ages. This intriguing theory emerged in early February when Bluesky user Alan Cecil (@tas.bot) reported that these iconic consoles, some nearly 35 years old, appear to be running games slightly faster than when they were first manufactured. This could mean the nearly 50 million SNES units sold might actually be experiencing performance improvements in games like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Star Fox—a stark contrast to the typical degradation expected with aging technology.

While the idea of a console improving with age sounds unbelievable, Cecil's research points to a potential culprit: the SNES's audio processing unit (APU).

The Accelerating APU

According to official Nintendo specifications, the SNES's SPC700 APU boasts a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000Hz, governed by a 24.576MHz ceramic resonator. However, retro gaming enthusiasts have long noted discrepancies, observing fluctuating DSP rates influenced by environmental factors like temperature. This means the console's audio processing and data transmission to the CPU vary, subtly affecting game speed.

The intriguing part? Cecil's research, based on data collected from over 140 SNES owners, reveals a consistent trend of increasing DSP rates over time. While older recordings showed average DSP rates around 32,040Hz (circa 2007), Cecil's findings indicate a current average of 32,076Hz. Although temperature still affects the rate, the overall trend towards higher speeds remains. As Cecil noted in a Bluesky post, even accounting for temperature variations, the data shows a clear increase in processing speed over time.

Speedrunning Implications

Cecil acknowledges that more research is needed to fully understand the cause and extent of this phenomenon. Data on early SNES performance is limited, hindering a complete analysis. However, the implications for the speedrunning community are significant. A faster APU could, theoretically, impact game speed, potentially shortening load times and altering existing speedrun records.

However, the impact is likely to be minimal. Even in extreme scenarios, the time savings would probably be less than a second in most speedruns. The effect on different games is also uncertain, and current research suggests minimal impact on overall run times.

The Verdict?

While the precise mechanism behind this unexpected acceleration remains a mystery, the SNES's apparent performance improvement is a fascinating development. The speedrunning community awaits further investigation, but for now, the consensus is that the impact on speedruns will likely be negligible. Cecil's ongoing research promises to shed more light on this surprising characteristic of the enduring SNES. For more on the SNES, check out its ranking among the best-selling consoles of all time.