Aging SNES Consoles Show Surprising Performance Boost — APU Frequency Climbs Up to 182 Hz Over 35 Years

Alan Cecil, a security consultant and the mind behind the TASBot (a robot designed for tool-assisted speedrunning), stumbled upon an interesting quirk in the Super Nintendo’s aging process. A report by 404 Media highlighted how the classic console, which relies on a Sony SPC700 audio processing unit running at a digital signal processing rate of 32,000 Hz, operates slightly faster over time. This strange discovery traces back to 2007 when SNES emulator programmers noticed the chip’s true speed was closer to 32,040 Hz, a vital tweak to prevent some games from malfunctioning.

The heart of this peculiarity lies in the SPC700’s ceramic resonator, which is sensitive to environmental conditions like heat. As time passes, these subtle changes lead to variations in frequency.

Earlier this year, in February, Cecil reached out for help through the TASBot account on Bluesky, asking SNES enthusiasts for assistance in gathering data. What the collective data revealed is intriguing: as SNES consoles age, the frequency at which the SPC700 chip runs seems to increase. The highest recorded frequency to date is 32,182 Hz. While this jump of less than 1% might seem negligible, it can alter in-game audio and potentially disrupt certain titles.

Now, why does this matter, especially to speedrunning communities? Technically, since the SPC700 handles only audio data, gameplay should remain unaffected during silent sessions. However, for speedrunners and those crafting bots reliant on precise timing, these small shifts in loading times can matter. The SPC700, when delivering data to the CPU faster than anticipated, shortens loading times ever so slightly during screen transitions.

For gamers just enjoying their favorite titles, this quirk might slip by unnoticed, possibly even enhancing performance. Yet, in the precise world of speedrunning, it introduces new challenges and variables that could potentially shake up records. Luckily, these changes don’t seem to hamper human speedrunners’ achievements, as observed by Cecil.

Cecil notes, “We’re not entirely sure of the long-term effects it might have on extensive speedruns. There’s evidence suggesting it influences data transfer speeds between the CPU and APU.” This is particularly pertinent for TASBot playthroughs, which rely heavily on millisecond-perfect precision. As his quest for more comprehensive data continues, Cecil aims to understand better how time influences these vintage components. This knowledge will be crucial in maintaining and emulating these nostalgic machines, ensuring the preservation of the beloved games of our youth.