The upcoming SNES Classic Edition has the public hungry for 16-bit gaming goodness – perhaps a little too hungry. Nintendo has promised the SNES Classic won’t be as rare as the coveted NES Classic, but let’s be real, it will still be hard to get your hands on one. Nintendo insists on making their retro consoles limited editions, so not everybody is going to get one.
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Thankfully, it seems there’s going to be another inexpensive option for those who want to easily play SNES games on their HD TV! Hyperkin, the makers of retro hardware like the RetroN 5 and the SmartBoy have officially announced the Supa RetroN HD. You catch a first glimpse of the machine, below, courtesy of Hyperkin’s product designer Chris Gallizzi.
@seaniccus @PCBrown pic.twitter.com/sPjTVUvonL
— Chris Gallizzi (@cgallizzi) August 4, 2017
Details
Unlike the SNES Classic Edition, which is a closed system with pre-loaded emulated games, Hyperkin’s products like the Supa RetroN HD replicate the internal hardware of systems like the SNES, and play physical cartridges. So, yes, that means you’ll have to get your hands on actual SNES games, but it also means you’re not limited to the 21 titles included in the SNES Classic.
According to Nintendo Life, the Supa RetroN HD will output at 720p via HDMI or composite cables. You can play games in their original 4:3 ratio, or a screen-filling 16:9 ratio, and the system will play games from any region – North America, Europe, or Japan. Of course, the system will also come with an SNES-style controller.
Price and Release Date?
Hyperkin hasn’t revealed a price for the Supa RetroN HD yet, but you can guess what it will cost by looking at their previous products – the RetroN 1 HD, the NES game-playing predecessor to the Supa RetroN HD, only costs $40. Perhaps the Supa RetroN will cost a bit more what with all that cutting-edge 16-bit tech, but I wouldn’t expect it to go for any more than $50 or $60, which is less than the SNES Classic Edition’s $80 price tag.
Hyperkin hasn’t set a solid release date for the Supa RetroN HD either, but they’re promising the machine will arrive before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the SNES Classic Edition kicks off the holiday game-buying frenzy on September 29.
[via Nintendo Life]
