The speedrunning community has been buzzing with excitement and curiosity over a strange technological phenomenon that appears to be making the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) run games faster as it ages. This surprising discovery was first brought to light by Alan Cecil, a Bluesky user known as @tas.bot, who noticed that the performance of the SNES seemed to have improved since its production days in the 1990s. This theory suggests that the nearly 50 million SNES units sold worldwide might now be offering enhanced gameplay experiences in classics like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Star Fox.

At first glance, the notion that a video game console could improve its performance over time seems far-fetched. However, Cecil's research points to a specific component that might be responsible for this unusual behavior: the SNES's audio processing unit (APU), known as the SPC700. According to official Nintendo specifications, the SPC700 operates at a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000Hz, controlled by a ceramic resonator running at 24.576MHz. However, retro console enthusiasts have noted that these specifications aren't entirely accurate, with DSP rates varying based on environmental factors such as temperature. These fluctuations can subtly affect the speed at which games run.

The intriguing aspect of Cecil's findings is the trend observed over the past 34 years. After requesting SNES owners to record data about their consoles, Cecil analyzed over 140 responses and discovered a consistent increase in DSP rates. While previously recorded average DSP numbers for the SPC700 were around 32,040Hz in 2007, Cecil's data suggests an increase to an average of 32,076Hz. Although temperature can influence these rates, it doesn't seem to account for the observed changes fully. In a follow-up Bluesky post, Cecil shared that "Based on 143 responses, the SNES DSP rate averages 32,076Hz, rising 8Hz from cold to warm. 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 this phenomenon is fascinating, Cecil acknowledges that further research is essential to understand not only the extent of the increased audio processing speed but also its cause. Historical data from the console's early years is scarce, making it challenging to draw definitive conclusions. Nonetheless, as the SNES approaches its 35th anniversary, it appears to be aging gracefully.

This development has sparked significant interest within the speedrunning community, as an SPC700 processing audio faster than intended could theoretically impact game performance, possibly reducing load times in certain sections. If the SNES processes audio faster in 2025 compared to a speedrun from 1990, it could potentially disrupt over three decades of leaderboard rankings and records. However, the actual impact on gameplay speed isn't straightforward, and even the most extreme scenarios would likely only reduce speedrun times by less than a second. The community is still in the early stages of research, and the consensus is that players have little to worry about for now.

As Cecil continues to investigate this phenomenon, the SNES remains a fascinating piece of gaming history. For those interested in the console's legacy, you can explore its ranking on the list of best-selling consoles of all time.