---
title: Nintendo Super Famicom
categories:
- Consoles
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1990'
cpus:
- Nintendo 5A22
params:
  name: Super Famicom
  image: /media/museum/photos/nintendo_super-famicom_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/nintendo
  company_name: Nintendo
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Super Famicom
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Nintendo
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: November 1990
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '2003'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: 8-way d-pad, 6 buttons + Select + Start
  - label: CPU
    value: Nintendo 5A22, based on 65c816
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3.579545 MHz (Switchable by software to 2.68 MHz or 1.79 MHz)
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: 1.024 MHz Sony SPC700, Picture Processor Unit
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 256x224 - 512x448 max
  - label: COLORS
    value: 32,768 palette, 256 on screen
  - label: SOUND
    value: 8 channel Sony S-SMP, 3 channel Sony/Nintendo S-DSP
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Cartridge, power adapter, RF out, AV out, 2 controller ports, expansion port
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Cartridge, 2 to 48 Megabits
  - label: OS
    value: 750+
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: External power supply unit, 10v DC
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Super GameBoy, Super Scope (Light gun), Satellaview, SNES Mouse, Super Multitap (8 player adapter)
  - label: PRICE
    value: ¥25,000
  tabs:
  - photos
  - emulators
  - links
  photos:
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/nintendo_super-famicom_box_1.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: Snes9x
    url: http://www.snes9x.com/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: One of the best SNES emulator available, if not the best. Available for many platforms
  - title: ZSnes
    url: http://www.zsnes.com/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: The other leading SNES emulator (Win, DOS & Linux)
  links:
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: ''
  related:
  - /museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system
  - /museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system-2
  oc_id: 1248
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230202152416/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1248
    date: '2023-02-02'
---

Nintendo's follow up the [NES](/museum/nintendo-nes/) arrived 1990. Bundled with the classic Super Mario World the console proved an instant hit in Japan, selling out within hours and going on to outsell Sega's [Mega Drive](/museum/sega-mega-drive/). Between them the Super Famicom and [SNES](/museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system/) acheived combined sales of almost 50 million units world-wide.

With well over 750 games released, owners certainly had plenty of choice. One of the biggest sales boosts came from a near arcade perfect version of Street Fighter II, released at the peak of the games popularity.

Around the time of the Mega CD, Nintendo planned a CD-ROM add-on with the aid of Phillips and Sony. Artists impressions were published in magazines but the device was never manufactured. Phillips went on to create the CD-i while Sony's efforts would result in the PlayStation.

A number of peripherals were released, most notably 1994's Super Game Boy. This allowed the use of the wide selection of Game Boy games, which could be displayed with colour borders. The games themselves could also be displayed in colour, and a number of four colour palettes were available to select from.

1995 saw the launch of the Satellaview, a modem which connected to the expansion port. Users were able to download games which were released in instalments.

Production of the Super Famicom eventually came to an end in 2003, after an incredible 13 years of official support.