I highly recommend the Amazon Basics USB extenders here: Amazon.com
They work well, and they’re cheap.
1 Like
That would be pretty cool. At some point I bought a wireless PS2 controller. I think Logitech made it. It worked fairly well, I just seem to remember it burning through batteries because it didn’t turn off real easily.
2 Likes
What I love about the 8Bitdo adapter for SNES and NES is that they are compatible with a whole host of controllers, including the Wii U Pro Controller and wireless DualShock controllers. Either would be ideal since the Wii U controller lasts weeks on a charge and the DualShock 4 is the most comfortable controller I’ve ever used. Even the DS3 would be a great controller for playing PS2 games wirelessly. 8Bitdo is doing some nice work, and I had not expected the adapters already on offer. Maybe a PS2 version is an eventuality.
1 Like
I’m going down the RGB cable, Framemeister hole right now. I’m going to do a writeup on here pretty soon about it.
1 Like
You’re considering it? I recall it sounded like you were against it. What changed your mind? Looking forward to your write up either way.
I’m still waiting on cables. Last time I buy from China.
1 Like
I was against it because of the cost. I still think it’s pretty silly to be honest. I’m finishing my basement at my house here in the next few months, and I’m going to have all of my consoles hooked up to an HDTV in my little game corner. I was playing with my SNES hooked up to my Samsung LED the other night, and it really does look terrible. I’ll report back when I have something more concrete setup.
1 Like
I’ll do a side by side comparison of my SNES console vs the SNES emulator on my pi build and get back to you. They might look equally as bad and I just didn’t notice or the emulator looks better over HDMI, not sure. If I could save you $200 or more by finding another option for you then that might be better.
But if you mod one console, you’d have to mod the rest right? The labor alone looks awful, unless theres an easier way. Lots of soldering and de-soldering. Kit for NES. Seems like a good project but I don’t know if it’s worth it. I’ll let you know about the comparison.
1 Like
I’ve got a Raspberry Pi actually. The SNES emulator over HDMI looks great. It makes the regular SNES over composite directly into an HDTV look like junk. I might have to try and do a capture to show the difference. I did end up ordering the Framemeister and some RGB cables for my SNES though. I’ll put some shots up when I get it all up and running.
I’ve thought about attempting to mod a NES. It could be a really fun project, I just don’t have as much nostalgia for it as I do the SNES. I think that’s half the reason I think I want to go the real console route for the SNES because it’s the system I played the most as a kid. I’ll probably stick with the Pi for playing most other retro systems. I don’t know if I’m ready to go down the rabbit hole 100% yet 
1 Like
I did a little research and found out, as you know, that the SNES does not require a mod for RGB, just special cables. Cool, I did not know that.
Why didn’t I know that? You probably said you did at one time and I forgot.
Have you played many N64 games on your pi? I heard it’s a bit sketchy. I’ll probably just use my N64 console and the original controllers for Mario Kart playing.[quote=“peter, post:29, topic:805”]
I did end up ordering the Framemeister and some RGB cables for my SNES though.
[/quote]
Holy crap Framemeister is expensive! But in the grand scheme it’s about the same price as a new console which it will basically turn your SNES into an upgraded version of itself. Can you really put a price on nostalgia…other than some of the rare retro games? Think of cost benefit ratio. Will your enjoyment be worth it? I spent over $300 for my retro machine and I’m still not done picking up the incidental stuff. I paid that for a project and for something I can enjoy with friends or alone for many years to come. I say do it if it makes you happy. Commit to venturing down the rabbit hole.
1 Like
I have a long way to go in the NES modding field. Very cool. Currently $484 on ebay. It…could…be…yours!
It’s cool for the level of craft put into it, but I wouldn’t want to own it.
1 Like
I agree, cool craftsmanship but a little too bulky for me.
I’m still waiting on these dang cables from the UK right now.
I’ve currently running my SNES into the Framemeister with the standard composite cables, and I’m surprised how good that actually looks. It’s staggering how bad my Samsung LED is at scaling the 240p signal. When I plug the SNES straight into the TV, it’s dark, and any movement is real blurry. When you go through the Framemeister, it’s nice and bright, and the pixels are a lot sharper when the sprites are moving. I can’t wait to see what it’s going to look like when I get the RGB cables.
Do you have anyway to post screenshots? I am truly curious if the Framemeister is worth the price tag. We have our Genesis and SNES connected to out LED TV, and while not the same as it looked in the old CRT days, I am not particularly bothered by the image we get. That is using composite with the SNES and the RF switch with the Genesis. I guess I have a certain expectation of lower resolution images from these machines that doesn’t bother me? MAybe I have low standards, lol.
I’d have to take a picture of the TV probably. I’ll see if the differences come across via phone picture.
I’d say if you’re happy with what you’re seeing, the Framemeister is not worth it. I’m almost embarrassed by what I paid for it. You can kind of get a feel for how different it would look by seeing what a game looks like emulated on the Wii U vs. coming straight out of the console. The Super Nintendo emulation on the Wii U looks really good, and it outputs a 1080p signal that your TV doesn’t have to scale. I think you’d be surprised how different it looks.
I’ll try and post some shots tonight.
Off topic, I kind of wish I had a couple CRT TVs for Extra Life. We are setting up a few game stations with some LED TVs as well as a projector. But it would be great to have a room of old tube TVs connected to the NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, etc.
2 Likes
Waiting for cables sucks. I just got mine from China today and one of the sellers sent the wrong cables. Now I have three ethernet extensions. Luckily the wrong order was better than the correct order, it actually came with mounting screws. I can sell the extras and just ordered USB extenders from a US seller.
This project will be done eventually! Still have no idea what to do with the side AV ports holes. Any thoughts? Might order a small PC fan and enlarge the opening for air intake.
I still have my Sony CRT TV. Works almost perfect. Has some white lines going across the screen.
I’m calling this project complete! Just got the USB extensions in today, skipped my 2 mi run, and went ahead mounting them into the controller slots. Eff’d up a couple times, my pets bugged me, I told them to go away, looks pretty decent overall.
(I plugged the controller in to the hub as the sugru is still curing around the ports, it’s that fresh!). My wife and I played some tetris and dr. mario tonight, much fun was had.
Things I would do differently for the project:
- Be patient and take my time
- Buy good quality spray paint
- Order from US. China takes too long and they messed up my order.
- Maybe go wireless controllers. Still on the fence. I know bmo and peter rave about the 8bitdo pads.
- Buy a barebones pi and add my own software. Might be cheaper. Might…
- Choose a less obnoxious color scheme.
- Find a better place for the HDMI port on the case. The extension cord is thick and is tough to fit other cords around it.
Now that the project is done, what are the odds I’ll get busted for having ROMs? Not a serious question
3 Likes