If you’re a fan of retro gaming, you’ve likely heard that the NES’s expansion port never actually hosted any official expansions. But now, for those lucky enough to own the NES-001 model, there’s an exciting new gadget in town. RetroTime has just unveiled the “NES Hub,” a Bluetooth-enabled device that you can pre-order via 8BitMods.
This nifty NES Hub boosts your classic console by adding Bluetooth controller capabilities and enhancing the audio experience. It also comes with its very own add-on system. How cool is that? You can grab the SNES Add-on, which lets you use wired SNES and 15-pin Famicom controllers with your beloved NES.
So, both the NES Hub and its SNES Add-on are slated to hit the shelves in December 2024. Pricing is pretty straightforward: the NES Hub will set you back $57.28, while the SNES Add-on goes for $26.03. Fancy having the complete setup? That’ll be a cool $83.31 before taxes. What’s really neat is that the NES Hub allows you to connect up to four Bluetooth controllers simultaneously. And for those who have a tweaked NES that plays Famicom games, this hub can even activate Expansion Audio mode for select Famicom titles that have extra audio channels not found in the usual NES games.
For a bit of history, the Famicom, which stands for “Family Computer,” is what the NES was originally called in Japan. It had some pretty futuristic features for its time, like internet connectivity for non-gaming activities, such as checking stock prices. Yep, Japanese gamers were ahead of the curve, experimenting with online features right from the get-go, while US gamers had to wait until the days of the Sega Dreamcast and the original Xbox.
Bluetooth, on the other hand, didn’t become a standard feature until the Seventh Generation consoles came out in 2005, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the Wii. Comparing that to the third-generation NES, which hit the scene in October 1985, Bluetooth feels like a whole different era. The addition of Bluetooth to the retro NES certainly levels the playing field, offering an experience that’s closer to emulation but with all the authenticity of the original hardware.
However, this addition is not for everyone. The specificity of the product means the price reflects its niche market. But if you’re after enhanced controller support for your NES-001 model, the NES Hub seems like the perfect fit.
