Turn Your Computer Into a Super Computer — a Super Nintendo Computer
The SN Operator by Epilogue lets you play physical SNES cartridges on your PC via USB, and it just went on presale.
In the world of retro gaming, there are those who think it’s best to do their gaming on vintage hardware, and those who prefer to run emulators. Both sides have their pros and cons. Original hardware is the only way to get a perfectly authentic experience, but it can be hard to get or expensive, and older systems may need repairs. Emulation, on the other hand, is cheap and extremely convenient. However, while many emulators are excellent, they do not reproduce every detail perfectly.
For those straddling the fence between classic consoles and emulation, Epilogue offers the ideal solution. They have developed a device called SN Operator that turns your computer into a super computer. No, not that kind of super computer — a Super Nintendo computer. SN Operator accepts physical Super Nintendo cartridges and allows modern computers to read their contents via USB.
A desktop computer doesn’t know what to do with a USB-connected Super Nintendo cartridge, so Epilogue also created an app called Playback that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This app reads data from the cartridge ROM and plays it in a built-in SNES emulator. Fortunately, if you don’t like that built-in emulator, you can also play the games on another emulator of your choice.
SN Operator can even be used with games that require the Super Nintendo Mouse or the Super Scope. However, you cannot use the real hardware; your computer’s mouse will have to stand in for them.
The device has a few other features that many retro aficionados will love. For starters, it is capable of producing ROM dumps, so you can create a digital archive of your game collection. It also has a really cool authentication feature that determines if a cartridge is real or a bootleg. This would be especially useful for checking out rare cartridges purchased on eBay or in local second-hand shops.
SN Operator is being offered for presale starting today at $59.99. Epilogue plans to start shipping the hardware in April 2026.