Developer: Epilogue
Publisher: Epilogue
Platform: SNES, Super Famicom (both via PC)
Tested on: PC
Epilogue SN Operator – Hardware Review
Retro(-inspired) games have never been more popular than they are today. We see old games making a comeback on platforms such as the Evercade or the upcoming Neo Geo AES+ with loads of classic Neo Geo titles. These consoles and others just like it, however, often emulate software or can’t play the original cartridges that came out several decades ago. In comes Epilogue with their SN Operator console that allows you to play your old SNES and Super Famicom games on PC. We were lucky enough to get a review model, and we absolutely had a blast with it.
Design
Even though the SN Operator has a very simple design, it looks extremely classy and cool. The transparent shell, the visible circuit board, and the black cartridge slot create a great-looking whole. Other than that, however, there aren’t any huge noticeable details except for the LED light that lights up when the device is connected. We honestly loved the less-is-more approach here, as well as the compact casing.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, there is not that much to tell here. The device is really small, as it’s, in essence, an enclosed SNES cartridge slot, making it really easy to take with you wherever you go or if you want to hook it up to different PCs or laptops at home. There are no buttons, so simply connecting the SN Operator will already turn it on. There truly isn’t much more to it in terms of comfort features.
Overview
Epilogue’s SN Operator doesn’t require a tricky setup. You just have to plug in the device, download the official software, and you’re pretty much good to go. From here on out, you just grab your favorite game(s), insert them into the SN Operator, and you can experience SNES goodness on your PC. The device is supposed to work on Steam Deck too, with some additional steps, but we personally were unable to try this out. All in all, we didn’t experience any hiccups setting up the device.
A very cool feature of the SN Operator is the ability to spot fake carts. When inserting a cartridge into the device, it will immediately tell you the specifics, like what game it is, if the cartridge is official, and if it’s rewritable. There are, of course, some carts the SN Operator does not recognize, which you can normally report to Epilogue to have that game added to the database. Nonetheless, we loved seeing the information about our retro games immediately pop up. We also tried out some newer cartridges from publishers that printed new batches of (originally unfinished or brand new) SNES games. These cartridges almost always indicated they were not official and that the data was rewritable. This means that you’ll also have to be careful not to overwrite the ROM data on the cartridge.
If you are worried about video game preservation and maybe not having to use your own cartridges too much, you can also use the SN Operator to create ROMs of your own cartridges. This allows you to play said games via emulators, while also officially owning them. You won’t wear down the connector pins of your own games this way, which is always a plus if you still regularly play your own retro games. Other than that, the device also offers the option to tweak a lot of other settings, ranging from filters to performance options. The latter can be a lifesaver for certain titles that might not run as smoothly as they should. The opposite is also true: games that always struggled to run properly on the original hardware may run more smoothly thanks to the SN Operator. We suggest checking out the different options, as it might enhance the experience a lot.
International collectors can rejoice as well, as the SN Operator allows you to play PAL and NTSC SNES cartridges, as well as Super Famicom cartridges. This means you won’t need any converters or additional devices to play all your favorite games. It might also make collecting cartridges from other regions more accessible, as some games tend to be a lot cheaper when you find a Japanese copy.
When you buy a device, you’ll also get a QR code that gives you more information on how your device was created and how it was calibrated. We won’t spoil too much of this fun little touch here, but we can tell you it’s very much worth delving into that little bit of ‘bonus content’.
Conclusion
Epilogue’s SN Operator is a great way to give your collection of SNES games a second lease on life. The device works without any hiccups, and there is pretty much no setup process involved here. We were amazed by how easily the device recognized the carts and how much additional information we received when inserting a cart. On top of that, your physical media can remain in pristine condition if you make backups so you can enjoy your game collection via emulators. If you want to enjoy your retro collection with modern technology backing it up, then the SN Operator is certainly a device worth checking out.
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