Solving SNES Classic Short-Cord Issues
The SNES Classic released last year is a fantastic product. It is a tiny machine equipped with over 20 games from the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) released from Nintendo.
The box the SNES Classic is contained in. As seen in photo, it is not too much larger than Amiibo.
Though they are more or less out-of-stock from honorable retailers, you can pay obscene prices on Amazon and reward an individual who hoarded this hardware and likely doubled its retail asking price of approximately $80. For some alternatives, pay attention to news updates on Google, or use NowInStock.net.
Most Prevalent Hardware Issue: Short Cords
I have had a SNES Classic since Christmas, thanks to my father who waited in line during launch day. (I would have been happy to wait myself, but that would have meant taking a day off of work or calling in late, which isn’t very good behavior.)
The only issue I have found with this system is the short cords. They are approximately 4 feet in length, so it has required some creativity to make the system genuinely work for long gaming sessions.
This photo demonstrates the cord's inability to reach the couch from a TV. The table in the photo is about the halfway point.
Here are some viable solutions to get over this problem:
Option 1: Buy a Wireless Controller
I have seen these at GameStop and on Amazon. They place a dongle in the cord slot of the SNES Classic and give you the ability to play at a distance and get rid of ALL cords.
I have never tried them myself, but for an approximate $20 it seems like a viable solution.
Option 2: Adapt Your Thinking; Add SNES Classic to PC Monitor Party
If you have a good PC setup, it is likely you have a nice monitor sitting on your computer table already. Check to see if your monitor has an HDMI input. If it does, it is easy enough to hook up an SNES Classic to your computer monitor.
With this method, no additional hardware needs to be purchased, and there is no issue with the short cords anymore. For me, I found this to be the best solution.
As seen here, the SNES Classic lives on my workstation.
In-Game Sound
The only flaw with this method is that your monitor should have either a microphone input or be able to use sound from the monitor itself. Otherwise, you will not have any in-game sound.
How I got around this is that I have a double male 3.5 mm cord to attach my monitor to my computer speakers. With this setup, I can use just a few more hookups to get the SNES Classic to make my robust computer speakers singing. (Or you can just hook in headphones to the monitor itself, either method works.)
Option 3: Projector Time
If you don’t want to buy a controller, it is also viable to use a projector. Most of them accept HDMI input and are very good to use with a SNES Classic.
This way, a projector can be closer to you, and the necessary cord length will shorten as well. Though this is an expensive solution ($100-$250 minimum cost), it can also be an excuse to get a projector at all.
In addition, this is a fun setup in general for travel. The SNES Classic’s size is an asset here, and it is perfect to take on vacation or business travel. (Projectors also work extremely well with a Nintendo Switch.)
My projector (in link above) can accept HDMI input and as an added bonus, has an internal battery. This allows it to be moved around and play without any power cords for about 2 hours. As seen, it is a little bigger (and a lot thicker) than an Apple TV 3rd Generation.
Final Thoughts
The SNES Classic has only one flaw from a hardware standpoint. It’s cord length is just too short to be viable for traditional TV gaming. However, using a little bit (or a lot) of extra cash and creativity can easily undo these shortcomings.
All in all, I am extremely happy with my computer-based SNES Classic setup and grateful to Nintendo for releasing this system.
I do not make any money off of these reviews, and I do not own or have a part in any Nintendo products or software presented here.
As a special note: thanks dad for standing in line for me! Love this great gift!
