Famicom vs NES
The Famicom and the NES are the same 8-bit Nintendo console under two names. Here is exactly what changed between Japan and the West — the cartridge slot, the lockout chip, the price — and whether the two can play each other’s games.
Updated:
| Famicom | NES | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Family Computer (Famicom) | Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) |
| Maker | Nintendo | Nintendo |
| Generation | 3rd generation (8-bit) | 3rd generation (8-bit) |
| Released | July 15, 1983 (Japan) | October 18, 1985 (New York test market); September 27, 1986 (US-wide) |
| Launch price | ¥14,800 | US$199.99 (Deluxe Set) |
| CPU | Ricoh 2A03 @ 1.79 MHz | Ricoh 2A03 @ 1.79 MHz (same) |
| Cartridge slot | 60-pin | 72-pin |
| Lockout chip | None | 10NES (CIC) lockout |
| Cartridge loading | Top-loading slot | Front-loading ZIF tray (NES-001) |
| Controllers | Hard-wired; player-2 pad has a microphone | Detachable via 7-pin ports |
The same machine, two names
The Famicom and the NES are the same 8-bit hardware in two different cases. Nintendo released it in Japan as the Family Computer (Famicom) on July 15, 1983, then redesigned the casing for North America as the Nintendo Entertainment System, which launched in a New York test market on October 18, 1985 and went US-wide on September 27, 1986.
Inside, they are the same: both run the Ricoh 2A03 processor at 1.79 MHz. At the silicon level, a Famicom game and an NES game are the same game.
Why the cartridges don’t fit
The Famicom uses a 60-pin cartridge slot; the NES uses a 72-pin slot. That difference is physical, so a Famicom cartridge will not drop straight into an NES. With a 60-to-72-pin adapter the game runs, because the console circuitry underneath is identical.
The NES also added a lockout chip — the 10NES (CIC) — that checks each cartridge before it will boot, which is how Nintendo controlled who could publish games. The Japanese Famicom shipped without one, which is why unlicensed and homebrew cartridges run freely on a Famicom.
Differences you can see and feel
The NES loads cartridges through a front-loading ZIF tray — the mechanism that wears over time and causes the familiar blinking screen. The Famicom loads from the top instead.
The Famicom’s two controllers are hard-wired to the console, and the second pad carries a small microphone that a handful of games actually used. NES controllers detach through 7-pin ports.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a Famicom play NES games?
- Not directly. The two are the same hardware inside, but the Famicom uses a 60-pin cartridge slot and the NES uses a 72-pin slot, so the cartridges are physically different. With a pin adapter the games run, because the console circuitry is the same.
- Are the Famicom and NES the same console?
- Yes — they are the same 8-bit hardware in a different case. Nintendo released it as the Family Computer in Japan in 1983 and redesigned it as the NES for North America, launching in a New York test market on October 18, 1985.
- Why doesn’t the Famicom have a lockout chip?
- The NES added the 10NES (CIC) lockout chip to control which cartridges could boot. The Japanese Famicom was released without one, which is why unlicensed and homebrew cartridges run freely on a Famicom.
- How much did the Famicom and NES cost at launch?
- The Famicom launched in Japan at ¥14,800 in 1983. The NES Deluxe Set launched in North America at US$199.99.
- How do you play Famicom games on an NES?
- Use a 60-to-72-pin adapter. The Famicom’s cartridge slot has 60 pins and the NES has 72, so a Japanese cartridge will not physically drop into an NES — but a pin adapter (a small converter cartridge you slot the Famicom game into) bridges the two, and the game runs because the hardware underneath is identical. Since the Famicom has no lockout chip, no region workaround is needed beyond the adapter.