Super Famicom vs SNES
The Super Famicom and the SNES are the same 16-bit Nintendo console under two names. Here is what changed between Japan and the West — the case, the cartridge shape, region lockout — and whether the two can share games.
Updated:
| Super Famicom | SNES | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Super Famicom (Super Family Computer) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) |
| Maker | Nintendo | Nintendo |
| Generation | 4th generation (16-bit) | 4th generation (16-bit) |
| Released | November 21, 1990 (Japan) | August 23, 1991 (North America) |
| Launch price | ¥25,000 | US$199 |
| CPU | Ricoh 5A22 | Ricoh 5A22 (same) |
| Sound chip | Sony SPC700 | Sony SPC700 (same) |
| Signature graphics | Mode 7 scaling & rotation | Mode 7 scaling & rotation (same) |
| Case design | Rounded grey shell, coloured ABXY buttons | Angular grey-and-purple shell (US) |
| Controller buttons | Four convex buttons, distinct colours: red A, yellow B, blue X, green Y | Purple convex A & B; lavender concave X & Y (US) |
| Cartridge shape | Smaller, rounded | Taller, squared with ridges — needs an adapter |
| Region lockout | CIC lockout (region-locked) | CIC lockout (region-locked) |
The same machine, two shells
The Super Famicom and the SNES are the same 16-bit hardware. Nintendo released it in Japan as the Super Famicom on November 21, 1990, and in North America as the Super NES on August 23, 1991.
Under both shells sit the same parts: the Ricoh 5A22 CPU, a Sony-built SPC700 sound chip, and the Mode 7 hardware that lets the machine scale and rotate a background — the effect behind the flying stages of games like F-Zero.
Why the cartridges don’t fit
Japanese Super Famicom cartridges are smaller and rounded. North American SNES cartridges are taller and squared with ridges, and the US console has plastic tabs inside the slot, so a Super Famicom cart will not fit an unmodified US SNES without an adapter.
On top of the shape, every version uses a CIC lockout chip that keeps games from another region from booting. So swapping games across the two takes either an adapter, a converter, or a hardware mod.
The look
The Super Famicom is a soft, rounded grey box with four coloured face buttons. The North American SNES is the angular grey-and-purple design most Americans picture. The European (PAL) machine, confusingly, kept the rounded Super Famicom styling rather than the US look.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a Super Famicom play SNES games?
- Not without modification. The two are the same 16-bit hardware, but Japanese and North American cartridges have different shapes and the consoles are region-locked, so the games do not swap freely. An adapter, converter, or mod is needed.
- Are the Super Famicom and SNES the same console?
- Yes — the same 16-bit hardware, built around the Ricoh 5A22 CPU, a Sony SPC700 sound chip, and Mode 7 graphics. Nintendo released it as the Super Famicom in Japan in November 1990 and as the SNES in North America in August 1991, in a different case.
- Why do Super Famicom cartridges look different from SNES cartridges?
- Japanese Super Famicom cartridges are smaller and rounded, while North American SNES cartridges are taller and squared with ridges. The North American console also has tabs inside the slot, making the cartridges physically incompatible without an adapter.
- How much did the Super Famicom cost at launch?
- The Super Famicom launched in Japan at ¥25,000 in 1990. The SNES launched in North America at US$199 in 1991.
- What is the difference between the Super Famicom and SNES controllers?
- The pads share the same shape and layout, but the face buttons differ. The Super Famicom — and the European SNES — has four convex buttons in distinct colours: a red A, yellow B, blue X and green Y. The North American SNES instead uses two purple convex buttons (A and B) and two lavender concave buttons (X and Y); the mixed concave and convex shapes were chosen so a player could tell the buttons apart by feel. The Super Famicom controller cable is also a little shorter than the North American one.