Nintendo NEVER Used This Expansion Port, So Modders Did

At the bottom of the NES, there’s a mysterious port—a feature Nintendo never ended up using. But modder Timo from RetroTime has changed that with his incredible new plug-and-play add-on: the NES HUB. This device lets you connect up to four Bluetooth controllers and unlocks Expansion Audio, a capability the NES never officially had. And that’s just the beginning. Let’s dive in and check out everything the NES HUB can do!

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Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:41 Hardware Overview
6:12 Quick Install Overview
7:15 Feature Overview
9:56 Expansion Audio Test
11:06 Pros and Cons
12:39 The Future Of the NES HUB
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Disclaimer: This video is only for entertainment purposes. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or from the information in this video is the sole responsibility of the viewer and is to be used at the discretion of the end user/viewer and not Macho Nacho Productions or Tito Perez. If you are uncertain about any step of the process or feel unsure about your skill level, seek a more authoritative source.

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#Nintendo #NES #NESHUB

[IcebergTech]

"Hello, lawyers? Yes, they're doing it again. Modders this time. Yes, the NES. No, not since 1995. Yes, every penny they have. Thanks!"

[Cameront]

The port was used in America in a small trial run of a system that let you pick lottery numbers online. It was only in a small test market.

[daviannajones]

I love how intent modders are to slightly increase the bass and quality of their 40 year old 8-bit soundtracks

[TheDeelunatic]

On the potential this device, maybe there's a way to give Microphone support for those games that utilized it on the Famicom side. Or for Homewbrew.

[ThomatoSauce]

If they can somehow add a microphone accessory that mimics the Famicom Mic (for games like FDS Zelda and Takeshi’s Challenge), and give the option between the Hori 4-players adapter and the Four Score (because yes, some games only support one or the other) this add on could make the NES the ultimate way to experience the entire 8-bit Nintendo catalogue.

[jackmcslay]

Nintendo DID use nte expansion port - on the NES diagnostic unit delivered to repair shops to diagnose defective NES consoles and accesories, the expansion port allowed to upgrade the units to diagnose SNES hardware as well

[kikujade]

just the solderless expansion audio has me sold on this thing.

[apollolux]

Re simultaneous inputs - "2 Players, 1 Controller" is a surprisingly common speedrun category. This would make it exponentially easier to do it if it doesn't get patched out or if it gets patched such that it's done cleanly and intentionally.

[wannytiggah]

As someone else said, there WAS another homebrew device that use the port, the ENIO (Extended NES I/O).
It was back in 2012, and apparently it was sold in very low quantities. The official websites (of both the developer and the online shop that sold it) are now defunct, only being archived.

[scootscootriot]

12:32 your “con” is actually a good example of actual constructive feedback. Very good idea!

[KLondike]

As part of a school project to communicate with companies, writing to Nintendo about that port was what I chose. They actually sent a letter back to me about it answering in a vague way about it being a future use sort of design.

[Choochinc]

The NES modding community really has some mad scientists in there. In the time I've spent on some forums, there are some guys there trying to put 2 PPUs in the same system to double the graphics capabilities. This system's architecture is so fascinating that things like that even work.

[slincolne]

Nintendo must have had some real plans - the inclusion of this in every production unit was a cost that they would have avoided if there was no expected requirement. It would be interesting to find out from Nintendo the plans they had which kept the connector.

[neoradjoao]

regarding the famicom disk system adapter, I have already made one, it works perfectly

[NovocaineTV]

9:38 i am going to buy this purely for the shared controller support. My daughter and I are always sharing the controller. i will do the jumps and she will move or vice versa. This is perfect.

[KJImpakt]

Under the feature review, you mentioned how 2 controllers could be used at the same time. I realized how that could actually be utilized functionally, as it would save people on team play for single player games or 2-on-2 tournaments or tag team by letting players use their own personalized controllers at a friend's without having to share and wear down the functionality faster of any individual controller.

I do understand the drawbacks of having the setup at the same time, but it opens up just as much with how it is now. Thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

[suspendedhatch]

To fix the controller overlap, add a software option to assign wireless controllers to port 2, 3, or 4.

[yogidemis]

As a 80s kid and now 45, I'm stoked to see the Nes world is still thriving. My 6 year old daughter is getting into the Nes and learning how to play Zelda, she's always asking for help but I tell her "I don't know, we never had help in the 80s, you just have to play and figure it out." Long live the Nes!!

[aplsed]

Still waiting for the day somebody makes an American Famicom Disk System to use for that expansion port

[yeolemillinial]

i got a thing from 10 years ago that you plug in the ext port for japanese sound channel and it allows to use japanese 15 pin peripherals too. there was also a device that paired with that that allowed to run roms over a network and even play games over a network multiplayer but i didn't not get that part. its called the Extended NES I/O (ENIO)