New HDMI converters for GC/N64/SNES/NewNES and SS are on their way

Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2021-08-03 20:32 (JST)
Translated by. Matthew Parker

On August 3rd, the game product maker Columbus Circle announced two HDMI output converters for classic game systems, one HDMI converter for use with GC/N64/SNES/NewNES and one for the SS.  They will both be released at the end of October in Japan, priced at the retailer’s discretion. The referred price is 4950 yen (approx. $45 USD) for the GC/N64/SNES/NewNES converter and 5390 yen (approx. $49 USD) for the SS converter (tax included).

As the name implies, the HDMI converter for the GC/N64/SNES/NewNES converts the original video output of our nostalgic old GC/N64/SNES/NewNES consoles to HDMI. While the product is compatible with Nintendo’s classic game systems, Columbus Circle refers to it as a “GC” instead of a Nintendo GameCube due to not having the official license. The other consoles are likewise listed in a similar way.

Originally these systems used composite cables, S-video or RF adaptors, but nowadays playing them on the more common HDMI interface makes it easy to play those old games on a PC monitor or a TV.

The product comes with a switch for changing aspect ratios. You can switch at your discretion between the original 4 : 3 Standard aspect ratio as well as 16 : 9 Widescreen of today’s TVs. It’s compatible with 1080p resolution, but does not include any upscaling functionality.

The other product is an HDMI video converter which is compatible with the so-called SS. Once again, it is being referred to as the “SS” likely because they can’t officially call it a Sega Saturn. In general, the functions are identical to the HDMI Converter for the GC/N64/SNES/NewNES, including the aforementioned aspect ratio switch, allowing you to play SS games on TVs and PC monitors with HDMI compatibility. This one likewise outputs at 1080p and does not include any upscaling functionality. Both of these products may have display issues based on the game of choice as well as when the actual console on-hand was manufactured.

Both the HDMI converter for the GC/N64/SNES/NewNES and the HDMI converter for the SS are scheduled for release in Japan at the end of October. You can check the official site for more of the product details.