RetroTime has found a good use for the expansion port Nintendo included on the underside of the NES but never utilized. Its NES Hub connects to that port and adds Bluetooth connectivity, allowing up to four wireless controllers to be connected to the almost 40-year-old console.
The NES Hub is currently available for preorder through 8BitMods for $57.28 and is expected to ship as early as December 2024. Installation doesn’t require any soldering, hardware modifications, or for the NES to even be opened. The NES Hub simply snaps into the expansion port and is designed to perfectly sit hidden inside the cutouts under the console. The most complicated part of the installation is connecting a small Bluetooth antenna and sticking it to the back of the console, which seems easy enough.
With support for up to four Bluetooth controllers, the NES Hub replicates the functionality of an accessory Nintendo released in 1990 called the NES Four Score that expanded connectivity to up to four wired gamepads. There were only about 25 NES games that actually supported four players at once, but they’ll all be compatible with this accessory.
The NES Hub also includes a special mode that “allows some Famicom games to use more audio channel for a better audio experience” while introducing three additional ports that other peripherals can connect to. The first is a $26.03 add-on that allows Super Nintendo gamepads, and accessories designed for the Japanese Famicom to be connected.
When connected to a PC over Bluetooth instead of a controller, the NES Hub offers a web-based configuration tool through Google Chrome. You can remap controls and buttons and even switch to a keyboard and mouse mode if you think that will somehow give you an advantage when playing Super Mario Bros.
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