Old-school Nintendo console gets Bluetooth and improved audio features with addon — NES hub utilizes previously unused expansion port

Retro gaming enthusiasts likely already know that the NES' expansion port never received any official expansions. But if you own the NES-001 model and want to use that port, RetroTime has now released a Bluetooth-enabled "NES Hub" for pre-order via 8BitMods.

NES Hub is an expansion that adds Bluetooth controller support and improved audio support to the NES. NES Hub also features its add-on system, with a separate "SNES Add-on" permitting the use of wired SNES and 15-pin Famicom controllers with the old console.

So, the NES Hub and its SNES Add-on are expected to ship in December 2024. The NES Hub costs $57.28, and the SNES Add-on is $26.03, so you'll be paying a crisp total of $83.31 before taxes if you want the whole NES expansion experience. Buyers of the NES Hub can connect up to four Bluetooth controllers to the console simultaneously. Suppose you have a hacked NES that can run Famicom games. In that case, the NES Hub can also enable Expansion Audio mode for select Famicom games that support more audio channels than typical Famicom or NES titles.

For those unfamiliar, the Famicom, or "Family Computer," is the original Japanese name for the Nintendo Entertainment System— and yes, this did correspond to its functions, which included Internet connectivity for non-gaming purposes overseas. This included checking stock prices with the Famicom— the Japanese console gaming scene was testing online functionality from pretty much day one. In contrast, American console gamers didn't get experiences like that until the Sega Dreamcast and Microsoft Xbox.

Meanwhile, commonplace Bluetooth support didn't arrive until the Seventh Generation of consoles, which started in 2005, with Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. NES is considered a third-generation console, and its October 1985 release date predates Bluetooth's 1999 launch by an entire 14 years. So, seeing the feature finally added to the original NES and bringing more parity to NES gaming on the actual hardware versus emulation on a Nintendo Virtual Console or PC) is certainly nice to see.

Of course, this niche is incredibly specific, and the pricing matches that specificity. If you're in the market for improved NES controller support, the NES Hub seems like the best answer if you have a supported NES-001 model.