your questions Answered…
A selection of smaller questions from readers
snesplosion
Can cartridges like SD2SNES damage a console because they run on different voltages than authentic carts?
Flavio Of Rage 4 via Twitter
Yes, it’s possible. The reason for this is that some modern cartridges use 3.3V chips, but the systems are designed for 5V chips. As long as proper level translators are present, this isn’t a problem – but many designs don’t include them. René Richard of db electronics put up a good overview on this subject in 2017, which you can read at bit.ly/cartvoltage. The sd2snes met his approval on this subject, though – he rated its electronic design ‘pure gold’ so that may ease your fears.
import woes
Can all TVS play Us-imported consoles? The picture on my Samsung TV is messed up when I try to play USA games on my N64 Everdrive. Mike J Fitzgerald via Twitter
No – believe it or not, in this age of globalisation we still run across the odd TV compatibility problem.
Blow raspberries
How do I get that mate of mine to stop banging on about his Raspberry Pi? Aaron clement via Facebook
You could purchase a more powerful single-board computer such as the Odroid Xu4, although this might start an escalating tech war. Alternatively, you could choose to reject emulation entirely, showing off a haul of original hardware with resale value significantly greater than that of a Ras Pi filled with ROMS you got from some dodgy site. You could also just avoid having mates. Nick finds that being single is a good way of not making friends, as partners are often irritatingly willing to introduce you to their own friends. Additionally, he suggests living alone, as this enables him to go entire weekends without having any conversations at all. However, you may feel this is rather too drastic.