Original NES Gets Modded Into A Working 90s PC With Mouse And CD Support
Ever wanted to see a Nintendo Entertainment System converted into a functioning x86 PC? Turning an OG NES into an x86 PC sounds like a far-fetched idea, but that's exactly what YouTuber ThroatyMumbo has done with NESPC. The project uses an EverDrive N8 Pro cartridge and its onboard Cyclone IV FPGA to run a rudimentary desktop environment on the classic console, and crucially without relying on the NES's original processor to execute x86 code.
Additional hardware is required to connect a USB keyboard and mouse, though neither peripheral is technically required in order to get started. NESPC can be operated with a standard NES controller. That said, navigating a desktop with nothing but a D-pad makes for a decidedly retro computing experience, and not necessarily in a fun way.
Within the relatively sparse NESPC environment, there's still a RetroWeb browser, file management for your EverDrive games, and even a trash bin. The web functionality currently suffers from some drawing issues consistent with those of actual NES games, though, so while you can browse the web on your modded NES, don't expect a great experience trying to watch videos.
In terms of what games you can boot from the NESPC environment, you're limited to either stripped-down x86 executables (in .dx format) or ROMs that are compatible with the EverDrive N8 Pro. By default, that means games made for the Japanese Famicom Disk System (FDS), or what we know internationally as the NES.
But other FPGA modules for the EverDrive N8 Pro do exist, including one for emulating original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. So, the NESPC can also play games from the entire pre-GBA Nintendo handheld library. Not bad for a piece of kit released Stateside in October 1985.
And yes, the NESPC can even play Doom, but like with YouTube, 3D games like Doom exacerbate the NES' existing drawing issues. For 2D games, how much you'll notice these issues largely depends on the complexity of the pixel art. Simpler titles like the original Super Mario Bros. barely exhibit them.
It is worth noting that Doom and YouTube do still run quite smoothly, though. The issue isn't that the EverDrive N8 Pro lacks the horsepower for these applications; it's that the NES' anemic video hardware can only output so much of it.
For more footage and details on the NESPC project and how it was pulled off, I highly recommend the original YouTube video embedded above. If you already have an NES lying around and want to recreate it for yourself, you'll need at least an EverDrive N8 Pro cartridge, a compatible RP2350 board, and the GitHub repo.
