Epilogue’s USB-C-connected cartridge readers can run old Nintendo games on modern devices, as well as back up ROMs and save files and write them back to cartridges. The transparent GB Operator, priced at $50, supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. The new $60 SN Operator works with Super Nintendo and Japanese Super Famicom games. The company is also preparing an N64 version.
The devices do not contain original Nintendo chips or FPGA. When a cartridge is inserted, the game’s ROM is saved to the computer and run through the emulator in Epilogue’s Playback software. The software offers a simple experience in which users only need to connect the cartridge and reader and press the play button. In-game saves can be automatically transferred back to the physical cartridge, allowing users to continue a game they started on a PC on a Steam Deck or original Game Boy or Super Nintendo hardware. When the cartridge is removed, the game closes immediately.
The readers are not as tolerant as original consoles when it comes to detecting dirty or damaged cartridges. Some games may close if the cartridge is moved slightly. If automatic save writing is not required, different emulator cores offering features such as RetroAchievements, save states, and rewinding can be used. ROMs can also be backed up for use with traditional emulators.
SN Operator can use a PC mouse instead of a light gun or SNES Mouse. When this feature is paired with the Steam Controller’s gyroscope, games such as Metal Combat: Falcon’s Revenge and Mario Paint can be played without their original peripherals. Epilogue is also collaborating with the developers of Delta Emulator to support connecting real cartridges to phones, while the Flashback app turns a phone into a Game Boy Camera.
The Romanian company provides financial and code contributions to open-source emulators. Co-founder Petru Sebastian Toader says he developed the new CRT filter, that work is underway on an online multiplayer feature, and that the clock speeds are calibrated via satellites at the factory so SN Operator devices can accurately run certain SNES games.
However, the devices do not support multicart flash cartridges or the Super Game Boy. The “Counterfeit cartridge detection” feature produces inconsistent results in testing. The function that turns the Game Boy Camera into a webcam also essentially relies on the OBS screen-recording method. In addition, some saves can no longer be recovered because the batteries in older cartridges may have run out. Batteries in games that use a real-time clock, such as Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, are particularly likely to run out early, while GB Operator allows previously created backups to be restored to the cartridge after a new battery is installed.
Why it matters
These devices turn old Nintendo cartridges from mere collectibles kept in storage into archives that can be used with computers, phones, and handheld devices. Their ability to transfer save files back to the cartridge in particular offers a practical solution to the problem of preserving a player’s progress even when the hardware changes; however, this advantage depends on the compatibility of the emulation software and the physical condition of the cartridge. Shutdowns on dirty or damaged cartridges, the lack of support for multigame cartridges and Super Game Boy, show that the products are not a direct solution for the entire old Nintendo library. The fact that some saves cannot be recovered because of depleted batteries also highlights the need for digital backups. How the N64 version and online multiplayer feature will be implemented remain among the outstanding questions.
Background
USB is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 2 news reports mentioning it in the last 90 days; the latest is dated 31 August 2026.