Nintendo has not yet confirmed the existence of an “SNES Classic” — a Super Nintendo-focused follow-up to its NES Classic plug-and-play system — but the console may have just been confirmed from an unlikely source: Microsoft.
An Xbox Live survey spotted by Eurogamer asked Xbox Live Rewards members for their opinions on a number of recent and upcoming consoles including the PlayStation 4 Pro, Project Scorpio, and the Nintendo Switch, but it also mentioned the “Nintendo SNES Classic Edition.” The question specifically listed the consoles as “E3 announcements,” though this appears to be a mistake, as several of the listed consoles weren’t revealed during E3.
Earlier reports already said that the SNES Classic was in development and that it would be released before Christmas, just like the NES Classic in 2016. The reports indicated that development was apparently a factor in the cancellation of the earlier console, which was still selling out at retailers nationwide and commanding high prices from third-party sellers. Accessories like cases and controllers can still be found on some store shelves, though their supply is also dwindling.
Should Nintendo actually plan to announce the SNES Classic during E3, it would make for a very busy press event. The company is already planning to spend much of its time on the Switch-exclusive Super Mario Odyssey in addition to Splatoon 2, Arms, and other upcoming titles. The 3DS also continues to receive support, with multiple Kirby games releasing in 2017 and a version of Fire Emblem Warriors launching this autumn.
If Microsoft doesn’t have any inside information and is simply speculating, the survey could be the first sign of an “Xbox Classic.” That’s unlikely given the company’s continued support for backwards-compatible games — and the relative power of the original Xbox compared to Nintendo early systems — but we’d certainly want a plug-and-play system with Halo, Brute Force, and Project Gotham Racing on board.
