The latest update to Nintendo Switch Online's Super Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics app includes a new and improved CRT filter to better capture what playing SNES games on an older CRT television was really like.
While it may seem counterintuitive given how much better TVs are today, new high-definition displays often don't do older games justice visually, as the games were originally designed with the scanlines and interlacing seen in CRT displays in mind.
The Super Nintendo app already had a CRT filter, but this new version, added alongside the same update that added Mario Paint to the service, is a noticeable improvement. According to one user on Reddit, it's an "NTSC S-Video" style filter that more accurately displays what playing on an actual CRT is like.
Users on social media have been posting comparison screenshots between the old and new filter, and the difference is definitely noticeable. One screenshot in particular, posted by a Bluesky user named Dalton, helps to highlight the difference, as you can clearly see the much more defined lines that help improve the image when compared to the old filter. You can check out some other comparisons below.
The new CRT filter is available for the SNES app on both the Switch and Switch 2. While the Nintendo Switch Online N64 and GameCube apps also have CRT filters, it doesn't look like they've received this new version just yet.
In other Nintendo news, the Switch 2 just received a new hardware update that doesn't appear to do much, but does include "general system stability improvements." Nintendo announced it will host a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on July 31, which will include information on upcoming Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games from third-party publishers and developers.
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While it may seem counterintuitive given how much better TVs are today, new high-definition displays often don't do older games justice visually, as the games were originally designed with the scanlines and interlacing seen in CRT displays in mind.
The Super Nintendo app already had a CRT filter, but this new version, added alongside the same update that added Mario Paint to the service, is a noticeable improvement. According to one user on Reddit, it's an "NTSC S-Video" style filter that more accurately displays what playing on an actual CRT is like.
Users on social media have been posting comparison screenshots between the old and new filter, and the difference is definitely noticeable. One screenshot in particular, posted by a Bluesky user named Dalton, helps to highlight the difference, as you can clearly see the much more defined lines that help improve the image when compared to the old filter. You can check out some other comparisons below.
Super NES - Nintendo Switch Online / Nintendo Classics
CRT Filter comparison (captured on Switch)
Ver. 4.1.0 // Ver. 5.0.0 pic.twitter.com/V8Njs5shaV
— Disku★ (@DiskuNB) July 29, 2025
A good comparison between the old CRT filter and the new one pic.twitter.com/GXr9KVUU4z
— Michael Julius (@juliusaurus) July 29, 2025
The new CRT filter is available for the SNES app on both the Switch and Switch 2. While the Nintendo Switch Online N64 and GameCube apps also have CRT filters, it doesn't look like they've received this new version just yet.
In other Nintendo news, the Switch 2 just received a new hardware update that doesn't appear to do much, but does include "general system stability improvements." Nintendo announced it will host a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on July 31, which will include information on upcoming Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games from third-party publishers and developers.
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