# SPC700

> sound chip for the SNES

**Wikidata**: [Q1368119](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1368119)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_S-SMP)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/spc700

## Summary
SPC700 is a sound chip and coprocessor developed by Sony and used in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was designed by Ken Kutaragi and features an instruction set based on the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor.

## Key Facts
- **Aliases**: Nintendo S-SMP, Sony SPC700, SPC700
- **Used by**: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- **Instruction set**: Based on MOS Technology 6502
- **Designer**: Ken Kutaragi
- **Manufacturer**: Sony Group
- **Instance of**: Integrated circuit model
- **Subclass of**: Sound chip, coprocessor
- **Sitelink count**: 12
- **Wikipedia title**: Nintendo S-SMP
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID**: /g/11bc5d6w5m

## FAQs
### Q: What is the SPC700?  
A: SPC700 is a sound chip and coprocessor used in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), providing audio processing capabilities. It was manufactured by Sony and designed by Ken Kutaragi.

### Q: Who designed the SPC700?  
A: The SPC700 was designed by Ken Kutaragi, who later became known as the "Father of the PlayStation" for his work at Sony.

### Q: What consoles used the SPC700?  
A: The SPC700 was exclusively used in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), known as the Super Famicom in Japan.

## Why It Matters
SPC700 revolutionized audio capabilities in 16-bit gaming systems by serving as a dedicated sound coprocessor for the SNES. Its design, merging Sony’s engineering with Ken Kutaragi’s vision, enabled rich, programmable soundscapes that defined the era’s gaming audio landscape. As one of the earliest commercially successful audio co-processors, it set precedents for subsequent console audio hardware while showcasing Sony’s pivotal role in advancing Nintendo’s console technology. Its legacy persists in chiptune music and retro gaming communities, where its unique sound palette remains influential.

## Notable For
- **Pioneering Role**: One of the first dedicated audio coprocessors in mainstream gaming consoles  
- **Key Designer**: Created by Ken Kutaragi before his rise at PlayStation  
- **Instruction Set**: Built on the MOS Technology 6502 architecture, a classic microprocessor lineage  
- **Dual Branding**: Marketed under both "Nintendo S-SMP" and "Sony SPC700" names  
- **Exclusive Usage**: Solely deployed in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System

## Body
### Overview
The SPC700 is an integrated circuit functioning as both a sound chip and coprocessor, developed for the SNES console. It belongs to the class of coprocessors—supplementary processors operating under main processor control—and integrates audio processing capabilities into the console’s architecture.

### Development and Design
- **Designer**: Ken Kutaragi  
- **Manufacturer**: Sony Group  
- **Instruction Set**: Based on MOS Technology 6502, qualifying it as an 8-bit microprocessor derivative  
- **Naming Conventions**: Also known as Nintendo S-SMP and Sony SPC700, reflecting its dual branding  

### Usage and Integration
- **Console Integration**: Exclusively used in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)  
- **Functional Role**: Handled audio processing tasks offloaded from the main CPU, enabling complex sound synthesis  
- **Wikidata Classification**: Listed as an "integrated circuit model" subclass of both sound chips and coprocessors  

### Documentation and Recognition
- **Wikipedia Coverage**: Primary entry titled "Nintendo S-SMP" across 10 languages (Arabic, German, English, Spanish, Finnish, French, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, and Commons)  
- **Media Presence**: Features an audio file in Dutch (2010) and image in Wikimedia Commons  
- **Sitelinks**: Linked across 12 sources, primarily gaming hardware and history wikis  
- **Google Knowledge Graph**: Assigned ID /g/11bc5d6w5m  

The SPC700 remains a foundational component in retro gaming hardware, distinguished by its seamless integration of Sony’s technology with Nintendo’s console ecosystem.