Replace the cartridge battery on the Super Nintendo
You buy a second-hand copy of Zelda or Chrono Trigger, play for hours, save — and the next day your save is gone. Or you can’t save at all.
That’s the internal battery. Many SNES games use a CR2032 coin cell to keep save games alive. After thirty years it’s simply dead.
Replacing it is a fifteen-minute job. You need almost nothing.
What you need {#what-you-need}
- CR2032 coin cell battery — cheap at any supermarket or online
- Gamebit screwdriver (3.8mm) — the special Nintendo screw. Not interchangeable with a regular Phillips
- Soldering iron + solder — the battery is soldered; a quick soldering job
- Flat-head screwdriver or pliers — to prise the battery loose
If you want to keep an existing save, replace the battery while the cartridge is connected to a working SNES (or another device providing power to the cartridge). This keeps the RAM powered during the swap. This is called the "hot swap" method.
Step by step
1. Open the cartridge
Unscrew the gamebit screw on the back of the cartridge. Carefully slide the housing apart.
2. Locate the battery
On the circuit board you’ll see the CR2032 coin cell, soldered to two small metal tabs.
3. Remove the old battery
Melt the solder from the two solder joints. Carefully lift the battery free with a flat-head screwdriver or pliers.
4. Solder in the new battery
Position the new CR2032. Note the polarity — the positive (+) is the top of the battery. Make two small solder joints.
5. Test the save
Insert the cartridge in the SNES, start a game, save, then restart the game. Check whether the save is still there.
6. Close the cartridge
Screw the cartridge back together with the gamebit screw.
No soldering iron? CR2032 battery holders are available that you can install as a replacement — no soldering required. Less tidy, but works perfectly.