Adrian Black of Adrian’s Digital Basement has tested the Qing Liu 2, a revised NES-compatible console whose most interesting addition is a switchable higher sprite-per-scanline limit. In his demonstration, a sprite test shows more objects on one line than the original NES’s eight-sprite limit permits. That can reduce the familiar flicker in games, while a physical switch lets players return to the standard behaviour when a title depends on it.
The 24 October 2026 video is a hands-on follow-up to Black’s look at the first Qing Liu console. He also checks its video output, palettes, sound, clock controls and cartridge compatibility. His verdict is positive, but not unconditional: he reports a possible IRQ-related issue with the enhanced sprite mode in an MMC5 game, and overclocking causes trouble with his EverDrive in some circumstances. The version shown accepts 60-pin Famicom cartridges; owners of 72-pin NES collections would need an adapter.
The useful development here is not just a cleaner picture. Making the sprite-limit change reversible gives enthusiasts a way to trade reduced flicker against original-hardware behaviour on a game-by-game basis. Watch Black’s full Qing Liu 2 test on YouTube for the side-by-side demonstrations and caveats.
