Modern video games are amazing. With lifelike graphics, realistic physics, extensive artificial intelligence, and online multiplayer options, today's video games are so much more sophisticated than older games.
That doesn't change the fact that some of the greatest games ever made came out in the 1980s and 1990s, and that many of those titles still hold up. It also doesn't change the Gen X/Early Millennial nostalgia for sprites, cartridges, low-res polygons, and CDs. Whether you swore by the NES, the Sega Genesis, or the PlayStation, there's a new, modern console for you to replay the games of your youth. Even better, these consoles leverage contemporary technology, so you don't need to worry about digging up analog video cables or buying graphics upscalers.
Here are the best classic game compilation systems you can get now, along with a few other options for retro gaming. If you want to play on your computer, check out our list of the best emulators. If you fancy playing classics on the go, take a peek at the best retro gaming handhelds.
There is a bit of a hiccup for retro gaming systems, though. Most of the different "classic" and "mini" systems out there are out of production and very rare. That's good for collectors, but not if you were hoping to buy them for the around-$100 they originally sold for.
Modern video games are amazing. With lifelike graphics, realistic physics, extensive artificial intelligence, and online multiplayer options, today's titles are so much more sophisticated than older games.
That doesn't change the fact that some of the greatest video games ever made came out in the 1980s and 1990s, and that many of those titles still hold up. It also doesn't change the Gen X/early Millennial nostalgia for sprites, cartridges, low-res polygons, and CDs. Whether you swear by the NES, the Sega Genesis, or the PlayStation, there's a new, modern console for you to replay the games of your youth. Even better, these consoles leverage contemporary technology, so you don't need to worry about digging up analog video cables or buying graphics upscalers.
Here are the best retro gaming consoles you can buy, split into three groups. These are modern consoles with strong back catalogs; mini-consoles, the hard-to-find, smaller versions of original systems packed with classic games; and new systems that play legacy titles on modern TVs.
