Now Played, Then Made: The New Console Era

Nostalgia plays a big part in our lives and is often triggered by different forms of media. A favorite song from your youth, or a favorite childhood movie, for instance. Re-engaging with these things can often take us right back to those days gone by when life was arguably simpler and more carefree.

The video games of yesteryear can be particularly nostalgic too and can evoke all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings inside. Small wonder then, that video game companies are tapping into the retro gaming phenomenon, by repurposing and repackaging some of your all-time favorite games and consoles.

And if you’re a retro gaming fan, you’ll find some of today’s modern consoles are also great for playing those classic (and forgotten classic) games.

Here are the best modern retro gaming consoles available right now.

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Nintendo Switch OLED

Best Overall
$300 at Walmart

• 
  

Steam Deck

Best for Steam
$435 at Amazon

• 
  

Asus ROG Ally

Best for Emulators
$615 at Amazon

• 
  

PlayStation Classic

Best Budget
$66 at Amazon

• 
  

Nintendo SNES Classic Mini

Best for Two-Players
$300 at Walmart

• See More

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Nintendo NES Classic Mini

Best for Nostalgia
$220 at Walmart

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Microsoft Xbox Series X

Best for Xbox
$449 at Amazon

• 
  

Blaze Evercade EXP

Best Cartridge Option
$162 at Walmart

• 
  

Retroid Pocket 3+

Best for Android
$215 at Walmart

• 
  

SEGA Genesis Mini 2

Best for 90s Kids
$92 at Amazon

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Our Favorite Modern Retro Consoles in 2023

Best Overall

Nintendo Switch OLED

Enjoy your favorite Nintendo classics in handheld, tabletop, or docked modes

With a larger, seven-inch OLED touchscreen and the ability to play your games in handheld or docked mode, the Nintendo Switch OLED is a great way to enjoy your favorite Nintendo retro classics. 64GB of internal storage should be more than enough to house all the retro games you can handle.

Pros

• Excellent quality screen in handheld mode
• Outstanding audio
• Large range of retro games available online
• Improved internal storage

Cons

• Online subscription required for access to retro titles

$340 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy $300 at Walmart

There’s been plenty written about the Nintendo Switch OLED already, being the latest upgraded version of the original Switch console and one of the best handheld gaming consoles on the market (and great fun to play in docked mode too).

What is perhaps less well known, however, is that the Switch OLED is also a great place to enjoy retro games. In addition to re-released and remastered physical versions of some of the gaming greats from the early 2000s, you can also enjoy a huge library of retro classics and bask in those gaming glory days of old!

The catch? Well, you have to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service. But so long as you don’t mind shelling out for a separate subscription service (even if it is through gritted teeth), you will find a path to retro gaming heaven!

Subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to a catalog of classic games from the NES and the SNES consoles. And for a small additional cost, you can also have access to classics from the Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis generations of consoles.

So, whether you’re into Super Mario All-Stars, Blaster Master, Star Fox 64, or Banjo-Kazooie, you’ll find them all here. Granted, you’ll have to grease Nintendo’s palms with silver to get access to them, but as a lifelong gamer, you’re probably used to that already, hey?

Despite this, the Nintendo Switch OLED is brilliant for retro gaming. And thanks to its versatility, you can enjoy these classics in handheld, docked, or tabletop modes.

Best for Steam

Steam Deck

A handheld gaming PC that can be tweaked for retro gaming

$435$499 Save $64

Valve’s Steam Deck is a handheld PC that allows you to play emulated games on the go, making it a great choice for retro game enthusiasts.

Pros

• Offers mobile PC gaming
• Emulators allow for plenty of choice with retro gaming
• Optimized for handheld gaming
• Can upgrade storage space with a microSD card

Cons

• Entry-tier 64 GB version doesn’t offer a lot of storage space
• Can run a little hot

$435 at Amazon $460 at Walmart

Unsurprisingly perhaps, Valve’s Steam Deck is a great place to enjoy retro games. For starters, its seven-inch IPS screen with 1280 x 800 resolution and 400-nit brightness renders those retro graphics beautifully. And being designed to run the latest AAA titles, it shouldn’t have any trouble at all running your retro game collection.

Steam Deck’s Linux-based operating system, SteamOS, allows a great deal of versatility for retro gaming fans too. There’s already an extensive library of games available on the Steam Store to tickle your fancy, and (though we won’t offer explainers here) there are various emulators available that will allow you to run retro titles from just about every retro game console you can think of.

Steam Deck is also great for big-screen gaming too and can be easily hooked up to your TV. And though you might find its precision trackpads a little redundant for older titles, the thumb stick and D-pad controls will more than suffice. So, although you might not be considering a Steam Deck primarily for retro gaming, it’s great to know there are a wealth of options to explore here.

Best for Emulators

Asus ROG Ally

Enjoy retro and AAA gaming on the go

$615$669 Save $54

The ASUS Rog Ally is a powerful Windows-based handheld PC capable of emulating your favorite retro game consoles. With 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor, classic games are a breeze to run no matter where you are.

Pros

• Works well for console emulation
• Supports most major launchers
• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Powerful performance

Cons

• Very expensive
• Can be a little buggy at times
• Battery life isn’t great

$615 at Amazon $700 at Best Buy $848 at Walmart

Another great modern handheld for retro gaming enthusiasts is the ASUS ROG Ally. And like Valve’s Steam Deck, it’s probably fair to say that the chief reason to own one is to enjoy AAA gaming on the go. However, being keen to prove that “anything you can do, I can do better,” ASUS has made sure that retro gaming has not been forgotten with this powerhouse of a handheld.

It comes fitted with a seven-inch FHD IPS screen that offers an impressive 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a 512GB hard drive. It comes with Windows 11 pre-installed and can be used to enjoy most PC titles, as well as a truckload of retro ones. It supports most major launchers (including Steam) and can emulate your favorite retro consoles, too.

On the downside, that price tag is a doozy. Costing the best part of a grand, it’s a serious investment, which could be prohibitive for many. Then there’s the battery life, which gives you three to four hours at a time, and the ROG Ally’s operation can be a little buggy at times.

However, there’s no denying that it’s an incredible piece of hardware that offers gamers the best of both worlds. An exciting way to play your favorite AAA or retro titles on the go.

Best Budget

PlayStation Classic

Retro gaming joy without the modern-day price tag

$66$99 Save $33

The PlayStation Classic is a 45 percent smaller version of Sony’s classic game console, pre-loaded with 20 classic titles. You’ll also receive two controllers to team up or go head-to-head against friends and family.

Pros

• Miniature recreation of the classic PlayStation console
• Affordable option
• Built-in virtual memory card
• Contains two controllers

Cons

• Only 20 games included
• Arguably missing a few key titles

$66 at Amazon $115 at Walmart

As old as it might make us feel, the original PlayStation console does now qualify as being retro. And though for some of us, our youth may be a distant yacht, the games we enjoyed back then are not. This reformed miniature PS One console features 20 PlayStation Classics, relaunched for the modern world, and is 45 percent smaller than its much older brother.

Among the included titles, you can find stone-cold classics like Tekken 3, Metal Gear Solid, and Final Fantasy VII. And though there are a few glaring omissions from this roster (no Gran Turismo, for instance), it’s still pretty solid, like Snake. Although, you can’t help feeling like they could have done a little more here and added a few extra games for good measure.

Joyfully, there is a second controller included here, too, which makes this mini console stand apart from many other single-controller console units out there. And it looks and feels authentic. This is a great way to experience where it all began with Sony’s flagship game console, all over again.

Best for Two-Players

Nintendo SNES Classic Mini

Team up with a buddy for classic retro gaming action

This miniature version of Nintendo’s classic SNES console comes pre-loaded with 21 great retro titles for you to enjoy.

Pros

• Miniature version of one of Nintendo’s most loved consoles
• 21 pre-loaded games cover most of the classics
• Includes two controllers

Cons

• Pricey
• Could be a few more titles included

$380 at Amazon $300 at Walmart

If you have the bucks to spare, don’t mind the initial outlay, and would rather not pay a premium for an online service for your retro gaming fix, you could do much worse than consider the Super Nintendo Classic mini console.

Essentially, it’s the ‘Mini Me’ to the SNES’s Dr. Evil. A miniature version of the same console, roughly one-quarter of the original size. The chief differences with the mini are that there’s no working port for your games cartridges to slot into and all the available games that you’re ever likely to play on it are already pre-installed.

There are 21 retro titles included in this package, including classics like Super Ghouls and Ghosts, Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, Castlevania IV, and more. If these names are enough to whet your whistle, then you’ll likely find a lot that’s to your liking here.

An HDMI port at the back of this mini console means you can plug it straight into your TV at home. No doubt retro gamers revisit the classics for the gameplay rather than for the graphics, but still; you should probably prepare yourselves if you’re planning on hooking this up to a huge TV. It ain’t gonna be pretty!

The number of games included might not be that impressive by today’s standards, but the games themselves are. Full of charm and still great fun to play—it’s what Nintendo does, after all.

Best for Nostalgia

Nintendo NES Classic Mini

Huddle around the TV for some retro gaming joy

$220$288 Save $68

The Nintendo NES Classic Mini features 30 built-in retro games and is a perfect slice of gaming nostalgia.

Pros

• Classic retro gaming action
• Decent amount of built-in games
• More affordable than the SNES version

Cons

• Only one controller pad included
• Controller wire is rather short

$230 at Amazon $220 at Walmart

Similar to the SNES classic mini but even more retro is the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES) Classic Mini. A previous generation rebuild of the classic console with a variety of pre-loaded games for you to enjoy.

You could argue that the NES Classic Mini represents better value for money, seeing as it carries a slightly cheaper price tag and has more games installed than the SNES Classic Mini. There are 30 games from the original generation NES here, including Super Mario Brothers 1, 2, and 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Ninja Gaiden—to name a few.

However, unlike the SNES version, only one controller is included in this package. So you will need to buy another separately before you and a friend can get stuck into any classic two-player action. Another minor criticism of this package is that the cable that connects your controller to the console is rather mini as well, and you may therefore have to sit slightly closer to the screen than you would like.

Small pains aside, there are hours of fun to be had here, with a decent amount of OG Nintendo titles for your gaming pleasure. Whether you plump for this or the SNES version will probably depend on which generation you grew up with.

It doesn’t get much more retro than this, though. And gaming aficionados will no doubt delight in re-treading these classics, and maybe in conquering the previously unconquerable now that their skills have matured—as some of these games are particularly tough!

Best for Xbox

Microsoft Xbox Series X

Experience four generations of classic Xbox titles

$449$500 Save $51

With an Xbox Live subscription, you can enjoy four generations of Xbox gaming, courtesy of this sleek gaming cuboid. You can also marvel at the 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate available for modern-day titles.

Pros

• Fantastic graphics and sound
• 4K gaming supported
• 3D sound
• 1TB storage
• Huge library of retro titles available online

Cons

• Xbox Live subscription required for access to retro titles

$449 at Amazon $500 at Best Buy $550 at Walmart

Now admittedly, if you’re a retro gamer and are looking for old-school gaming greats to occupy your spare time, then the current generation of Microsoft’s Xbox is unlikely to be top of your list for places to look. But hear us out.

There is a pretty staggering amount of older and even retro games to enjoy via this all-singing, all-dancing current-generation console. However, as with the Nintendo Switch OLED, access to these titles requires you to place your hands in your pocket and fork out for an online subscription service.

For Xbox Live subscribers, you can have access to titles from across four generations of Xbox gaming, all of which are yours to download and keep for however long you maintain your membership. As you might expect, there are several membership tiers to choose from.

You can download and enjoy original classics from the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One as well as the current generation of Series X games. Subscription to Xbox Live Gold also includes an EA Play membership at no additional cost. And Cloud gaming on Xbox Game Pass also supports Xbox gameplay on some of your other existing devices.

So, if you’re looking for a modern gen console but want to explore hundreds of older-generation titles as well, you can have your cake and eat it with the Xbox Series X. Offering the best of both worlds for those that don’t mind paying a little bit more for the privilege!

Best Cartridge Option

Blaze Evercade EXP

Old-school arcade classics on a cartridge-powered handheld

The Blaze Evercade EXP is a lightweight handheld retro gaming console with over 380 classic titles to enjoy.

Pros

• Provides a tactile, authentic retro experience
• Plenty of cartridge-based classics to enjoy
• Reasonable price point
• TATE Mode for vertical gameplay

Cons

• Battery life isn’t great
• Additional purchases required to expand game library

$206 at Amazon $162 at Walmart

The Evercade EXP is a retro handheld gaming console from Blaze Entertainment. Its 4.3-inch IPS screen boasts a vibrant 800 x 480 resolution and the console itself comes with 18 classic Capcom titles pre-installed (including Street Fighter II, Ghouls and Ghosts, and Mega Man). In addition to these 18 titles, you also receive the IREM Arcade 1 cartridge collection, which features a further six classic arcade titles like R-Type.

Evercase EXP features a 1.5 GHz processor, 4GB of built-in memory, and stereo speakers. It has built-in Wi-Fi, and you’ll find a USB-C charging port as well as a 720p Mini HDMI output, should you ever want to hook it up to your TV. On the downside, battery life is only OK, with a meager five hours of game time on a full charge.

With the IREM Arcade collection fully supported, there are over 30 classic arcade collections currently available, featuring 380 retro games. For gamers who grew up in the 80s, this is a great place to re-live those giddy gaming delights of your youth. You can bathe in the nostalgia of opening a brand-new game box and slotting the pristine cartridge into the back of your console. It feels authentic and satisfying.

An additional feature here is Tate Mode, which allows the console to be turned 90 degrees and played in portrait mode, making it ideal for retro vertical scrollers like 1942 or Atari’s Centipede. With over five decades worth of classic titles available, and a relatively affordable price point, the Evercade EXP is a great way for retro gamers to indulge themselves in all those button-mashing memories.

Best for Android

Retroid Pocket 3+

A portable game console for all your retro favorites

The Retroid Pocket 3 Plus is a lightweight gaming handheld that offers portable retro gaming and supports multiple emulators.

Pros

• Android and retro games on the go
• Supports a wide array of emulators
• Integrated rumble motor

Cons

• Screen is on the small side
• Battery life is OK but not great

See at Amazon $215 at Walmart

One of the cheaper options for retro game emulation is the Retroid Pocket 3 Plus. It runs on the Android 11 OS, which offers full support for the Google Play Store. And while it comes without any games pre-installed, it can emulate classic game consoles like the PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

It has a 4.7-inch IPS touchscreen with 1334 x 750 resolution and comes pre-loaded with several emulation and game-streaming apps to get you started. It offers a significant upgrade compared to the Retroid Pocket 3, with more RAM and internal storage, as well as a bigger battery and improved emulation performance.

There is a micro-HDMI port for easy hook-up to a TV or monitor if you want to enjoy bigger-screen gaming, since the IPS touchscreen is on the small side. Similar in price and size to the Nintendo Switch Lite, the Retroid Pocket 3 is perhaps the more obvious choice if you’re looking for a dedicated retro gaming handheld.

Best for 90s Kids

SEGA Genesis Mini 2

Sixty SEGA classics under one roof

The SEGA Genesis Mini 2 includes 60 classic titles for the ultimate in gaming nostalgia. If you’ve hung on to your SEGA CDs for all this time, you can pop those in and play them, too.

Pros

• Includes 60 retro classics
• Some SEGA CD games thrown in for good measure
• Captures the look and feel of the original

Cons

• Only one controller included
• Missing a few fan-favorite titles

$92 at Amazon $245 at Walmart

Leading the charge for game consoles in the late 1980s and early 1990s was the SEGA Genesis. Spawning a legion of classic titles, it was a runaway success for SEGA. And hot on the heels of the SEGA Genesis Mini, is the SEGA Genesis Mini 2, which launched in 2022. This miniature marvel allows you to enjoy those classic games all over again, while you wax lyrical to your kids about how they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

This version comes with one wired control pad, a USB power adapter, a power cable, and an HDMI cable, as well as a whopping 60 games pre-loaded. This list includes SEGA Genesis titles such as Sonic 3D Blast, Streets of Rage 3, and Super Street Fighter II, as well as 12 SEGA CD titles, including Ecco the Dolphin.

For nostalgia fans and retro game enthusiasts, this mini console is a real treat. There are arguably a few classics missing from the list, and it certainly could have used an extra controller in this pack, especially with many two-player titles included. However, it’s an enjoyable walk down memory lane. And once that second controller has been procured, it provides a great way to settle old scores, and set new ones!

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Finding the Right Retro Console for You

Retro gaming will likely mean something different to each one of us. It depends on when you grew up, and what you played back then, too. Whether you’ve always been a solo gamer, or if you preferred frantic two-player action growing up, your retro might not be your neighbor’s retro.

Luckily, there’s space to accommodate everyone, no matter whether you’re a fan of Nintendo, SEGA, PlayStation, or Xbox.

Sophisticated modern-day handheld PCs like Valve’s Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally provide gamers with a great way to indulge in retro gaming, due to their versatility. Being compatible with many different emulators, they can easily unlock a path to your favorite retro games, and allow you to enjoy them wherever you go.

If you prefer a more authentically retro experience, you might prefer to check out some of the mini retro consoles out there instead. With the PlayStation Classic or the SNES Classic Mini, you can recreate the experience of huddling around the TV at home for your gaming fix. By replicating the look and feel of the original consoles too, you might consider that these provide a more rounded retro experience that appeals on different levels.

However, if you want to kill two birds with one stone, and enjoy retro gameplay alongside some more modern titles, the Nintendo Switch OLED is an excellent choice. Its stunning OLED screen frames your gameplay beautifully in handheld and tabletop modes, and it can of course be docked for a big screen experience too.

Although not the cheapest option out there, you’ll save some money compared to the latest handheld PCs. And while you might not be able to enjoy the latest AAA titles on it, you can, of course, sink hours into the latest Nintendo ones instead, like the epic Tears of the Kingdom. Plus, using the Nintendo Switch Online Services, there’s an endless amount of retro joy to be unlocked. You’ll find a huge library of NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and even SEGA Genesis titles available to download and relive.

In terms of screen size, graphical quality, sound, and versatility, the Switch OLED has got the competition licked. And being priced around the mid-range, you might not mind the sting of forking out for the additional subscription. Particularly when it provides access to more classic retro games than you can shake a stick at.

Best Overall

Nintendo Switch OLED

Enjoy your favorite Nintendo classics in handheld, tabletop, or docked modes.

With a larger, seven-inch OLED touchscreen and the ability to play your games in handheld or docked mode, the Nintendo Switch OLED is a great way to enjoy your favorite Nintendo retro classics. 64GB of internal storage should be more than enough to house all the retro games you can handle.

Pros

• Excellent quality screen in handheld mode
• Excellent audio
• Large range of retro games available online
• Improved internal storage

Cons

• Online subscription required for access to retro titles

$340 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy See at Walmart

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