For the collector and the nostalgia lover, retro consoles can bring back childhood memories or introduce them to the history of gaming through classic games that still hold such great joy. But getting hold of consoles that have those retro vibes can be hard with a lot of them no longer on sale or fetching seriously high prices via resellers. So, what’s to do if you want a retro console?

There are many ways to play vintage games without breaking the bank, and here we go through just a few of those to help out the retro hunter.

Modern Machines with Retro Games

Contemporary game developers still recognise the draw of classic games, and they are often receiving remakes and remasters to bring that retro feel into the modern age.

Both PlayStation and Nintendo have released miniature versions of classic consoles in recent years that come preloaded with old school games associated with those consoles. However, it’s not just remade hardware that has hit shops in recent years but also the software too.

Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 have online subscription services that allow you to play videogames from their classic consoles on their latest generation ones, and the PlayStation 5 has a similar setup with their PlayStation Plus Premium membership tier, which includes access to the curated Classics Catalogue. However, there are also certain iconic game series that have been remastered so that you can pick them up without having to get a subscription service.

Crash Bandicoot is one of those characters that is recognised across generations and the original trilogy of games that involved the mad marsupial are identified by many as some of the best platformers of their time. These have been updated and brought to the modern generation of consoles via the N Sane Trilogy, and his first foray into the world of kart racing was also given a facelift in Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled.

Likewise, Spyro the dragon has seen their first three games polished up in Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 has been remastered, Donkey Kong Country Returns is now in HD, and Sonic the Hedgehog has Sonic Origins, which sees 16 of his legendary titles packed into one game that is available  on all modern consoles. Medieval, Shadow of the Colossus, Tomb Raider and Ratchet and Clank, to name but a few, have all had remasters that can be played on PS5.

Retro Consoles and Arcade Classics

If you’re looking for a console that has the same look and feel of what you may have played back in the day, then remakes of those retro consoles are a great way to get the original feeling.

The Atari Flashback Console has the look and feel of the original Atari 2600 but has 110 classic games pre-installed and two included joystick controllers so that you can play alongside friends and family on much loved games like Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Street Racer, Space Invaders and more!

If you remember gaming as something you went out to do, taking a handful of 50 pence pieces to arcades in order to rack up a high score, you may fondly remember the arcade cabinets which games came in, as you’d gather around and try and beat the game as quickly as possible.

Now, a full-size arcade cabinet may be a little impractical for most homes but My Arcade and Orb Gaming do mini arcade cabinets that can sit snugly on your desk so that you can recreate the feel of going out, all from your home work station. Alternatively, pick up plug and play classics that connect directly to your TV and feature the likes of Pac-Man and Galaga!

Old School On The Go

When it comes to portable gaming, nothing even came close to the Game Boy’s dominance of the market in the 80s and 90s but finding an original one of these can set you back a pretty penny. Again, Game Boy games can be found via Nintendo’s Service on the Switch and Switch 2, which doubles up as a portable console itself, but if you wanted the look and feel of the original console, it’s hard to get your hands on an original model (unless you’re building it out of LEGO).

Something like the handheld Retro Gamer Console takes its design inspiration from the Game Boy and Game Boy Colour generation of consoles but with 100 retro games installed so you can rekindle the joy of simpler times easily.

For inspiration on modern and classic gaming options, as well as finding awesome gifts for gamers and accessories, check out our gaming hub for our full range of all things videogames.

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