Emulation vs. Original Hardware

[shaggi shaggi]

Original hardware is the best for those, who had it years ago. Absolute nostalgia. Emulation is better for those, who want to see how games looked in past. I like to use emulators, even having original console. In emulator you can get higher resolution, nice screen shaders, sound filtering and more. It's like next gen upgrade for old games.

 

[Husky]

Original hardware is most preferrable to me. Each and every one of my game systems plays backups in one way or another, be it through flashcarts and ODEs, to softmods like my FreePSXBoot memory card, or just straight-up running CD-Rs on my Sega CD. My 3DS, PSP and PS Vita all are softmodded, and all my retro consoles are hooked up to my CRT TVs, ready to go at any time. Each system with a Flashcart/ODE has every US/Europe/Japan release, plus room for translations and romhacks.

Flashcarts: NES, Genesis, SNES, N64, GB/GBC, DS, PC Engine
ODEs: PC Engine CD, Saturn, Dreamcast
Softmods: PSP, Vita, PS2, PS1, Wii, Wii U, 3DS

I'm also out of the house a lot these days, so I bring my Steam Deck around with me and emulate. The convenience of having a ton of games across over 30 different systems plus my PC game library is undeniable.

I don't have many other hobbies or interests lol.

 

[Tronky.it]

If I had enough money to do so, I would build a nice collection of retro gamers and consoles... I don't absolutely prefer one or the other - although I own a silver PS2 Phat and an Xbox 360 Eagle which are beautiful - but in the case of Nintendo or PS, only for long RPGs, emulation comes to my rescue by saving me those 200-300 hours that I would have had to spend farming levels and enjoying the story more, xD

 

[cryptichearts]

Original hardware is better. I would like for retroarch/dreamcast emulators to support the blissbox api. It would be neat to use a vmu display with it if you wish to use a dreamcast controller. Surprised nothing has been attempted with that.

 

[Koboldbox]

For me original hardware. since you can actually feel and play with the exact console. But there are cases when emulation is better especially if it's games or hardware that's is really expensive especially older game consoles.

 

[Zerpina]

Original hardware is always going to be more fun to play on, but myself, I do prefer emulation.
The systems I play on PS2, Dreamcast, NES, etc. I actually own the consoles, and some of the games I have are "legal" backups... yeah, let's go with that.

The point is, I don’t always feel like getting the consoles out, fiddling with them to hook them up, playing them for a X amount of time, and then having to put them back into storage.
A lot of this hardware is over 30 years old. Take the NES, even though I’ve babied it for years keeping it clean, replacing the 72-pin connector... it still is finicky and doesn’t want to work most of the time.

For me, emulation is just the better option. That said, the Dreamcast stays hooked up to my 32-inch Sanyo CRT, and I play it every few days. However, I’ve had to replace the optical drive in that Dreamcast, which I bought new back in 1999, twice over the years.

And this one is starting to show its age.

So.. emulation for me.

 

[Passs69]

I love emulation better, becuz of enhancing the graphics with updated shaders and effects.
Daytona usa Dreamcast emulated

 

[Iraito]

Both are absolutely okay at this point, for me original hardware is not nostalgia (hell i didn't have half of what i have now) but about historicity and also archiving /recording the games and putting everything online) it for people to see how the hardware ran the games at the time, for me there's truly a technical fascination and i personally don't care that much about nostalgia.

 

[Princess Viola]

I like both but I think my preference leans towards emulation when I just wanna play some old games whereas original hardware is for when I went the full experience of using the console? Plus, especially for pre-HD consoles, you kinda either need a CRT or a proper upscaler if you're playing on a modern television if you want the absolute best experience and CRTs take up space (I say this having two of them, granted one is in storage in the garage and the other is at my summer home in Massachusetts and they're both smaller ones) and those upscalers can be pretty damn expensive).

And yeah I do totally get that there's tons of people who just hook their old consoles up to their modern TVs and have no issue with it, that's totally cool, y'know, you play your games how you enjoy playing your games, but for me it's just too much faffing around if I just wanna have some fun playing old games for a bit.

 

[Stardust Queen]

I tend to like games for me to be a very immersive experience. I prefer original hardware because of this. I think it does a better job at immersing me fully and getting me into the mindset for gaming. It's a bit like studying in your dorm room vs studying at the library, in a dedicated space.

Granted though emulation is cheaper and far more accessible overall, so I don't mind it in the least ^_^

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

Original hardware is my first choice, but sometimes I want to play an old rpg in bed or something so I'll use my Analogue Pocket. Sometimes I pick up emulated collections on Steam.

 

[Stardust Queen]

The steam deck was rly worthwhile for emulating and its made it somehow even more accessible (in addition to making pc games easily accessible for me). I oftentimes am able to play from my bed because of it, and also on the go. I don't really recommend it to the masses, because the user experience is just not solid enough (you are going to have touch CLI at some point, emulation or not) but as an emulation machine, I'm so lucky I have it.

 

[Yaro]

I am a 50-year-old prick whose hustle days are over. Original hardware means long hours of struggle, fault finding, sourcing parts, and fixing things. I DO NOT WANT to do this anymore; I just want to enjoy my time actually playing games, not fighting with my hardware. So I say emulation. It's cheaper and more convenient.

 

[Kobu]

Well depending on what you're looking for.... both lol There's a special feeling powering on your CRT and watching that beautiful PlayStation 2 boot up screen and playing your favorite game as it was back in your heyday. That being said these days I lean heavily towards emulation. I HIGHLY enjoy romhacks, translations, re-localizations. Some that stand out to me as of right now:

A hack for Revenge Of Shinobi for Genesis by BillyTime! Games that fixes the jump mechanics and makes playing the game feel natural.

Chrono Trigger Plus on SNES adds cut content, Human Glenn/Frog, and I think new items.

Mega Man X3 Zero Project on SNES makes Zero completely playable with his own upgrades. Also FIXES X's Level 3 Charge Shot among other QoL changes.

Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes: Original Sountrack for GameCube removes the generic sounding OST on the remake for the iconic PS1 version instead.

Luigi's Mansion: 1st Person you can play the whole game as such.

Just very interesting stuff you will not find by sticking to vanilla.

 

[Deleted member 924886]

I don't care what's better; if I want to play something, original or emulation, then I'll play it.

 

[up_late]

I own original hardware and do have some of it hooked up (the PS1 or 360 for example). But as a matter of convivence and because my physical collection is small compared to my rom collection, I often just emulate. My PC has been able to handle everything I've thrown at it thus far but I haven't tried emulating anything later than PS2 games. Someday, I'll do the research and get more recent system emulation set up.

 

[vurt72]

I really prefer emulating, quite a few benefits, like ROM hacks or shaders and perhaps most of all, cost.

A few years ago i built a NEO GEO cabinet with a 24" screen to use with Retroarch, Sanwa buttons and joysticks. Also great fun with some PC games, like BroForce.

Takes a while to research everything, how you can mimic close or even better latency than the original HW, and which CRT shaders looks the most genuine for a CRT look. I don't understand how anyone can play without using those if you are on non-CRT, the games looks like crap without good CRT emulation imo.

 

[DiRtY-StEvE]

I love playing on original hardware, its how I grew up. It never gets more nostalgic than that. But as an adult and much more limitations in my gaming time I have definitely resorted to handhelds most of the time. I still have all my old consoles but the convenience of having the games with me for whenever and wherever I go is awesome. Once I have my own home I will have a room dedicated to my collection and ill get them all hooked back up!

 

[Deleted member 930343]

I'm for both because one cannot replace the other.

 

[Gordo101]

I'd have to say original hardware if you've got the funds and space. Although, I've gotten quite a bit of enjoyment from the handheld consoles that can play the retro games. They're great for a busy adult to chip away at the backlog on the fly!

 

[lestagio]

They're for different purposes. Emulation is great for convenience and accuracy, and gives you practically god-like access to some of the best games to exist.

I prefer original hardware, even on consoles I don't have nostalgia for because there's slightly better accuracy and just... Vibes? There's something about popping in a cartridge and flipping a switch that feels a lot nicer. That being said, it's more expensive. I play on original hardware if I own a game, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to pay 400 dollars for chrono trigger.

My personal favorite method is picking up an Everdrive though, as it lets you play original hardware, but practically any game.

 

[bombatomba77]

I'm either or. Personally, I do have a lot of original hardware, but I mostly emulate because it means I can game while being around my family

 

[extermist]

In all honestly nothing beats playing on real hardware, regardless of what upgrades and improvements emulation brings to the table.

But I always think of software as the soul inside the body; hardware.
And at the end of the day, I only care about saving the soul.

 

[StormrageZero]

For me it depends, i really like to do many things in a single place, so for example in the ps vita or 3ds i have the hardware for both the games and past console, and emulators, for other games.

And i can say i care more about the game rather than the place i play it, of course there are better and worse ways, but yeah thats it

 

[Regular Waterfall]

I prefer original hardware, but if it could connect to Retro Achievements that would be much more preferred haha. Emulation has its pros for achievements, upscaling and mods but personally I prefer how it looks on the OG.

Just on a side note, Pokemon looks amazing on the DSI XL!