Emulation vs. Original Hardware

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

i love original hardware but its so much more convenient to just load up an emulator ya know? =w=

especially when you have a computer that can pretty much emulate everything >:3

That's pretty much my stance, too.

 

[PhrawzT]

You can mod a Gameboy Color with a backlit screen.

Updated my Gameboy Pocket with a backlit IPS screen and it looks amazing.

 

[syntheticErik]

Purely emulation. I wouldn't buy a physical standalone console again. I'd rather just have one dedicated box for everything and get different controllers if I have the need for some system specific layout or function.

I started emulating in the 90s with NESticle; I owned a real NES but didn't really have access to games. Later on when I got my first job I kind of went crazy with real hardware and games though, had the typical big CRT, bank of switchers, and shelf of upon shelf of consoles and games. After having to pack it all and move 3 or 4 times, I rented a flea market table one weekend, sold every bit of it, and haven't looked back.

 

[Gorse]

Purely emulation. I wouldn't buy a physical standalone console again.

Yeah, this is kind of my view on it, too. I like games and all, but I was burned really bad by the eighth generation of consoles, and I'm no longer willing to drop upwards of $650 CAD (the current price of a new base-level PS5 in Canada) on a dedicated piece of hardware, then an additional $90 CAD for each game. Retro consoles are even more expensive where I live, and I'm not in love with video gaming or anything, so............... I ain't payin' for this crap.

 

[sandogma]

I bought a Dreamcast and some games and was super excited to relive my old Dreamcast days, but my enjoyment was soured because I had completely forgotten how LOUD the CD reader is on that thing. Sure, I bet if it was a brand new Dreamcast it wouldn't have been as loud, but it really took me out of the experience.
For example, when I was replaying Skies of Arcadia, I was able to know I was about to encounter a random battle every time because the CD would start spinning up before the encounter event triggered ?
I had to switch back to emulation because of that reason alone.

 

[PaleFolklore]

I agree with several of the replies here regarding the preference for original hardware over emulation being strongly tied to nostalgia. I'd love to see a Teal N64 in front of me again, but unfortunately, retro gaming—like vinyl—can become quite an expensive hobby. The inflated prices of certain games nowadays don't help either.

That said, I also recognize that many people return to these consoles because they feel they haven’t experienced everything the system had to offer. Using the N64 as an example, I never got to play many of its classics when I owned it. I only experienced games like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time thanks to emulation. The N64 had a fairly concise library, with 384 games if I recall correctly, but think about how many "classic" games most people missed when they owned a console like the PS1, which had over 2,000 games.

So yeah, for me, it’s got to be emulation on this one.

 

[guppy]

I have had loads of original hardware, and my brother who doesn't move has all of it now. I used to work at a gaming store growing up, and it was easy to collect stuff. Especially because I've got family abroad. But now, I explicitly emulate if it's "retro" gaming. Because I move a considerable amount, and run a pretty tight ship because of it. Same thing with books though. Always nicer to hold a book, but I don't really own many that aren't digital.

I think I've always done a combination of both though, if I were to be honest. It's just as time goes on, I've oddly cared less if I have something or if I just think about it fondly in my head. Rule of Rose would be an example. I dig horror, and I think it might be the "ugliest" horror game I've ever played. But the controls, the freakin' controls. The piles of humpy-huggy monsters (or pecking, I guess). I just don't think I have it in me to play that game again. So I get to think of it fondly, listen to love suicide some times. And just leave it as something that made me happy but something that I will probably never revisit again. Lest it loses its shine~

I agree with several of the replies here regarding the preference for original hardware over emulation being strongly tied to nostalgia. I'd love to see a Teal N64 in front of me again, but unfortunately, retro gaming—like vinyl—can become quite an expensive hobby. The inflated prices of certain games nowadays don't help either.

That said, I also recognize that many people return to these consoles because they feel they haven’t experienced everything the system had to offer. Using the N64 as an example, I never got to play many of its classics when I owned it. I only experienced games like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time thanks to emulation. The N64 had a fairly concise library, with 384 games if I recall correctly, but think about how many "classic" games most people missed when they owned a console like the PS1, which had over 2,000 games.

So yeah, for me, it’s got to be emulation on this one.

I recently walked into a game store because it was next to a book store in a new town. Figured I would check it out. I wanted to slap someone seeing the prices of things. But I understand their prices in another way (only x-things printed/not coming back). But I feel like people are taking advantage of people, especially people with mental disorders and illnesses.

 

[Xeno]

I recently walked into a game store because it was next to a book store in a new town. Figured I would check it out. I wanted to slap someone seeing the prices of things. But I understand their prices in another way (only x-things printed/not coming back). But I feel like people are taking advantage of people, especially people with mental disorders and illnesses.

One way to get the best of both worlds is to mod the consoles so that games can be played from a HDD or SD card.

 

[guppy]

One way to get the best of both worlds is to mod the consoles so that games can be played from a HDD or SD card.

Nah, I think it's cool but I really do move around a lot. My bro is happily still playing our old stuff on our old tv and that's good enough for me.

*** I sat and thought about this and a solid example of a game that is absolutely wonderful on the original hardware and miserable emulated is Jumping Flash 2. My bro played the original obsessively, and I played the second one obsessively. So I can't say if the original is better or worse. But the emulation of the game makes me long for the og hardware. Because it feels so sloppy I don't really even play it anymore. Even if I want to.

 

[Yankee]

One way to get the best of both worlds is to mod the consoles so that games can be played from a HDD or SD card.

I think this is the best way if you're on a budget but still want some authenticity in playing the games.
It's what I've opted to do in most cases.

I've got a modded Wii that I play NES, SNES ( I have my original one from childhood but I need to mod it for S-Video and get an Everdrive cart ), N64, GB/C/A, and of course its native GCN compatibility. That's every Nintendo I want right there plus Master System and Genesis as well. Not sure yet how I'll do the rest of the SEGA systems - 32X, CD, Saturn, Dreamcast.
Then I've got a modded PS2 that can play PS1 games as well.

If you're not on a budget and you want the real experience: Get the console and games.
If you're on a budget and want the realest possible experience: Get the console and mod.
If you're not on a budget and don't care about the real experience: Get a modern clone and the games.
If you're on a budget and don't care about the real experience: Emulate.

 

[TheDuke_11037]

Depends, for pre gen 5 I'm fine with emulation. It's easier and cheaper for me to boot up a SNES game on a PC or modded console than it is to dig mine out of storage.

Post gen 5 I either have the consoles themselves or consoles than can run the games. (I.e Wii for gc). I guess with some of them they count as emulation like ps1 on ps3. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[It's Thinking 2]

Every console up to gen 6 and 7 are wearing out fast. Emulation is our only salvation.

 

[Nostalgia]

Emulation for the convenience but I own many consoles, just lazy.

 

[NocturneKnight]

I love, but I'm definitely a fan of playing games on OG hardware. Most of my console collection has been upgraded with ODE's or flash carts , alongside with special controllers for any special games that can use them. So many quality of life upgrades exist at this point for retro consoles, so happy I kept them to keep upgrading over time.

I mainly used emulation for streams and gameplay for my channel

 

[Ikagura]

I love CRTs and original pads but the quality of life emulation could bring have an impact on the scale (especially regarding romhacks).

Everdrives/flash carts are the best of both worlds.

 

[RetroLaw]

Mainly emulation up to Ps3 gen.

I still play the Ps3 games I own on real hardware though because my main reason for emulation is 1) playing with a Ps3 controller 2) saves states, and since I don't need save states for ps3 games.

But yeah, unless the emulation is inacurrate, emulation all the way.

 

[Keaks]

I love, but I'm definitely a fan of playing games on OG hardware. Most of my console collection has been upgraded with ODE's or flash carts , alongside with special controllers for any special games that can use them. So many quality of life upgrades exist at this point for retro consoles, so happy I kept them to keep upgrading over time.

I had to sell off my analogue SuperNT recently. I loved playing on it, but it was just not practical for space and price. I was going to use it for streaming. But the money added up fast. £200 for the base console, £50 to use find an original famicom controller that worked well enough. £200-£300 for a capture card to show what was going on with it's own monitor. It just seemed like a money pit.

That is why emulation will always be where my heart truly lies. I had to spend a weekend looking after my Niece and Nephew in the middle of nowhere at my sisters. She had a laptop and all I needed to bring was a usb stick with some of my game collection emulated onto it.

In a perfect world; I would have every single original console set up ready to play every game I have for them. That just is not my reality at the moment, maybe when I am older and have enough spare income to throw at the hardware. Unfortunately, that, isn't now. :/

 

[ATenderLad]

I'd have said original hardware as a young adult, but sharing an apartment and having a budget learned me right quick. Put Batocera on a laptop someones looking to get rid of and have at it.

 

[Karnik]

I usually play PSP, GBA and NDS games on their respective real hardware. The only emulator I really appreciate on smartphone is NetherSX2 (apk about PS2); it's so nice to play ps2 games while walking around. ?

 

[Leon]

I'd prefer original hardware, but original hardware eventually fails and i'm not paying a scalper to replace it, not to mention that it's nearly impossible to setup old hardware on a computer monitor and sometimes even modern tv's without specialized hookups, i use emulators for most of it.

 

[werewolfgimmick]

If I had unlimited money and space I obviously would always go for the original hardware, but that's not the case unfortunately. I only have a handful of retro consoles to play but I do got a CRT, so for consoles I don't have what I do is hook up my laptop to it through an hdmi to AV adapter and play emulators like that. Figure it's close enough to the real thing.
My only blindspot is the Sega Saturn, my laptop can't emulate it well enough and it's insanely expensive so I'm missing a lot of cool games :(

 

[Clippy]

Emulation all day every day for me. Ngl a huge part of my reasoning is that the only non-PC platform I have ever owned is an Amiga 500 which I loved to bits when I was a tyke but I ain't fooling myself - getting it out of my parents' basement and setting it up would be way too much of a hassle compared to firing up FS-UAE.

Other than that, I recently got into emulating 90s PCs via 86Box and honestly? While I wouldn't mind getting period-accurate hardware (some of which I also used to own way back when) I don't feel particularly nostalgic about messing with jumpers and dealing with all the compatibility issues that were around back then. I'm not made of money enough to be able to afford to buy enough parts to put together 10 PCs just so I can troubleshoot a DOS game that runs too fast on a CPU better than a 386. I'm perfectly fine just creating a new machine in 86Box and tinkering with it.

 

[daratmp+wxqvs]

Emulation has its pros, but also its cons
When the pros outweigh the cons, i prefer emulation.

To most people a small graphical glitch here and there that lasts a few seconds or 1 level is 'whatever', but for me its a big con.
Also just the potential that a graphical effect might not have rendered atall, but it not being obvious that there was something missing is what gets me the most.
To exaggerate a bit, it makes me feel like I didnt actually experience the game, even if the bug seems insignificant.

When i'm emulating a game I dont want something in the back of my mind constantly thinking: "remember that bug in Armored Core on PCSX2 where that enemy just doesnt spawn?, what if something like that is going on here too, this room feels empty, could the emulator be messing up? ... - i feel like there should have been a graphical effect there, or that one effect seemed like it was cut of prematurely or something, but maybe it just looks like that on real hardware too....?
- what if the emulator suddenly crashes at the end of this cutscene and it will do that every time and I will have to open an issue on the github or fiddle with settings for 20 minutes to get past it?"

Xbox 360 > Original hardware, had too many bugs and crashes on Xenia.
PS Vita > Original hardware. Vita3k has a looong way to go.
PS3 > Emulation, if the game starts breaking I move my save over to a real PS3 and continue the game there.
3DS / DS / WiiU > Depends on the game, if its touch heavy of really relies on dual screens alot, or I want the stereoscopic 3D I use real hardware. But if the game doesn't heavily reply on those gimmicks its always emulation.
Any thing else > emulation

 

[ThirdEidolon]

There are hardware emulators you can buy (FPGA), but Linus Shill Tips made it a lot harder to get hold of them.

Fucker.

 

[Clippy]

There are hardware emulators you can buy (FPGA), but Linus Shill Tips made it a lot harder to get hold of them.

Fucker.

I still don't get what the deal is with FPGA. Is it real hardware shrunk down considerably thanks to all the progress technology has made over the last 40 years or is it just emulation rebranded? Because if it's the latter then I'll stick to free software thank you very much. I have seen a bunch of Youtube videos on the topic but as I understand it the faults that are inherently there in emulation are still kinda there? What's the point then?