What’s your favorite retro console, and how many of you still play on real hardware?

[SUPER-J11BIT]

Hey everyone!
I’d love to kick off a deeper discussion about our gaming habits when it comes to retro systems. We all come from different gaming backgrounds: some grew up with the NES, others with the Genesis, some spent entire afternoons on the original PlayStation or Saturn, and others discovered retro gaming only in recent years.

I’m really curious to hear:

• What’s your all‑time favorite retro console — the one that feels like “home” and instantly brings back memories.
• Whether you still play on original hardware: consoles, cartridges, cables, CRTs… or if you prefer modern solutions like emulators, FPGA systems, mini‑consoles, or modded setups.
• What drives your choice: convenience, authenticity, cost, space, collecting, or simply habit.
• If you’ve noticed meaningful differences between playing on real hardware and using emulation, whether in terms of feel, performance, or nostalgia.
• And finally, how important “accuracy” is to you compared to practicality.

Feel free to share different opinions, personal stories, funny anecdotes, and maybe even some photos of your setups or collections. I’m sure this will turn into a fun and nostalgic conversation.

 

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

The Nintendo 64 since I always liked playing Conker's Bad Fur Day, Mario Kart 64, Super Mario 64 and a few other games.

 

[Chelys_Galactica]

It's hard to choose, there's a few different retro consoles I like, but if I had to pick just one it would be the Gameboy Color. It was my first console ever and I got it for Christmas alongside Pokemon Red as my first video game. I've played a lot of different games with different styles and graphics but the GBC aesthetics always draw me back for one reason or another.

Sadly my old Gameboy doesn't work anymore but I got the Analogue Pocket and a FPGBC kit from FunnyPlaying that do the job just fine for my needs. I suppose I don't really have a preference when it comes to emulation vs. real hardware. It kind of depends on what I'm playing at any given time. Real hardware is nice and I do like to collect physical retro games when i can, but modern emulation and FPGA are close enough in most cases that I don't perceive a difference in accuracy or performance.

 

[Mahan_Native]

Playstation 1
the comfort and the joy that PS1 gives is so awesome, sometimes i felt like i'm in heaven.

no, nowadays i don't play games on the original hardware because emulation now is much better than before and i can't really afford retro consoles and physical games anymore.

well the difference between emulation and original hardware
i definitely have the most nostalgia on original hardware
but
the performance for me on emulators for is good enough especially accuracy now is on high level on some emulators so i don't think i really want to go back to original hardware.

 

[Arkista]

My all time favorite console is the Super Nintendo as it's what I primarily grew up with and is probably my 2nd most played platform behind PC. Spent way too much time as a kid playing the DKC trilogy, Link to the Past, and Wario's Woods lol.

I really do prefer original hardware and still have a CRT and the physical console just for the authentic experience and personal preference. Unfortunately my apartment is tiny so I cant have much dedicated space, currently only a small shelf with CRT sits on with my NES and SNES with games stacked on it and everything else in boxes that I'll cycle through if I get the urge to play a different platform. On top of playing the game originally I do enjoy collecting them too which the prices are a bit high for that so I can't get as much as I'd like. Think the most I've spent on a single game was $280 for Earthbound which was dumb but I can say I own it now.

Emulators are good and all and I use them, even got my PSP modded to emulate games, but I just really prefer the original hardware even if it's more inconvenient.

 

[Bakuma1997]

I can say i've mantained my Wii and my NDS while still playing them far better i kept my studying habits, ten and six years and the fuckers are still running

 

[Zerohour2k12]

I'm only emulation for now but the last ones I had were the PS1 and the PSP. We also had a Famicom back then.

 

[Lokgamer]

My favorite retro console is ps2. Despite psx was my first console and has several games remember with great affection, ps2 has defined videogames as my favorite hobby and is where I discovered most of games and franchises which are my favorite even now.

I play everything in original hardware, honestly. I got a ps2, ps3 (which also woks as a ps1), ps4, psp and xbox 360 and I happy with them. I dont like to emulate, cause my toaster (aka laptop) cant handle any emulator I interested in, I'm too lazy to configure it, not being sure if the game I want to play will work and I got no enough space on HHD to store games. At least for me, is more confortable to play on real hardware.

 

[diet_orange]

The Sega Genesis. Bought a Mega Everdrive for it for my birthday several years ago and it keeps paying for itself. Only problem is my consoles reset button doesn't work and I have an older X3 Everdrive, so none of the games like Wonderboy In Monster World (one of my favorites) can save

 

[Tonberry]

• What’s your all‑time favorite retro console — the one that feels like “home” and instantly brings back memories.

PS2 for that specific criteria. It's the one that defined my childhood the most, even though I grew up with other and older systems along it.

• Whether you still play on original hardware: consoles, cartridges, cables, CRTs… or if you prefer modern solutions like emulators, FPGA systems, mini‑consoles, or modded setups.
• What drives your choice: convenience, authenticity, cost, space, collecting, or simply habit.

Nowadays I usually emulate most non-handheld stuff that's pre-7th gen. It's mostly a combination of convenience and space. PCSX2 is so good now that I don't need to spend a billion bucks just to play something I grew up with.

• If you’ve noticed meaningful differences between playing on real hardware and using emulation, whether in terms of feel, performance, or nostalgia.

I usually play on native settings with my TV plugged to an old CRT (or maybe 4:3 upscaled once for slightly additional crisp), so the biggest difference I've been noticing is that load-times are almost non-existent when emulating PS2 games, as compared to the original. It usually feels like the higher you go with resolution, the more negative differences will show up that require tinkering.

• And finally, how important “accuracy” is to you compared to practicality.

Accuracy is important, but I'm not going to go overly out of my way just to make sure it's as accurate as possible. As long as the games play well and look decent I'm not gonna complain too much.
For certain games/emulators I like playing around with stuff like filters and shaders just for fun.

 

[Kovlak]

I play the Xbox 360 with real hardware. I love going by a gaming store and picking up a good 360 game for dirty cheap.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

Howdy SUPER-J11BIT! let's see...

My all-time favorite retro console is SEGA Saturn tied with SUPER Nintendo. I have strong nostalgia for both of these systems they both bring me back "home" to a time where discovering games from only looking at the back of the case & renting them sometimes solely based on the box-art.

For years I've been a actual hardware advocator, from holding onto my child-teenage hood collection, owning several Everdrives. But these days I've been firing up emulation more often, although I still play on actual hardware from time to time on special occasions.

Before the outrageous price hike on the hobby, back in the early 2000s it was authenticity and habit along with the convenience of just placing the cart/disc in and playing! Today what drives my choice is simply convenience since cost is a major factor. My top priority is playing through and completing games not owning them for the sake of it.

Besides nostalgia, when playing 3DO emulation specifically using Phoenix has an option to overclock the CPU to speed up gameplay-which is possible on actual hardware but all with a few clicks which makes it more simple.

Accuracy is more important, although I don't mind subtle tweaks for performance for example tighter controls hacks. But nothing that takes away from the intended developers intentions.

 

[Morgan Katarn]

favorite retro console PC-engine and I wish I owned one for real.

Do I still play on real hardware yes for the PS1.2.3 and snes and Wii and 360 because does are the consoles I own. Everything else I emulate well I do emulate snes allot as well because fan translations do not come on cartridges.


But yeah I Emulate mostly because 1. Consoles are 200-500 bucks a pop depending on what you want. like PC-engine in my country sells for around 500-1000 bucks.

Then lets not talk about the games selling for 100s of dollars a pop so playing on real hardware is a rich mans hobby. Peasants like me Emulate.

 

[bjork]

I guess I'd probably pick the Saturn? There's a handful of consoles here at the house but I don't use them. But the one I looked forward to game hunting for the most in its day was the Saturn.

Nowadays I emulate because I don't want clutter (or if you don't see it as clutter, I want less things to dust!), I like it all being in one place, and if I can't play some exclusive, there are so many other things to play that it doesn't matter. I also don't go for those arguments some make about titles being unplayable if it's not on a CRT or if they start spouting lag time nanoseconds or whatever; there's a weird distortion along the years that has brought forth this elitist viewpoint about what is acceptable, when these same people played with a fuzzy RF connection and a controller with a broken button and still had a blast. Not everyone is that way and I realize it, but those who are, sure come off as real cool guys*

*not cool

 

[Lg42inchtv]

My favorite retro console is probably the PS1 I do own some original copies of some PS1 games that I play on my PS2 but I experienced most of the PS1 games I played through emulation. But I do own original hardware such as PS2 Slim,PS3 Slim, PS Vita 1000,PSP 3000, Nintendo 3DS, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Genesis, and Xbox 360

 

[IamtheWalrus]

Sega Dreamcast for me, and I occasionally still play it as long as I can find .CDI formats of games I want. However I will say the Sega Saturn and PS1 are close second and third favorites that I also play on.

 

[CrimeRobot]

For pure nostalgia I'd probably have to go with the SNES I grew up on, but the PSX and N64 are close behind. I have a slightly older Samsung phone setup for emulation, but retro hardware is my true love.

I've been accumulating a decent pile of retro systems to where I now have an NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, GBA, DS, 3DS, Genesis, PSX, PS2, PS3, PS Vita and Xbox 360. I also recently bought a relatively powerful Windows XP 32-bit computer for playing old PC games natively, along with a laughably weak mid-90s Packard Bell because it came with a 13" CRT monitor for cheap, and you never know when a 3 1/2" floppy drive or some ancient ISA slots will come in handy.

My goal is always to get original hardware but then not worry about software - I just try to get an EverDrive or softmod my way into playing games. I don't really have a solution for the 360 or PS3 yet, but I have one for everything else except the NES and Genesis. Retro software is just so, so very expensive, every time I look at an old $60 game, I think "That's a reasonable percentage of the cost of an EverDrive". Looking forward to getting the Genesis Everdrive Pro soon, since that lets you play Sega CD games without that frightfully-priced attachment.

While I do have an OSSC for anything that can output compatible video, I've been pretty lucky with CRTs - I managed to get a 32" curved JVC for free off craigslist from a small town nearby years ago, I got a slick 13" flat Trinitron with component inputs off craigslist in the Summer, then the king of my collection came from an estate sale, a 35" curved Trinitron with component inputs (though the component inputs sadly don't work)

So once I get an isolation transformer and some nerve, I'll see what I can do about those inputs, then I've also got a nice 24" flat Trinitron that takes standby power but doesn't actually power on, and a 20" Sanyo flat that doesn't take any power, which, someday, I'd like to serve as the centerpiece to a lightgun-enabled MAME machine.

So yeah, I love real hardware and real CRTs, but I do appreciate the convenience of emulation and modern TVs.

 

[GectorKazuma]

The Xbox 360 is definitely my favorite retro console. Its one that I remember very fondly I was able to get one recently and I've been able to play some of my old games I still had lying around. A close second is the psp I remember playing ape escape for ages.

 

[BigTony]

Favorite console is probably the original Xbox. PS2 has a better library no contest but the Xbox has the best versions of a lot of 6th gen games and some really great exclusives.
Nowadays i mostly play stuff on my android handheld because its more convenient but i really like playing on original hardware when i have the time.

 

[TinRattler]

PS2
PS1
SMS
MD
SNES

no favourites

 

[breremarer]

Console that feels like home definitely has to be the PS2! I didn't own a PSX prior to that, so really I got access to both libraries simultaneously, and so many of my favorite games are on one of those two. I like to be able to play on original hardware sometimes, but more often I do tilt towards emulation for all the reasons listed: faster load times, storage, access to games that I didn't get to play growing up, and occasionally 'emulator perks' like QuickSave/QuickLoad.

In terms of the experience being different, there will be certain things I notice, both good and bad. I do always enjoy being able to hold the actual older controllers, though.

 

[diet_orange]

For years I've been a actual hardware advocator, from holding onto my child-teenage hood collection, owning several Everdrives. But these days I've been firing up emulation more often, although I still play on actual hardware from time to time on special occasions.

Before the outrageous price hike on the hobby, back in the early 2000s it was authenticity and habit along with the convenience of just placing the cart/disc in and playing! Today what drives my choice is simply convenience since cost is a major factor. My top priority is playing through and completing games not owning them for the sake of it.

I wish I'd owned more Genesis titles before the whole Retro Bubble started, but C'est la vie~ (and thank goodness for Krikzz)

I've never had much in the way of games for any console that I've owned. It's still somewhat easy to find PS2 games at the Goodwill that I work at, but it's starting to become a little less common. We tend to get Seventh & Eighth gen console titles now

 

[Soupmancer]

There is genuinely nothing more comforting to me than sitting down and playing a PS1 or GameCube game. While I love playing on actual hardware, the cost and convenience of emulation vastly outweighs any potential cons to me. Lately, I've been emulating a lot via my Steam Deck. I absolutely love having a portable PS1 it feels like a childhood dream come true.

I'm not a huge stickler for "accuracy", but I am a stickler for options. Getting Silent Hill 1 to hit 60 in duckstation is a cool option. Having the option to download an undub for a game with voice acting I hate rules. I personally hate it, but at least the option for pixel smoothing can be toggled.

The only times I've felt like something is "lost" in emulation are playing GameCube games without the fisherprice controller (I say that with all the love in my heart) and PS2 emulation seems to have a really hard time registering pressure sensitivity.

 

[Retro Doomer]

If I be honst
my most favorite one would be the Ps3 but the Ps2 is my childhood and I have a high grade of Nostalgia for it.

And yes I mostly pay on real hardware but I also play often enough on Emulator if I don't want to bot up my consoles.

Recently I just played some Xbox360 again the real one the hardware and not a emulator.
I also play plenty on my Playstation 3 and in regards of my Ps2 for some I can use the Emulator and for others I have to manually connect my ps2 again to play them on the real hardware as my Computer can be rather slow in such regards.