The rectangular controllers remind me of NES controllers with shoulder buttons, but they are probably the weakest element here-too lightweight and not comfortable for long play sessions.

Press the power button and a light strip blinks to life and turns red, followed by synth-wave music and high-resolution box art that gives you the retro feels. Pop the flap and you’ll find space for two cartridges inside. There are more than 260 officially licensed games from Atari, Technos, Data East, Codemasters, and Piko Interactive, but new releases are rolling out all the time.

Games come in collections on $20 physical cartridges. With an authentic, minimalist 1980s aesthetic, this retro-gaming console offers an eclectic mix of classic games from different systems and publishers, including titles like Missile Command, Double Dragon, and Speedball 2. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Updated April 2023: We added the Picade, several honorable mentions, and updated prices throughout.

These are the best retro gaming consoles worth your time. I grew up in the arcade and owned a string of computers and consoles over the years, so when updated versions of these systems were released, I jumped at the chance to test them. There are many ways to play retro games, but perhaps the easiest is to snag a retro gaming console. Everyone loves new retro-looking games, but if you really want to scratch that nostalgic itch, you need to revisit the classics. Or perhaps you just want a taste of what early video games were like.

Do you remember the alluring 8-bit music, flashing screens, and excitement of the arcades? Maybe you spent many happy hours in front of an early home computer or game console.

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