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Ways To Play Videogames (Last Updated 4/22/26)

Intro:

Ways to play videogames has become a very complex thing and with ways to play vintage PC (Personal Computer) videogames not even being a very well known thing as to how (even for those with a decent amount of knowledge and skill at how to operate a computer) and so I wrote this article to try and make it as easy as possible to understand and divided it into 4 sections of “Ways to play vintage console videogames,” “Ways to play non-vintage console videogames,” “Ways to play vintage PC videogames,” and “Ways to play non-vintage PC videogames” to help make it easier to understand.

Ways to play vintage console videogames:

While the main part of this section of this article is on newer ways to play vintage console videogames (as they are overall much better) a good place to start is back at the beginning, of what used to be the only way to play them, of original systems and original cartridges and original discs. And before getting into that here is some info on the ways systems hook up to your TV (television):

The oldest way a system hooks up to a TV is via an RF (Radio Frequency) connector which combines a video and audio signal for a coaxial cable to then screw into a TV’s input for cable TV or a TV antenna and you set it for channel 3 or 4 (and since where I live channel 4 is a better channel I always just set it for that) and then change the channel on your TV to that channel to match it if it is not already on that channel.

The newest way after that a system hooks up to a TV is via RCA (Radio Corporation of America) connectors (also known as “AV” connectors,” “A/V connectors,” “audio/visual connectors,” “composite connectors,” or less commonly “phono connectors” (after their original use when they first came out in the 1930s to connect a phonograph turntable to an AM radio receiver) but since some other ways to connect stuff can carry an audio and visual signal, and since “AV” also stands for some other stuff, and since some of the other names for them are not as well known, I just refer to them by their most technical name of “RCA connectors.” RCA connectors offer a better picture and sound quality than an RF connector as they divide the different stuff into different cables. When there is 2x RCA connectors for sound it’s “stereophonic sound” (but everyone just calls it “stereo”) and it’s sound out of both speakers and when there is 1x RCA connector for sound it’s “monophonic sound” or “monaural sound” (but everyone just calls it “mono”) and it’s sound just out of 1 speaker. For some systems there is not only 1 yellow connector for video and 1 white connector for left speaker audio but also 1 red connector for right speaker audio and for some this means true stereo while for others just simulated stereo. True stereo means the sound is dynamic where you sometimes hear different sounds out of each speaker while simulated stereo (also known as “pseudo-stereo”) you always hear the same exact sounds out of both speakers. For other systems that use RCA connectors there is just 1 yellow connector for video and 1 white connector for audio and this means you can only hear mono sound (out of just your left speaker unless you hooked it up white-to-red then you would hear it just out of your right speaker) unless you buy an RCA Y-splitter cable separately then you can hear simulated stereo sound which sounds much better than mono and you can learn more about them and buy 1 from me: here.

And so you are not confused there is also “component connectors” (also known as “YPbPr connectors”) that are the same style of plugs as RCA connectors but there is 3 plugs for video instead of 1 and the 3 plugs are color-coded green, blue, and red and these are pretty much just used by some high-end older standalone DVD players and provide a slightly better picture than RCA connectors as with RCA connectors the picture often looks slightly blurry and with slight color bleeding due to the different aspects of the video signal being in 1 cable instead of divided into 3. For component connectors you still need the white and red RCA connectors for audio as they just carry a video signal only. And it is further confusing as this means 2 plugs are color-coded red but do different things and hook up different places. And next after component connectors S-Video (Separate Video) came out, it splits the video into 2 separate channels (1 for brightness (luma) and 1 for color (chrominance) even though just using 1 cable for the video) and like component connectors you still need the white and red RCA connectors for audio. Some say S-Video is very slightly better than component with the video quality and it is newer (and with electronics “newer almost always means better”) but it still does combine the video signal in 1 cable while component splits them up into 3 so it could be S-Video is just more convenient to hook up and also has cables taking up less space in your residence and so that and the fact that it’s newer maybe is why some people think it’s very slightly better than component with the video quality when really maybe it’s not (personally I feel while component is for sure better with the color resolution maybe S-Video still really is overall better, I’m not sure) but what is clear is that “they both are better than RCA and both are worse the newest way after that a system hooks up to a TV (and this is still the newest way) of via HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface).” HDMI is both video and audio in 1 cable but still offers a better video quality than component connectors or S-Video and better audio quality than RCA connectors even though it is just 1 cable because it’s a more advanced type of technology. In addition to HDMI being used for some newer gaming systems to hook up to a TV all computers manufactured in recent years use it as the only way to hook up to a TV.

And for the systems that use discs here is some info on discs: a CD (Compact Disc) was initially just for playing audio (but later can be used for storing data, software, and videogames) and first came out in 1983. A DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) originally it stood for “Digital Video Disc” as at first it was just for playing videos (these videos at best are 480p (the “p” stands for “progressive scan”)) but they changed what it stood for since its use changed to be more than just used for video but also for storing data, software, and videogames (and it can store more than a CD even though the disc is the same-exact physical-size) and they first came out in 1983. A BD (Blu-ray Disc) can play videos in HD video (High-Definition video) (with even higher resolution and better sound than a DVD and in 720p or 1080p) and it can be used for storing data, software, and videogames (and it can store more than a DVD even though the disc is also the same-exact physical-size). And all DVD players and BD players manufactured in recent years use HDMI as the only way to hook 1 up to a TV.

For Atari systems that play cartridges the first was the Atari 2600 (this is the name most people call it as it was rebranded to this name from the Atari VCS (Atari Video Computer System) in 1982) and it first came out in 1977, is 8-bit (but is much more limited in its capabilities than later 8-bit systems), and plays just Atari 2600 cartridges and next the Atari 5200 came out in 1982, also is 8-bit (and while more it has more capabilities than an Atari 2600 still has less capabilities than later 8-bit systems), and plays just Atari 5200 cartridges unless you have an Atari 5200 VCS Cartridge Adapter (model CX-55) can also play Atari 2600 cartridges if you have a later 2-port Atari 5200 (and without modification) or have the earlier 4-port Atari 5200 (and modified it), then the Atari 7800 came out with a limited-release in 1984 then full-release in 1986, is also 8-bit (but has more capabilities than an Atari 2600 or Atari 5200), and plays both Atari 7800 cartridges and almost all Atari 2600 cartridges but can’t play Atari 5200 cartridges.

And for Atari portable systems that play cartridges the only 1 is the Atari Lynx and it first came out in 1989, is 16-bit, in color, and backlit.

For Nintendo systems that play cartridges or discs the first was the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and it first came out in 1985, is 8-bit (but with more capabilities than even an Atari 7800), and plays just NES cartridges and next the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) came out in 1991, is 16-bit, and plays just SNES cartridges unless you have a Super Game Boy or Super Game Boy 2 then you can also play GB (Game Boy) cartridges (gray shells) and duel-mode GBC (Game Boy Color) cartridges (black shells) then a mini version of the NES called the New-Style NES (model NES-101) was released in 1993 then the N64 (Nintendo 64) came out in 1996, is 64-bit, and plays just N64 cartridges then a mini version of the SNES called the New-Style Super NES (model SNS-101) was released in 1997 then the GameCube came out in 2001 and plays just GameCube discs unless you have a Game Boy Player (the GameCube sits on top of it and also needed to use it is the boot disc in the GameCube) then you can also play GB, GBC (and all types, not just duel-mode), and GBA (Game Boy Advance) cartridges) and while it was their first system to play discs and the discs are the same-size as a CD, DVD, or BD none of those formats can be played on 1.

And for Nintendo portable systems that play cartridges the first was the GB and it first came out in 1989, is 8-bit, not in color (as it displays just shaded of green, white, gray, and black), unlit, and plays just GB cartridges, and next the GBC came out in 1998, is also 8-bit but now in color, unlit, and plays GB and GBC cartridges, then the GBA came out in 2001, is 32-bit, unlit, and plays GB, GBC, and GBA cartridges, then the first version of the GBA SP (Game Boy Advance SP) came out in 2003, is 32-bit, is frontlit, and plays GB, GBC, and GBA cartridges, then the first version of the DS (Nintendo DS) came out in 2004, is 32-bit, is backlit (but not backlit as well as later versions), and plays GBA and DS cartridges, then the GBM (Game Boy Micro) came out in 2005, is 32-bit, backlit, and plays just GBA cartridges and around that same time in 2005 the GBA SP (AGS-101) (also known as the “backlit GBA SP” or the “brighter model”) came out and it is 32-bit, is backlit, and plays GB, GBC, and GBA cartridges.

For Sega systems that play cartridges or discs the first was the Master System and it first came out in 1986, is 8-bit, and plays just Master System cartridges and next the Sega Genesis and it first came out in 1989, is 16-bit, and plays just Sega Genesis cartridges unless you have a Power Base Converter (which plugs into the cartridge slot and came out that same year of 1989), then a mini version of the Master System called the Master System II was released in 1990, then the Sega CD came out in 1992 as a peripheral (add-on) for the Sega Genesis and can play Sega CD discs and audio CDs, then a mini version of the Sega Genesis called the Sega Genesis Model 2 was released in 1993 (and it also works with the Sega CD), then the Sega Saturn came out in 1995 and can play Sega Saturn discs and audio CDs, and then the Dreamcast came out in 1999 and can play Dreamcast discs and audio CDs.

And for Sega portable systems that play cartridges the first was the Game Gear and it first came out in 1991, is 8-bit, in full-color, backlit, and plays Game Gear cartridges, Master System cartridges (but needs an adapter for that second thing), and with an accessory of a TV tuner you can watch TV on 1, and then the Genesis Nomad came out in 1995, is 16-bit, in full-color, backlit, and plays Sega Genesis cartridges (but is not compatible with the Power Base Converter or Sega CD), and has an out port of RCA connectors to hook it up to a TV and use the TV’s screen instead but there is no TV tuner for it and this was the last portable system that Sega ever released. While both deplete batteries much faster than a GB there is an AC power adapter for them when wanting to play at home. And for the TV tuner for Game Gear due to the switch from analog television signals to digital television signals it will no longer pick up signals but since that accessory has AV input it can still function as a TV screen for other stuff.

For NEC (NEC Home Electronics) systems that play cartridges or discs the first was the TurboGrafx-16 and it first came out in 1989, is 8-bit (but does have duel 16-bit graphics processors), and plays just TurboGrafx-16 HuCard game cartridges and next an add-on for it released later that year of the TurboGrafx-CD that plays TurboGrafx-CD CD-ROM game discs and can also play audio CDs and then the TurboDuo (later rebranded as the “Duo”) which first came out in 1992 which combines the capabilities of the TurboGrafx-16 and the TurboGrafx-CD in a single-unit that is more compact than those 2 things together and also more streamlined and sleek looking too.

And for NEC portable systems that play cartridges the only 1 is the TurboExpress and it first came out in 1990, is 8-bit, in color, and backlit and can play all of the TurboGrafx-16’s HuCard cartridge games (which is good as then if you already owned a TurboGrafx-16 all your games for it now work for this too), it also has as an option an AC power adapter, and it had an optional TV tuner called “TurboVision.”

For Sony systems the first was the PS1 (PlayStation 1) (and while the official title is the “PlayStation” everyone abbreviates it PS and adds a 1 to differentiate it from the later systems) and it first came out in 1995 and next the PS2 (PlayStation 2) came out in 2000 then the PS2 Slimline came out in 2004 so then people started calling the original PS2 the “original PS2” and also in slang the “fat” PS2 and second the “slim” PS2. Then the PS3 (PlayStation 3) came out in 2006 (later called the original PS3 or “fat” PS3 in slang) then the PS3 Slim came out in 2009 then the PS3 Super Slim came out in (2012). All of those systems can play audio CDs, a PS1 and both versions of the PS2 and all 3 versions of the PS3 can also play PS1 games, but only both versions of the PS2 and the original PS3 can play PS2 games, only all 3 versions of the PS3 can play PS3 games, and only both versions of the PS2 and all 3 versions of the PS3 can play DVDs and only all 3 versions of the PS3 can play BDs.

And for Sony the only portable systems are the PSP (PlayStation Portable) that first came out in 2005, is in color, and uses an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) screen and plays UMDs (Universal Media Discs) (and since a good selection of movies have been released in this format it also is a PMP (Portable Media Player) in addition to a gaming system) and the PSV (PlayStation Vita) that first came out 2012, is in color, and uses an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) screen and is entirely digital making for a much larger game library and is more compact and ergonomic than the PSP and has better graphics than a PSP.

For Microsoft systems the first was the Xbox that came out in 2001, the second was the Xbox 360 that came out in 2005, and the third was the Xbox One that came out in 2013. Everyone just calls the first system that came out an “original Xbox” as the second Xbox instead of call it an Xbox 2 they call it an Xbox 360 (which would have made sense as a title if it was the 360th Xbox to come out but since it’s not is not a very good name for it but not the worst possible name for it) and then the next system instead of calling it an Xbox 3 they picked literally the worst possible name of calling it an Xbox One as before it came out and after the Xbox 360 came out people were already often calling an original Xbox an “Xbox 1” and so then had to switch to calling it just an original Xbox and then when talking about an Xbox One had to always remember to say the time consuming thing of “an Xbox One, as in the 3rd Xbox, not the original Xbox.” All of those systems can play audio CDs “out of the box,” and while an Xbox of course can play Xbox games only some of them will work in an Xbox 360 or Xbox One and while an Xbox 360 of course can play Xbox 360 games only some of them will work in an Xbox One and an Xbox One of course can play Xbox One games. For DVDs while an Xbox can play them it can’t out of the box as it requires you buy separately the “Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit” which includes an IR (infrared) receiver that plugs into a controller port and a dedicated remote control (as the unlike a PS2 or PS3 controllers can not be used to operate the DVD player functions (and for those 2 systems by the way, an optional remote can be bought separately)) but an Xbox 360 can play them out of the box but neither of those 2 systems can play BDs. An Xbox One though can play BDs (and also DVDs) but neither out of the box as you first must download a free app from the Microsoft Store.

A long time ago non-aftermarket cartridges were the only options for cartridge-based console videogame systems but now there are standalone aftermarket cartridges (but just for the most expensive of games to buy used) and the much better (since they have lots of games) aftermarket cartridges of multicarts and EverDrive carts (also known as “flash carts”). They have advantages over buying all of the games on them individually, they’re less expensive, take up less space, are easier on the pins of systems because there’s less wear-and-tear on them from changing cartridges, and they’re less of a hassle to use because you don’t have to keep taking one game out and putting another game in when you want to change games.

With “multicarts” the “cart” part of the name is short for “cartridge” as they are cartridges with more than one game on them for original and aftermarket cartridge-based console videogame systems. Typically the separate games can also be bought individually. There are both official and unofficial multicarts with the multicart titles listed above being unofficial ones. An example of an early official –– and popular –– multicart is 2-in-1 “Super Mario Bros.” (1985) / “Duck Hunt” (1985) which came out in 1988 and previously both games were only sold singularly. How multicarts that have lots of games on them work is when you put 1 in the system and turn the system on instead of seeing the title screen like for standalone games or all titles to select from on 1 screen like multicarts with only a small number of games you see a series of screens with lists of games on them and you use your controller to cycle through the screens and select what game you want and then you see the title screen for just that 1 game now appear on screen to then play or for games with built-in game codes that must be entered at the title screen you then enter the game codes then play.

With EverDrive carts they are a lot like multicarts and so also are for for original and aftermarket cartridge-based console videogame systems but they have an SD SD (Secure Digital) card inside with videogame files on it called ROMs (Read-Only Memory) and like multicarts the “cart” part of the name being short for “cartridge” and I have seen them available for NES, SNES, N64, DS, Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, GBC, GBA, Game Gear, and Atari 2600, and while they typically have even more games than multicarts they also are typically more expensive than multicarts and they are harder than multicarts to use even if you bought one with the SD card already preloaded with games and installed.

A long time ago non-aftermarket console systems that play cartridges were the only console systems that play cartridges options but now there are many types of aftermarket console systems that play cartridges and the aftermarket systems from Hyperkin are the most well-known, trusted, and widely-available and also they have the largest selection of different systems to choose from. And Hyperkin also has better designed and more technologically advanced pins than the original systems so no more having to take the cartridge out, blow on it, then put it back in to try and get it to work as it almost always works on the first try and the rare times when it doesn’t you typically just have to hit the reset button once to get it to work. And there also is products a lot like them (and with a good selection of systems) from Retro-Bit (distributed by Innex Inc.) and products a lot like them (but with not a very good selection of systems) of the brand Retro Freak from Cyber Gadget.

And for reference for the Hyperkin non-portable RetroN systems (they are all RetroNs): a RetroN 1 is NES only and plugs into your TV via RCA connectors with just 1 for the audio, a RetroN 1 HD is NES only and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a Supa RetroN HD is SNES and Super Famicom only and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a RetroN 2 is NES and SNES and plugs into your TV via RCA connectors with 2 for the audio, a RetroN 2 HD is NES, SNES, and Super Famicom and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a RetroN 3 is NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis and plugs into your TV via RCA connectors with 2 for the audio, a RetroN 3 HD is NES, SNES, Super Famicom, Sega Genesis, and Mega Drive and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a Mega RetroN HD is Sega Genesis and Mega Drive only and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a RetroN 77 is Atari 2600 only and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a RetroN Sq is GB, GBC, GBA, and GBA, and plugs into your TV via HDMI, a RetroN GX is just TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine and plugs into your TV via HDMI, and a RetroN 5 is NES, Famicom, SNES, Super Famicom, Sega Genesis, Mega Drive, GB, GBC, and GBA, and plugs into your TV via HDMI and none of those systems have any built-in games, and they can’t use ROMs, they just play cartridges. And each of those RetroN systems has 2 original-style controller ports (so not USB) for each system it can play cartridges for for original controllers and aftermarket ones (including-but-not-limited-to the ones Hyperkin makes) and that is the only type of controllers you can use except the RetroN Sq just has 1 USB (Universal Serial Bus) port for a controller or wireless receiver (so you can only play single-player even for multiplayer games and it only works with Hyperkin controllers and comes with their wired controller the Scout that is modeled after an SNES controller) and the RetroN 5 also works with a RetroN 5 Bluetooth Wireless Controller that works for all of the systems it can play, and there is no port for it for GB, GBC, or GBA controllers as there is no such thing so those must be played with its wireless controller, and any of those systems that can also play Famicom, Super Famicom, or Mega Drive cartridges they are played with the NES controller ports, SNES controller ports, and Sega Genesis controller ports respectively except for a RetroN 5 there is the added option to play them with the wireless controller. And while the RetroN 5 has the advantage of it can play cartridges for the by far most systems, and is the only system with a built-in Game Genie feature (even though it can’t play a GameShark (not that it makes much difference given the built-in Game Genie)) and it (along with the RetroN 77, and RetroN Sq, and RetroN GX) you can save your progress in games that you normally can’t and take screenshots that you can then transfer to your computer to then post online it also has the disadvantage of it is by far the most expensive RetroN system as well as the disadvantage (and same with the RetroN 77 and RetroN Sq) of it can’t play multicarts or everdrive carts which for some disqualifies it from being one they might want to buy and while Hyperkin is aware of the problem of them not being able to play them the situation is: “maybe they will come out with a patch for their software so they can play multicarts and everdrive carts, then again maybe they never will.” And the RetroN Sq can’t play a Game Genie or GameShark (even though a Game Genie exists for GB but 1 does not exist for GBC or GBA and a GameShark exists for GBC that also works for GB but 1 does not exist for GBA) and while the RetroN 77 can’t play a Game Genie or GameShark either that doesn’t matter because neither exists for Atari 2600 and while the RetroN 5 can’t play a Game Genie either that also doesn’t matter because it has the built-in Game Genie feature. And a Game Genie and GameShark are the same sort of device that you hook up in between the standalone cartridge (as they only work with standalone cartridges) and the system so that when you then turn on the system a screen comes up that allows you to enter codes into it using a controller so that when you then play the game it changes how the game works so common codes for games give you infinite lives or infinite ammo when there isn’t normally that and while less popular among gamers some codes can also be entered to handicap you like starting with less lives or less ammo than normal. And while a RetroN 5 is advertised as also able to play Master System games, you can only play them if you have a non-included Power Base Converter which plugs into the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive slot and since they don’t advertise for the RetroN 3, RetroN 3 HD, or Mega RetroN HD that they are compatible with it they might not be even though a RetroN 3 has a Sega Genesis slot and a RetroN 3 HD and Mega RetroN HD has a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive slot.

More about the RetroN 1: it’s more compact than the NES original system, it’s a lot less expensive than buying a new original NES system that is still in new condition after all these years, and cartridges all work the first time you put them in (so no more taking them out then blowing on them and then retrying). Why the cartridges work the first time they are put in is Hyperkin with modern technology engineered and pioneered something they call “Perfect Pin” technology which is state-of-the-art and high-quality pin connectors that work much better and not just for getting the games to play the first time but also they have a high-compatibility rate with the different types of NES cartridges, were engineered to be very durable, and they hold the cartridges securely without the infamous “death grip” (excessive tightness) of some older clone systems and of some replacement pins for original NES systems as the death grip increases wear-and-tear both on the pins as well as the cartridges in addition to making it take more time-and-effort to change cartridges. And while their Perfect Pin technology was first used in this system it was also used in their later systems as well. My only big criticism of the RetroN 1 is it just has 1 port for the audio making it so people have to buy a Y-splitter cable so they can go from mono sound to simulated stereo. And while technical name of it is a “RetroN” since there was later RetroNs everyone calls is a “RetroN 1” and the best type of RetroN 1 is the “launch edition” (which first came out in 2011) as it is the first version that came out and surprisingly that is the best version because the later version comes with just 1 controller instead of 2, that controller has neither the nice to have turbo or slow motion features, it does not come with a power supply and so you have to use a 5V A1 USB power supply via the micro-USB port, and both of the 2 newest versions have ugly colors. For 1 the colors of the system and controllers are like the original NES so is outdated looking so looks a little ugly and many gamers today never owned 1 and so have no nostalgia towards those colors and even for gamers that did (like me) for me the nostalgia is about playing the games themselves not what the system or controllers look like. For the other the colors are called “hyper beach” and they are so ugly as to be the ugliest color combination of any product I have ever seen and with no nostalgia for anyone not looking like the original as they combine fuchsia pink (a color just for girls making this system by default not good for the majority of gamers being guys) and a weird turquoise also with black and so they should have called the colors for that 1 “polluted with toxic chemicals beach.” And as for my only big criticism of the RetroN 1 of having just 1 port for audio they didn’t fix that issue with these later 2 versions and so they also just have 1 port for audio and so “they didn’t fix the 1 bad thing about it, and took the good thing about it of the 2x turbo controllers and made it 1x non-turbo controllers, they took out the good thing of it the coming with power supply, and then they changed the good colors to be for 1 version slightly ugly and the other literally “as ugly as can be and just for girls.” Because while 98% of the time with electronics “newer is better” 2% of the time it’s worse so this is a rare case of “newer is worse.” For the launch edition it comes in black, gray, and white and red but the color that matches best for other stuff in your entertainment center is going to be black (because “black goes with everything”) and the second best color to match is gray and lastly white and red and so since the black version is the best I only sell the black version and you can learn more about them and buy 1 from me: here.

And for reference for the Hyperkin portable systems (they are all SupaBoys): a SupaBoy and SupaBoy S are SNES only while a SupaBoy SFC is both SNES and Super Famicom and while they can be played on their built-in screen they also plug into your TV via RCA connectors with 2 for the audio and in addition to the built-in controller they also have for playing on your TV 2 original-style controller ports (so not USB) for SNES and for the SupaBoy SFC when played with a Super Famicom cartridge it uses the same built-in controller and when playing on your TV uses the same SNES controllers from the same SNES controller ports. Those 3 systems are not emulators so can play multicarts and everdrive carts. The SupaBoy S came out later than the SupaBoy and has a larger (4.3 inch) screen than the SupaBoy (good), has a 10 hour battery life instead of just 3 hours with the SupaBoy (good), and is designed to fit slightly more comfortably in your palms (good), but does not have a 4:3 aspect ratio where games don’t look stretched like the SupaBoy and instead has a 16:9 aspect ratio making the games appear stretched (bad), but then the SupaBoy SFC came out after the SupaBoy S and has the same larger screen, same longer battery life, and same slightly better fit for your palms as the SupaBoy S but now you can switch from a 4:3 aspect ratio to a 16:9 aspect ratio by holding down the brightness button (good) and you can play SFC (Super Famicom) cartridges too (good, but only if you want to play those).

And the other newer way you can play vintage console videogames is with videogame console emulators which are a type of emulator that allows the device to emulate an arcade game’s or videogame console’s hardware so that its games can be played on it. Gamers usually just call them “emulators” for short even though that is not specific as to what type. An emulator can be software or hardware and the arcade games and videogame consoles emulated are usually retro and an emulator allows those games to be run on a desktop computer (usually shortened to “desktop” or the nonspecific term “computer”), laptop computer (usually shortened to “laptop” or the nonspecific term “computer”), tablet computer (usually shortened to “tablet” or the nonspecific term “computer”), or cell phone (usually shortened to the nonspecific term “phone”) or a device that is purpose-built just to play videogames and plugs into your TV like hugely popular NES Classic Edition (a system that has 30 built-in NES games and first came out in 2016) and the SNES Classic Edition (a system that has 21 built-in SNES games and first came out in 2017) and both of those emulators connect to your TV via HDMI, can’t play cartridges or use original controllers, and have a reputation for being very high quality in regards to the quality of their emulation and some people have modded (this term only applies to videogames and is short for “modified”) them to have far more built-in games. A popular program to mod any of the “Classic” series of systems is Hakchi2 and you can go to their website: here. This game is also on some other types of systems that have built-in games and both for ones that are portable and non-portable. There has been some controversy with emulators though because while a SNES Classic Edition is an “official emulator” (in that it’s made by the company of Nintendo and just for games that they own the rights to) there is lots of “unofficial emulators” 1 being Yuzu which is the same size-and-shape as a Nintendo Switch and emulates a Nintendo Switch so that Nintendo Switch games (among others) can be played on it. Nintendo (not surprisingly) didn’t like it very much so then successfully sued the makers of it claiming they were “facilitating piracy at a colossal scale” and then after settling for $2.4 million development and official distribution of Yuzu stopped March 4th 2024. This then understandably made those that like unofficial emulators more worried about being sued themselves but most still remain hopeful about the future of unofficial emulators viewing the odds of being sued as while going up still not being very high.

Another notable emulator is the PlayStation Classic a system that has 20 built-in PS1 games, first came out in 2018, connects to your TV via HDMI, can’t play discs or use original controllers, and had a bad reputation not so much from the quality of the emulation but from the choices of the games included being poor, only coming with 1 controller, and not coming with an AC power adapter and about that last thing this means it must be the first gaming system in all of world history that you can’t just plug-in-and-play with what it comes with and that disappointed and frustrated many who bought it and didn’t know that.

And yet another notable emulator is the AtGames Sega Genesis, there are different versions of it (a later version being the 2016 model) all with 80 built-in games and it plugs into your TV via RCA with just 1 for the audio and have a reputation for being very low quality in regards to the quality of their emulation but it is interesting in that it can also play Sega Genesis cartridges (but there have been reports of it having trouble with at least some multicarts and EverDrive carts) and is interesting in that it has 2 ports for the original-style wired controllers and it also comes with 2 wireless controllers although those you really have to aim at it to get them to work right. A later emulator for Sega is the Sega Genesis Mini (a system that has 42 built-in Sega Genesis games and comes with 2 controllers and first came out in 2019) and Sega Genesis Mini 2 (a system that has 60 built-in Sega Genesis and Sega CD games and comes with 1 controller and first came out in 2022) and both of those emulators connect to your TV via HDMI, can’t play original cartridges or use original controllers, and have a reputation for being very high quality in regards to the quality of their emulation. While a Sega Genesis Mini 2 does have a slot that looks like it could take original cartridges (if you were just looking at pictures of it or didn’t know the size of original cartridges) it can only accept the decorative mini cartridges they make for it that are just for looks for “nostalgia” to look more like how the original system would have looked when playing it but since this causes the system to take up more space and weigh more and be more expensive and use up more of the Earth’s resources while not increasing the games it can play by not even so much as 1 these cartridges are lame and this feature is a good way to trick a buyer looking for the ability to also play original cartridges into buying this 1 and so hopefully that wasn’t the company’s intention.

And yet another notable emulator is the TurboGrafx-16 Mini from Konami a system that has 57 TurboGrafx-16 built-in games, first came out in 2020, is half the size of a TurboGrafx-16, connects to your TV via HDMI, can’t play TurboGrafx-16 HuCard game cartridges or use original TurboGrafx-16 controllers, and while it comes with just 1x USB controller it has 2x USB controller parts and you can buy an extra controller singularly.

And yet another notable emulator is the Atari Flashback (sometimes called an “Atari Flashback 1” or “Atari Flashback launch edition” and the box says “Atari Flashback - Classic Game Console” (but with no hyphen) as over 12 later types came out starting with “Atari Flashback” in their name (with some later 1s being portable starting with the Atari Flashback Portable in 2016)) a system that has 15 Atari 2600 games and 5 Atari 7800 (so 20 games total), first came out in 2004, is very mini and modeled after the 7800 console (and while the Atari 2600 console I feel looks antiquated and ugly the 7800 console I feel looks modern and beautiful), plugs into your TV via RCA with just 1 for the audio, can’t play Atari 2600 or 5800 game cartridges, and comes with 2 mini controllers (modeled after 7800 controllers but with added “pause” and “select” buttons).

And yet another notable emulator is the Atari Gamestation Pro a system that has over 200 built-in Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, and bonus games (like Atari arcade games) and is the first console to integrate all of those types of games in a single console, comes with 2 wireless controllers, first came out in 2023, connects to your TV via HDMI, and can’t play original cartridges or use original controllers.

A popular device used for emulation is a Raspberry Pi which is a mini computer about the size of a deck of cards that you plug controllers into its USB ports, plug into your TV via HDMI, have plugged into it an external hard drive (typically the small portable type that has the ROMs on it), and plug its charger into a power outlet. Some hobbyists build then for themselves and friends and some entrepreneurs also build them to sell on websites like eBay and Etsy and for Etsy they count as handmade so can be sold there. The advantage to an emulator is if you use a device you already own as one or build one and download lots of ROMs for free or get one in the form of a device as a package deal online that has lots of built-in games or ROMs you get a less-per-game-price with it than even a RetroN system or some other system even combined with a multicart. The disadvantage is if you are using a device you already own as one or building one you have to be very knowledgeable about them and tech-savvy and download the ROMs from somewhere online which is considered to be a form of piracy which then could cause you to be sued for copyright infringement and could expose your device to viruses and other types of malware and they are also harder to navigate using their menu to select the game you want than the “simple as it gets” menu of a multicart. With emulation software you would likely have enough space for the ROMs for it on a desktop or laptop itself without the need for an external hard drive unless you had an unusually large number of them for lots-and-lots of systems and of course a desktop usually has the most space, a laptop less space, a tablet still less space, and a phone the least space. And while a RetroN 1, RetroN 1 HD, Supa RetroN HD, RetroN 2, RetroN 2 HD, RetroN 3, and Mega RetroN HD are not emulators (as they play cartridges without emulation software) a RetroN 77, RetroN Sq, and RetroN 5 are as they use emulation software to play cartridges.

For light-guns used for light-gun shooter games like “Duck Hunt” (1985) with the NES Zapper since the NES Zapper will only work on SD (Standard Definition) CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) TVs (so just “tube TVs”) you probably don’t own a TV it can work for as it will not work on TVs that came out in more recent years of LCD (Liquid-Crystal Display), LED, or OLED TVs so know that before you rush out to buy the game so you aren’t disappointed but also know that there still is some hope because there is websites like NESLCDMod.com that work on patching popular light-gun games to feature a delay to get them to work but unfortunately people often report the NES Zapper still will not work without a modification (the simplest being the LED replacement) but fortunately they also report some 3rd party light-guns like the NES Tomee Zapp Gun will work. And there also is the 3rd party light-gun of the Hyperkin Hyper Blaster HD that works for the RetroN 1 HD and when used with the sold separately Hyperkin Hyper Blaster HD adapter also works with the RetroN 2 HD and RetroN 3 HD but that light-gun works only for “Duck Hunt” (1985) and only for the original cartridge “2-in-1” version of it.

While multicarts, EverDrive carts, and emulators are overall a much better way to game than original standalone cartridges for them (except for a small percentage of emulators) there is on rare occasion problems with different types of glitches such as: some letters of text that should be is not there, sound slightly too late, a speed of gameplay a little too fast or a little too slow, and even part way through the game it just permanently freezes while showing glitchy looking stuff on the screen and so only pressing the reset button will get it to unfreeze but at the same time all your progress was lost. Also with multicarts, EverDrive carts, and in this case all emulators you can’t use a Game Genie or GameShark (except the built-in Game Genie of the RetroN 5 of course) so standalone cartridges have that advantage as well as save states with them for a Retron 5 but some emulators that can’t play cartridges also do have save states. And so maybe for those advantages listed above maybe for reasons I-don’t-know-what there are middle-age people posting pics of their gaming room to social media websites where they recently built-up a large collection of vintage standalone games from around 1994 and earlier and they always have an old tube-style TV to go with it as vintage games look very slightly better on them as they were designed for that type of TV and so light-gun shooter games can always still be played and be played “the old fashioned way” and while it would be very slightly nice to see the better picture and somewhat nice with the light-gun shooter games thing overall I am much happier with the newer TV as the vast majority of the videogames I want to spend time playing are not light-gun shooter games so they are living in the past and while maybe the reason they would say is “I wanted to own all this stuff in 1994 when I was young but couldn’t so now I can and am experiencing real healing” when the better approach is “I wanted to own all this stuff in 1994 when I was young but now know there is overall a much better way to game from this website and also know from this website the 3 best videogames weren’t even out then and so now I have moved on and am experiencing real healing that way.” And with videogames its not a “numbers game” trying to get the highest number of different titles possible it’s trying to just get titles that you really like playing only and any title you bought not knowing how much you would like it and it’s not that fun to play you then promptly turn around and resell since if you weren’t reselling games “it’s better to have 1 game you really like to play than 100 games you don’t.” So for the giant collections of vintage standalone games and a tube-style TV how I feel about it is while there is some advantages “I’ll just make due with the glitches of some of the ways I play vintage games as I don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on that and I don’t even have space for all of that with how my apartment is set up and I love my modern flat TV, even though it’s a 32” TV it’s as compact-and-lightweight as it gets and so moving I can even carry it under 1 arm.”

Ways to play non-vintage console videogames:

Just go to eBay or somewhere else online or to a walk-in store like Walmart and go to their electronics department and buy an expensive non-vintage console videogame system like a PS5 (PlayStation 5) and the somewhat expensive games for it also there and then go home and it hook it up to your TV then play, it’s a simple as that! I mean as simple as that besides the part of coming up with all that extra money!

Ways to play vintage PC videogames:

To play vintage PC videogames today many (including all of the Half-Life series) are available to legally digitally download for a small 1 time fee though Steam (their website is: Store.SteamPowered.com) and then you can play games with a single-player mode single-player and also play games with a multiplayer mode multiplayer also through Steam or buy a disc of it on eBay or somewhere and if the key code has not been used for Steam yet you can enter it there and then without their small 1 time fee you can play it multiplayer again on Steam if it has a multiplayer mode and even if it has been used still play it single-player if it has a single-player mode. But if your computer is newer you might be unable to play some vintage games initially and so for example to get my “Half-Life” (1998) and “Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic” (1999) discs to work with Windows 8 on my computer I had to right click on their icons then left click on “Properties” then “Compatibility” then set the compatibility mode to “Windows 8” and then I could hear sound but not see video on my screen so then I loaded each game and went to “Configuration” then “Video” then “Video modes” and then switched to “OpenGL” (and it was the default type of OpenGL) and then they worked. An option I didn’t have to try being to right click on their icons then left click on “Troubleshoot compatibility” but that is another route you can try and if you click on that it will say “Program Compatibility Troubleshooter: Detecting issues” (but without the “:”) then “Program Compatibility Troubleshooter: Resolving issues” (but also without the “:”) and process through those things for a minute then it will finish and say “Program Compatibility Troubleshooter: Select troubleshooting option” and below that “Try recommended settings: Select this option to test run program using recommended compatibility settings” and below that “Troubleshoot program: Select this option to choose compatibility settings based on programs you notice” (but without again without any “:”) and then you left click on 1 of those 2 options and go from there to try and get the game to work and try the other if the first option doesn’t get the game to work.

An option if the above way does still does not get your vintage PC game to work is with a virtual machine emulator which is a software program allowing you to run another operating system on your current computer so you can use software that only will work for that other operating system making your current computer act like “virtually a machine” that uses that operating system so it works like “a computer within another computer” (so you can use it to run a version of Microsoft Windows from the era when the largest number of people played the earliest versions of Half-Life (which was 1999–2002) such as Windows XP which was released in 2001). Popular virtual machine emulators are QEMU (their website is: QEMU.org), Oracle VirtualBox (their website is: VirtualBox.org), VMware (their website is: VMware.com), Microsoft Hyper-V (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/hyper-v-on-windows/about), PCem (available at: https://pcem-emulator.co.uk), and 86Box (their website is: 86Box.net) and 86Box is based off of PCem.

And another option is just buy an old computer on Craig’s List or somewhere that still has an old operating system, they’re both widely available and inexpensive there with “what used to be a top-of-the-line $1,000 rig when it was new and when the largest number of people played the earliest versions of Half-Life is now just $30” type story. But know that if you did buy an old computer Microsoft stopped issuing patches for security vulnerabilities for it a long time ago (so you are more vulnerable to hackers and viruses and other types of malware) and if you have issues with getting it to work Microsoft no longer offers support for it and then you would instead have trouble getting newer games to work (with some being literally impossible to get to work) but if you didn’t mind those issues so much you still could use it as your computer not just for vintage PC gaming but for surfing the web, creating files in Microsoft Word and Windows Notepad, saving pictures to, etc then apart from being able to play vintage PC games it has the advantage of: what a bargain at just a small fraction of the cost of new computer.

Ways to play non-vintage PC videogames:

Just go to eBay or somewhere else online or to a walk-in store like Best Buy and just buy an expensive non-vintage PC and the non-vintage PC videogames and install them then play, like with non-vintage console videogames it’s a simple as that! And like with non-vintage console videogames I mean as simple as that besides the part of coming up with all that extra money!
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