Best Retro Gaming Consoles of 2022,The 6 Best Retro Gaming Consoles You Can Still Buy in 2022.
The gaming industry is in a constant race for graphics capabilities. Each new generation console has sharper and more realistic graphics than the last, taking visual fidelity to the next level.
But this rapid pace of innovation can often blow your old favorites to dust. Unlike console games on PC, you can’t just play old games using compatibility mode on the new console. You need the original consoles yourself, or cross your fingers and wait for the updated version to come out.
Fortunately, many of these retro consoles are still available in the market. Here are the best you can buy in 2022.
Note: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, it will help us pay for our content.
1. Evercade
Unlike most retro consoles from companies like Nintendo and Sony, Evercade isn’t limited to playing games on a single console. Instead, it aims to be a one-stop solution for all retro games, offering games across multiple platforms such as the Atari 2600, NES, and Mega Drive.
While consoles like the SNES classic only offer 20 games or so, Evercade boasts an impressive collection of 122 games that you can play on your console. As a result, the games are not included with the device itself, but are available for purchase separately in the form of ROM cartridges.
Another nostalgic reminder of a bygone era, these cartridges contain several games, each containing paper booklets with a brief history of the titles. The car itself has a retro look, although its feature set is decidedly modern. You can play Evercade as a handheld device using its crisp LCD screen, or plug it into your TV for enhanced graphics.
Reasonably priced and an impressive selection of games, Evercaan is a great choice for those looking for a retro gaming experience. The cartridge system might be a nuisance for those looking for a particular game, but the trade-off is that you get a more versatile retro-style gaming console.
Buy on Amazon
2. Sega Genesis Mini
The Sega Genesis Mini is one of the most lovingly crafted retro consoles out there. This is almost an exact copy of the original, only on a reduced scale. It even has a fake volume control and cartridge flaps, although it’s too small for your old game cartridges.
Aside from its authentic look and feel, the Sega Genesis Mini is also a great console to play with. Each of the 42 games available for the retro console has been optimized to run smoothly with faithful reproduction of classic visuals. Whether it’s Street Fighter 2 or Sonic the Hedgehog , you can play it on the Genesis Mini with a wireless controller.
The collection of games is also more complete than most similar offerings (Cough, NES Classic, Cough), with menus tweaked and easy to access. For fans of the Sega Genesis system or Mega Drive as it was widely known, the Sega Genesis Mini is a console to be bought.
Buy on Amazon
3. Sony Playstation Classic
Final Fantasy VII . Metal Gear Solid . Tekken 3 . These revolutionary games made Sony Playstation the name it bears today, cementing its status as one of the greatest consoles of all time. And while the original console is hard to find, you can buy the Sony Playstation Classic, a muted remake that lets you play those games again.
It doesn’t do it very well though. There are very few Playstation games available on this retro console, aside from some big names like Gran Turismo or Tomb Raider. Performance is also poor, with patchy emulation and graphics that seem out of place on a modern TV.
So if you really don’t like the 20+ games that can be played on the Sony Playstation Classic, you might be better off opting for a more durable and well-designed retro gaming console.
4. Neo Geo Mini
While the Neo Geo Mini is not as well known or as good as some of the other retro gaming consoles on the market, it only deserves a mention for its unique aesthetic. Because instead of trying to create a facsimile copy of the SNK home console, the Geo Mini recreates an arcade machine.
Remember those bulky gadgets that you used to insert a coin into and play until your character died? SNK once released a line of these arcade machines called Neo Geo. These arcade games with names such as The King of Fighters and Metal Slug were popular all over the world.
With the Neo Geo Mini, SNK has tried to bring back the arcade feel in a compact form factor. This is a miniature arcade cabinet with a joystick and a small LCD screen that you can play on as is. It might be a little cramped to play for a long time, but it looks great and is as retro as it gets.
Buy on Amazon
5. C64 Mini
The Commodore 64 is not really a game console. It was an early home computer with 64KB of RAM and superior audiovisual quality than the prevailing 8-bit computers of the time. With its immense popularity and powerful hardware, it has also become a platform for video games.
Games like Impossible Mission and Uridium took advantage of the Commodore 64 to deliver incredible graphics and gameplay and are considered classics even today.
The C64 Mini follows in the footsteps of other retro consoles, creating a less imitation of the Commodore 64. However, unlike other retro consoles, the C64 also allows it to run like a full-fledged computer, potentially loading it with custom software and games.
It also comes with 64 games to play right away, with the traditional red joystick to complete the process. The C64 Mini is by no means the best retro console, but for fans of the Commodore 64 and its classics, it’s a well-thought-out trip back in time.
6. Nintendo Switch
You must be thinking, “Isn’t the Nintendo Switch a modern console? How the hell does that count as retro? “While the Switch is brand new, it also offers a surprisingly complete service of retro gaming.
Initially including only a few NES games, the service has expanded to cover most of the leading NES and SNES games, allowing you to play them with full multiplayer support. You can now even play Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games on Nintendo Switch, and the library of offerings will only grow over time.
The best part is, unlike the Wii virtual console, you don’t need to buy these games separately. Instead, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription gives you full access to our entire library of retro games, ready to play. Of course, games are emulated in software and therefore are not reproduced with full fidelity. But it’s a small price to pay for being able to play your old favorite games on a modern console.
Buy on Amazon
Which is the Best Retro Console Worth Buying?
More recently, the Nintendo SNES Classic was the best retro gaming console ever.
But the discontinuation of the NES and SNES Classic consoles makes this option obsolete. The best alternative at the moment is Nintendo Switch. You can play old classics on next-gen consoles without spending any extra money on limited classics.
If you are looking for a dedicated retro gaming console, then the Evercade should be your choice. With a cartridge system and a wide range of games, it comes closest to recreating the feeling of owning a 90s console.
The 6 Best Retro Gaming Consoles You Can Still Buy in 2022
The 6 Best Retro Gaming Consoles You Can Still Buy in 2022