Retro Games Consoles

Retro games consoles are the best way to explore retro gaming. They are available in console style units and handhelds so if you prefer gaming on the big screen or gaming on the go, you can retro game wherever you are.

There are over 40 years worth of retro games consoles to explore! Some you may be familiar with such as an Atari or Mega Drive, and some not such as the Fairchild Channel F (the first console to have ROM cartridges). Across all these retro systems are thousands of games to uncover for the first time, or relive those memories.

Over the years, the rise of retro gaming has drastically risen thanks to improvements in mobile technology and of course for many, nostalgia. We now have small but powerful processors, high quality IPS displays that are less than 3” in size and a range of emulators and software to support many classic systems. Combining everything means we now have high quality retro games consoles in many configurations.

Anbernic are well known for their range of retro games consoles. They are available at different prices, processor levels, screen sizes, vertical and horizontal orientation and additional features such as WiFi and TV Output. They are designed with newcomers in mind and are plug and play to get straight into the action. The RG503 is a great example with a fast processor capable of emulating up to the PlayStation era with no slowdown.

There are also other manufacturers such as Miyoo who make the Miyoo Mini. It is a budget retro games console that out of the box is great, with support for many systems. But if you install a custom firmware such as Onion OS it transforms it to an almost totally different device. It has support for more emulated systems, improved battery life and fast emulation performance amongst others.

If you are new to all things retro we highly recommend taking a look at the best retro games consoles guide. It is a handpicked selection covering different price ranges, features and performance. Next are some features to look out for if they interest you.

Other features that you may be interested in is multiplayer gaming either locally or over the internet. On supported retro games consoles such as the RG503 above, you can play online! To play online you simply host or join a game through RetroArch. You can finally have that grudge rematch on Street Fighter II or team up and fight together on Gunstar Heroes.

Another feature that can be found on retro games consoles is much loved by many retro gamers. Not possible on the original systems are what emulators call Save States. While playing a game you can create a save state at any time with a tap of a button or two. It saves exactly where you are in the game and you can resume at that exact same point at a later date. It is perfect if you are on the train and your stop is coming up, you can quickly save, get off at your stop and resume when you are able to. It is a great feature and once used you can never go back to traditional save points in games!