A million new video games seem to come out every week, but for some of us, nothing beats the classics. If you know someone who is way into retro gaming but don’t feel like hunting through eBay and local shops for gear to add to their collection, we’re here to help. Below we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite gift ideas for the nostalgic gamer in your life, from video upscalers for old consoles to retro-themed books and artwork.
Using old controllers is a big part of retro gaming’s charm, but sometimes there’s a fine line between classic and antiquated. For those who like the original PlayStation or PS2, but aren’t crazy about Sony’s earliest gamepads, the 8BitDo Retro Receiver for PS lets a variety of modern controllers work with those consoles wirelessly. The adapter supports Sony’s PS4 and PS5 pads, Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S controllers (including the Xbox Adaptive Controller), Nintendo’s Wii U Pro and Switch Pro controllers and most of 8BitDo’s own gamepad lineup. It won’t add analog control to every game, nor will it replicate the pressure-sensitive face buttons supported by a handful of PS2 titles, but it pairs simply, supports rumble and doesn’t add any significant lag. Most importantly, it makes it easier to play Vagrant Story or Klonoa 2 from the couch. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter
$25 at Amazon
If the Analogue Pocket is a bit too pricey and your loved one has no problem with emulators, the Retroid Pocket 4 is another commendable handheld. As an emulation-focused device, it takes more legwork to set up but it can run games up to the PSP and Dreamcast range without much issue. Its Switch Lite-style design is built well and easy to fit in a bag, while its 4.7-inch display is sharp and bright. Since it runs on Android, getting around its software shouldn’t feel totally unfamiliar either. We highlight the Pocket 4 here since it’s fairly affordable at $135, but it’s worth noting that Retroid sells other models with faster chips, OLED displays and different display sizes if you’re willing to splurge. — J.D.
Read more: The best gaming handhelds
$149 at Retroid
If you’ve never died of dysentery, have you truly ever lived? In the world of retro gaming, Oregon Trail holds a special place in the collective memory. Not just because it was possibly one of the first games people ever played, but it was likely how many of us learned about the struggles of our forefathers — including dysentery. The original game is available online, but for your vintage-game loving giftee, the Oregon Trail Card Game packages all the fun (and diseases) into a format that can be shared (or forced) upon friends around the dinner table.
Whether your recipient sees themself as a Banker from Boston or a Farmer from Illinois, all of the game’s classic dynamics are here, preserved in infinite-battery life board game format. Two to six people can play together and they’ll have to work to overcome the many challenges that faced travelers on the trail. The game is rated for players ages 12 and above, which we presume won’t be a problem for someone into a game from the ‘70s. — James Trew, Former Editor-at-Large
$15 at Amazon
You don’t need a dedicated handheld to use emulators — your smartphone can work just as well. That said, few retro games were made with touch controls in mind. With a mobile gamepad like the GameSir G8 Galileo, that’s no longer an issue. It’s on the larger side, but the bulk makes it feel closer to a traditional console controller than most other options in this space. All of its buttons, triggers and joysticks feel good and responsive on top of that, and it works immediately with a wide range of phones over USB-C — no fiddling in Bluetooth menus required. You’ll probably need to remove your phone case any time you want to use it, and a smaller pad like the Backbone One is easier to pack for the road. But for settling into a game or two for hours at a time, the G8 should cause less hand cramping. — J.D.
$80 at Amazon
Collecting vintage consoles can be a blast, but most of those systems were designed for old CRT TVs, not modern flat screens. Yes, some newish TVs have legacy inputs for older devices, and it’s possible to use a basic HDMI adapter — but those can introduce significant lag and blur, making older gear hard to enjoy. For a cleaner, more faithful image, an external video upscaler like the RetroTink 5X-Pro is the way to go. It’s a little black box that can connect to a wide range of retro consoles and instantly make them look sharp on modern HD displays. It can output up to a 1440p resolution, yet keeps latency low enough that only the pickiest players will notice. It has a host of inputs and settings for fine-tuning a console’s image, including multiple forms of deinterlacing and different fake yet fairly clean scanlines that create a more old-school look.
But the beauty of the RetroTink is that it does most of its work behind the scenes, so your giftee won’t have to spend forever tinkering to make games look good. Just plug a console in, and everything’s pretty much good to go. It goes without saying that this is a device for hardcore collectors and, at $325, the 5X-Pro is definitely a splurge. — J.D.
$325 at RetroTink
There are almost as many ways to play retro games these days as there are games to play. Or at least, it can feel that way sometimes. In our humble opinion, one of the very best of those is the Analogue Pocket handheld console. Unlike other emulators, the Pocket has a cartridge port and can play any Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance title natively. There is also an adapter for Sega Game Gear games, and options for the Atari Lynx, TurboGrafx-16 and Neo Geo Pocket Color are supposed to be available in time for the holidays.
We loved the Pocket when we reviewed it, and not just for its faithful reproduction of classic games on a fantastic modern display. We also loved that the Pocket has music-making software built right in and can easily be played on a TV via a dock (though, that costs extra). If your giftee wants to play games from other systems than those mentioned here, know that there’s a thriving community of Pocket fans that have expanded the range of games it can emulate to include digital backups from systems such as the NES, SNES and Genesis. — J.T.
$220 at Analogue
If there’s one thing that retro gamers love, it’s a “top 100” list to disagree with. What makes this book the perfect (if slightly cruel) gift is that there’s no comment section in which for them to voice their opinions.
But in all seriousness, this hardcover book covers 100 of the most important games ever made, complete with behind the scenes stories and interviews from the developers. Alongside the historical insights are full color box art prints and tons of screenshots that are dripping in nostalgia. Whether your lucky giftee agrees with the list of games or not, it’ll look fantastic on their coffee table or, more likely, perched behind them on a shelf during a Twitch stream. — J.T.
$28 at Amazon
For Sega fans who don’t want to go through the hassle of securing an original Genesis (or downloading a library of ROMs), the Sega Genesis Mini 2 is a more accessible way to enjoy some blast processing nostalgia. It comes with a library of 60 Genesis and Sega CD games that weren’t included on the first Genesis Mini, including hits like Sonic CD, Streets of Rage 3, Herzog Zwei and Phantasy Star II. (Plus decidedly non-classics like Night Trap.) The emulation from retro specialists M2 is on point and while it only includes one controller, it’s the superior six-button Genesis pad, not the three-button model that came with the previous mini console. Perhaps most importantly, it’s one of the last mini emulation consoles you can actually still buy, though you’ll have to import it through Amazon Japan. — J.D.
$188 at Amazon
Perhaps the simplest way to give someone access to a large number of retro classics is through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. The Mario maker’s online service comes with a number of emulated essentials from the NES, Super NES and Game Boy, all of which support instant save states and rewinding in case the going gets too tough. Upgrading to the Expansion Pack adds a range of N64, Game Boy Advance and Sega Genesis titles. The N64 and GBA libraries aren’t quite as comprehensive as the other systems and, yes, it’s a bummer that the Switch doesn’t let you fully own these decades-old games. (The N64 app doesn’t support rewind either.) But if your loved one wants to experience some of Nintendo’s foundational titles for the first time or just take a stroll down memory lane, this is an accessible way to make it happen. — J.D.
$20 at Amazon
We’re reluctant to peddle in stereotypes, but if you have a friend or family member that loves retro games, there’s a high chance they’d also appreciate the vintage clickety-clack of a mechanical keyboard. 8-Bitdo, a company known for its popular retro-focused game controllers (recommended elsewhere in this guide) has expanded into console-themed PC accessories, and the Retro Mechanical Keyboard is the perfect gift for the Mario-maniac in your life.
Importantly, this isn’t just a solid keyboard for Windows, Mac and Android (although it is that). It’s also not just a great tribute to the design of the Nintendo Entertainment System (although it is also that). The Retro Mechanical Keyboard is a “tenkeyless” (TKL) style keyboard that includes a volume knob, Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz wireless modes and USB connectivity. Best of all, though, are the included, oversized red A and B buttons that your giftee can assign to whatever keyboard feature they like. — J.T.
$90 at Amazon
Game Boy: The Box Art Collection is a quality coffee-table book that does exactly what its title promises: present the box art for more than 300 different Game Boy games in bold, vibrant colors. The selection includes essentials (Super Mario Land, Balloon Kid) and less-remembered fare (Bubble Ghost, Jelly Boy) alike, sprinkling in both Western and Japanese covers along the way. Each title gets a full page layout, with brief write-ups for both the game and actual art accompanied by a handful of screenshots. It all makes for a breezy yet illuminating trip down memory lane for collectors and video game historians.
If your giftee isn’t super passionate about Nintendo’s original handheld, publisher Bitmap Books has several other retro-themed works worth checking out, from a history of Metal Slug to a visual compendium for the Nintendo 64. — J.D.
$61 at Amazon
There are tons of old games you could hunt down for your loved one, so it’s worth checking in with them first and seeing if one is high up on their wish list. If you’re after something new that should appeal to a vintage game lover, though, it’s hard to think of a more fitting pick than UFO 50. This is a compilation of 50 all-new games — not mini-games, but complete things — that are designed with 8-bit sensibilities at heart but, for the most part, aren’t totally beholden to pastiche. All of them are unlocked from the start, and together, they present a remarkable breadth of experiences, from a point-and-click horror adventure to a first-person dungeon crawler to a sports game best described as “Windjammers with katanas.” More than that, they speak to what makes good old games so appealing in the first place: uncompromised ideas, distinct styles and a willingness to play with form. For a collection that’s designed to look old, UFO 50 plays like a breath of fresh air. — J.D.
$25 at Steam
A frame from Grid Studio should fit well into any dedicated game room. These pieces deconstruct classic gadgets and tidily showcase their components as wall art. The gaming selection includes several handheld consoles and controllers, from the Wiimote, to the Xbox “Duke”, to the Sega Game Gear. Some collectors may wince at the idea of destroying old devices instead of preserving them, but if there’s a particular system your loved one is fond of, this is a classy way to show it off. — J.D.
From $179 at Grid Studio
FAQs
Why do people buy retro games?
Because they’re fun! Or because video game companies have generally had a spotty record of preserving their own history — and (legally) saving art, even in a minuscule way, is important. Or because, deep down, collectors just want to stave off the ceaseless march of time and hang onto any way to relive their youth before it dissipates for good. Or because they’re jaded with modern game design and crave shorter, more distinct or altogether different experiences that aren’t being served by today’s market. Or because they want to flip the games they collect for a quick buck on eBay. Or because… well, you get the idea. — J.D.
Why is retro gaming so expensive?
To put it simply: supply and demand. Companies aren’t making old games and consoles any more, yet a growing number of gaming enthusiasts want them. And as retro game collecting has grown more popular, sellers have become more acutely aware of how high they can price their goods. Not every retro game costs an arm and a leg, however: Popular games from relatively recent consoles are usually more affordable than lesser-selling titles for older hardware, and you can still find a good bargain every now and then by digging through local yard sales, individual eBay sellers and the like. — J.D.
Are retro games a good investment?
It depends on how you define “good.” Is it a good idea to buy a bunch of old games in the hopes that their value will skyrocket and make you a tidy profit? No, there’s little rhyme or reason to determining exactly which games will shoot up in value and by how much. There are much safer ways to invest if all you care about are financial returns. Is it a good idea to drop a bunch of cash on 40-year-old video games if you have pressing financial responsibilities? Probably not! But hey, it’s your life. If collecting retro games makes you happy, and you can budget for them within reason, that’s a good thing. Have fun. — J.D.
What qualifies as a retro game?
There’s no set definition for when a video game becomes “retro.” Personally, I think of it as any game that’s at least 10 years old and was originally released on a console that’s two or more generations old (or, for PC games, during that generation). But many others would stretch the timeline back farther, and the growing advent of “live service” games has complicated things. For instance, Grand Theft Auto V was released in 2013, while World of Warcraft arrived in 2004 — are those “retro games” when millions of people still play them today? Maybe not. With games from the ‘90s or earlier, though, the distinction is clearer. — J.D.
Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
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