The Best Modern Retro Consoles of 2025

Whether you’re nostalgic for a bygone era or want to experience a period of gaming that’s older than you are, playing retro games on modern hardware is easier than ever. Best of all, there’s a platform to suit every taste, budget, and form factor.

UPDATE: 01/03/2025

We’ve updated a variety of picks below. Take a look!

The State of Retro Gaming in 2025

You’re spoiled for choice when looking to play retro video games. There’s no need to purchase dedicated hardware since you can use a PC, Android smartphone, Mac (especially the new Apple Silicon models), or your Raspberry Pi to scratch the nostalgic itch.

But buying (or building) something purpose-built for gaming has its benefits. This is especially true if you want to go the handheld route, with pocket emulators and handheld gaming systems hitting their stride since the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017.

You may also be able to repurpose some of your existing gaming hardware for retro purposes. This gives you a choice between playing the latest releases and dipping into old favorites, all on a single piece of hardware. That way, you’ve always got one main device to play on, whether it’s portable or connected to the TV in your living room.

There are also options for collectors who value owning games in their original format, whether that’s a cartridge or CD. Generally speaking, these mediums outlast the original hardware on which they were designed to be played. The sands of time are not kind to old silicon, and repairs can be costly and beyond the scope of many owners.

Hardware emulation is one area that purists may want to explore. If you crave an authentic experience that mirrors the original hardware to the point where software emulation simply isn’t good enough, there are DIY and ready-built projects designed just for you. Budget, stock availability, and your ability to take on a DIY project are the only limitations standing in your way.

Finally, let’s not forget about the various officially licensed “mini” consoles released by Nintendo, SEGA, and Commodore (among others). These shouldn’t be discounted if you’re after a plug-and-play gaming experience, but they generally offer little in the way of customization and fall short of what the platforms above are capable of.

Not all of the platforms below can play ROMs, and many make use of original or re-issued media that has been officially licensed. If you are looking at a solution that depends on ROMs, make sure you understand the legal implications of dumped software and know that downloading copyrighted material could land you in hot water.

How Did We Research
Models Evaluated	Hours Researched	Reviews Analyzed
50	20	30

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If you’re looking for a plug-and-play retro gaming experience you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch, then the Evercade VS-R is one of the best that money can buy. This dedicated retro gaming console supports over five decades of retro gaming via the Evercade cartridge system and even comes bundled with the Tomb Raider collection Vol.1.

Thanks to the simplicity of its design and the fact that all playable titles are formatted on physical cartridges, the retro experience you get from the Evercade VS-R feels authentic, delivering nostalgia in spades. There’s no need to worry about software emulation, as everything here is officially licensed and ready to play straight out of the box.

It has HDMI output (for gaming in 1080p resolution) and multiplayer support, which help to make it more accessible for modern gamers, and the price is right, too, as this bundle will cost you less than $100. Currently, you can choose from over 380 classic games to play, spanning generations of classic gaming consoles, and its dual-cartridge slot means you can access two game collections simultaneously without needing to swap out the cartridges.

On the downside, it offers little customization, and you’ll need to pay a premium (by purchasing extra cartridges) each time you want to expand your game library. However, for retro gaming enthusiasts and purists, there’s plenty to love here. The Evercade VS-R’s beauty is in its simplicity. It’s the ideal choice for nostalgia seekers and the retro-curious alike.

If you’re looking for a top-notch handheld retro console, the Retroid Pocket 4 is well worth the price of admission. This high-performance handheld supports a huge range of emulators, from the NES to the PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, and many more. It runs on Android 13 OS with full support for the Google Play Store and offers dual Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity for wireless play.

It sports a lightweight design with textured grips for additional comfort, and the vibrant 4.7-inch touchscreen display is also optimized to help you get the most out of your retro favorites. It has 128GB of built-in storage, with plenty of scope for expandable storage via the MicroSD storage card slot. It supports video output of 720p via HDMI and 1080p via USB-C connection, meaning you can enjoy gaming on the big screen, too.

The Retroid Pocket 4 provides customization by the bucketload, though novices may need to do their homework before they can play, as configuring emulators and downloading ROMs can be time-consuming for those not in the know. However, if you’re prepared to invest the time, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best and most versatile ways to trawl through gaming’s greatest hits.

Great for retro gaming on the go and kicking back for couch play, the Retroid Pocket 4 provides plenty of bang for your buck. And with near limitless versatility and scope for customization, that $240 price tag is easily justifiable for retro diehards.

Best Retro Gaming Handheld: ASUS ROG Ally

The ASUS ROG Ally has fast become recognized as one of the most powerful and versatile gaming handhelds. It boasts a gorgeous 7-inch 1080p Full HD 120Hz touchscreen display and is equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor for running the latest AAA titles. But did you know it’s also a great way to enjoy thousands of retro gaming classics?

Thanks to its enviable processing power, it can run high-demand emulation software, such as the NES, GameCube, or PlayStation 2 platforms. Its ability to emulate multiple platforms means it offers the perfect way to enjoy a vast library of retro favorites with buttery smooth and lag-free gameplay without switching between devices.

The standard version comes with 512GB of storage, but this can be expanded via the console’s microSD support, giving you a ton of space for carrying your retro game collection on the go. Plus, thanks to its fully customizable controls, including remappable buttons and adjustable sensitivity, you can calibrate all your retro games with complete precision for a more authentic experience.

Setting up various emulators can present a rather steep learning curve for novices. The price tag is a bit of a sticking point, too, as it currently retails for a shade under the $500 mark. This makes the ROG Ally a hard sell for exclusive retro gaming, as other cheaper options exist if your sole purpose is to play through old-school classics.

However, if you like to split your time between the latest modern titles and the gaming greats of yesteryear, the ASUS ROG Ally is a veritable powerhouse in handheld gaming.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could use a current-generation games console as an emulator machine, so all that power doesn’t go to waste? That’s exactly what you can do with an Xbox Series X or Series S console. Not only are these powerful gaming machines for playing Microsoft exclusives like Halo: Infinite and the Game Pass library, you can even use them to run retro emulators too.

This is possible thanks to a Developer Mode tweak that allows you to install the RetroArch multiple-system emulator on your console. Once you’ve loaded emulator cores and ROMs, you can play almost everything, including Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and even PlayStation 2 games.

Which of Microsoft’s consoles you opt for largely depends on what you’re looking for from your machine. If you want a console that targets 4K and has an optical disc drive—handy for playing those older Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles—then the Series X is the better buy. It also has double the storage, costing only $200 more at $499.

The Series S is a great buy for anyone looking for a console that primarily targets 1080p, with some 1440p applications. It lacks a disc drive and isn’t as powerful as the Series X, plus it only has a 512GB SSD. However, it’s arguably one of the most cost-effective pre-boxed systems for playing games from various generations.

It’s also worth shouting out the Nintendo Switch as a boxed and ready-to-go console for new and retro games. With a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can play NES and SNES titles, or opt for the Switch Online Expansion Pass and get access to N64 and Sega Genesis titles.

What About Official “Mini” Consoles?

A full range of officially licensed “mini” consoles are available, and these are viable options if you’re in the mood for some plug-and-play fun. While emulation quality can differ, they all generally hit the “good enough” barrier, considering the main draw here is ease of use.

Most of these systems are comparable in terms of overall pros and cons. They have a limited selection of games available, which could mean some of your favorite titles aren’t present. Some, like the discontinued SNES Classic Mini, can be “hacked” to play more games or even entirely different systems using multi-system emulators like RetroArch.

Out of the box, they provide a decent retro gaming experience with no need to mess with software, upload ROMs, or bring cartridges. They all come with period-appropriate controllers, though these are generally wired. Perhaps worst is the supply issue, with many now only available through resellers at inflated prices.

Nintendo fans might want to start with the NES Mini Classic, which includes 30 games, including Super Mario Bros., Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda. There’s also the SNES Classic, which includes 21 games, including Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, ideal for using the two included controllers.

SEGA kids might prefer the SEGA Genesis Mini for playing classic titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, Virtual Fighter 2, Space Harrier 2, and Ecco the Dolphin. In better supply than most of these is Sony’s PlayStation Classic, with epics like Final Fantasy VII, Tekken 3, and Ridge Racer Type 4 pre-loaded.

If you were a retro home computer fan, you might find the C64 Mini more appealing. It outputs at 720p, features a classic joystick, and lets you play old classics like Speedball, California Games, and Impossible Mission (plus its sequel) in one tidy package. Unfortunately, the keys on the keyboard are non-functional and just for show.

Perhaps one of the best examples of its kind is the A500 Mini, an Amiga clone that includes both Amiga 500 and Amiga 1200 emulation abilities. The console allows you to side-load your own Amiga ROMs and comes with titles like Worms, Simon the Sorcerer, and Zool in the box.

Perhaps none of these “mini” consoles is more compelling than Capcom Home Arcade, a pricey yet stunning 16-in-one system housed in a pair of “competition class” arcade controllers shaped like the Capcom logo. Play classics like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Alien vs. Predator, and Final Fight using the built-in CPS 1 and CPS 2 emulator.