Im looking for a cheap console to get and collect for that dosent cost a arm/leg but also isint boring with the game section. I have a few consoles and handhelds from when i was a kid but i want something that i can stick with and not let collect dust?
What would you suggest or advise and why so?
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Original Switches are getting more affordable now but the 3DS is a solid console that still holds up today.
Also, the PS3 is awesome, games are dirt cheap right now.
Where are original switches getting more affordable? Last I saw, Nintendo raised their prices.
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Yea, I was looking at used 3DS since my hinge finally broke… sad times.
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My suggestion might seem sacrelige, but hear me out.
If you want something to actually use that is convenient, a mini PC that emulates them all is far better than genuine hardware. Kinda like how I will always say that driving a replica of an expensive car is better than driving a real one out on the road. Set up takes a lot longer, but in the long run it is far cheaper and much more convenient.
- modern TV compatible output
- modern CRT shaders very closely approximate actual CRT look especially at 4k with HDR (I have real CRTs to compare, and they do look similar)
- you dont have to unplug and plug in multiple consoles, wearing out the tv input port when you want to change consoles
- only takes up one tv input port
- some games can run at better framerates than the original hardware could handle, giving a more consistent experience
- no physical space lost to game boxes and multiple unused console accessories
- expandable storage to include all games from each console’s library
- can play handheld games on a TV without needing overpriced genuine hardware like the GameBoy Player for the GameCube ($75+ is ridiculous)
- you get to play games you will literally never be able to thanks to speculative buyers and collectors making the real thing too expensive (~$1,000 USD for Panzer Dragoon Saga NTSC should be illegal)
You could potentially invest in console themed controllers, so the inputs match the controller you are holding. Sure, the integrated graphics might not be good enough to PS3 on some older ones, but it’s hard to beat that at ~$150 USD for up to 6th gen. Lots of genuine hardware now is that price or more thanks to speculative buying and “collectors” ruining the hobby for people that actually want to play the games instead of just hoarding them.
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I would suggest getting a Wii, but not for playing the games. Softmod it (pretty trivial) and install CleanRip.
Then just start collecting Wii and GameCube games, rip them to USB/SD card, and play them on PC with Dolphin. Use just about any PC compatible controller for GameCube games, and you can pair the Wii controller over Bluetooth for Wii games.
Last I checked Wiis are pretty cheap, and the GC and Wii library has a lot of real gems.
Seconding the Wii. I personally dismissed it for many years as a gimmick console, but recently gave it a chance and did a deep dive on its library, and was astonished how many good titles it had available.
However, after experimenting with Dolphin vs using the games natively on a modded console, I ending up forgoing emulation, as I found that it was significantly less convenient to use compared to just booting up the console and immediately having the controllers synced up and working perfectly.
That avoided the need to boot up my couch PC, navigate to Dolphin with my Bluetooth keyboard/mouse, make sure it was set up properly (some games need certain settings enabled to avoid weird visual glitches, like Resident Evil 4) launch it, full screen it, and then sync the Wii controller (certain models of controllers must be synced with the sync button in dolphin, while others let you hold down 1 and 2 simultaneously). And if I left a game to play a different one, I had to go back to my Bluetooth keyboard, launch a game, full screen, and sync all over again.
I could’ve negated most of that faff by installing a retroarch distro to my couch PC, like Batocera, but I personally hate the UI/UX of retroarch and its various frontends.
I also found that my Wii motion plus controllers simply wouldn’t work correctly for the games that utilize it, and some games still don’t work properly in dolphin, like Wii Sports Resort.
The only downside of using the actual Wii is that it only outputs 480p, but with cheap component cables and the deflicker disabled in the ROM loader, it usually isn’t that bad once you’re moving around and immersed.
But that’s just my 2 cents.
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