Consoles Vs. Emulators

Retro gaming is a lot more complicated now than simply picking up a retro console w/ games. So many options, so much to consider, countless pros and cons on both sides. I've been active on both sides of the console vs emulator debate and find that while each have their shortcomings, retro gamers have it better than ever before.
Misc Links:
@Voultar
@Nerrel
@MachoNachoProductions
@DigitalFoundry
Outro Song: Frogger (PS1) - Menu
EDIT: I incorrectly labeled the Link's Awakening PC port as a decomp. I presumed it was as seemingly every other retro PC port came from a decompilation project. Link's Awakening on PC was simply a complete fan made recreation without any of the original code used. It's still really cool nonetheless.

[@WinspearUltima]

For me I love both playing in original hardware and playing on emulators, this is why I’m all for emulators being the future of Retro gaming.

[@willissudweeks1050]

🌽🌽🌽

[@dullah1434]

Same

[@WinspearUltima]

@@dullah1434 same and I see a YYH PFP nice one, yes I love using both emulators and consoles

[@earendurvoneinzbern7585]

Both, both is good!

[@SuperFlashDriver]

While it is nice to use original hardware to play the games themselves, the thing is that, overtime it'll become an inconvenience to the point where having to hook them up once or every time you want to play that console, not to mention you need to get a surge protector, a large CRT/HDMI tv, the console, the storage compartment full of games that don't have cases or boxes for them (if you've ever kept the boxes that is), hooking up the controller, hooking up the wires from the TV to the VCR (or to the console if you only have one console hooked up one at a time), then get the CD/Cartridge into the console, and hopefully it works (because sometimes it doesn't). Then, when you finally play the game, well, you either play it or you don't (they were expensive back in the day). Nowadays, it's much easier to get games you didn't own back then and be able to play it on a computer. Which in my opinion has become the all-in-one go to for my personal gaming needs. And since 2015 I've transitioned from being a console gamer to a PC gamer, emulation included, as I feel there are a ton more settings on PC games than there are on console games (but that's just me). And plus, once you have all of the settings, files, folders, everything you have installed, all you have to do is use whatever first party/third party controller you wish to play on, setup the controls, test them out, double click on a game to boot it up and enjoy. Personally, considering it's been fourteen years since I've used a CRT for gaming, it's hard for me to imagine what I thought back in the 1990s and 2000s as the highest quality of 480p I can ever get. But once I've been exposed to 1080p/4K look of the older games, it's very, very difficult for me to ever get used to the old fashion CRT look from the early 2000s and before. So for me I personally play video games on emulators on my PC, since you also don't have to worry about bringing your console, video games, cables, controllers, and accessories over to your friends house just to play that video game as well. It's much easier to hook up the wireless controllers via micro/mini/type-c usb cables into the computer's USB 3.0 ports, assign the controller profiles to Players 1-8, click the game you want to play, adjust some visual settings here and there, and off to the races. It's much easy to get it up and running then what most people realize.

[@kylespevak6781]

"Emulation is too complicated" Meanwhile, this guy's console set up

[@starlalilymoon]

As a newbie, it wasn't that hard to use emulation at all! I just don't mess around with the settings too much, and keep on the mostly the default, unless I think something might help with emulating the game like anti-aliasing... which I don't know what it does, but I guess it's the feeling that I'm playing as close as to the original, I don't know xD

[@yogurtmilk3912]

And with tools like EmuDeck and Emulation Station is really easy nowadays, just drag and drop the games in the folder and it'll automagically be configured and ready to play for you! (unless the console requires a bios file, but most don't and those are very well documented)

[@ungratefulmango]

Nah you'd still be surprised. I have a colleague with multiple consoles all set up on their TV. She complained that she couldn't find an affordable copy of a particular original PlayStation game and I just naturally responded with "Well you could just emulate it if you want to scratch that itch." and she seemed baffled, as if emulation was some mystical dark art. Turns out she had a PSP in very good condition and I offered to softmod it and put the PSP eboot on there. It took me literally 15 minutes and I threw on a whole bunch of games because she had a 1GB memory card there. She was so grateful, as if I went to the end of the earth just to set it up. I tried explaining it to her and she was horrified that I would go to a roms site, as if I was guaranteed to get a virus. Some people just don't really know enough about computers to even try.

[@FigureFarter]

I also turn on the shared memory card options so I can look at all the animations and GIFs of my game collection

[@Hadeto_AngelRust]

even phones can emulate. even a normie should be able to emulate competently in 2024

[@Kdot96]

When I start up pcsx2 I always I turn off fast boot so I can see the whole startup and make it feel like a real ps2 to me and it does. Makes me feel like I’m still playing on one even tho my older brother took our childhood ps2 when he moved out 😂

[@sh2157]

I do exactly the same so I can taste the memberberries lol

[@user-pt4fs4xd2t]

Pcsx2 with God of war upscale rehaade sheesh

[@Mr.Welbig]

Those boot ups go a long way for me. To me they're an essential part of the experience :D

[@Lucromis]

I do the same for ps1 and ps2 emulation lol. I play with right now with a ps3 controller which is close.

[@marcell7406]

I didnt even know you could do that thanks for the info

[@SacrificAbominat]

A big reason why I opt for emulators more nowadays is that my setup at my desk has literally no more room for anything other than my PC, Switch, and PS5. The enhancements and convenience of not having to put in discs or cartridges is also really nice too, but my biggest issue is definitely space.

[@chronology556]

My issue has been finding working CRTs... I have 3 of them, and all three of them have some kind of issue.

[@yellowblanka6058]

I did have to laugh at the initial statement that finding CRTs, original hardware and media was somehow easier than say, downloading RetroArch and browsing one of many sites that host ROMs/ISOs. Yes, there is a BIT of a learning curve to most emulators (moresoe for emulating more recent platforms), but it's still so much easier and more convenient than having to find room for and hook up old hardware. Not that I don't appreciate the original hardware.

[@Lucromis]

I got to that point where my collection got too big and it was more convenient to size down and just have a pc at the tv and a lot of controllers for each console game. If the emulator is well supported emulation is very convenient with a little know how.

[@purge3883]

I love games but I like keeping my money for more important things even more and emulation provides that for me the price of games nowadays I’m not in the position to keep up and don’t have the space either maybe love is too much of a strong word for those who are truly going at it despite the economic climate so I’ll say I like games.

[@The_MEMEphis]

​@@chronology556 first one I bought off marketplace for $40 worked just fine other than me switching out the composite ports which was super cheap and easy it even had a built in working VHS player so I could watch all my old movies

[@MetalJody1990]

If not for emulators, I wouldn't be nearly as big into retro gaming as I am today. It's truly amazing how many options and ways there are to play old console games in the modern age. Learning RetroArch was rough for me a few years back, but now I find it so freaking useful and essential for many of my devices (PC, Vita, Shield TV, etc). The CRT shaders alone make me want to buy a 4K OLED VRR display. I tend to only use CRT shaders for 2D games or 3D games with heavy use of 2D assets / low res backdrops. If a game leans heavily towards 3D, then I'll try to push the internal res as high as my system can handle + other enhancements, such as the ones in DuckStation. As for my controller setup, I use a DualShock 4, a bluetooth adapter, and DS4Windows (software). I find it much more reliable than Steam for emulation. These days I only use Steam Input for old PC games that have little to no controller support. Nintendo 64 games... Most of them I can barely stand to play on original hardware. Gotta have the majority of them overclocked to reduce the frame stutters / slowdown. This video was great to listen to while I drove. Nice work, man!

[@Lucromis]

I love all of the options today. It is very case by case on the game to me. The performance can be awful on original hardware on say n64, or the look and controls of the game can be nearly impossible to replicate by emulation. Having experienced a lot of games for the first time on original hardware, sometimes I prefer to experience it in a new way on emulation as a fan remaster. Online games shut down by companies, can be played again today thanks to fans.

[@Mingodough]

What do you mean controls? You can buy controllers that are basically the same form factor or use an adapter to pc. Controls aren’t much an issue

[@aaronmolyneux505]

​@Mingodough it can be pretty awkward to play a DS game that requires heavy touch screen use, for example

[@Mingodough]

@@aaronmolyneux505 hmm I guess, though I’ve tried steam deck hooked up to a monitor, just use a long usb c and the steam deck is like a touch screen and works fine, I play Wii U like that also. So it isn’t impossible but pretty hard for ds and Wii U I guess

[@robotnikkkk001]

.....ABOUT REMASTERS\REMAKES ..... *_THEY RE NEVER GOOD_* BC SOMETHING WAS ALWAYS MISSING WHAT WAS MAKING GAME CATCHY...... .....BUT...MOST IMPORTANTLY IS ABOUT *_THE POINT OF PAYING FOR GAMES IS FOR WILLINGFUL FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF GAME'S DEVELOPER_* ........OR KIND OF THAT..........SOOO IF U LIKE WHAT DEVELOPER IS DOING, U'RE PAYING MONEY IF NOT OR IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR VARIOUS REASONS--THEN OKAY ........THAT'S HOW IN REAL DIGITAL ERA THINGS ARE GOING..... .......AND NOT LIKE KINDA YOU'RE PAYING FOR GAMES FOR SHOWING THAT YOU CAN AFFORD *TO* ...........ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ABOUT SOME ANCIENT CONSOLES, THO..........WHICH IS ALREADY BECAME SOME KIND OF STATUS THING, THO..........BC IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE AND STUFF ALONG WITH IT IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR EVEN A MOBILE HARDWARE TO EMULATE EVEN PS2 NOW ......SOOO WHY *NOT* ......WHY IF U WANT TO PLAY SOME NES OR GC U'RE A MUST TO SEARCH FOR EVERYTHING ORIGINAL OR GFY........JUST BC SOME JERKS SAID THAT U'RE HAVING NO RIGHT TO DO SO.........THE WORLD IS REAL, NOT SOMEONE'S

[@Lucromis]

@@Mingodough yeah usually you can play with the exact or very similar controller for home consoles, but like someone mentioned touch controls on portable or Wii u etc. Tiny things like Dreamcast vmu or sound on a controller or something. Even the best emulation can be a tiny bit different for better or worse basically. Some original controllers just suck imo lol.

[@xonlytyrek3601]

For me, Emulation will always be the best, especially considering I’ve always loved mobile and handhelds, it’s just something fascinating about gaming on a small device you can bring anywhere, we are at a point we can play retro and console level games right in our pockets, I just got the 15 pro max and have been playing a few emulators and I’m still shocked the power this thing has, imo there’s no need for a console, unless you simply want to play the newest games at the highest definition, and half of these current games don’t hold a candle to the older gen fun wise, it’s purely looks, not knocking console but I see mobile becoming HUGE in the next 5-10 years and I’m all for it, can’t wait.

[@Pibb_X]

Mobile is already the biggest gaming platform. Has been for some time!

[@banana-uo3be]

​@@Pibb_Xyeah it's cheap and most games are free

[@chumorgan443]

EMU really helps with the nostalgia goggles. Some games really haven't aged well and bumping up the Res and textures really can help.

[@cheeseoholic]

I've always been an advocate for emulation but since I got my steam deck, my appreciation for it has grown massively. Being able to play backups of the majority of my game collection conveniently and on the go is simply incredible. Physical hardware definitely still has its place. Even games from systems like the DS and 3DS, I'd prefer to play on their respective consoles due to their unique hardware gimmicks. Whilst playing on original hardware is for sure a special experience, it's getting difficult for me to go back since PC emulation continues to be super convenient and further enhance the gaming experience for numerous consoles.

[@robmalcolm8042]

Ds is fine I played pokemon ranger with just my finger on a old android phone by getting used to it (although a stylus on a Samsung would be better) I think 3ds is a lot better than it used to be but it’s a system that the og hardware is probably still better

[@nisnast]

I first got a taste of handheld emulation on the PSP and that system was just great for it 2D games looked great in that small LCD screen, since it's target resolution was so close to what those games ran anyway. I miss it a lot, specially for playing the old RE games, the backgrounds looked perfect on that screen, it was so comfortable too, fit in your pocket and you could easily whip it out whenever

[@Diet_sprite]

I agree as well I don't play gb/gba emus cause I like bringing my original brick Gameboy and my yellow Gameboy color and my orange gba whenever I'm in a public area or at home

[@robmalcolm8042]

@Diet_sprite that does sound fun and nostalgic but those systems are pretty nicely adapted to android phones and handheld consoles since it matches being a handheld system and borders to make it feel more authentic but I do get the feeling of using original is pretty hard to beat.

[@Jabjabs]

I used to have a large collection of retro machines but abut 3 years ago I decided to move them on to friends that still had an interest in these things. A big part of it was just that maintaining the hardware was starting to get problematic and combined with things like disc rot, I figure I would leave it to folks that still had the time and passion to maintain those things. To that emulation now is at the point where it is 'god enough'. Yes, it isn't exactly the same but the trade off for convenience and simplicity was worth it too me. It is great just having a single PC do everything, not having to worry when a disc drive dies or a capacitor leaks through the PCB, having to mentally block out that - yes these controllers are dying, etc. Big respect to those that can keep the original hardware running because more it is feeling like Sisyphus trying to keep these things going. Looking at the retro computer space, you can see a vision of the future where getting parts becomes ever more difficult and obscure. For those that can do it, kudos to you!

[@anno5936]

Spot on... I moved from Europe to Asia and left a huge collection behind. As much as the "real deal" is concerned, there is a slight difference, but then there is also different ways of emulation like FPGAs. It is more accurate but you can still play through the games no matter what method. And then there is that other "controversy"... some are self proclaimed "collectors" trying to defend their "investment"; the copy of a 30 year old game someone tries to sell for 30$ today while I got it for 2$ at a backyard sale 20 years ago doesn't change the game; go, collect what is really important to us that really grew up with those games: the memories of kids sitting together with their friends for a video game session, not "connect to likeminded individuals" that you will never meet real life and will never have any meaningful impact on your life

[@MrIndigoninja]

The Mister FPGA project is a great all-in-one solution. I find it provides the best of both worlds in terms of ease of use. It's one little box that I can plug into a CRT or modern display with no fuss, it just werks.

[@Mr.Welbig]

I told myself that if I were to retire all my consoles, then i'd get a Mister. Probably the best "clone" console there is.

[@ScandalUK]

@@Mr.Welbig yeah mine are carefully stored away now and I can still use a lot of the hardware on my mister too

[@fuhai4413]

@@Mr.Welbig Great video - I've followed a similar path to yours regarding, authentic, accurate and lag-free experience of real hardware and CRTs. The Mister FPGA was a recent game-changer for me: connection to CRTs, cycle-to-cycle circuit modelling of 5-6th generation of consoles,computers and arcade boards; you can, with some extra connectors, use your original controllers connected directly into the mister (SNAC) without USB-input lag. You can simultaneously/configure for RGB and HDMI out, and has built in lag free crt/console filters. I've found the signal cleaner than my S-NES 1-chip! Overall, I find the mister fpga bridges the gap between for when I don't want to set-up the real hardware for a mixed gaming session and the convenience of cycle-accurate, lag free play on different monitors without the rewiring or emulator lag (which is a game-killer for me). Worth a try! :)

[@3lH4ck3rC0mf0r7]

I've recently been busy diving into NTSC colorspaces and colorspace emulation. It's so interesting to figure out the many layers that make retro games look faithful to their original CRT look. For example, did you know US TVs and Japanese TVs, despite both being NTSC, do NOT share the same colorspace? NTSC-J uses D65, while NTSC-U uses D93. As a result, games actually looked a lot bluer in Japan. As a post-retro kid that doesn't actually have any nostalgic affiliation to these games as I haven't played any of them in their original form when I was younger, I find that the bluer D65 colors are probably what the developers originally intended, and prefer that to the warmer color palette you may be more familiar with. Most emulators, capture devices and modern displays actually need this kind of colorspace conversion, because they assume the input is in sRGB. And even some consoles like the Sega Genesis have a natural color or even exposure bias baked into their analog video DACs, that can be lost in emulation and RGB mods along with the antialiasing-like smoothing and color generation properties of composite video. It's a lot more involved than just slapping a CRT shader on your output and calling it a day (even a fancy multipass one like CRT-Royale!). Even the image scaling algorithm (bilinear vs. bicubic or catmull-rom) and how scanlines are factored in affects the realism of the simulated CRT output. I don't know how hardware scalers hold up in this regard. The big ones, probably not too badly.

[@almendraman]

I find the only consoles where emulation just don't cut it are the DS family, or consoles with very specific gimmicks like Wii U. Sometimes things are lost with emulators by virtue of some features being impossible to translate, this happens a lot with MAME. In other cases though? It simply doesn't make sense to track down original hardware when it's a simple plug and play console which experience can be easily replicated if not bettered through emulators. I'll let professional collectors and modders get their hands on those and preserve them. I won't do any good. And if I really want the CRT experience, a modded Wii through regular old composite looks INCREDIBLE. Better than the original consoles in some cases, it's a great compromise

[@thechugg4372]

Nintendo is just the bane of every emulators existence, cant replicate the gamecube layout, cant replicate the wiimote without having one, the ds touch screen and dual screen, the wii u gamepad etc...

[@almendraman]

@@thechugg4372 You can seek out Wiimotes, a sensor bar, or a GameCube controller just fine for Dolphin

[@elnkr2603]

For the DS/3DS, the closest you can get is playing on a phone with DraStic/Citra, and adding in a stylus for good measure. If you wanna get even closer, play on a foldable to replicate the dual screens, lol.

[@Qwerty10254]

​@@thechugg4372 that's why it's good to have a Wii U, so you can play GC, Wii and Wii U on it without turning crazy

[@Hadeto_AngelRust]

an xbox controller can replicate gamecube controls well@@thechugg4372

[@emilioavealr708]

I just set up Dolphin today based on your last video. Perfect timing for this one. Love the content man keep it up.

[@CheesecakeMilitia]

I think even HD texture pack artists would admit their work is shit - it's just such an impossible task filled with second-guessing about how faithful you're being to the original art style. And it's A LOT of work - there's a reason most go unfinished. Nerrel has some great videos about his work on textures for Majora's Mask and Metroid Prime talking about how amateurish it all feels - plus he has a whole video dedicated to fanboying over the RE4 HD texture pack that had thousands of hours of work put into it. Texture packs like that that actually manage to be a suitable replacement are the exception rather than the norm. I freaking hate when HD texture pack artists put in easter eggs or memes or garbage into their work though. I played through Persona 3 FES with its community texture pack and while largely a nicer experience than the original, there's a random meme about the creator on some TV screens and it's so distracting. Still recommend it as the best way to play Persona 3 (at least for two more weeks lol) and playing in emulator with speed-up capabilities is a lifesaver for long RPG's with repetitive animations. Also that Link's Awakening PC fan version isn't a decomp, to my knowledge - just a full recreation.

[@lpfan4491]

Heck, even official HD textures fall to these issues sometimes. TPHD had a rather infamous case of how one of the texture artists could not make sense of one of the textures, so instead inserted their own fanfiction referencing stuff not even in the timeline the game takes place in, causing a lot of community chaos.

[@vladimirchizhov3260]

​@@lpfan4491we don't talk about TPHD textures...

[@lpfan4491]

@@JokerX350 Unironically reminds me of Xenoblade DE. That one does look overall much better than it's original, but some things were randomly left barely touched or were touched up in a poor way, where some of the original UI-icons for instance actually had more detail baked into them despite the lower res. It feels like a halfmeasure.

[@Holammer]

I never bother with HD texture packs at all, but the high resolution texture pack for Super Mario Sunshine seems to do everything right. It does require a special build of Dolphin, so I'll just stick with regular Dolphin, up the internal resolution & apply a 60fps hack. That's good enough.

[@Josuh]

The only texture pack I'll stand by is Four Swords Adventures HD, the original had upscaled bilinear textures that looked blurry af, the pack properly upscales the resolution of all sprites and makes it feel like a totally different game, highly recommend

[@natejohnson6269]

CRTs are a massive pain in the ass. How much of a pain in the ass? I legitimately had the thought 'Oh no, the earth's magnetic field is moving a couple of degrees to the south, I had better redo my geometry calibrations' about a week ago.

[@19Szabolcs91]

For me the biggest blow against original hardware is the saving. A lot of cartridge games that can save can have their battery die at any time now, and even if they don't, saves can get corrupted by bad connection or the console moved by wire tripping or something. Ironically this makes the less fancy password saving method more reliable. It truly sucks, because I love playing on original hardware, but it's getting less and less convenient. Also they don't support bluetooth headphones like the PC or Switch does.

[@starlalilymoon]

Yeah, I know the feeling about cartridge games! From what I know you have to replace the batteries, but I'm too scared to do that since I'm scared of messing up and breaking the game :

[@kennethd4958]

As someone who has played consoles since the late 80's and emulation since the late 90's it's amazing how far we have come.. from console mods to emulators to FPGA... what is now available for someone to pick up and play their favorite games it's like a kid in a candy store. There are so many options.. if I want to play OG hardware on one of my CRT TV's, or use my Mister, or upscale to my 4K TV, or on my PC, or on one of the many handhelds now available... it's so nice to not be constricted to one type of setup.

[@UrCasualGamer]

This was a good video. You hit all points.

[@ans_5137]

Big fan

[@Loki-]

This video is fantastic. I never thought of using CRT filters, or how many options there were, until you showed it here. Also, I agree with about 95% of your opinions stated. Around 2006 I got a wired Xbox 360 controller for $20 from Circuit City and played countless hours of games I already enjoyed (and ones I couldn't get as a kid) on consoles I had next to me. It showed me a parallel world I could've grown up in if I chose different games in the game store. Emulators are a god-send and I thank those hard working people for bringing them to us for free.

[@Alex-1776]

If you use Retroarch look up Retrocrisis on youtube, he created shader presets specific to 4 or 5 consoles that look great. His channel has videos comparing raw pixels to his presets

[@skandashiva1805]

Thanks for putting this video together. Helped clear up some things I’ve been thinking about.

[@RyanVDP]

Hey man, Thanks for the consistent uploads! Loving your content so far :)

[@EXiLExJD]

I find emulation is just so much more convenient and takes up way less space than consoles. The amount of games I have on my hard drive would fill multiple storage units if they were all physical.

[@casedistorted]

Hey, good video. I had a massive retro collection in the age before crt’s were fully gone but I had to sell it all due to needing money (over 15 years ago now), but I always told myself “if I really want to play these games I can just use an emulator on PC”, and I still do that to this day. Emulation on my Steam deck’s new OLED screen works pretty well!

[@DeathToTheDictators]

Yes! I just think back to selling all my old hardware i had over the decades (NES, Gameboy, SNES, PS1, Gamecube) and how i regret selling them....but, emulation is really good these days, and has brought most of my old fav games back to me. Plus i don't have the room (in my little apartment) for all my old consoles (plus a CRT), anyway...it seems emulation is my only option, no matter even if i still had those great consoles.

[@GoofyPoptart]

The Steam deck is one of the greatest devices to ever come out..Im in love with mine.

[@FaultyMike]

Great video - I used to exclusively love a native resolution with clean pixels but I recently dived into CRT filters and I'm loving it. It takes a lot of tweaking and time but once I've dialed in a great setting, the nostalgia and feeling of how these games used to look adds a lot to the experience for me.

[@reggiebuttsmash2321]

As a retro gaming crt enthusiast, this video was perfect! I just got my first gaming pc this year and got frustrated trying to emulate lol. I respect and love it and will attempt again of course. However like you, I love the og experience. Your knowledge is amazing keep it up

[@voiddude4142]

Love these vids, your video format is one I really enjoy, thanks.

[@Oribaa90]

I use emulation for the convenience but I love original hardware too much to sell my console collection. I use all my original consoles with Everdrives, other flash carts, ODEs and disk drives. That my perfect solution for having the great feeling of using original hardware with the convenience of having all my games digitally. I don't have that much space to store thousands of games. I know that I am missing the ritual of putting in the original games but I am okay with it. That's the way I am playing today. I know that it is probably a very expensive solution to keep all those older systems alive but I am ready for that. Luckily I didn't have to repair my systems that often until now. I own about 100 original consoles so letting a professional recap my systems is already expensive but I am going this route. It is a hobby and a passion so spending money doesn't hurt that much.

[@joshmiller887]

I recently got a Mister set up. I haven’t played roms since 2001 so it felt like a mountain to climb. I did get it set up, and love the variety of games I can play without changing games physically. I have a basement filled with games, original consoles and CRTs and I have to say you were spot on when you said “it just hits different”. Thanks for your take.

[@SWPLGAMING]

This is an awesome video. All valid points covered🔥👌🏾 Thank you👍🏾

[@BFYbn]

Fantastic breakdown - love your videos, fella.

[@matthewbutler6557]

Great coverage, awesome explanations. Good cadence

[@MoistHarvester]

This is one of those moments where near the start of the video the way you talk and do your video, I knew I found another youtuber ima love and subscribe to

[@atomiswave1971]

Great video, I am in the same boat. I dabbled in emulation years ago to find out what games are out there but thats it. To actually play them I always wanted an original copy. Its so expensive though. And unlike the USA where you have a basement the size of a tennis court I live in a country where space comes at a premium price. The USA seems to also be the primary place for modding/RGB and upgrading these days, which means it takes time to filter into other countries and then you have import costs. Folk tend to want original hardware as a personal thing, its not a competition. I tend to aim for Analogue products as its giving me a chance to use my real games on new hardware. Emulation is fine but I would still want the original controllers and in some cases the original aspect ratio of the game. These 1 box emulation devices don't cater for spinners, rotated monitors, games that use joysticks or joypads. Its just one box, 1 controller and get on with it. But if your used to using a controller with buttons in certain positions like the N64 controller and put on Mario kart 64, it doesn't play the same at all. It plays like shit.

[@benamisai-kham5892]

Living in the US in apartment life is hell, not enough space to collect anything anymore. I had to leave all my gaming collection at my parents house to make sure it was safe, I only got into emulation preference because I haven't had space for my games since I moved from my parents place 6 years ago. I wish I had a huge basement space again or even a nice big useable attic, there aren't even houses with basements for miles here. Having space is truly a blessing that many take for granted. And like you, I like N64 emulation and even with an N64 controller can never get it to feel right. N64 is just one console you gotta have feeling right.

[@ClaySano]

I would be interested to see a video on FPGAs and your thoughts on the current state of them as compared to emulators, cheers for the great video

[@Nemshek]

Ooohhhh ps1 frogger for the outro music, nice. Instantly recognized it. Great video, solid points. At the end of the day, the gamer wins.

[@majikalmcmuffin6258]

Your console setup is a dream! i respect the scart/component setup and hope to one day have the same kind of thing, i've gone from the hd emulation look to emulating the original look as much as possible and cant wait to get a CRT if i ever have the space (and fire extinguisher) one of my favorite ways to play ps2 era games on emu is to double render res and custom set CRT lottes or royales preset which renders each pixel and i use that to downsample the image to the original game's resolution yet with slightly more detail and perfect anti aliasing. It's like each pixel is actually a point of light!

[@michaelgriffin5304]

Your knowledge on display is astounding. Subbed. Hope to learn how to better emulate, as I sorely miss all of my old games and I have issues with my current simple setup.

[@retropulse03]

Roms + RetroArch + BigBox + Controller. It's so much easier and convenient than even this video would lead anyone to believe.

[@-thejapanator-5398]

Just found your channel. Thanks for sharing your opinion and looking forward to more vids :).

[@whookidd1979]

I totally agree with everything you are putting out there. I uh, spent my twenties and thirties high, not weed high either. Wasted a lot of years. I started collecting in my late thirties and never looked back. I kick myself in the rear for not starting sooner but, well druggzz, so I cleaned up. There are some things out there that are just to expensive for me to snatch up and I want to experience them, emulation really saves the day here until I can get the real thing. I love everdrives and they are well worth the money. Great channel, I really enjoy what you are putting out here.

[@pookapeeka]

For me once i set up CRTEmudriver it was over. Getting all the benefits of a CRT, with on the fly filter switching, and all the benefits of modern emulator features... i just feel no need to keep investing in real hardware. Im even at a point now where I'm debating dropping the consoles I do own altogether. The prospect of being able to sync saves between my CRT setup, modern PC setup, and my Steam Deck is only the biggest of many benefits to using emulators. And there's far more than that to get into. Really just the concept of playing it as "authentically" as possible is why i even hold on to my consoles. And the fringe case where a game may just not be compatible. But the gap between the two in authenticity only closes in each day, and I'm hopeful for the future that emulation will bring in an age where retro games are seen more as a financial investment than something to enjoy.

[@clseabus]

Keep up the good work! Love the videos

[@bes03c]

A really thoughtful video. You just earned my sub.

[@chuganoga1908]

Hmm.. for me nothing just beats playing on original hardware and using the carts/disc. My N64 I’ve had since childhood just feels the way to go for me it’s just the aesthetic, the feel of the remotes, the fellowship of friends gathered around the TV reliving those old long gone nights of Mario Party and smash… emulators can do it but it’s just not the same man.

[@OSW]

The algorithm did good serving this up! I enjoyed your even-handed approach, and the 1440p crisp visuals. Sláinte! 🍻

[@Noobsaibot21]

Hey, what are you doing here, interacting with us normal people? 😊

[@lay003]

jesus, this was 20 minutes? flew by, great vid mate 👍

[@polar-star64]

Glad someone said something about HD texture packs lol The only one I've ever used and enjoyed is the one for TTYD, and that's mostly because the art style is fairly simplistic, making it kinda hard to fuck up upscaling and redrawing them while making them look bad.

[@WackoMcGoose]

A lot of the vanilla TTYD textures have random miscolored pixels anyway, so even if you keep the base resolution the same and just redraw them, it's still technically an improvement. And the Remastered version Nintendo's coming out with this year is a (from the looks of it) from-scratch asset recreation along the same lines as Metroid Prime Remastered (which was _gorgeous_ af), so I'm legit looking forward to seeing what the game looks like in "true, unhacky HD"...

[@n64fan60]

Emulation is the future of all classic gaming. Maybe not in my lifetime, but at some point my SFC, N64 and PS1 will fail. That said - I love the few classic consoles I do have, and the games I have for them. A good flashcart makes using real hardware far more convenient. If you want to use real hardware but not have expensive scalers or huge CRTs - get yourself an older HDTV that still has the old inputs. I have an LG42LB570V for this purpose. It's 1080p, and it features; x3 HDMI x3 USB x1 RGB SCART x1 Component x1 Composite x1 RF x1 PCMCIA Card Slot. The TV cost me 120 preowned in a pawn shop two years ago. Has proven to be a good investment, and is a good TV for playing anything from NES to PS4. Just another option for your setup, not saying this beats a retrotink 4k lol. Its better than cheap scalers, though.

[@3dmarth]

Good analysis, covering the different angles, and I appreciate that emphasis on the bottom line: playing and enjoying the games. I do find it odd how many times you mentioned "being fair to the game", though. I play most of my 3D games enhanced with full HD and 60fps, whenever possible, and they haven't complained or cried at all! ;) More seriously, I generally understand the personal preference for authenticity. I like to get the original experience (more or less) on at least my first playthrough, but I'll still crank up the resolution and performance right from the get-go, as I see it as the best version of the original experience: not reworking it as a texture pack or rebalancing mod would, but just wiping the dust off the window so I can see the graphics more clearly!

[@joelm-e1084]

Awesome video dude. Well done

[@DannyBenS94]

Yeah it varies for me how I want to play certain games. Also I'm really glad to hear Frogger music in the background near the end lol

[@setherly9137]

When it comes to texture packs, I agree that a lot of them clash with the original look of the game in one way or another. However, I do try to at least find accurate replacements for the HUD in some games as the low res and poorly filtered 2D elements just stick out like a sore thumb on my flat panel.

[@seguramlk]

I believe Consoles should be preserved as part of our history where many men came together and created these machines that were part of our childhoods. I say preserve both Games AND Consoles

[@Quinn-kr2cp]

13:30 I was having this problem too recently! I figured out it was because I had the "Use Desktop Configuration in Launcher" option checked under the controller properties in Steam.

[@Mr.Welbig]

Huh? I'll have to look into that cause yeah it's pretty annoying. Thanks!

[@orangejjay]

Talk about presenting an fairly unbiased and balanced take on the subject. Well done! It's so nice to hear a mature adult speaking on what's often some hot button gamer topics. Keep it up! Can't wait to see what's to come! ❤❤

[@voteDC]

Even for the consoles I do still own I prefer to use emulation and it's mainly because of, as you mention, save states. I have much more demand on my time these days and being able to stop when and where I want is brilliant. No more lost progress or having to leave a console on, I can just save and walk away. I used to be against using it as well but these days for everything 16-bit and under, Retroarch is simply the best choice for me. It saves having to learn several different ways of doing things that would happen with individual emulators. Personally I've never found a CRT Filter, even Royale, that looked like playing on a CRT. They all make lines on the screen really noticeable and you don't see lines when playing on a CRT TV, at least none that I've ever owned. Controller wise for the most part I'm happy to use an Xbox One S controller. I only switch when playing Mega Drive and Saturn to a USB Saturn controller as those systems don't lend themselves well to a diamond button layout. Personally speaking I feel if the console has hardware modifications to 'keep up' then you're no longer getting the authentic experience and may as well emulate it to achieve the same goals. It's actually the same with ODEs for me, you're not getting the same experience any longer, so why not just emulate. Though I'd be a liar if I didn't mention that now the drive has died in my original Playstation a PSIO is looking very tempting. I confess that when I do emulate most of it is done on my Android phone. The same emulators exist on Android, for the most part, as they do on Windows or Linux. Having access to generations of games on a device I slip in my pocket is amazing to me and touch controls work fine for a lot of titles. Those that don't work well with touch, well I can connect a Bluetooth or USB-C controller.

[@gamergod9182]

even as someone who owns real hardware and physical games, I never understood this "real hardware hits different" angle. I was playing on Dolphin for years since our consoles were at my brother's place, but last year I finally took the Wii back to my place, hooked it up to the CRT that I got specifically for that purpose, loaded up a real GC disc and... was underwhelmed because the moment I was in the game, it felt absolutely identical to playing on Dolphin. The fact that I eventually modded the Wii with a USB loader for convenience and am now picking games from a list to start them just like I would with an emulator makes it feel even more pointless. obviously everybody has their own view on things, but I just hope that nobody gets lulled into this idea that they need "real hardware" for the "real experience", then spend hundreds of bucks on rare items just to play the exact same game in perhaps a slightly different way, if there's any difference at all.

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

I think the biggest difference is the controller rather than the console itself. I definitely feel a difference when I'm playing Melee with a GameCube controller or Warioware with a Wiimote, but whether or not my Wiimote is connected to Dolphin or a Wii is not that big. I think unique controllers are the main reason to consider a physical console. I would not get the same enjoyment out of Powerstone without my Dreamcast's VMU, and playing Pikmin 3 with the Wii U game pad is a unique experience that I loved. For weird controllers like those, connecting them to a real console is often much easier than getting them to work with a PC.

[@bagggers9796]

You are correct, though I think I understand the notion. One reason, as you stated, is the CRT, which _certain_ games from _certain_ consoles look objectively better on. The other is the controller, which I think is the main factor. I've used emulators since I was a kid, and have mostly played with Playstation controllers, and having played a real NES in a mall, there's specific nostalgia that's evoked from knowing this is how people experienced the game when it first released. In other words, it hits different. However I don't think that feeling is anywhere near strong enough to justify committing to real hardware, especially when great filters like CRT-Royale and console-specific controllers exist on PC. At the end of the day, it's the exact same game being emulated as what's on the disc/cartridge, sometimes with massive improvements to performance. I'd never recommend someone play Jet Force Gemini at 8 FPS on a real N64 when there's a flawless version of the game readily available, unless they're strictly a purist.

[@fafski1199]

I had a similar thing happen with both my DreamCast and PS2, that had been stored away in my junk filled attic for years. I have been playing them both emulated, along with several other retro consoles and computers for a few years now on my PC. Anyway, after several good naggings by my wife around 9 months ago, I finally spent a weekend clearing out of my attic and found them both (with games) and an old 22' Hitachi CRT TV. Actually it was a bit of a surprise, since I had almost forgotten they where even there. Nostalgia suddenly kicked when I started looking though the games, so I dusted them all down, cleaned them up and tested them out. When I did, instead of expecting a further Nostalgia trip, I instead felt deeply disappointed and slightly underwhelmed. They all worked perfectly fine apart from that typical smell you get off old unused electrical gear, however it was more from the games themselves. They actually looked worse to me on a CRT display than I remember and several games also played worse than when do when emulated on PC (slowdowns and jittering camera). I think this is simply because I'd now gotten so used to and spoilt by playing them emulated on PC, with a whole bunch of enhancements added. Things like using resolution scaling, using visual enhancements, enhanced textures and other mods. Even having a higher and more stable frame rate while emulated, simply makes them look and play better, at least to me. Also, I found the original controllers compared to the XBox controller that I use today, just weren't nearly as good. I've simply been spoilt this day and age, by a bunch of improvements to the way games play via emulation. Many of which you could only dream about back then The higher resolutions, better visuals, less jagged look, better controls and higher frame rates while using emulation today, has simply won me over from even using the original hardware. Like you said don't get lulled into falsely thinking that using the original hardware for a game will somehow be a much better experience, than it will be emulated. If anything, I found the opposite to be true. Don't get me wrong some people might like using the original hardware or like how pixelated, jagged and low res the games used to look on a CRT display. However to me, it's more a case that people who do are mostly just looking at them through rose tinted glasses and/or are just on a Nostalgia trip and want that original look they remember. By they way, they are now both now back in storage. Only now alongside the junk and mess in the stairs closet (until the wife nags me about that as well). I'm still keeping them as a future investment. Although I doubt I'll actually play them again, other than testing that they still work every now and again. From now on when playing retro games, it's just going to be done via emulation.

[@stpedro-ht9ng]

I use Dolphin still but you can’t hook it up to a CRT display without some tricky hackery. The lack of input delay and the look of a CRT is unmatched to me even with the best fake scanlines. And I really can’t stand 5th or 6th gen 3d games rendered at high res with blurry/pixelated low res textures. There’s nothing that feels quite like a real console or FPGA on CRT.

[@blitzstrk0]

Playing DS games on any non DS hardware is abysmal.

[@JB.zero.zero.1]

The problem is - time. It's one thing having all this kit, it's another thing being able to play each individual game. I have always thought less is more when it comes to gaming. * looks at Steam library 😶

[@RyanStorey1231]

That last Steam Winter Sale got us all.

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

I must have over a dozen games in my library I never even downloaded 😂😭

[@murderman8578]

​@@unbearifiedbear1885I been getting through them Last on the list is P5 royal

[@tomlion0116]

In my country (Hungary) consoles were just too expensive when I was a child in the early 2000's. We only had a PC because of school and work related things. But when I discovered the world of old video games I became obsessed with the NES and SNES library because these were the only games I could run on our computer. Never got a chance to have one Console or one Handheld, just the PC. But I loved to play those old games and I became a Nintendo fan because of them. But as an adult when I was 25 years old I finally bought my first console ever, the Nintendo Switch. It's a great console and since that day I never used emulators on my PC.... Only on my PSP and New 2DS XL. These Handhelds became my go to emulation machines for the 8-16 and 32bit area. I still have the Dolphin, N64, PS2 and PPSSPP emulators on my PC because if one day my Switch breaks I still have an option to play games.

[@The_Nametag]

Another advantage with emulators (and this can also apply to flash carts on retro consoles), there's ways to extract ROMs from a lot of the retro collections that are widely available on Steam etc. So you can build a library that way.

[@trhmusician]

Something else to check on the PS One is the power supply/power cable. They can go bad as well. Make sure that that is good and then go from there. Excellent video!

[@Mr.Welbig]

I had a reddit reply saying the same thing. I'll have to look on how to check the ac adapter itself as I don't want to test it on another psone.

[@benjib2691]

​​​@@Mr.WelbigMaybe you could try with a multimeter inserted into the input jack, that's pretty much how I diagnosed my N64. I checked the input voltages on the motherboard and it turns out nothing was coming from the PSU.

[@robertkorth2911]

Great vid!

[@lilili765]

Dude i am in love with your setup

[@wettuga2762]

I guess it all depends on the nostalgia and cost: if you're an older gamer and you have the possibility to invest in this hobby, you'll definitely find a way to play on original hardware with original games and/or Everdrives/ODEs. On the other hand, if you're and older gamer which just wants a "quick fix", or a newer gamer without any nostalgia for the hardware, emulators are way more accessible. Whatever the path you choose, emulators will definitely be the future, as old consoles stop working and become more expensive to replace. For now I'm happy with my setup, and made the extra effort to have a second console of each type as a backup in case the current one fails and I can't service it.

[@Sizzyl]

Being able to choose your controller makes emulation just inherently better for me. I had so many different controller adapters (like 6 of em at some point) to use the controller I wanted and emulation removed the need to have any of them.

[@user-pg5sz2vn1w]

i agree with you when u said if u have the games and the consoles enjoy them, but if u don't just find "other ways" to play them.. if game companies put in no work to sell/service old games and consoles then i feel no guilt about finding other ways to play them. like you said, at the end of the day all that matters is that the games are available and playable.

[@espyjump2725]

Dang dude. Incredible video. This belongs in a museum or something. Maybe one day we can have the schools use this video to prepare the youth for video game preservation efforts

[@speedy_boi_69]

14:02 please note that most dualshock 2 to usb adapters will *not* support pressure sensitive buttons, I think the best alternative is using a dualshock 3 which will also work (albeit with a bit of setting up) wirelessly with it's pressure sensitive buttons.

[@Mr.Welbig]

Dually noted. I figure a basic usb adapter would be less of a hassle. Thanks for the tip!

[@angeldude101]

If you're willing to sacrifice some authenticity, you can achieve some truly wild results on emulator that still manage to somehow be fun despite not even trying to accurately mimic the original. There are various mods including full model replacements letting you play as completely different characters, and then the controller configuration can be so in-depth that you can often manage to play just about any game with just about any controller. I guess I'm probably not in the majority in being more interested in finding new ways to play rather than replicating the original experience as best I can. I know I won't be able to recapture the same exact feeling, so why _not_ go nuts and do crazy shit like playing Wii games with a keyboard and mouse? The most magical experience I've had with emulators involved uploading the save back to the original hardware to connect with my old save from when i first played. It was like traveling back in time to meet my younger self.

[@AndrewJRupe]

omg thank you so much for telling me the answer to how to fix my playstation controller problem ive been struggling with it for over a month

[@Bro3256]

I find the whole debate between original hardware and emulation to be a bit silly cause the only thing emulation does is replace the need of the original system and for some it's a perfect solution to play older games. For folks like me however, playing on original hardware with the original media is important but even then some of us like to delve into flash cartridges or other methods of loading games on these systems cause the reality is that some games are just too expensive and whatever amount you pay for secondhand, none of that goes to the developers or publishers. The real fear big companies have to emulation is being able to emulate currently sold systems and downloading games for said system to be used in an emulator. This is currently happening with the Nintendo Switch with Ryujinx and yuzu but Nintendo had to already deal with mass piracy in the DS era thanks to flash cartridges such as the R4 so really emulation is not at fault but its one of the many tools that can be used to enable piracy. With that being said it's absolutely ridiculous to make a big deal out of someone emulating decade old games that aren't being sold anymore and emulation is an easy scapegoat since it's scary technology that the masses do not understand. Play however you want, at the end of the day you should be able to sit back and enjoy your game no matter what method you go about playing it.

[@kyledupont7711]

If you use a front-end like retroarch you can't really deny that emulation is inherently better than playing old cartridges and disks. You have all your systems and games in one place and browse like it's s Steam, you have preemptive frames, upscaling, mods ect. Without emulation I would not even be able to play that many old games, no way I'm buying them all especially when many of them are just bad games

[@J-Chiptunator]

The problem that I have with any software emulator is the ever present input lag that makes moving a character feel heavier, if not outright delayed. You could resolve it with run-ahead feature, but it can require a beefy CPU to pull that off on the more modern platforms. Even with that, you're still not safe from the OS randomly interrupting that feature at any time. Hardware emulation (FPGA) is entirely devoid of these issues by offering a practically instantaneous input response time. This leaves the TV, controller and possibly the upscaler being the only sources of input lag. MiSTer FPGA and the upcoming MARS FPGA can support your native retro controllers connecting directly to the hardware for eliminating ALL controller input lag. The initial hardware configuration can get a tad more involved and most consoles past the 5th gen aren't supported. As of today, some cores still lack save states. Personally, I prefer using real hardware since it restricts what games I could play while enjoying an authentic and mostly lag-free experience. Without facing much of choice paralysis.

[@mrtay14]

Hats off to your video editing. My go to these days is a Hacked PSP Go with Dual shock 3 controller and Hacked PSTV. Very Plug and play. does 8-16 bit retro, long with native ps1 games, psp games, psp minis, vita games, umd movies, all with tv out.

[@RyanStorey1231]

I got my first gaming PC a couple years ago, and the first thing I did was figure out how to use emulators. It's been one of my favorite hobbies over the past year. In my experience, I have the most luck with DuckStation, PCSX2, Dolphin, and BSNES. Project64, I've had the most issues with, especially with games like Ocarina of Time. I had a huge issue regarding text boxes just freezing up on me and I couldn't find a fix for it. So I just said "fuck it" and downloaded the fan-made Ship of Harkanean decompiled PC port. I did the same thing with the Jak & Daxter series after I had issues running them in PCSX2. My rule of thumb with the legality and morality of pirating games (we don't want to call it that, but let's be real) is that I generally avoid it if the game in question has a perfectly playable port or remaster on modern platforms. For example, Metroid Prime Remastered came out on Switch last year, and that version did so much to polish up the visuals and controls that I see no reason to emulate it on Dolphin anymore. Metroid Prime 2 and 3, however, we'll see if those get the same treatment on Switch this year. But there are loads of old games that either don't have modern ports and are left rotting on their original consoles, or have horrible modern remasters. A good recent example being Sonic Colors Ultimate. After seeing how that remaster turned out, yeah, I'm sticking to Dolphin. The only downside to emulators in my opinion is that for games that use pre-animated FMVs in cutscenes such as Sonic Colors, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Sunshine, there is no way for those to be upscaled. So there's often a very noticeable disconnect when playing a game like Mario Galaxy in 4K, only for it to look like a pixelated mess during those few FMVs. Another rule of thumb is that I don't bother with emulating current-gen consoles. I'm well-aware that there's an amazing Switch emulator that can make games like BOTW look and even run 10x better than on original hardware, but something about doing that while the Switch's life cycle is ongoing just feels... wrong to me.

[@robmalcolm8042]

Really maybe that depends on the emulator. I’ve ran ocarina of time perfectly fine and graphic issue free on android phones. So should have been better on pc.

[@theantin98]

Every time I think I know a thing or two about technology, someone comes along and proves how basic my knowledge is 😭😂 nice video, very eloquently said 👍🏻

[@GogglzMUSIC]

For me, personally, actually owning a game is what does it for me, I don't care if I'm using an aftermarket console, just having the cartridge, taking it out, and putting it in the console is truly what makes me want to play through it all! Much like music, I have a lot more connection to it when its in my hands physically

[@TeaBeeAdventures]

I can understand that as I have a pretty good retro collection. But the prices of retro games have gone up so high that I can't enjoy collecting at all an more.

[@GogglzMUSIC]

​@@TeaBeeAdventures Overall its more about where you look rather than the average price you'd find somewhere. I'm perfectly happy having a smaller collection since the cheaper ones are harder to find! It also lets me cherrish the ones I do have alot more!

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

I think controllers and storage are the main 2 reasons I stick with real hardware most of the time. Systems with unique controllers like the Dreamcast, PS3, DS, or Wii U all require varying levels of hassle to get all their hardware features working on an emulator. And with modern disk based games, ISOs take so much longer to download from Vimms and move around that when I can just store them on a flash cart or softmodded console instead, that's the way I normally go.

[@danspear9982]

That was a excellent video!

[@wileymanful]

Great video man! Yeah, you're right, the only debate about emulation vs consoles is for yourself to decide :). It's like lifting or cooking when I think about it, personally. Do what works for you and what you find enjoyable.

[@DreamerSouls]

Emulation setup will be even easier for the average everyday pc user once emudeck releases for Windows. The only thing you'll have to do is place your arms and bios files in the correct folders and do any personal configurations. And steam ROM manager will already be set up to have all of your games be integrated into steam with cover art.

[@katieheart6156]

For the controllers it supports, I would recommend DS4Windows along with the software it recommends for hiding from Steam (and anything else that would cause "double input" issues)... on the plus side is that when I run it as a service and have it start at login time (with Steam and such set to not do so), once it gets to be "exclusive" for DS4Windows, it can even be used as a replacement for any program running as Administrator (heck, I have my DS4 able to swap between a normal sort of controller and a more-useful-at-times mouse, without any program / game thinking the controller disconnected) or even for per-app "profiles" and even hold / press a button to swap profiles... on the downside is when I somehow gets a short-lived no-input latency spike between the official controller and my system for some odd reason (I can only attribute that to my system as it does act up at times). Damn, I think that sounded like an advertisement. EDIT: Sometimes it takes a second or third attempt at connecting over Bluetooth or USB for a controller to make it no longer "shared", and often it may require you to quit out of Steam (or Dolphin / etc.) for it to even connect with this hiding at all.

[@subculturebith1616]

i was just watching your great twilight princess video and you just uploaded this 45 minutes ago lmao

[@RegalPixelKing]

I believe the best part of all emulators is that it inherently makes all console games more accessible. There are countless games that people might want to play, but would be too costly or too much of a pain in the ass to get legitimately. Then emulators can do stuff that consoles can't do. Not just stuff like upscaling a game. But there is cool stuff like a widescreen hack for Super Mario World on a SNES emulator. Or being able to play games at 60fps as opposed to 20 or 30fps.

[@ellliotnostalgic]

That frogger music at the end. Nostalgia hit.

[@nathanieljones8043]

Without being hyperbolic if you ever installed a game from steam you can use a computer emulator and depending on the steam game you already have.

[@cheezyfriez12]

13:46 If you go into steam settings, you can change the "desktop" controller configuration to the gamepad template. You can also use steam rom manager to link your roms into steam as if they were steam games.

[@Mechadeuce]

It's weird. I've had Super Mario Bros. 3 on SNES and Wii through All-Stars, GBA through SMA 4, and Virtual Console on both Wii and Wii U. But I never actually sat down and played all the way through, until I had an original NES hooked-up to a CRT. Something about it just makes the game click for me...

[@prod.kidmizu]

The thing I’ve come to love the most about emulators is online. Being able to play Smash or Mario kart with my friends online is a godsend.

[@Unchainedful]

I still haven’t learned to do that online. I would have loved to play Super Smash Bros. 64 online with my friends.

[@FrancisYorkMorganFBI]

as a fellow collector i still more often just emulate games i own. a simple retro pi or even and old laptop connected to one or 2 wireless controllers as well as your tv is already enough to play everything on your tv. i could play my original copy of ocarina of time that is sitting behind me right now, but i could also just emulate the 3DS remake via citra alongside some patches on my emulation setup. i also like to just use emulation to get certain games in a portable experince. I LOVE the ps2 and playing its games on the go was always amazing to me. i will easly buy classics like snake eater again if they get re-releases on handhelds(like the one on 3DS). sadly not all games get those releases so being able to run some of my favorites on my pixel 7 with a backbone is great.

[@francisyorkmorgan1341]

At times we must purge things from this world because they should not exist.

[@lakitu6422]

I own many consoles (I got almost all of them for really cheap). I almost never play on them (I haven't played on some of them). I thought I needed a crt but looking at your gameplay I'm rethinking diving into console mods and all that and just using my PC. It sure would save a lot of space.

[@Mr.Welbig]

I was thinking of getting my Wii serviced for better video. But after Dolphin got updated for sharper pixels im not so sure anymore.

[@snintendog]

I was an Orginal Console runner for along time the modding and the constant Upsacling. Then I found the MISTeR project. That stream lined everything and it was a simple setup and it had the best of both worlds. I can play on CRT and Flatscreen. All my collection is Digitised and selected by menu, No real Maintence for this guy other than the new cores, and Finally Endless choices for controllers.

[@ashdoginc]

The thing that attracted me to consoles in the 90s was the plug and play aspect. PC games, you always had to worry about specs. Unfortunately, modern consoles have become a pain in the ass - you discover Oh the OS needs an update. You do the update, then maybe buy a game that takes time to download and install - if your HD have enough spare room available. If you don't you are forced to clear some space or maybe find an external HD. Then when you finally go to play the game - Oh it needs an update.

[@stevent7944]

This was very enjoyable. ...and subscribe!

[@AlexLaTerreur]

It happened late at night this summer when I was playing final fantasy II. I was at the final boss and he suddenly made a powerful attack and the screen went backward and it looked so freaking cool and don't let me talk about the music. It was heaven to my ears. I looked at the super nintendo under my television and I had chills down my spine. This console is more than 30 years old and GOD DAMN I will probably remember that night forever.

[@sucrosa]

i played through the entirety of the majority of the PS1 games ive played on my PSP lol, playing games on consoles themselves, especially stuff like the ds and 3ds definitely has a lot of contextual entertainment to it but the accessibility of a PC is just unmatched

[@Thundervolt888]

KZbin algorithm gang where you at? Who’s here after the whole Nintendo Switch Yuzu emulator lawsuit? 😅 I forgot I had this video downloaded and it still popped up with the algorithm lol

[@robbertlw9610]

You deserve more subscribers!

[@franciscooteiza]

NOOOO!!

[@robbertlw9610]

@@franciscooteiza why not? 😂😂

[@GetOffMyyLawn]

I have an pc in an arcade cabinet from recroom masters. Adding scan lines and monitor curve along with bezels adds a ton of "authenticity" to the games. I have an an all original Atari Lynx 2 with almost all of the original games that i am afraid to use for fear of it blowing its capacitors.

[@adrian_veidt]

Enhanced resolution, more shaders, mods, save states and easier to input cheats makes it easy to pick Emulators. Plus it's easier to get the roms. But there's something magical playing old games on crt tvs. Opening game boxes. Reading the intruction manuals. And it's just plug and play.