9 Best Retro Game Consoles (2022): Evercade, Polymega, Analogue Pocket, and Controllers

Do you remember the alluring 8-bit music, flashing screens, and excitement of the arcades? Maybe you spent happy hours in front of an early home computer or game console. Or perhaps you just want a taste of what early video games were like. Everyone loves new retro-looking games, but if you really want to scratch that nostalgic itch, you need to revisit the classics.

There are many ways to play retro games, but perhaps the easiest is to snag a retro gaming console. I grew up in the arcade and owned a string of computers and consoles over the years, so when updated versions of these systems were released, I jumped at the chance to test them. These are the best retro gaming consoles worth your time.

Updated December 2022: We added the Evercade EXP, Analogue Pocket, Dark Matter Arcade Fighting Stick, and Sega Genesis Mini 2. 

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.