Retro Gaming Setup for Beginners: What You Actually Need

Getting into 90s console and PC gaming today doesn't require hunting down thirty-year-old original hardware. Most people get there faster and cheaper with a mix of official mini consoles, current storefronts, and a couple of well-chosen accessories. This guide covers what you actually need, in order, with links to the detailed comparisons below for each category.

Choose a platform first

• Official mini consoles (like a SEGA Genesis Mini) are the lowest-effort way to play a curated library of original 90s games on a modern TV, with no separate software setup.
• Current storefronts (Switch, Steam, PlayStation, Xbox) sell official collections and individual re-releases; our Play Today hub tracks what's actually available where.
• Original hardware (a real SNES, N64, or PS1) needs a TV connection plan, since almost no current television has the composite or RF input these consoles were built for.
• PC and DOS options run through GOG.com or DOSBox rather than a controller purchase; see our separate DOS setup guide.

Essential accessories

• A controller that fits how you actually want to play, covered in our controller guide and our narrower SNES-style controller comparison.
• A video adapter or upscaler if you're connecting original hardware to a modern TV; our SNES-to-TV guide and its N64 and PS1 counterparts cover specific cabling.
• Somewhere to keep cartridges or discs organized and protected, covered in our cartridge storage guide.

Compatibility checklist

• Check region: original PAL, NTSC-J, and NTSC-U hardware and cartridges aren't all interchangeable.
• Check connector: original consoles output composite, S-Video, or RF, not HDMI, without an adapter.
• Check controller input: USB, Bluetooth, and original-console connectors aren't interchangeable without the right adapter or a controller built for the target device.

Optional upgrades

Arcade sticks (see our arcade stick guide), a mini console bundled with extra pads, or gifts for a fellow collector (see our gift guide) are worth adding once the basics above are covered, not before.