I’ve just been chatting to my sister, who told me she’d bought her fella a Nintendo 64 and GoldenEye 007. It’s going mainstream; with retro games enjoying a resurgence, more and more people are looking for a way to play the classics.
This got me thinking: was that the easiest way to do it? After all, you can’t connect a Nintendo 64 to a brand new TV as RGB and YPBPR are beig phased out. Other consoles have a similar issue.
Meanwhile, emulators are – let’s face it – a pain in the backside if all you want to do is get the retro feelz. So, what is the easiest way to play retro games?
Easily play old games online
Yep, it’s as simple as that. Tons of retro games can be enjoyed in your browser, requiring no extra hardware, no emulators (they’re there, but you don’t need to touch them), and in many cases, no purchase.
All you need is your keyboard and mouse, or perhaps a joystick or your game controller (which can be usually be used through the browser if it is already set up on your computer).
But where can you find browser-based retro games?
2 places to play retro games in your browser
Various websites offer a collection of classic titles that will play in your browser. However, the legality of some of these sites is in question.
Fortunately, two sites in particular are worth checkiing out, with thousands of genuine retro classics available to play in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox browsers.
- Classic Reloaded: this website has an immense collection of over 6000 classic PC (DOS and Windows) and console titles
- Internet Archive Arcade: the largest legal collection of retro games can be found on archive.org’s Internet Archive, ready to play in your browser
The chances are you’ll find yourself browsing the list for hours, but luckily both sites offer a useful search feature to find the game you want.
Or just buy a retro console
Games in your browser are easy to load. They’re work on almost any device. But in most cases, you’ll need to get through a few adverts first. So, what is the alternative?
A retro console.
Devices like the Nintendo NES Mini Classic, TheC64 Mini, TheA500 Mini, the SEGA Mega Drive Mini, and many others, are affordable, have all the games you love, and require minimal set up. You simply plug and play with these devices, which deliver instant retro feels.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.