Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover checking a used console from the listing photos to the first game, regions and what your TV needs, what complete in box really means, spotting reproduction carts and fake controllers, and buying a modded console. New to retro hardware? Start with how to check a console.
How to Check a Used Retro Console, From the Listing Photos to the First Game
Check a used NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, PS1 or Atari 2600 before you buy: power supply, video cable, a real game test, yellowing, screws and recaps.
Read the guide →NTSC, PAL, NTSC-J and RGB Explained: Regions and Video for Retro Consoles
Which games run on which console, how each platform region-locks, why PAL runs slower, and what a modern TV needs from RF, composite, S-video and RGB.
Read the guide →CIB vs Loose vs Sealed: What Complete Means for a Retro Game
What complete in box means for NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, PS1 and Atari games, what sealed means, and how to check a box, manual and inserts in photos.
Read the guide →Spotting Reproduction Carts and Fake Controllers
How to tell a reproduction cartridge, burned PS1 disc or clone controller from the real thing, and what a dead save battery looks like.
Read the guide →Modded Retro Consoles Explained
What region mods, RGB mods, HDMI kits, recaps and PS1 modchips do, how to read a modded listing, and when a stock console is the better buy.
Read the guide →