The Best Retro Gaming Hardware Coming In 2018

When looking ahead to the year in games, it's natural to tally up the upcoming releases you're most excited for. However, interest in retro gaming hardware continues to grow, as seen in the demand for the NES Classic and SNES Classic. And at CES 2018, we saw what the year has in store in terms of new options to play old games. Third-party gamepads and systems to play games of the past aren't entirely new, but modern tweaks and technical refinement bring us closer to the original experiences and in more accessible ways. Let's look into the past's future with a quick rundown of the throwback controllers and retro consoles on the way.

We've covered plenty of hardware that taps into gaming nostalgia, and you can check out reviews of the Analogue Nt Mini, Retron 5 console, Retron HD, and the Sega Genesis Flashback system. If you need to catch up on the biggest stories from CES 2018, be sure to read about Nvidia's 65-inch monitor, Razer's phone-laptop hybrid project, or what AMD has in store for PC gaming's future.

Hyperkin is bringing back the Nintendo Game Boy in the form of the Ultra GB. It shares a similar form factor to the old Game Boy Pocket, but with a dense aluminum chassis. The Ultra GB plays the original Game Boy cartridges just like the old handheld did, and offers a few modern tweaks. The prototype at CES only featured blue screen tint, but an RGB wheel will be implemented to change the screen's single-colored tint. It also has a front-lit screen and stereo audio, and the final version will have a USB-C port for charging.

Price and release date: TBD

The SupaBoy is essentially a portable SNES/Super Famicom combo since it plays original SNES and Super Famicom cartridges, and has an NTSC/PAL switch. It sports the Super Famicom color scheme, unlike the previously released SupaBoy S. This new version can also switch between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios on its 4.3-inch screen. It charges through micro-USB and lasts up to 10 hours when fully charged.

Price and release date: $100, January 2018

Retro-bit is launching a new version of its retro console with the Super Retro Trio Plus. It plays original NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis cartridges all in one system, but the new addition to this model is its HDMI port and sharper 720p resolution, which makes it convenient to play old games on modern TVs. There are ports for all three controllers of the original consoles, but it also comes with two of Retro-bit's own controllers.

Price and release date: $80, January 2018

Throwback consoles aren't exclusive to the Nintendo-styled systems; Hyperkin revealed its Mega Retron HD, which models itself after the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive consoles. It'll play Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges region-free (PAL and NTSC) in 720p through HDMI and can switch between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios. Hyperkin's GN6 Genesis-like controller also comes packaged.

Price and release date: TBD

Super R-Type and R-Type III are coming back this May with a re-release in R-Type Returns. These two games are SNES/Super Famicom classics, and this multi-cart by Retro-bit will also have a collector's edition for $60; you'll get stickers, a pin set, and a collector's box. The standard edition will go for $40.

Price and release date: $40 (standard) / $60 (collector's edition), May 2018

The original Famicom game Holy Diver never got an official release outside of Japan, but Retro-bit will launch a licensed version of it this May. The standard edition will be $35 and the collector's edition, which comes with a special box, pins, and stickers, will be $60.

Price and release date: $35 (standard) / $60 (collector's edition), May 2018

The GoRetro Portable bears a striking resemblance to the Game Boy, but this handheld is a little more than a simple recreation. Even though the final roster is still being worked on, Retro-bit stated it'll come with over 300 preloaded games; only titles from Capcom and Data East were playable at CES. It charges through micro-USB and is said to last up to 10 hours on a full charge. Two color schemes will be available: light blue with grey accent and black with red accent.

Price and release date: $35, September 2018

Hyperkin revealed that it's bringing back that old, bulky Xbox controller last year, but it was demoed at CES 2018. It's much lighter than the original controller but retains the same ergonomics. One important modern twist is the implementation of shoulder buttons that act as the old black and white buttons (which are also still functional on the controller). Hyperkin's Duke works through a micro-USB connection on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC.

Price and release date: $70, March 2018

Retro-bit is partnering with Sega to bring back original Sega controllers, and the Genesis gamepad will have Bluetooth wireless connectivity to use with PC, Mac, and Android. A separate Bluetooth receiver makes it compatible with the Genesis, too. A wired USB version will also be available.

Price and release date: TBD

Original Saturn controllers are making a comeback with Bluetooth wireless connectivity as well. The wired USB version comes in black, white, and grey color variants, while the wireless one only comes in black. These are compatible with PC, Mac, and Android, but there will also be a Bluetooth dongle to use the wireless version on the Sega Saturn.

Price and release date: TBD

The Dreamcast hasn't been forgotten; the original Sega Dreamcast controller is coming back with wired and wireless versions. Like the Saturn and Genesis gamepads, the wireless Dreamcast gamepad uses Bluetooth for PC, Mac, and Android and a separate dongle lets you use it on the original console.

Price and release date: TBD