Okay, I’m going to say it: Prime Day isn’t great for retro deals. You could argue the whole event is a bit of a damp squib this year, and that’s almost certainly tied to the global cost of living crisis and AI data centres giving the hardware scene at large a kicking.
I don’t want you to think I’m being defeatist, though, as I’ve been hard at work picking out the best Prime Day retro deals live all week. It’s more that the very structure of the sale will dupe retro console collectors and classic gaming fans alike into thinking that remakes and emulation systems will be more affordable. That’s not remotely the case, and if you want to get anything from the October Big Deal Days event, I’d focus on smaller setup improvements.
By that, I mean you should embrace discounts on lower-priced gadgets, like the best retro controllers and HDMI upscalers that’ll help with connecting your retro consoles to a modern TV or monitor. By ignoring the faux hype around alleged “big deals”, you’ll be able to benefit from what could be described as a needless secondary sale, and if anything, most savings you’ll find aren’t even subscriber-exclusive.
Reach for retro controllers
One of the easiest ways to jazz up your authentic retro gaming setup is to arm your system with a new controller. There are a staggering number of modern retro gamepads out there that can hook straight up to your old machines either with an included dongle or a Retro Receiver, and they have the power to help your inputs feel new while cutting the cord.
No, I’m not saying you should replace all your original controllers with new gamepads, and the fact that I collect and restore accessories should make that obvious. However, I do think some of the top new sets of buttons, like the wonderful 8Bitdo N64 controller and the excellent Gulikit Elves 2 Pro are well worth a look, even if you simply use it as a wireless alternative for when the need arises.
Of course, Amazon being Amazon, not every option I’d love to recommend is cheaper for Prime Day. Therefore, your options will be limited if you’re looking for specific retro console gadgets. There’s room to argue that some gizmos are affordable already if you happen to need one right now, but otherwise, I’d just bide your time if you’re on a budget.
Sensibly priced upscalers
If you’ve ever looked into HDMI upscalers for your consoles, you’ll know some are an eyewatering investment. No shade to the likes of RetroTINK since they make some pretty incredible options that’ll ramp up your visuals to 4K, but I know from chatting with many readers that most players need something cheaper.
That’s where sales like Prime Day can come in handy, as some of my go-to upscalers, like the OSSC and the GBS-C, normally get a price cut. That’s absolutely the case this October since both are under $100 for the sale, and while you’ll need an additional composite transcoder if you’re planning on using systems without RGB output, they will make all the difference to your setup for less than you’d think.
I’d recommend diving into my wider thoughts on what the OSSC can do for your setup and check out how the GBS-C can eliminate PS2 jittery visuals. The short of it, though, is that the latter is great for systems with interlaced output thanks to its motion adaptive deinterlacing, while the former “line doubler” provides cleaner scaling with next to no input lag. Both are pretty great for under $100, and they could help you keep playing the oldies while new systems spiral out of control price-wise.
Helpful hacks
Those of you who want to get more out of your original machines without resorting to emulation can also get something out of Prime Day. That’s thanks to the fact that there are gadgets included in the sale that will let you run homebrews and backups on the likes of the PS1, PS2, and N64, and for the most part, the accessories are plug-and-play.
The specific gizmos on my mind right now are the Summercart64, a flash cart I use to play Zelda ROM hacks, and the PSXMemcard Gen 2, a modern memory card that uses SD card storage. Both are technically different devices, with the Everdrive alternative spoofing the cartridge slot to run ROMs from storage and the latter using pre-installed Free Mcboot tricks to provide access to softmod your PlayStation 2. Nevertheless, I’d say they’re both spiritually connected and serve the same role for both systems, and they’ll well worth a look if you’re into retro console tinkering.
My hope is that by highlighting some of the more affordable retro gadgets, I’ll help many of you focus on little discounts that add up to bigger savings. Ultimately, I do think Prime Day has really dropped the ball this year by virtually neglecting to include pricer devices like retro handhelds and consoles. I’d even say that if that puts you off giving the retailer your business for now, then that’s completely acceptable, but if you have been waiting to work on your retro console setup, you can still make the most of the situation.
We’ve got you covered on how to play N64 games if you’re looking to revisit Ninty’s first 3D system in the big 26.