A young gamer was gifted what appeared to be an Xbox Series S for Christmas, but instead found a classic retro console inside the box. Retro consoles, particularly those from the 1980s and 1990s, have remained relevant and are still popular despite dozens of other consoles being released since then.
During the late 2000s and early 2010s, retro video game consoles hit a high resurgence of relevancy. This was driven by these consoles being spotlighted online by gamers who grew up with them. Younger gamers who were not around to experience these systems firsthand were introduced to what video games were in the earliest days of the medium. This continues to be the case years later despite older games being more easily available on modern consoles through services like Nintendo Switch Online. Subsequently, older consoles remain popular options in the secondhand market for those looking to play these games on original hardware.
For decades, video game consoles have been a popular choice for parents looking to get their kids a memorable gift for the holidays. This was the case for a young gamer who was given an Xbox Series S console box for Christmas, a fitting gift for someone looking to play modern games. However, they soon found that the box actually contained a Nintendo Entertainment System alongside a few game cartridges including Super Mario Bros. 3, one of the most celebrated games on the console. The gamer who received the gift excitedly said the NES was a better gift than the Xbox Series S they thought they were getting.
Regardless of how old or outdated they may be perceived to be, retro consoles continue to have an active fanbase of gamers young and old. While it is still relatively easy to get a hold of highly influential consoles like the NES and SNES, the games on these systems have remained popular thanks to emulators, particularly on platforms like the Steam Deck. Despite this, there is still a sizable market for retro consoles, especially as they have gotten older and harder to find.
What it means for a console to be "retro" has changed over time. Consoles like the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo GameCube are now about as old as the NES was when it experienced a boom in interest. However, that has not made the NES lose its popularity with younger gamers. This can be attributed to Nintendo still being a major player in the modern gaming landscape, thus keeping its older systems in fashion. Retro games are kept alive through emulation, but the market for original pieces of hardware is unlikely to die down regardless of how much time has passed since these systems launched.