- Primary Subject: Retro Gaming Hardware and Emulators
- Key Update: Comprehensive guide to retro gaming in 2026, covering hardware, emulators, and modern TV integration.
- Status: Published
- Last Verified: 2026-05-12
- Quick Answer: Check out the best hardware, emulators, and methods for playing retro and indie games in 2026 on modern devices.
Gaming in 2026 is more than just expensive AAA or live-service games. Efforts are being made to help retro and smaller indie titles find a spotlight.
Enthusiasts have made sure older games find a new home on modern hardware, whether that is an officially licensed one by a big corporation or created by fans who miss that old feeling of getting under your bed sheets and turning on a Game Boy Advance SP in the middle of the night.
In this guide, I'll break down everything you need to know about playing classic and retro games in 2026. It will include the best hardware to do so, emulators for your phone (iOS and Android), but also give you a glimpse into newer games that aim to maintain that retro aesthetic vibe alive and breathing.
Best Hardware For Retro Gaming (2026)
Retro gaming in 2026 is more accessible than before. While the very basic offerings include simply getting a Nintendo Switch and paying for a Nintendo Online Subscription, if you want to dig deeper and actually get access to hundreds of indie and retro games, you're spoiled for choice.
Here are my Top 5 recommendations and why I chose them.
Steam Deck
The easiest choice, but also one of the most expensive on the entire list. If you don't know what a Steam Deck is, first of all, I've no idea how long you've managed to survive living under a rock with no access to sunlight and Wi-Fi.
In any case, the Steam Deck is Valve's very own handheld. Specs-wise, it's falling a little behind when compared to other premium handheld devices, with modern titles sometimes being deeply unoptimized for the platform that desperately needs a refresh. However, for retro gaming/indie titles, it remains king.
The Steam Deck is easy to tinker with, letting you set up a wide variety of emulators like EmuDeck or the ever-popular Dolphin emulator for all your retro Nintendo needs.
That, plus the ability to run your entire collection of indies from your library, makes the Steam Deck a very safe investment if you plan to use it consistently.
Analogue Pocket
Perhaps the coolest handheld on this entire list, the Analogue Pocket is a millennial's dream.
Created by the company Analogue, this nifty device is a gem for those who love portable handhelds that actually fit in your pocket (looking at you, Switch 2). It's got a slick design that will immediately remind you of a Game Boy SP and is compatible right out of the box with thousands of games, including the entire Game Boy catalogue (from the original all the way to Advance). Then you have the Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, TurboGrafx-16 or the Atari Lynx, and you can see why the Pocket is a hot commodity.
The novelty of this device is that it can actually read cartridges from compatible devices. So, it's made for the utmost enthusiasts, with specs that really make these handheld games shine, with a 1600x1440 3.5in LCD screen that even has the ability to match the original displays of your games.
It's also not particularly cheap, priced at $239.99. You can, of course, emulate games, but be mindful that it's designed to run only games for handheld devices, and the specs reflect that. You won't be playing GameCube or PS2 games on this bad boy.
Retroid Pocket 6
If you're looking for something that is truly bang for buck, even if, as the kids say, gets mogged by the Analogue Pocket in the aesthetics department, then the Retroid Pocket 6 is a better investment.
The Retroid doesn't have novelty features like the ability to read cartridges, but it comes with much beefier specs and an Android OS that gives you all the flexibility you need when it comes to emulation. It has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that is more than enough to run basically every game from every console we consider retro in the year 2026.
What's even cooler: there are two models to choose from. One with the analogue stick on top or with the D-Pad, adding a neat sense of customizability.
Retroid has a ton of hardware for retro enthusiasts, but if you're looking for the best they have to offer, the Pocket 6 will be the best $244 you'll spend on retro gaming.
Analogue 3D
Going back to the Analogue brand, the Analogue 3D is a must-have if you want to revive the retro home console experience. This one is entirely based on the N64, allowing you to experience the whole library in 4K resolution if you have a TV or monitor capable of that output.
While it can play certain ROMs, it is designed as a very premium device for physical Nintendo 64 collectors. It's priced at $269.99, for that, unless you're a diehard N64 fan, you can find other emulators on the market, but if you really, really want that pristine experience of the Nintendo 64, there's no better choice than the 3D Analogue.
Retroid Pocket Handheld Classic
I've talked about some high-end devices, but if you're looking for the best budget-friendly retro hardware, the Retroid Pocket Classic's got you covered.
For $100 you get a handheld console able to virtually run any sort of classic game. Unlike the Analogue Pocket, this one can actually play games from systems like the N64 and PS2. It doesn't have an HDMI output, so you won't be able to use it as anything other than a portable device, but everything it sets out to do, it does wonderfully.
Best Android & iOS Emulators (2026)
The smartphone emulation market was dominated by Android for years, almost by default, as Apple didn't allow emulation apps on the App Store. That changed in 2024 when the floodgates were finally opened.
Now we have a wide selection of emulators, whether you're an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy fanboy. These are my top picks.
Delta (iOS)
The entry-level emulation app, which can also be used on Android by simply downloading an APK. It's easy to set up and comes with a ton of features, including online play, save states, the ability to customize its layout and more.
It's designed for Nintendo games, with compatibility including NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Nintendo DS, and a few more consoles. What's crazy is that you can even use Nintendo hardware like the Switch Pro controller, and certain titles have gyro aim enabled, like WarioWare: Twisted!
Dolphin (iOS & Android)
If you ever fancied playing Smash Melee on your phone, you can do so via Dolphin. Granted, you'll need a very powerful high-end smartphone to do so, but Dolphin is indeed available on iOS and Android devices.
I'm not talking about the "official" Dolphin app on the App Store. You'll need to manually download it via third-party App Stores, so it requires a bit of setting up, making it a less enticing option for those who just want to essentially "plug and play" than Delta. On top of that, you need a really high-end device to even think about running it.
The same applies to Android users, although they can at least download Dolphin from the official Google Play Store.
How To Find Neo-Retro Games (2026)
We all love retro games, but sometimes, we crave some retro aesthetics with modern sensibilities. No shortage of indies aim to evoke a bygone era of gaming, but sometimes finding them can be hard.
Finding them physically can be tough and very region-dependent, however, digital storefronts have plenty to choose from. Here are some of my recommendations.
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop houses dozens and dozens of games that range from garbage-tier shovelware to cute indie gems that can be hard to spot. Nonetheless, taking a deep dive into what it has to offer can yield some great results.
Use the Advanced Search functionality to better tailor your search to find exactly what you're looking for. You can even browse the Great Deals section, as indie and retro titles often go on sale.
Steam
Steam offers a ton of ways to find your next big indie obsession. Not only does the Store section do a really good job at curating games by different genres, price range, and even an entire section tailored to your unique interests, Valve often has events at several points of the year to shine a spotlight on less popular titles.
The Steam Next Fest happens three times a year, giving players a glimpse to check out indies with demos, streams, and dev talks, so always stay tuned for those.
Itch.io
Itch.io is a storefront dedicated to independent developers to showcase their titles. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the indie scene, this should be your go-to stop.
Here, developers are in charge of everything, from setting the price to the way they market each game, making it a much more organic experience than navigating some of the more traditional digital storefronts. You can customize your search by price, genre, recently uploaded games and more.
Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is a bit different. It's not a traditional storefront as it focuses on collections of games and other types of media at very discounted prices.
You can still buy individual software, and it's usually very cheap, so browsing what they have to offer is always a good idea. The most popular bundles include ones that let you set your own price, usually sold as part of charity events, so it's a double win.
How To Get Retro Games Running On Modern 4K TVs?
How would you make a retro game or console run smoothly on a 4K display with minimal input? Truth be told, it's a hard task to undertake.
You'll still be dealing with a lot of tinkering on the hardware side of things, or you can outright purchase a video processor to do the work for you.
Buy An Upscaler
The easiest solution would be to buy an upscaler to do the dirty work for you. One of the most popular high-end options is the RetroTINK-4K, which takes virtually any possible video output you can imagine retro consoles had and turns it into a native 4K60 output. You can even turn on filters like a CRT mode to keep a nice level of authenticity.
The OSSC Pro is another popular choice, one that, according to reports, adds the least amount of input delay to your games, albeit it's a bit trickier to set up, as some TVs might have issues detecting the device, leading to a bit of frustration.
Purchase Modern Retro-centric Hardware
As I detailed above, there is a ton of retro-designed hardware in the market. Although the vast majority have portability in mind, some have workarounds to help you use them on bigger displays.
For instance, the Analogue Pocket has an official dock that lets you connect the device to a TV or external monitor. It's an extra $100 on top of the console price, but if you really want to game on a bigger display, it's a great choice for enthusiasts.
Why Indie Games Keep The Retro Spirit Alive
Modern indie games are more than just a vibe. Gaming is getting more expensive; purchasing hardware months after it releases is now, ironically, more expensive than if you forked out cash for it day one. Indie games offer a sort of safe haven, away from investor politics that demand every bit of modern AAA gaming to be monetized, keeping things closer to what creators envision.
In particular, retro indie titles keep that spirit of older games very much alive and well, allowing for a new generation of developers who grew up loving the medium as much as fans to inject fresh ideas into classic concepts. Take, for instance, The Messenger, a gorgeous side-scrolling adventure that uses retro aesthetics to tell its story. You are a ninja who can jump between two distinct ages within his world, a modern one crafted in crisp 16-bit action and the older, classical era depicted in an 8-bit NES style.
If you're a beat 'em up fan, they're making a comeback too: TMNT Shredder's Revenge, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Scott Pilgrim EX. Again, a perfect example of a genre people consider a key part of the retro arcade genre, injected with modern gaming sensibilities for whole new audiences to explore.
It's clear that AAA gaming isn't going anywhere, but whether you want to relive memories or experience fresh takes on retro styles, there truly is no better way to jump into the world of retro and indie games than right now.
And that's it. Stick with us at StealthOptional.com: your go-to source for all things retro gaming.