Retro gaming is very much in right now, and it's arguably more accessible than ever. While it can be a pain to figure out how to hook up old consoles like the Nintendo GameCube up to modern TVs, emulators are capable of getting our old favourite video games running on devices like our mobile phones.
If you're set on having a retro gaming experience to play from the comfort of your sofa though, Wowcher is currently offering a gadget that can give you just that for £14.99. Called the Game Stick 4K, the gadget comes in the form of a small HDMI dongle that looks similar to a Fire TV Stick, except it's pre-loaded with over 10,000 retro games ready for you to play.
The setup is incredibly simple - all you need to do is plug the stick into a free HDMI port on your telly and plug in a power adapter to give it some juice. Insert the included USB receiver to connect the two included controllers and you're good to go.
From there, you'll have access to nine different video game emulators, each of which are capable of playing a massive library of games from a specific retro console. Here's the list of all the console's it's able to support:
- Atari 2600
- GameBoy Advance
- GameBoy Color
- SEGA Mega Drive
- Nintendo Family Computer
- PlayStation 1
- PlayStation Portable
Within each console, you'll find a list of preloaded games that are ready to play. Some of the classics include a staggering number of Street Fighter's, Need for Speed and even the original Super Mario Bros.
These games date back decades, but they're still more than playable with this modern day gadget. The two included controllers have all the buttons you need to play all the games too, so you shouldn't have any issues with compatibility.
As there's two wireless controllers in the box, it means you can play two-player co-op games with the device too. Setting up a 1v1 in Mortal Kombat or Mario Kart is as easy as pressing ready up on the second controller, making it an ideal pickup if you're thinking about hosting a retro video games party.
BUY THE RETRO GAMING CONSOLE AT WOWCHER
The only caveat is that while the stick technically includes an emulator for PS1 games, it's not quite powerful enough to run them all flawlessly. It's perfectly capable of emulating the likes of the SNES and GameBoy Advance, but for more intensive games you'll need to look elsewhere.
This retro game stick normally costs £39.99, but Wowcher is offering it for a huge 63% off, bringing the total cost down to £14.99. Given that the stick includes over 10,000 games, you're picking up each one for much less than a penny each.
Customers who bought the device from Amazon left positive reviews, reflecting on the nostalgia most of them had for playing the games back in the day. "Has to be one of my most satisfying purchases on Amazon. All the games from my childhood are on it and they play reasonably well. Just a few issues here and there ...but my kid loves it! He's 6! And so he doesn't know any better," writes one happy customer.
Another shares the same sentiment, saying: "Was nervous about buying this due to some bad reviews. All was great however. Plug and play.... all the games from my childhood. Sure there are multiple instances of the same games in the listing but makes no diff when you are scrolling through 2000 games!"
A third adds: "I bought this product for my grandchildren for when they visit. I know it's very basic compared to the games they play nowadays but a bit of nostalgia never goes amiss. I'm sure they will find their way round it quicker than me but I find it a very entertaining product for the price."
Other customers weren't too impressed with the reliability of the device, though. "I think for the price if you have a spare tv or want it for a kid it's ideal but for me who doesn't want to have to keep disconnecting my sky box everytime I want to play it's a bit of a hassle," writes one customer.
Another left this review, saying: "The problem is that some games don't work, some are labelled wrong and some are in Japanese, it can be really frustrating wanting to play a certain game and running into these issues."
Fancy playing some retro games in a handheld format? Amazon also has a limited time deal on this retro handheld console that sports a built-in screen to play games on the go. It's down to £80.74 from £94.99 right now.
Alternatively, there's this even smaller retro handheld console that Amazon is selling for £13.48. It comes equipped with 150 games from the 1980s.
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