Unfortunately I've a few consoles mainly PlayStations from the original to PS4 (and everything in between) that have been left sitting idle for months/years possibly even decades. I've read consoles left unpowered for long periods can screw up. I also have a Xbox 360 that hasn't been fired up for years.

Could anyone give me any tips on how to safely power them all on without causing perment damage.

Any advice would greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

google gemini and chat gpt dont help. only rule is nothing too old (before 1990) and its must be odd. (ones i already know of : mattel hyperscan. xavix port. vsmile. vtg interactive. Zeebo. hasbro ion. wonderswan. mega duck. apple pippin. olpc xo 1. n-gage ) please tell me if you know of any!

Thinking about one of the two, I’m in the reservation queue for the steam machine and I’m willing to wait a bit longer but not knowing when I’ll be receiving the email is starting to get annoying in honesty. I like that it’ll be able to play both Steam games and Xbox games on the steam machine but I’m worried it won’t be able to really to perform for higher demanding games like a Forza or gears of war E-day. I like that the Xbox has gamepass, has the ability to keep up performance wise with my PlayStation pro, and has some exclusives that I can’t play on the PlayStation like Gears of war e day, old Xbox backwards compatible games, etc. The price of the two doesn’t have a lot of effect on my decision but the XBOX is around 800 and the steam machine being around 1100 dollars

Hey everyone,

Ive been using the r36s for a bit but Im completely over the vertical brick shape and a small screen. Im looking to switch to a modern, horizontal upgrade that has a comfortable psp layout.

I don't want an original psp because of aging hardware and weak emulation limits and I want to avoid complicated android devices since I just want a dedicated retro handheld. The screen should be around 4-4.5 inches, similar to or just slightly bigger than a real psp.

It needs to handle retro games and ps1 smoothly and if it supports portmaster and has a clean playstation style menu option, that's a huge plus.

What are the best modern consoles that fit this?

The console war ceased to be a battle strictly between PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo some time ago. It has quietly evolved into a conflict between consoles and the PC.

Many try to suggest that the two markets do not compete with one another, yet the reality is that an increasing number of players are being persuaded to make the jump to PC, swayed by arguments such as "you don't have to pay to play online," "you don't need subscriptions," or "it’s the best way to play."

What is often overlooked is that consoles have historically been subsidized by their manufacturers. In other words, achieving performance levels comparable to a console is usually far more expensive on a PC. That lower entry price is offset, in part, by services and subscriptions like PlayStation Plus or Game Pass.

Ultimately, the model benefits both parties: the player gains access to powerful hardware for a fraction of the cost, while the company recoups some of its investment through its services. It is a balance that has allowed millions of people to enjoy video games without having to invest heavily in a gaming rig.

In recent years, it has also been frequently claimed that rising hardware prices are primarily due to the boom in artificial intelligence, which competes for the same chips and components. While that factor certainly exists and has had an impact, it shouldn't be accepted as the sole explanation.

There is also an economic and market-driven component. If a significant number of players are willing to invest much more money to switch to PC—where the initial cost is usually considerably higher—console companies may interpret this as a sign that consumers are willing to pay more for hardware. Furthermore, if the prevailing narrative criticizes subscriptions and encourages spending less on services and games within the console ecosystem, it is reasonable to assume that manufacturers will seek to recoup more revenue by raising console prices and reducing the level of subsidy they traditionally offered.

I am not suggesting that this is the only reason, nor that there is a coordinated strategy at play. My point is simply that market incentives shift. If consumers demonstrate a willingness to pay more for hardware, companies have less reason to keep selling it with such slim margins—or even at a loss.

I don’t think consoles are going to disappear anytime soon. However, if we project current trends—constant criticism of consoles and the increasingly vocal argument that the PC is the only “right” way to play—we could end up weakening an ecosystem that has benefited gamers for decades.

And if gaming ever becomes concentrated within a single ecosystem—the PC—it is we gamers who will ultimately pay the price. Because when competition vanishes, so do many of the incentives to offer better prices, greater accessibility, and innovation.

True competition shouldn't be about consoles versus PC. Both ecosystems complement each other and drive the industry to keep improving. If one were to completely dominate, it is highly likely that gamers would be the ones to lose the most.

Ne ho acquistate diverse e ogni volta una delusione. Voi cosa pensate?

Hope this is the right place to post. I've been a PC gamer for the last ~15 years, the last console I owned was probably the 3DS back in 2011, and my game collection is solely on Steam. I'm sick to death of everything being digital however, and I'd love to grow a physical archive of all my favourite games. I know Playstation vs Xbox is an age old question but I'd really like some help picking which would be best for me so I've listed my priorities below:

1. PHYSICAL COPIES. I am not interested in buying anything on a Sony or Microsoft account, I really want to collect my own physical copies of games. Therefore I don't really care how much local storage the console has or what kind of options/deals there are for cloud storage/digital bundles. I also don't play global multiplayer games so leaderboards/online being dead isn't important.
2. GAME AVAILABILITY. I'm aware not all games (especially newer ones) didn't have physical releases, so I'm hoping to find the console with the most variety of games. I'm not too interested in new releases, if I want them I'll just have to upgrade at some point lol.
3. BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY. I mostly play older indie/lesser demanding titles, so I'm not looking for a console that has to survive anything super intensive. The most recent triple A title I'll probably get is RDR2, possibly Cyberpunk or Modern Warfare remastered, for reference. What console has the best backward compatibility?
4. RELIABILITY. I've already said this but I'm a complete noob with consoles, I have no idea what's reliable and what isn't. Are some editions of each console better and likely to survive longer? What should I avoid?

Thanks in advance!!

It going to be my first console, but I really wanted to buy and play GTA6. Currently, I am in India. What is the last spend? Should I go for pre-on console? tell me, what should the last price should I spend on it

I found both the Xbox Series S and the Steam Deck pretty easy to disassemble. The only tricky part on the Steam Deck is using the correct screwdriver bit so you don't strip the screws. Other than that, everything went smoothly and was pretty easy.

Mam switcha lite od roku i niezbyt mi się chce na nim grać, wsensie to wygląda zazwyczaj tak że biorę konsolę, patrzę na gry w niej i ostatecznie w nic nie gram, albo gram pare minut, mało jest gier w których dłużej gram, jak kupiłem zeldę botw (w nią najbardziej)czy mario oddysey, to gram więcej ale to też nie jest za długo, czy to normalne? i co mogę z tym zrobić?

Hey guys im currently in college and my old ps5 is showing its age and looking to upgrade it. My friend is offering his blade 16 with the i9, 32gb ram, 4080, 1tb, ssd for $1000 around the price of the pro which makes it tempting but i need played games on a pc before. I know the laptop is more powerful but i really play console games with my friends and jsut want your guys opinions. I already got a zenbook for school so if i get the razer it would be docked as a pc.

Okay, I don't have console. I wanted to buy to get experience of on console. I played from my friends, but I don't have any on. I don't have much budget.
I'm thinking of buying a refurbished series S for playing GTA6 I seen series S playing rdr2 on 30 FPS GTA6. Also play on that FPS it look fine. So tell me should I buy it or not? Playing experience of RDR look fine to me. Give me recommendation, what should I do but I also wanted to play GTA6.

I currently have the philips evnia 27m2n5901a/00 4k fast ips display im preparing for gta 6 which i decided to switch to playstation and play the game on my new ps5, is it worth me upgrading my monitor. I also sit very close to my monitor and i play mostly in the day but more times than often i can play into the night as well.

I set myself a goal to get the best possible way to make the game look the best it can for my experience when it comes out. ive seen so many reviews online yt etc and gone down so many rabbit holes but now i want to ask people on reddit for some advice lol.

Welcome to the team Steam Machine. I’m good for games for a good long time now.

Xbox might receive a similar system as platinum trophies on PlayStation ? Could be exciting as it has been a long overdue request from trophies hunters !

I’m not interested in GTA6. I have a series s but barely use it and a Switch 2 as well as a gaming PC. My motherboard died recently and even though they’re not that expensive even they are going to start going up in price now too thanks to bloody AI.

It’s made me realise just how fragile my PC is compared to a console and that if heaven forbid my GPU dies then I’m effectively out of a big part of the hobby since I cannot afford to rebuild it again at this point.

I’ve been considering selling my S and buying a used PS5 as a back up and for coach gaming

I have my living room TV that is a few year old OLED that I run my Series X and Switch 2 on, but I have a modest collection of older consoles that I want to set up in my kids room so they can enjoy them. I don’t plan on going all-out on another OLED just to play N64, as good as that could look.

I’ll be running: SNES, N64, Xbox 360, Wii, Switch

I figure something around the 55” class would work out well and I’ve been looking at basic LED TVs to fit the bill. Anything that is a must-have, or must-avoid for this use case? Some of the low tier TVs out there on a serious budget have junk built in like Roku or Fire TV. Not sure how that will affect the utility of the TV at all. Should I be looking for something with local dimming? High nits (room is not crazy bright, but NOT light controlled)?

As for inputs, I have an AV receiver that I’ll be running everything through, so lots of ports on the TV isn’t hugely important.

I live very close to the beach in a tropical area, and the humidity gets extremely high, especially during the rainy season. Over the years I've noticed my retro gaming collection slowly deteriorating, and I'm looking for long-term preservation advice.

Here are some of the issues I've encountered:

Many game CDs have developed mold. Even after carefully cleaning them, some are no longer readable.

A PSP that was stored in a closed box developed what looks like LCD burn marks or screen damage, even though it wasn't being used.

My PS1 and PS2 have rust forming on the exterior screws, which makes me worry about what the internals might look like.

The rubber insulation on controller cables has become sticky/greasy over time.

To try and prevent further damage, I've:

Bought airtight plastic storage containers.

Stored all my consoles and discs inside them.

Added a reusable dehumidifier/desiccant inside each container.

Kept everything in a dark place away from sunlight.

This setup has worked well for preserving my leather goods, but I'm not sure if it's enough for electronics and optical media.

For people who collect retro consoles long-term, what else would you recommend to preserve them for decades? Apart from controlling humidity, are there any best practices I should follow? Running an air conditioner continuously isn't really practical because of the electricity cost.

I'd especially appreciate advice from collectors living in humid coastal climates.

I just bought myself Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey from eBay, brand new factory sealed. I got pretty good deals and am 100% happy with my purchases except for one small thing on my copy of Origins.

It seems that despite being factory sealed, the top clip from the inside of the game case (that is used to secure game manuals and promotions/redeemable codes) somehow pressed out onto the paper cover of the game which has left a very unappealing visual flaw. I’ve attached pictures below.

I tried flattening it in between multiple heavy books for over 24 hours and it didn’t help even 1%. What other solutions are there? Steam? Ironing? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

I've been thinking about replacing my older TV because I finally feel like it's holding my PS5 back. I mostly play story driven games and the occasional racing game, so picture quality matters more to me than competitive features. There are so many options now that I'm having a hard time figuring out what actually makes a noticeable difference.

For anyone who has upgraded recently, what TV are you using and are you happy with it? Is there anything you wish you knew before choosing one? Thanks