5 Retro Consoles Still Worth Buying in 2026

The retro gaming market is booming. People are hunting down old machines not out of nostalgia alone — these consoles have libraries full of genuinely great games that hold up decades later. Here are five retro consoles still worth buying in 2026.

The SNES has one of the greatest game libraries ever assembled. Super Mario World, A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country, F-Zero, Street Fighter II. Every one of those is a masterpiece. A working SNES console goes for $60–$120 on eBay. Cartridges vary wildly but common titles are still affordable. This is the retro console to own.

The Dreamcast died young but it went out with a legendary library. Sonic Adventure, Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, Soul Calibur, Power Stone, Skies of Arcadia. It was also the first console with a built-in modem for online play. Units go for $80–$150 on eBay and the community has kept it alive with fan translations and new homebrew games.

The GBA library is staggering. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, Metroid Fusion, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Golden Sun. A used GBA SP — the clamshell version with a backlit screen — runs $60–$100 and it's one of the best gaming purchases you can make at any price.

Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, GoldenEye, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario Kart 64. These games invented what 3D gaming is. Nothing else plays like an N64 with an N64 controller. Units go for $60–$100 on eBay. Common games are affordable. Rare games (Harvest Moon, Bomberman 64 2) will cost you though.

The original PlayStation defined the JRPG genre. Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX. Chrono Cross. Xenogears. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Metal Gear Solid. Resident Evil 1 and 2. A working PS1 runs $40–$80 on eBay. Disc-based games are generally more affordable than cartridge games from the same era.