Retro gaming PCs are booming in 2026, and not just for nostalgia — Here's the story behind it and how to build your own on the cheap

Nestled in the shadow of stunning AAA graphics, custom PC builds that cost as much as a used car, and throbbing RGB lighting is a growing collective of retro PC gaming enthusiasts who want nothing more than to keep the world of 8-bit, 16-bit, and early 3D games not just alive, but thriving.

While the retro gaming scene has been quietly growing for years, it certainly seems like 2026 has been a tipping point, especially with how expensive PC components have become.

Online communities like r/RetroGaming and r/CRTGaming are busy centers. Retro arcades are packed on weekends. And searches for "retro PC gaming builds" have skyrocketed in recent months. People are digging out old hardware, firing up emulators, and building dedicated retro rigs for some good ol' couch co-op in the living room.

So what's driving this resurgence? And how do you actually get started? Here's what you need to know.

Why are so many PC gamers interested in retro games?

The answer to why so many gamers are interested in older titles from bygone eras is multi-layered.

One of the biggest drivers, at least for my own retro gaming ambition, is nostalgia. The games I grew up on helped form the preferences I still carry today, and there's nothing quite like going back to a game I used to love, even if it's not perfect.

There are plenty of games being developed today that resemble older titles, using pixel art and time-tested mechanics. Although older more experienced gamers can often point out a newer game's influential origins, younger gamers are increasingly searching out original games to see why their influence remains so strong today.

The nostalgia factor goes hand-in-hand with game preservation. Without the support of enthusiasts, many games would be forgotten, unable to be played because their associated hardware is no longer produced or maintained, and their software lost to time.

This is well encapsulated by the r/CRTGaming Reddit community I covered in a separate piece. The community's passions are focused on the preservation of CRT displays, but the games played on those screens are almost always of the retro variety.

Newer isn't always better

For the younger readers, games used to launch in a working state. What was put onto a cartridge or disc and shipped was the final version of the game; no patches, no updates, and no second chances.

The best retro games still hold up today, with crisp mechanics, clear goals, and no scope creep after launch. You can sit down today or thirty years from now and know exactly what you're getting.

Compare that to today's modern mainstream gaming landscape. Early access titles that may or may not ever complete development. Billion-dollar AAA studios that pump out absolute crap year after year. Paid battle passes that get you cringy AI-generated cosmetics. Always-online multiplayer that doesn't work. Unfinished launches and ineffective patches. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.

With the cost of PC gaming hardware always on the rise, I don't doubt that a lot of retro gamers also arrived at their destination thanks to a much lower cost of entry.

Buying and restoring your own retro consoles is one route, although prices can add up quickly for collector items. Relatively affordable handheld devices like the Anbernic RG351V are another option; I use it to recapture early Game Boy magic first experienced in the '90s.

This being Windows Central, I'm focusing more on the PC and retro gaming mashup that's probably the easiest way to enjoy your favorite titles from generations gone by.

You don't need a powerful GPU. You don't even need a powerful CPU. High-resolution display with fast refresh rate? Forget about it. All you need to get started is a potato PC with some emulator software and ROMs.

How do I get into retro gaming in 2026?

Let me preface this by stating that I'm not suggesting you break any laws. Emulators, aka the software that emulates a specific console's hardware, are usually legal, or at minimum exist in a grey area.

ROMs, aka the software that holds a specific game, are a different story. If you own a physical copy of the game, a ROM technically isn't illegal. If you don't own the game, downloading it is illegal. Do with that information what you will.

Hardware requirements for retro game emulation

The best resource I've yet to discover for help with building your own retro gaming setup is RetroTechLab.com. Among the countless guides and reviews, there's an entire section on how to set up practically any old PC as a retro gaming centerpiece.

For 8-bit and 16-bit games from the NES, SNES, and Genesis generations, you'll want at least an Intel Pentium 4 chip running at 2.0GHz and 2GB of RAM. Considering this chip is now 25 years old, that shouldn't be a problem.

If you're going for 32-bit games from PlayStation and Nintendo 64 generations, something like a dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.0GHz should do the trick, as long as it has at least 4GB of RAM. The same goes for handhelds like Game Boy and PSP.

Once you get into the PS2, GameCube, and Dreamcast eras with 128-bit graphics, emulation demands rise considerably. A more modern Intel Core i3 chip at 3.0GHz and 8GB of RAM are recommended, although a Core i5 is better.

As for a GPU, something discrete is always better, especially if you're dealing with more demanding features like shaders and filters. However, most emulators offer software rendering that makes them work quite well on integrated graphics.

What are the best retro game emulators to run on PC?

RetroArch is one of the most popular emulators because it supports a wide variety of console generations. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you probably won't want to try anything else.

For older arcade titles, MAME is the go-to program for many golden age classics.

If you're more interested in GameCube and Wii emulation, Dolphin is a solid choice. Many gamers have success emulating OG Xbox titles with Xemu, and for PlayStation, I recommend DuckStation.

Using more than one emulator is common practice, and something like EmulationStation is designed to pull everything together into one manageable package. It's what I use on my Steam Deck, but it'll also work on Windows.

How do I build my own retro gaming PC?

I mostly use my Steam Deck as a platform for retro game emulation, but I've been toying with the idea of building a cheap little PC to keep connected to my living room PC. Once again, RetroTechLab comes in clutch.

One of the most practical routes is with a single-board PC. A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 4GB of RAM is available for about $110 at Amazon, and it can run the specialized RetroPie OS made for emulation right out of the box. Add a controller and an HDMI cable, and you're ready to go.

If you're targeting some of the more demanding emulators, a new or used mini PC with more powerful hardware is a stellar option. Or, as I outlined above, try your hand at repurposing an old laptop or PC that's otherwise collecting dust in a closet.

Over to you

I'm really only scratching the surface of retro gaming here; it's a deep subject that resonates with a lot of people, and the resulting projects often reveal the ingenuity and engineering prowess of enthusiastic gamers.

Have you built a retro gaming PC solely for running emulators? Have you repurposed an old laptop for the task? Do you run emulators on your gaming handheld?

I'm certain that more than a few of our readers here at Windows Central have something interesting to share on the subject of retro gaming, and I urge you to let us know in the comments section below!

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