RetroN 1 HD is a great replacement for the NES Classic Edition

While the NES Classic Edition has been discontinued now, there is another option to get your retro gaming fix. The RetroN 1 HD has arrived, and, unlike the Nintendo console, it only costs $39.99 and can play every NES game ever released.

This console works with NES cartridges from North America and Europe. However, it doesn’t play cartridges from the Japanese Famicom console. The downside to this console however is the fact it doesn’t come with any games. Owners will also need to own different NES cartridges to play those games. However, these cartridges can usually be found at fairly cheap prices now so building up a NES cartridge collection shouldn’t be too expensive.

The creator of the RetroN 1 HD, Hyperkin, says that you’ll get the following when you purchase the console:

One classic-style controller with 10ft range
One 3ft HD cable
A 6ft micro-USB charge cable

The NES Classic Edition only had a 3ft cable for the controller. As a result, gamers were forced to sit awkwardly close to the console and ultimately, the screen. The RetroN 1 HD’s 10ft controller cable gives players much more room.

In addition to a longer cable, the console also lives up to the “HD” in it’s name. This console actually upscales games to full HD so that games can be played in the 16:9 ratio which most TVs use. This means that there will not be black bars on either side of the screen when using this console. This is a huge improvement to the NES Classic Edition which does have black bars on the edge of the screen. However, the RetroN 1 HD also comes with a “classic” aspect ratio option so gamers can play the games at the 4:3 ration they were originally created for.

The biggest downside to this console is the fact it lacks a save function. Players cannot save their game and turn the console off then rejoin it later. Instead, the console works in a similar fashion to the original NES console where players had to leave their console on all day when playing a game. This is different to the NES Classic Edition which does have a save function.

This console isn’t available yet but anyone interested can pre-order it. The RetroN 1 HD will be releasing on May 25th next week and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.