The short answer: in 2026, there are six main ways to play the classics again legally. 1. Dig out your original console and cartridges. 2. Buy a re-release that reads those cartridges, such as the Atari 2600+. 3. Choose a licensed mini console with built-in games, such as the Neo Geo Mini. 4. Collect new official Evercade cartridges. 5. Subscribe to a service or buy a digital re-release. 6. Use an emulation console supplied without games, with homebrew games or your own copies, within the limits set by law. The right choice comes down to one question: do you want specific games, or a catalogue to discover?
Article updated on 11 September 2026.
The six routes at a glance
| Route | What you buy | The games | Reads your cartridges | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Original console | Modern accessories for your console | Your cartridges | Yes | Wireless controllers, receivers |
| 2. Re-release for original cartridges | A new console with HDMI output | Your cartridges, plus the ones included | Yes, for its system | Atari 2600+, Atari 7800+ |
| 3. Licensed mini console | A console with built-in games | Fixed list, named on the box | No | Neo Geo Mini, MVS Mini, THE400 Mini, My Arcade |
| 4. New official cartridges | An Evercade console and its cartridges | Licensed compilations to collect | No, only Evercade cartridges | Evercade EXP-R, VS-R, Super Pocket |
| 5. Services and digital re-releases | A subscription or a game | The publisher's catalogue | No | Nintendo Switch Online, Antstream Arcade, Steam, GOG |
| 6. Emulation console without games | An open handheld console | Homebrew, free games, your own copies | Via copies, within the legal framework | Anbernic, Retroid, Miyoo, TrimUI |
1. Playing again on your original console
The simplest route, if you've kept the console and cartridges: it's also the most authentic. Modern hardware makes it more comfortable. A wireless controller plugs into the controller port without modifying the console: we compare the solutions in playing wirelessly on your N64, Saturn or Mega Drive. And a cartridge that no longer boots can often be fixed: see cleaning a cartridge that no longer reads and replacing the save battery.
2. A re-release that reads original cartridges
You have the cartridges but no longer the console, or a console that won't connect to a modern TV? Some official re-releases read period cartridges and output the picture over HDMI. That's the case with the Atari 2600+ and the Atari 7800+, which read 2600 and 7800 cartridges. Which one to pick: our Atari 2600+ or 7800+ comparison. There are also high-end FPGA consoles that read original cartridges for other systems; they aren't in our catalogue at the moment.
3. Licensed mini consoles
A mini console is sold with its games, licensed from the publisher, and is self-contained. Three formats:
- In the living room, via HDMI: Neo Geo Mini (40 SNK games, also playable on its own screen), Intellivision Sprint (45 games), THE400 Mini (25 games), The Spectrum (48 games) or Atari Gamestation Pro. The whole section: licensed retro home consoles.
- On a desk: MVS Mini (45 SNK games) or Astro City Mini V (22 games). The whole section: licensed mini arcade cabinets.
- In your pocket: the My Arcade range, detailed in making sense of the My Arcade range, and the Super Micro consoles. The whole section: licensed handheld consoles.
Two things to check before you buy. First, the number of genuinely licensed games: some boxes add bonus games to the count, as we explain in licensed games and bonus games. Second, the edition: between the Neo Geo Mini and the MVS Mini, for example, the game lists differ, see Neo Geo Mini or MVS Mini. Looking for a SNES Mini or a Mega Drive Mini? They are no longer made: see our official alternatives.
4. New official cartridges: Evercade
Evercade continually releases new cartridges of licensed retro games, each cartridge bringing together several games from one publisher or on one theme, with a manual. You buy a console, handheld or home, then build up your collection. The three consoles are compared in Evercade EXP-R, VS-R or Super Pocket, and gathered in our Evercade consoles section.
5. Services and digital re-releases
Without buying any retro hardware, several publishers offer their classics legally. Nintendo Switch Online gives access to NES, Super Nintendo and Game Boy games; its Expansion Pack adds, among others, the Nintendo 64, the Mega Drive and the Game Boy Advance. Antstream Arcade also works on Android handheld consoles: we covered it in detail in Antstream Arcade on an Android console. Finally, many classics are re-released on Steam, GOG, Google Play or the Amazon Appstore.
6. An emulation console supplied without games
Emulation handheld consoles (Anbernic, Retroid, Miyoo, TrimUI…) are open machines. At our shop, they are supplied without any games, and it's up to you to fill them with what the law allows:
- Homebrew and free games, created by today's scene and distributed by their authors: our selection of fifty homebrew games.
- Your own cartridges, copied by you for your private use: a regulated practice, explained in copying your own cartridges.
- Official services such as Antstream Arcade, on Android models.
To choose the machine: retro handheld consoles, which machine for which system.
What these routes don't allow
- Downloading a ROM from the internet is still prohibited, even if you own the cartridge.
- Consoles sold "with 10,000 games" with no licence mentioned are not part of any of these routes. The other traps are listed in the six traps of the market.
- "Abandonware" doesn't exist under French law: an old game remains protected.
- A mini console can't be expanded: its game list is fixed.
The full legal framework, with what is allowed, regulated or prohibited, is on our page where to play your retro games legally. This article is not legal advice.
Which route for your profile
You've kept your cartridges
Route 1 if the console works, route 2 for Atari cartridges on a modern TV.
You want a specific licence, with nothing to set up
Route 3: the publisher's mini console, ready to play.
You like collecting physical items
Route 4: Evercade cartridges, sold in a case with a manual.
You want a huge catalogue without buying a console
Route 5: a subscription or re-releases on the machine you already own.
You like tinkering
Route 6: an open console, homebrew games and your own copies.
Frequently asked questions
What is official retro gaming?
It means playing the classics through routes authorised by the rights holders: original console and cartridges, licensed re-releases and mini consoles, Evercade cartridges, services and digital re-releases, or homebrew games distributed by their authors.
Can you download a ROM if you own the cartridge?
No. Downloading a ROM is still prohibited, even if you own the game. Only the copy you make yourself of your own cartridge, for your private use, falls within a regulated framework, detailed on our where to play legally page.
Which retro console reads original cartridges?
In our catalogue, the Atari 2600+ and the Atari 7800+ read Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges. Mini consoles with built-in games and Evercade consoles don't read original cartridges.
Are emulation consoles legal?
Yes, the console itself is legal. What matters is its content: our consoles are supplied without any games, and it's up to the user to put games on them that they have the right to use.
Are the SNES Mini and the Mega Drive Mini still available?
They are no longer made. The current official alternatives are detailed in our article on hard-to-find mini consoles.
What's the cheapest way to play again legally?
Dig out your original console and cartridges, if you have them, or play free homebrew games on a machine you already own.
Conclusion
Playing the classics legally has never offered so much choice: the original console, re-releases, mini consoles, Evercade, services and open consoles. Start from the games you want, then choose the route. Our whole licensed selection is gathered in the official and legal retro gaming section.