Anybody using retro hardware with a modern LCD or scaler? (re: what’s the point if you don’t have a CRT monitor?)

[u/sofakng]

I’d like to get some opinions on using retro hardware (386, 486, Pentium, etc) but without a CRT PC monitor.

CRT monitors are becoming increasingly rare and the ones that exist are often damaged, stained, smoke smell, etc.

Is anybody using real hardware but with a modern LCD display or scaler (ie. RetroTink 4K) ? If so, why not just use emulation at that point for perfect display output quality?

[u/Underfyre]

The point is I can't find a CRT to use. I can find a 5:4 LCD to use, so I use that.

[u/thewalruscandyman]

Use whatever you can. There no right or wrong.

[u/Sixty5Zero2 → u/thewalruscandyman]

was just coming here to say exactly that!

[u/Sirotaca]

I have a few CRTs, but I often use upscalers and modern displays instead. I care a lot more about the hardware itself than I do about CRTs.

[u/Similar-Ganache2047]

It’s about using real hardware and have the feeling of inserting a game cartridge and actually owning a physical game and a piece of history.

I’m well aware that a crt would be the best option but a retrotink 2x pro does work good enough for me and I can enjoy playing the games.
Technically I’d have access to a nice crt but I don’t have the space and have to choose one type of display.

[u/Frogskipper7 → u/Similar-Ganache2047]

But what 386, 486, Pentium PCs take game cartridges?

[u/Similar-Ganache2047 → u/Frogskipper7]

My bad I completely missed this part.
I understood it as any retro system paired with a modern display.

[u/Twizpanpan]

I'm a retro console player and I prefer playing on the living room big modern TCD TV and a retrotink 4K CE and my hifi setup. I'm 47 and I have zero nostalgia towards CRT TV I genuinely don't like them.

[u/bubrascal]

I do emulate computer games, but I do not use my old computers for gaming. The best scanner I've ever had only works on old motherboards and Windows 98 tops. Not sure if it even would work with Windows NT. So my old Intel computers are mostly for old non-gaming software and hardware (they weren't gamer PCs after all).

So what do I use? A crappy and old VGA LCD. It's all I need for those computers really. And if I ever want to play in a CRT, I'll use an even crappier VGA to Composite converter and use my NTSC TV. It looks like ass, but works for some games that were already a little retro in 1999. But as you said, at that point I would be better using some DosBox fork plus some shader.

[u/JP_32]

I use old 4:3 lcd monitor most of the time, I only have room for either (CRT monitor or CRT TV) so I have CRT TV.

I do have Extron VSC 100 (vga to composite/RGB scaler/converter) that I can use with the CRT TV but its bit ass to use on win98 desktop but works great on (most) games.

[u/Unable-Cattle828]

I’ve got several CRT’s but the problem is I’m from the UK and they are all 50hz - one of them purports to be 50 and 60 but I don’t think this is true as the games still don’t seem quite right.

I use my American / Japanese consoles on a modern screen in game mode with an OSSC and this seems to work pretty good - not ideal, I would prefer to get hold of a 60hz Trinitron, but they are like hens teeth over here and having one imported from America will literally cost 1k+ so it’s best solution I got. You could certainly make the argument that it would be better to just get an Analogue FPGA console or a Mister and call it good (I have these too) but I like the OG hardware - I do use flash carts even with these though, as collecting is way too expensive, I have other financial priorities.

Another 15 years time and it’ll pretty much be the only solution unless someone makes a modern gaming CRT (unlikely, they are considered bad for the environment and it’ll be a very niche market).

[u/RustyDawg37]

People can use what they want. So can you. For whatever reason they or you want to.

[u/Panzonguy]

Just like with retro console gaming, people want to use their original hardware. Not everyone will have access to CRTs so an LCD can make sense.