Our Story
Why We Built This
Retro Vault started because we couldn't find a single place that treated retro gaming seriously — as both a hobby and a culture.
There were review sites that treated every console like a spec sheet. There were affiliate blogs that pretended to care about gaming but were really just recommending whatever had the highest commission. And there were passionate communities scattered across forums and subreddits — but nothing that pulled it all together.
We wanted a place that understood. That knew the specific weight of an NES controller. That remembered the Christmas morning when the Sega Genesis showed up under the tree. That could explain why a serious collector would spend $700 on a RetroTINK 4K — and also tell a first-timer why the $49 Miyoo Mini Plus is the right call for them.
So we built it. Not as a store with a blog attached — as a community that happens to recommend products.
How We Operate
- →We write for people who were actually there the first time — who remember what it felt like
- →We recommend what we'd tell a friend, not what pays us the most
- →We always cover budget options — not everyone has $700 for an upscaler
- →When something isn't worth buying, we say so — clearly
- →Community picks come from the community — forums, collector groups, years of asking "what do you actually use?"
The Eras We Know
Join the Community
The best thing about retro gaming is the people. The collectors, the tinkerers, the parents who want to share what they loved with their kids. If you've found something worth recommending — a piece of hardware, a game, a mod, a setup — submit it here. We read everything.
Affiliate Disclosure: Retro Vault is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Our affiliate tag is retrovault03-20. Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial recommendations — we recommend what we believe in, and we disclose when a link is affiliate.