this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2025
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Y2K Aesthetics
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I can remember the days when emulators on iPhones were out of reach for all but those who liked voiding their warranties to jailbreak the devices. It’s nice to see the iPhone open up a little bit more (though calling the iPhone “open” is taking mad liberties) even if it remains a curated walled garden. I could probably use my GameSir (love that name) controller case, or my 8BitDo SNES-like controller (that thing is so wonderful, but I need to prop my phone up with it), but I probably won’t emulate much on my phone. I don’t consider myself a hardware purist, but I do have a thing for using the original device over emulation when I’m feeling particularly nostalgic.
There is something to be said about using the original hardware. While I have no problem playing, say, a Zelda game to completion, a Mario game is another matter entirely. Even with a Switch with Switch Online membership, the latency that exists whether I'm using the attached controllers wirelessly, the Switch in handheld mode, or a third-party controller wired over USB, or wireless over Bluetooth, the latency is greater than it was on an actual NES. I just can't control Mario as tightly as I could on original hardware. You could chalk it up to my age (let's just say I played the NES when it was brand new), but there is a discernible latency that was not there with the original hardware, and even Nintendo themselves can't get rid of it. And that's if you pay them an annual fee.
That’s right, I hadn’t thought about that. For me personally, latency isn’t usually an issue, but I’m used to more powerful hardware that reduces it a lot. I don’t play those emulated titles on the Switch (but I’m still glad that they’re still available at all), but emulation is definitely not perfect. It’s hard to do at all, let alone do well. But even still, a lot of my preference for old hardware has a lot to do with tactility. I love the feel of the controller, seeing the actual hardware, and interacting with it, the way I did when I was a kid. It’s largely nostalgic and not entirely rational, since emulation has ups and downs (I do like playing PS2 games at higher resolutions than original). I picked up my Game Boy Advance SP again last night, and it reminded me of when I was a kid and how cool I thought it was then.