Emulation or Original Hardware - Does it Even Matter?

Games in Order of Appearance:
Mick and Mack as the Global Gladiators - Mega Drive
Kirby's Dream Course - SNES
Sonic 3 - Mega Drive
Ristar - Mega Drive
Klonoa Empire of Dreams - GBA
Kirby's Adventure - NES
Do Re Mi Fantasy - SNES
Street Fighter Alpha 3 - Arcade
Wipeout XL - PS1
Assault Rigs - PS1
Snowboard Kids - N64
Thunder Force III - Mega Drive
Pokemon Yellow - Game Boy
Klonoa Door to Phantomile - PS1
Trouble Shooter Vintage - Mega Drive
Super Mario World - SNES
Parodius - Game Boy
Castlevania - NES
Resident Evil 2 - PS1
Plok - SNES
Aladdin - SNES

I'm not going to win any awards for covering new ground here, I know; but I'd like to share my take on the emulation vs. original hardware debate. As I only have 500 words, I wasn't able to even touch on the topic of whether modded original hardware (i.e. XStation, HDMI mods etc) still counts as original hardware. I also couldn't touch on FPGA emulation but, I don't have any experience with any FPGA-based consoles.

What do you think to the whole debate? Have you converted to or from the Church of Original Hardware?

Almost all footage captured via a modded PlayStation Classic; gave up in the end as it really didn't play nicely with my capture card!

[TwoGendersOnly]

I started to lean back toward original hardware. Got a good CRT broke out the og consoles hours of realizing its a pain to adjust the yoke to a CRT, and after all the messing around, and hooking up a sea of wires to an av switcher, using component cables for my ps2, and trying to play original hardware, i realized my powerhouse pc can emulate any game at anytime and it looks amazing. So now Im torn again. Asking myself why did I set up all this stuff? I dont know anymore lol

[Julayla]

Thank you for this topic. I feel that sometimes, whatever you prefer is what you choose if it fits you.

[austinfowler]

Im looking at upscalers to have my whole collection working and the common response is "just emulate". And you said what ive been thinking.

I bought the dang things. I wanna play them.

[jeffreypeters]

Saturn emu still needs alot of work and 64 emulation needs much to be desired but most games play decently and with the games being abled to be recompiled on PC we may not longer need emulation for N64 just have every game a PC native or Linux/android port

[jeffreypeters]

I luv emulation have 12tb of Roms but that feel of og hardware and crt tv with zero input latency can never be out done

[Mydilsian]

Retro500 give or take 10%, its a joke man it was 646! Also cracking video a regular debate I hear but one I have little interest in joining in and getting butchered for, whilst the nostalgia of the OG console cannot be matched without emulation there would be too many I simply couldnt play

[iamLI]

i came for the debate but all i got out of it was a smorgage board of nostalgia lol....

[leeartlee]

I think people who claim “hardware above all else” are gatekeepers. Sure, I’ve got carts that are worth thousands of dollars in my house but you know what? If I ever wanna play them, I emulate them. And it’s not even that they “are worth too much”. It’s just easier. My goal? Lower the barrier between me and actually playing video games.