When is a console retro?

[Flame]

Me and @AlanJohn was having a conversation like normal people do. When we was talking about the PSP he goes something on the line of "PSP is going up in price now that people consider it retro."

My mind blew. The PSP has software. The software is updatable. The PSP has real screen. It has 3D games.

What do you consider retro? What point is new and what point is retro?

 

[BigOnYa]

If I played on it when I was a kid, then I consider it retro, but that's me. (aka Atari, NES, Genesis, PS1)

 

[Flame]

If I played on it when I was a kid, then I consider it retro, but that's me.

So the 2600 is still new?

 

[Lostbhoy]

Personally I'd classify this like music... If it's over ten years its oldschool. In this medium it's retro.

 

[RedColoredStars]

Personally I'd classify this like music... If it's over ten years its oldschool. In this medium it's retro.

I'd say around 20 years.

 

[DinohScene]

I suppose I could call the 6th gen retro once the 10th gen is here.
Idk, ~20-25 years orso.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

I suppose I could call the 6th gen retro once the 10th gen is here.
Idk, ~20-25 years orso.

I remember NES being called retro by dealers in the early 2000s, when it was around 15-16 years old. The N64 would have still be current gen for Nintendo and PS2 coming out around the same time.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

For me I generally consider anything 2 generations or older than the current gen "retro".

I think a lot of people get thrown off by the term because it's hard to consider something like the 360/PS3 with its "advanced" 3d capabilities and online modes in the same ballpark as the NES or SNES because it's such a massive difference between the two. I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up with a new term to sort of separate the gens we used to think of as retro (ie 2600-PS1) and much more advanced gens.

 

[BakerMan]

@Tom Bombadildo LMAO YOUR USERNAME AND PFP

 

[Lostbhoy]

I'd say around 20 years.

Yeah maybe, like a generational thing. The tech would certainly be retro by then for sure.

 

[AncientBoi]

So by this, you guys mean the Atari Consoles are retro?

btw, I'm not a "Retro" being, at 66yo

 

[JaapDaniels]

Yeah maybe, like a generational thing. The tech would certainly be retro by then for sure.

i don't know, it depends on the new content. i mean if GTAVI wil come to ps6 and it will remain the last one for like 50 years or so (and i'm pretty sure it'll take 50 years) these consoles will become retro to PS6 after those 50 years.
I mean no one considers ps3 retro right?

 

[Veho]

With the "retro" label moving with each new generation, we have to come up with names for consoles that were already retro when the current retro consoles were new. And so on. I suggest "retro", "vintage" and "antique", in 20 year increments.

 

[AncientBoi]

With the "retro" label moving with each new generation, we have to come up with names for consoles that were already retro when the current retro consoles were new. And so on. I suggest "retro", "vintage" and "antique", in 20 year increments.

And then Ancient

 

[E1ite007]

I consider anything 3 gens before the current consoles, so currently I consider the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube as "retro".

 

[emigre]

If it was a person, the PSP is old enough to vote, drink and pay taxes in most countries.

 

[RAHelllord]

The "official" definitions are the following:

- retro: 15-19 years old
- vintage: 20-99 years old
- antique: 100 years or older

Things get more loose around the edges there, and some products might fall into more than one category thanks to longer production cycles, but it's a pretty decent and universal scale for all sorts of objects.

Edit: Personally for consoles and similar the year it was stopped being produced is the year the classification starts. So for example the DS won't be retro to me until new year (production stopped in '09).

 

[Ozito]

Could it be how we perceive the word "retro"?

There's probably a general cut off (time wise) for what's considered retro no matter how we feel.
But from my subjective pov I feel like the early days of the ps4 is melting together with the nostalgic retro feelings of the OG xbox, GC, N64, SNES and all those nice things from the 90's and early 2k.

I think the problem is that the word "retro" is black or white when it's should be seen more as a gradient.
Some console could be antic retro others old retro, mid retro, retro, new retro and so on.

I guess shit doesn't get more clear the more you explain it.

 

[Flame]

The "official" definitions are the following:

- retro: 15-19 years old
- vintage: 20-99 years old
- antique: 100 years or older

Things get more loose around the edges there,
and some products might fall into more than one category thanks to longer production cycles, but it's a pretty decent and universal scale for all sorts of objects.

I don't know about this definition, Wii U is already antique.

 

[emigre]

Could it be how we perceive the word "retro"?

There's probably a general cut off (time wise) for what's considered retro no matter how we feel.
But from my subjective pov I feel like the early days of the ps4 is melting together with the nostalgic retro feelings of the OG xbox, GC, N64, SNES and all those nice things from the 90's and early 2k.

I think the problem is that the word "retro" is black or white when it's should be seen more as a gradient.
Some console could be antic retro others old retro, mid retro, retro, new retro and so on.

I guess shit doesn't get more clear the more you explain it.

Nah, we're just getting fucking old mate.