I’ll keep this short: it doesn’t matter whether you think FPGA or emulation is better somehow if you’re not actually playing the games.
Here’s a quick explainer for both methods:
- FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array and involves chips and circuits that mimic the roles of multiple chips. This reduces the cost and number of components on a board and increases accessibility to different systems.
- Emulation, as the name suggests, mimics these same systems using software. The boards that run the software have different chips but they can be as simple or as complex as you want.
While software emulation has ruled the roost for a while (and still does), FPGA is growing in popularity. But debating the pros and cons of both and spending hundreds on all these consoles, we’re neglecting the actual gameplay.
And I get it: you want to get it right and not get burnt with the wrong console. But there doesn’t need to be a fight for superiority; the console wars ended a long time ago. Pretty much every console you can think of can emulate others if you know what to do. We need to start playing the games and enjoying them. Replicating a childhood vibe should always be secondary to that.
There’s a concept in web design known as “progressive enhancement” that suggests websites should focus on the basics of HTML before adding more advanced CSS styles and JavaScript. This allows everyone to experience the Web regardless of their hardware. I think that applies with game emulation. If money isn’t a major concern, pick a system and don’t stress. The ultimate experience will almost never be the same as it was in your head.
