I collect and play a lot of old games (PS1, N64, Gameboy, and Ps2 are the main ones I buy for), but the prices on retro games are rising rapidly. Many games have doubled or tripled in price since around 2020. I like to play PS1 RPGs, but a lot of them are worth way more then I'm willing to spend nowadays. I usually prefer original hardware over emulating, but I've just been priced out of most systems (PS2 is about the only one that I care about where the price is still afforable, but even that is way up). Do you guys think this is a bubble that will pop, or are these insane prices here to stay?
(P.S. if you don't belive me look up any major game on pricecharting.com and look how the prices have spiked since 2020)
Try collecting for the Sega Saturn. I bought a pre-owned game just before "the event" for three figures as an investment (it is a renowned game too) and in two years it had at least doubled its money and its now approaching four figures. The way things are going, my humble collection will become my pension fund in a couple of decades time! There are still some bargains if you are prepared to be patient and bid but its increasingly becoming a collectors market where sense, logic and affordability no longer apply.
And the alternative of using SD cards is just as expensive because unlike the mainstream consoles, the Saturn carries a premium that the developers are prepared to charge, knowing how expensive the games are. Most people rediscovering the Saturn - all the people who were exclusively PlayStation and Nintendo 64 back in the day and are now seeing what it offered, particularly in Japan and its 2D fighters - just uses Mednafen, Yaba Sanshiro and other emulators.