Price & Purpose
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Cost: $39–$40 (Amazon/UK £38.75).
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Targets budget-conscious retro gamers or newcomers who want to play original NES cartridges without digging out old CRT setups.
Key Features
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Hardware & Ports
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Plays original NES cartridges.
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Outputs HDMI for modern TVs and RCA composite AV for CRTs.
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Includes a PAL/NTSC selector for regional compatibility.
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Powered via micro USB.
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SoC Emulation
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Uses a System on a Chip (SoC) to emulate NES hardware.
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Provides reasonably accurate audio/visual output, though not perfect—some color saturation differences and minor tonal changes in music.
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Gameplay Experience
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Slight 2–3 frame input lag over HDMI (closer to NES Classic Edition than original NES).
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Works well with original NES controllers; included controller not tested in review.
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Scaling on HDMI isn’t perfect—soft edges can appear on large screens.
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Compatibility
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Plays the majority of NES games, but problematic cartridges (e.g., Battletoads) may have issues.
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Region switching works but can be temperamental.
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Pros
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Affordable entry point into NES gaming under $40.
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Flexible setup with modern HDMI or retro AV outputs.
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Clean video output—no interference, jailbars, or aspect ratio problems.
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PAL/NTSC switch allows playing games from different regions.
Cons
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Minor input lag (2–3 frames).
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Visual differences from original NES; colors slightly off.
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Some compatibility issues with certain games.
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HDMI upscaling can look soft on large screens.
Who It’s For
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Budget players wanting plug-and-play NES access.
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Retro collectors who still want modern TV compatibility.
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Not ideal for purists or FPGA enthusiasts who want exact NES hardware replication.
Verdict
For $40, the Retron HD is a solid, functional NES clone that gives you access to original cartridges with HDMI and AV flexibility. It’s not perfect, but for casual play or starting a collection, it’s a no-brainer.