Sometimes playing the older games we love can come at the cost of them looking… off. It could be due to the old-game jank that simply comes with the territory, but sometimes it’s just because we’re not playing on the right kind of screen. But what if there were a way to play Game Boy games on the Nintendo Switch on a TV that looks just right?
The rise of better graphics, HDMI and higher-quality televisions meant that the gaming industry had no other choice to take the classic CRT TV out the back and put it down like Old Yeller. Unless the games of the CRT TV age are given a bit of polish or even a full remaster, they can sometimes hit the HD spot looking a little weird. However, there are ways to reject evolution and embrace the stone age of the silver screen.
TikToker bbretro, or Bryan, has been posting short-form retro gaming videos on the platform since March, with a lot of his content consisting of fiddling around with old CRT TV’s and the Analogue Pocket. In his most recent TikTok, Bryan showcases how he managed to get a Nintendo Switch connected up to an old CRT TV, which proves to be the most visually pleasing way to play some of the older games available in the Nintendo Switch Online library. Check it out:
@b_b_retro pretty neat, im excited to try it with other devices! —— #retro #tech #nintendoswitch #gaming ♬ original sound – bbretro
Bryan achieves this feat through the use of an Extron VSC 500, which is a single input, high resolution computer-to-video scan converter that can be used in this case to downscale the image sent by the Nintendo Switch onto a CRT TV. On top of that, the resolution can also be fiddled with in order to get the aspect ratio just right for whatever screen you’re using. These bad boys are roughly $200 on eBay so they’re a bit pricey for the average joe, but are definitely a neat little tool to have for anybody wanting that real retro feel.
Of course, this isn’t the first time anybody has used an Extron VSC 500 to get a Nintendo Switch running on a CRT TV before. Retro gaming fans have been having all sorts of fun with scalers for a while now. However, with the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games being newly added to the Nintendo Switch, it’s pretty neat to see them in an aesthetically fitting form while also being on Da Beeg Screen.
The TikTok also starts with Bryan playing a little bit of Pokemon Scarlet, and I couldn’t help but notice just how well that damn game looks on CRT TV. I know, I know, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet‘s performance issues are old news. However, I can’t shake the feeling that maybe Bryan’s onto something here. Plus, it’s a step up from a 2″ screen.
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