Retro games are a lot more accessible

I was thinking that mostly due to advances in emulation and the cheaper hardware that's available today. (Clones, handhelds, etc.)

Of course original hardware and especially disc based systems are getting harder to find. And most of the older consoles you can find will have something damaged. Usually due simply to the age of the hardware, other times due to being neglected for so long.

Don't get me started on recording/streaming and display on original hardware. It has gotten better in recent years with some cheaper, more accessible scalers and capture cards. But it's still a pain in the butt to manage consoles that all run on different resolutions and use different outputs.

Retro Gaming is expensive and unforgiving
I have to agree on that! But you know what? I'll take spending 100$ on a cart only N64 classic over playing diablo immoral for free all day everyday 😂