Why CRTs are the best choice for Retrogaming
When it comes to retrogaming, everybody knows (or should know) that technology matters. You might have already heard people complain, “This game was more realistic back when I was a child, but now it looks like garbage.” Well, the game was indeed more realistic back then. So, why does it look like “garbage” now? Again: Technology matters, especially screen resolution.
Starting with screen resolution, you need to consider when the game was released and what the predominant screen resolution was at the time it hit the market. For example, back in 1995, 240p was the top-notch technology. However, things began to change when the Dreamcast video game console came out with its 640x480 resolution. The Dreamcast was the first 128-bit video game console ever released, and it changed everything.
The transition to 480p resolution in gaming began with the sixth generation of consoles in the early 2000s. Specifically, the Sega Dreamcast (1999), Sony PlayStation 2 (2000), Microsoft Xbox (2001), and Nintendo GameCube (2001) were among the first consoles to support 480p resolution for certain games, marking the beginning of higher-definition gaming compared to the standard 240p or 480i.
Returning to the Dreamcast, playing Sonic Adventure on a CRT TV was absolutely fantastic, even with the low-quality composite video cable.
Although the Dreamcast already supported progressive scan technology, people still enjoyed playing with a composite cable back in 1999. You can see from the picture that Sonic Adventure looked nice and neat. However, if you try the same game on an HD flat panel, it will look like this:
It doesn’t look as good as playing on a CRT, right? Even when using a composite video cable, the game looked better on a CRT.
Now look at the same image with a CRT filter applied:
Although it’s not a real CRT, even a screen shader is enough to make the image look better.
Screen resolution matters, but that’s not all.
Back then, CRTs had some nice effects, like the Phosphor Effect, something you can’t experience with modern screens technology. Not to mention, the amount of emitted light was much higher than anything we have today. There was no motion blur on CRTs too and you didn’t even need anti-aliasing to make a game look good on a CRT monitor.
Why CRT TVs Are Better Than LCD Screens
Superior motion handling
CRT TVs provide instant response times, delivering smooth motion without blur or ghosting. LCD screens often suffer from motion blur, especially in fast-paced scenes, due to slower pixel response times.
No input lag
CRTs offer virtually zero input lag, making them ideal for gaming and activities requiring immediate feedback. LCDs, even with modern improvements, still introduce a small delay that can affect precision.
True color reproduction
Unlike LCDs that rely on backlighting, CRTs naturally produce vibrant and accurate colors. LCDs often struggle with washed-out tones and lack the same level of depth and richness.
Better contrast ratios
CRTs excel in contrast, offering deep blacks and bright whites without the need for dynamic contrast settings. LCDs can struggle with achieving true blacks due to the nature of their backlighting.
How about OLED?
Why CRTs are better than OLED Screens
No risk of burn-in
While OLEDs offer fantastic color and contrast, they are prone to burn-in with static images. CRT TVs don’t face this problem, ensuring longer-lasting performance without screen damage.
Consistent brightness over time
CRT TVs maintain consistent brightness for years, whereas OLEDs can experience gradual degradation in brightness and color accuracy over time.
Durability and longevity
CRT technology is durable and built to last. OLED screens, although stunning, can wear out faster, especially with prolonged use at high brightness levels.
No viewing angle issues
CRT TVs maintain consistent color and brightness regardless of your viewing angle. OLEDs, while better than LCDs in this regard, can still exhibit slight color shifts when viewed from extreme angles.
CRTs are also superior to OLED when it comes to input lag and superior motion handling.
And why are CRTs better than LCD and OLED for retrogaming?
Native resolution for retro games
Retro games were designed for the lower resolutions of CRTs, meaning they display perfectly on these screens. LCD and OLED screens often struggle with pixel scaling, making old games look blurry or stretched.
No input lag
CRTs have virtually no input lag, which is crucial for retro games that rely on precise timing. LCD and OLED displays, even in game mode, introduce some degree of input lag, affecting the responsiveness of classic games.
Authentic visual experience
Retro games were meant to be viewed on CRTs, with natural scanlines and soft edges that enhance the nostalgic look. LCDs and OLEDs, with their sharp, high-definition images, can make older games look unnatural or harsh.
Smooth motion
CRT TVs handle fast-moving graphics seamlessly, without motion blur or ghosting. This is particularly important for retro games with rapid sprite animations, which can appear smeared or unclear on modern LCD and OLED screens.
Better color for classic games
CRTs produce the vibrant and deep colors that retro games were originally designed to display. Modern screens like LCD and OLED often require calibration to avoid washed-out or overly saturated colors when playing older games.
That one thing that’s better in OLEDs
OLEDs have one advantage over CRTs, since their resolution is much higher, as well as contrast levels, when you use shaders with your games, you’ll get very pleasant graphics, take a look at my video below:
For that specific gameplay, I’ve used the Retroarch emulator + a shader called ScaleFX. In my opinion, it is the best upscaling shader at the moment. It is a very nice alternative for those who are not willing to buy a CRT or just can’t buy one at the moment. The drawbacks are that you’re not going to be able to play something with perfect pixel art. Also, there’s no blending, glare, or phosphor effects, so you’ll lose most of that retrogaming experience that you would get with a CRT.
So concluding, CRTs are the best choice for anything released before 1080p arrived.
