2022 was the 12 months I made a decision to get critical about my retrogaming setup. I used to be bored with having a 104lb CRT dominating half my laptop desk and a PlayStation 2, MiSTer, and no matter different consoles I used to be at the moment fascinated by at all times in peripheral imaginative and prescient. After a little bit of thought I concluded that the TV and all of the consoles can be higher off on a wheeled cart. A retro cart, when you would. It might dwell in my closet, or be wheeled out to wherever appeared enjoyable. So I began speccing that out.
The most effective kind issue ended up having two decrease cabinets—for the consoles, a smaller TATE-friendly/PAL-compatible PVM-1354Q CRT a good friend had lately bought me, and bookshelf audio system—with the big-ass 29” TV up on the third, high tier. Each CRTs might settle for RGB or YPbPr/element video…which to standardize on? Part appeared simpler for a pair causes, so I went with that. Then I simply wanted a switcher to not solely flip between MiSTer, PS2, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Wii, and Xbox, however to route any of these sources to both of the 2 screens.
That’s six in, two out. I wished optical audio switching, too, for MiSTer, Xbox, and probably PS2. Mixed, these necessities take us far past the characteristic set of any primary switcher you’ll discover on Amazon or Ali today. Thus I turned to the brilliant, shining previous of the mid-aughts, when element video adoption peaked and specialty A/V merchandise catered to the extra esoteric YPbPr-wrangling wants of the period’s dwelling theater fans.
Just a few promising candidates surfaced. One high-end mid-2000s switcher was very fancy certainly and will really transcode between analog and optical audio (wow!). However in the end I used to be gained over by the still-fancy however barely extra modest Affect Acoustics Deluxe Part Video / Digital Audio 6 In / 2 Out Matrix Change, aka the “40697″. You may see it above. Not solely can it route these six inputs to both display screen, it may well output to each screens concurrently…the identical supply, or two completely different sources. Oh pricey, am I blushing?
After every week or two I managed to discover a NOS (new outdated inventory) one, and it proved simply as performant as hoped: Any console on any show is now only a button-push away. The cart venture remains to be in progress as I search a working Xbox, look into acceptable Wii hax, and transition to a brand new show up high (kinda wishing I had gone with RGB now, really!) however I’ve already been having fun with having all my beloved outdated video games in a single, self-contained, no-compromises tower of energy. Even received a beanbag! Hell yeah.
Alexandra Corridor, Senior Editor
