The Hyperkin RetroN is a family of clone consoles made by Hyperkin, a Los Angeles-based gaming hardware company founded in 2006, designed to play original retro cartridges on modern HDTVs via HDMI. Each model in the series accepts physical cartridges from one or more classic systems, reads the game data from the cart, and outputs a clean HD signal to whatever TV you have in your living room today.
That core idea sounds simple, but the engineering behind it varies considerably across the lineup. Some models use a hardware chip that mimics the original console’s circuitry. Others, most notably the RetroN 5, dump the cartridge’s ROM into system memory and run it through a software emulator. The numbering in the early RetroN line referred to the number of cartridge slots, not the order of release, which is why the lineup can seem confusing at first glance.
Where did the Hyperkin RetroN series come from?
Hyperkin introduced the RetroN line in the late 2000s as a practical answer to a specific problem: original NES and SNES hardware outputs composite or RF signals that modern flat-panel TVs handle poorly, and the hardware itself is now several decades old. The earliest RetroN was a single-slot NES clone. The RetroN 3, released in May 2010, was the first model to combine multiple systems, adding SNES and Sega Genesis support alongside NES in one unit with composite AV output.
From there, the series expanded in two directions at once. Hyperkin added more cartridge slots to reach more platforms, and it upgraded the output from composite AV to HDMI as flat-panel TVs became the standard. The RetroN 2 HD, RetroN 3 HD, and Supa RetroN HD all arrived as updated versions of earlier designs, keeping the same cartridge compatibility but adding 720p HDMI output. The RetroN 5, released in 2014, marked the biggest leap: five physical slots, nine compatible console variants, and a software emulation engine running on an Android-based operating system.
How does the cartridge-slot design actually work?
The physical cartridge slot is the defining feature of the RetroN line, and it matters more than it might seem. When you insert a cartridge, the console reads the game data directly from the cart’s ROM chip through the slot’s pin connector. On hardware-based models like the RetroN 2 HD and Supa RetroN HD, that data goes straight to a dedicated chip that mimics the original system’s behavior. On the RetroN 5, the process is different: the console dumps the ROM into system memory, then runs it through a software emulator. An easy way to tell the difference is load time. Hardware-based models boot the game instantly, just like the original console. The RetroN 5 loads an operating system first, then reads the cart when you insert it.
Hyperkin engineers its pin connectors to accept both NTSC and PAL cartridges on most models, so region locks are not a barrier. The Hyperkin RetroN 2 HD accepts NES, Super NES, and Super Famicom cartridges in a single unit, outputting at 720p with a switchable 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio. The Hyperkin Supa RetroN focuses entirely on SNES and Super Famicom carts, using Hyperkin’s Pin Perfect technology to maximize contact reliability with cartridges that may have decades of wear on their edge connectors.
What systems does the RetroN 5 support, and how does its emulation work?
The Hyperkin RetroN 5 is the most capable model in the lineup by a wide margin. Its five physical slots cover NES, Famicom, Super NES, Super Famicom, Sega Genesis, Mega Drive, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. Nine console variants through five slots, with a universal chipset that removes PAL and NTSC region restrictions.
The emulation approach gives the RetroN 5 features that original hardware simply cannot offer. Save states let you freeze and resume any game at any point, including titles that originally had no save function at all. The system also applies audio interpolation, generating new audio samples between the originals to produce a smoother sound output than the source hardware. Video upscaling outputs at up to 720p over HDMI, and players can apply display shaders or toggle between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios through the console’s graphical interface. Button remapping, overclocking controls, and a built-in cheat code system round out the feature set.
Compatibility is high but not universal. Cartridges with unusual hardware mappers or special co-processors, like the Super FX chip found in Star Fox, can sometimes produce minor issues. Firmware updates have addressed many of these over time, and Hyperkin continues to support the platform.
How does the RetroN 77 differ from the rest of the lineup?
The RetroN 77 sits outside the NES and SNES family entirely. It is an Atari 2600 clone, and its name references the year the original 2600 launched. Like the RetroN 5, it uses software emulation, running original Atari 2600 cartridges through an emulation layer and outputting to modern TVs via 720p HDMI. Reviewers have noted approximately 99% cartridge compatibility, which is about as close to complete as any clone console gets with the 2600 library.
The design deliberately echoes the original hardware: a wood-grain finish on the shell, two controller ports that accept original Atari joysticks and paddles, and an on-board mode select switch that mirrors the original console’s layout. Save states are built in, which is a genuine quality-of-life improvement for a platform where many games had no save mechanism at all. It is probably the most affordable way to play a physical 2600 library on a flat-panel TV without hunting down a working original unit and an RF-to-HDMI adapter chain.
The RetroN Series Is the Practical Middle Ground in Retro Gaming
The Hyperkin RetroN line occupies a specific position in the retro gaming market: more affordable than FPGA-based alternatives like Analogue’s consoles, and far more convenient than tracking down working original hardware for each system you want to play. RetroN consoles typically retail between $39.99 and $179.99, which puts them within reach for collectors who want to actually use their cartridge libraries rather than store them. The tradeoff is that software emulation is not a perfect recreation of original hardware behavior, and a small number of cartridges will run into compatibility gaps.
For anyone sitting on a collection of NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, or Atari 2600 cartridges and a modern HDTV with no way to connect them, the RetroN series is the most direct path back into those games. The Hyperkin RetroN 5 in particular is the right answer for collectors who want a single console to cover the widest possible range of 8-bit and 16-bit cartridges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Hyperkin RetroN 5 work with original controllers from classic systems?
Yes. The RetroN 5 includes six controller ports on its sides, supporting original NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis gamepads. It also ships with a Bluetooth wireless controller that works across all supported systems and has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that charges over micro USB.
What is the difference between a hardware-based RetroN and the RetroN 5’s software emulation?
Hardware-based RetroN models use a dedicated chip that mimics the original console’s circuitry, so cartridges boot instantly. The RetroN 5 dumps the cartridge ROM into system memory and runs it through a software emulator, which adds a short load time but enables features like save states, audio interpolation, and display shaders that hardware clones cannot offer.
Can the Hyperkin RetroN 77 use original Atari 2600 joysticks and paddles?
Yes. The RetroN 77 has two standard Atari-style controller ports that accept original 2600 joysticks and paddles directly. It also includes a Hyperkin Trooper wired controller in the box for players who no longer have original Atari peripherals.
Do Hyperkin RetroN consoles support PAL cartridges from European regions?
Most models in the RetroN lineup support both NTSC and PAL cartridges. The RetroN 2 HD, for example, accepts PAL NES, Super NES, and Super Famicom cartridges. The RetroN 5 handles region selection automatically and also lets you manually choose between USA, Europe, and Japan regions through its graphical interface.
Can you play repro cartridges or EverDrive flash carts on a RetroN console?
The RetroN 2 HD supports authentic cartridges, EverDrive flash carts, and reproduction cartridges. Compatibility on the RetroN 5 with multicarts and flash carts is more limited because the ROM-dumping process the console uses can break how some multicart designs work. Standard repro carts generally run without issues.