Will today's consoles still be playable in the future?

[Steve W]

I bought a couple of Dreamcasts years ago in my heavy thrift store hunting days, and neither one of them had working controller ports. I read that it was a common problem, but apparently not common enough. Maybe I'm just cursed.

[Gameguy]

...but with games that cost a lot more than PC. That's why it's Steam all the way for me these days.

I still don't see the value in buying digital only games, especially games with DRM like Steam has. If a game is available as freeware and the developer has a donation option for those who liked the game, I would respect that more. I rarely find modern games that interest me anyway so I tend to stick to older games.

I bought a couple of Dreamcasts years ago in my heavy thrift store hunting days, and neither one of them had working controller ports. I read that it was a common problem, but apparently not common enough. Maybe I'm just cursed.

I never came across a Dreamcast with a bad controller port, not yet at least. I did come across one that would randomly reset because of how crappy the power supply board interfaces with the rest of the console, I was able to fix it but that's how I view the reliability of the Dreamcast. I sold off my Dreamcast stuff years ago and haven't looked back.

[Nz17]

I bought Dreamcasts years ago in my thrift store days, and neither one of them had working controller ports. I read that it was a common problem.

Actually, from what I know, the Dreamcast is not the problem. The problem is that certain 3rd-party controllers try to circulate the wrong volts / amps / watts, causing the fuse in the controller port to fail, or the controller's wiring is damaged.

How to fix a non-working Dreamcast controller board problem:
http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreamcast...right-way.html
https://mmmonkey.co.uk/dreamcast-con...1-replacement/
https://www.dreamcast.nu/en/how-to-f...t-not-working/

[YoshiM]

If the current trend of new hardware for old consoles is any indication, I think modern gamers don't have much to fear. If there's an audience that wishes to play these "future retro" systems, there will be people that will make the hardware to work with it. Adapters that lets your Xbox 1080 controllers work with your Series X or a wireless controller dongle to make your Nintendo ShroomStation's Tactile Squish Ball controller work with your Switch. And if not adapters, new pieces to make your old pieces work like new.

I think the biggest concern will be when some games that require some sort of server to connect with and phone home/update/etc. Will the e-titles be preserved or will they just disappear into the ether like they never existed? Or what about games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons where the cartridge was bare bones and the rest of the content was downloaded later? The hardware will probably still work, but you won't be able to play a lot of games without their day one fixes or content. Ouya was lucky that its servers were preserved and are now running thanks to enthusiasts, but they weren't a company as tight fisted as the likes of Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft.

[gbpxl]

I may have asked this already, but are there physical Switch games that you can buy that will not be playable until your firmware's been updated? Like if I have a Switch that I bought in March 2017 and it's never been connected to the internet, could I play any and all physical Switch titles that've come out in 2021?