The RetroN Lineup Explained: Which Hyperkin Console Plays Your Cartridges?

Hyperkin's RetroN consoles all do the same magic trick — play your original cartridges on a modern TV over HDMI — but the lineup confuses nearly everyone, because the names tell you nothing: RetroN 3 HD, RetroN Sq, RetroN GX. Here's the secret that untangles it in one sentence: the RetroNs don't compete with each other — each one plays a completely different cartridge library. One is for your NES/SNES/Genesis shelf, one is for your Game Boy drawer, one is for the TurboGrafx collection. So the question is never "which RetroN is best" — it's "which cartridges do you own?" This guide maps the whole RetroN family in depth (plus the discontinued models people keep searching for), with the honest compatibility notes the box doesn't mention.

The One-Question Decision

That's genuinely the whole decision. Own more than one library? They stack happily — each is a compact, single-HDMI-cable box.

RetroN 3 HD: The Living-Room Classic Machine

The RetroN 3 HD is the flagship use case: three cartridge slots covering NES, SNES/Super Famicom, and Genesis/Mega Drive — the golden-age home library — output at clean 720p with a 4:3/16:9 aspect switch. Two details longtime players love: it takes original controllers (real console ports for each system) alongside the included wireless pads, and it handles NTSC and PAL cartridges. It's cartridge-first and simple by design — no save states, no menus, insert-and-play — which is exactly what the family-room buyer wants. Full hands-on details in our RetroN 3 HD review.

Best for: anyone with a shelf of 8/16-bit home cartridges, families introducing the classics, and players who want original-controller authenticity without CRT-era cables. (If you still run the original consoles themselves, an HDMI cable for the original hardware is the alternative path — our picture-quality guide explains that fork.)

RetroN Sq: Game Boy on the Big Screen

The RetroN Sq answers a different wish: playing your Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges on a TV — the handheld library, finally at living-room size, in a palm-sized cube.

The honest note the box won't tell you: the Sq runs on software emulation, and community testing consistently finds its compatibility is more hit-or-miss than its console siblings — the large majority of official GB/GBC carts run fine, but GBA support is the rougher edge, and ROM hacks or reproduction carts are a coin flip. If your goal is playing your genuine Game Boy collection on a TV casually, it delivers real joy at a budget price; if you need every last GBA title to run flawlessly, know the limitation going in. We'd rather tell you that here than have you learn it from a return label.

Best for: Game Boy nostalgists with official carts, Pokémon-generation players wanting the big-screen experience, and gift buyers (the cube form factor charms people).

RetroN GX: The TurboGrafx Revival

The RetroN GX serves the most underserved collectors in retro: TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine owners. Original TG-16 hardware is aging, pricey, and was never common — the GX plays those HuCards over HDMI on modern TVs, which for this library is close to the only convenient option that exists. If you know what a HuCard is, you already know why this box matters; the import-friendly PC Engine support doubles the library.

Best for: TurboGrafx/PC Engine collectors, importers, and anyone who's been eyeing the platform's cult classics as original hardware prices climb.

One scoping note: the RetroNs are the TV-console family — if your question is broader ("should I get a console, a portable, or just a cable for my original hardware?"), our Hyperkin retro gaming guide maps those paths, including the SupaBoy portable SNES.

The Discontinued Ones People Keep Searching For

Quick honest answers for the models that show up in searches but not on shelves: the RetroN 5 (the five-slot do-everything emulation box with save states) has been discontinued for years and now trades at collector prices secondhand — for most buyers the 3 HD covers the home-console need at a sane price. The RetroN 1 HD and 2 were earlier single/dual-system steps the 3 HD superseded. If a listing for these looks cheap, check condition and region carefully; if it looks expensive, that's the collector market talking, not the capability.

Setup Notes (All Models)

Every machine here is a one-HDMI-cable hookup — that's the point. The two tips that matter on day one: enable your TV's Game Mode (the biggest input-lag fix available), and clean your cartridge contacts if anything won't read. For the full walkthrough — picture settings, aspect ratios, controller options — see the dedicated retro console setup guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between the RetroN consoles?

Each RetroN plays a different cartridge library: the RetroN 3 HD plays NES, SNES/Super Famicom, and Genesis/Mega Drive home cartridges; the RetroN Sq plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance handheld cartridges on a TV; and the RetroN GX plays TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine HuCards. They don't overlap — pick by which cartridges you own.

Which RetroN should I buy?

Match it to your collection: 8/16-bit home cartridges → RetroN 3 HD; Game Boy family carts → RetroN Sq; TurboGrafx/PC Engine → RetroN GX. If you own multiple libraries, the consoles stack — each is a compact single-HDMI box. There's no "best" among them because they serve different shelves.

Does the RetroN Sq play all Game Boy Advance games?

Not all — the Sq's software emulation handles the large majority of official Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges well, but GBA compatibility is more hit-or-miss, and ROM hacks or reproduction carts are unreliable. For casual play of a genuine collection it's a charming budget option; for guaranteed full-library GBA support, temper expectations accordingly.

Is the RetroN 3 HD better than buying original consoles?

It's the convenience play: three systems in one box, one HDMI cable, original controller ports, NTSC/PAL support — versus hunting working 30-year-old hardware plus HDMI adapters for each system. Purists with working originals can get authentic output with an HDMI cable for the original hardware instead; everyone else gets 95% of the experience with 5% of the shelf space.

What happened to the RetroN 5?

Discontinued years ago — the five-slot emulation flagship with save states now sells at collector prices secondhand. For the common use case (home console cartridges on a modern TV), the RetroN 3 HD is the current, sanely-priced answer; the 5's premium today buys its emulation features and rarity, not better basic cartridge play.

Do RetroN consoles work on modern 4K TVs?

Yes — they output 720p over standard HDMI, which any modern TV accepts and upscales. Enable your TV's Game Mode to minimize input lag, and expect clean, simple cartridge play rather than enthusiast-grade upscaling. For why old consoles need this help at all on modern screens, see our picture-quality explainer.

Key Takeaway

The RetroN lineup stops being confusing the moment you ask the right question — not "which is best," but "which cartridges do I own?" NES/SNES/Genesis shelf → RetroN 3 HD. Game Boy drawer → RetroN Sq (with eyes open on GBA compatibility). TurboGrafx collection → RetroN GX. All three live in the Hyperkin collection at Happibee.

Going deeper: the RetroN 3 HD review covers the flagship hands-on, What Is Hyperkin covers the company, the Hyperkin retro gaming guide covers the console-vs-portable-vs-cable decision, the best retro consoles roundup compares across brands, and the picture-quality guide explains the original-hardware-plus-HDMI-cable alternative.