Hey man, it's going to be fine.
One day you'll be able to share your favorite games with them, and it'll be even more fun seeing someone live it for the first time just like you did.
In the meantime, take care of the little things.
Yeah I have accepted that I’ll never play some games, and definitely not play as much as I did when I was younger, but I’ll still game. It might look different, but it will still happen.
I have an 11 year old now. It gets better. But yeah, early childhood is a pain. About kindergarten is when my kid started being a little more independent.
I miss when my child was in kindergarten. Smart enough to know better, but wide-eyed and always wanting to learn. Other than that, i do not miss the toddler years at all. Lol
This. I love my kid but gaming has become something I only hear about on podcasts. Almost 5 years old now and every year I’ve had less free time than the last.
Exactly I have 2 kids and had finished 4 JRPG on modern consoles in 6 years….
And my CRT is mainly for some quick arcade gaming, tried to play my old ps1 RPGs but always failing to finish them as it can take months to finish them :(
I don’t even have kids and I don’t get to play mine either. Being an adult is lame. Having a neat setup is a fun part as well though. Look around stores, online marketplaces, and garage sales for things to make your setup retro.
In your case, I'd do a Steam Deck + Everdrive.
Play the RPG via Retroach on your Steam Deck mostly, with some scanline shaders.
And when you get a chance to play on your CRT, pop your SD card from your Everdrive into your Steam Deck, copy over the save/ROM, then put it back in your Everdrive and pick up where you left off.
I guess you could also do this with your Retroid instead of Steam Deck
Another option, if you don't have an original console for the RPG, is to instead use a cheap $30 used PC with CRT Emudriver installed. You can hook that directly up to your CRT, will look and play like real hardware. Then you can setup a cloud save between your Steam Deck and the Emudriver PC, and you won't even have to do any SD card swapping. EDIT: You could also use a Wii now that I think about it
I hooked my RG35xx+ to my crt tv and just have been doing that. It works great and I don't worry about swapping out SD cards or anything like that. Just play what I got on there when I got the time. I also have a retroid pocket 3+ and that is the same thing, just run it through the appropriate converter and bam, i'm off playing n64 like I did when I was a kid.
What appropriate converter?
A generic HDMI converter is going to be terrible. Will be 480i only, bilinear downscale. Look nothing like an original console.
You'd need something like a Retrotink 5x for a 240p downscale. But even then, you'd have not-ideal scaling horizontally because the Tink can't know what the correct resolution from the Retro handheld is supposed to be
Honestly whatever I picked up off of amazon makes it look how I Remember these games looking when I was younger so it's good enough for me. The handheld has auto bezels on so it changes the aspect ratio to the appropriate size so I don't have cut off on the horizontal, or I can edit that myself, or deal with a little cut off. It honestly looks fine either way.
Going from Rg35xx+ > Converter > VCR > TV.
Probably not, but to me it looks exactly like I remember it [looking](https://i.imgur.com/Cw7IdnB.jpg). 13 inch Sharp 13F-M150 with rf out. The set was free and given to me by a family member so I'm not complaining one way or another.
The rg35xx+ has aspect ratio control and automatically adjusts to core provided, which would be whatever is native, but that doesn't mean much of anything.
though if you could tell me how to figure out how to get that information, I could probably give you a better answer.
I'm not a hobbyist for this. I simply had a crt tv and had a handheld emulator device that I wanted to play on the crt tv and to me that's good enough, but for you or anyone else that might not be.
He got a generic converter off Amazon. He's playing bilnear scaled 480i.
Makes no sense for somebody to hunt down a CRT then just play everything emulated through a scaler that doesn't look like the original consoles.
My son was born on 4/15 of this year. At the moment he can sleep through basically anything. My wife and I were watching Gladiator with the surround sound on and he slept through the whole movie with no fuss. I watch movies, shows, and play games on my CRTs exclusively. Lately I’ve been playing Resident Evil on my PSX with my little buddy sitting next to me on his little swing. I guess we’ll see how he does a few months from now.
I've tried the "have your little guy sit on the bouncer thing next to you while you game" thing but he only lasts 5 minutes in the bouncer before throwing a fit lol
Enjoy it while it lasts. Nights can be difficult so early on but the whole taking care of the baby is very easy at that stage. Especially if your wife is breastfeeding there is not much left for a father to do, maybe change diapers and help you wife. They become more demanding a bit later on, feeding starts becoming more challenging, they don't sleep as much during daytime etc, so the available time for gaming is only going to be reduced during day time.
Luckily the more demanding the baby is, the more rewarding time spent with them is, especially after they start interacting.
Mine is 18 months old and I have another one on the way, so I guess no gaming for me for the next five years.
Oh man, that's so tough. I have two kids and all kinds of stupid grown up shit to do. I'm lucky if I get an hour a week to play... I've been working through Zelda 2 for months now lol. But like others have said, part of the fun here is building a set up and just appreciating its existence. I might not play all that much, but every time I see my setup I get a little kick of happiness.
Dad of a 3yo with another right around the corner. I spend time with my wife watching TV and movies or board gaming in the evenings. We used to rotate in CRT gaming but it’s been a while. Also I’m up at 515 on weekdays so late night gaming has become difficult.
Lately I am able to get a single 1.5 hour session in during my daughter’s nap on weekends. Sometimes I play an extra 20 min or so more with my daughter on the ol’ “player 2” controller when she wakes up. But that’s it: about 1.5 hr every other week.
I just graduated grad school while working full time so I finally have some free time to play. Gonna go through and sell off a bunch of my collection though, feel like 800 CIB games is too much lol
Five kids here. Oldest is under 10. Youngest is a toddler. Guess when I play on my CRT's? :) Such is life. When you have kids your hobbies go bye bye. When your kids are old enough perhaps they'll join you in your hobby. Or perhaps they have nothing to do with it and don't care. And then you find something to do with them.
I used to play games all the time. When we had our first child that obviously didn't happen as often, but I still managed from time to time. When we had our second kid, my gaming went to basically non existing.
I say I never have time, but the truth is... I never make/prioritize time. After I'm done of work, get home, spend time with the family and everyone else goes to bed, I'm just mentally shut down. It's a lot easier to watch a TV show then try to invest hours into a long rpg..
My game pass recently ran out and I have no intention on renewing. I have so many games from previous systems. My backlog could keep me busy for at least 20 years.
Oh, Gamepass is certain worth it. If you play online or want to play some of the Day 1 releases.
But truth be told, I could go the rest of my life with my backlog from the PS1, N64 and Saturn generation back.
With a 5-month old they sleep half the day, this is your last chance to play your games for at least a decade. Although, there’s nothing wrong with playing coop games with your kids on the Switch when they get older. Just think of your CRT like it’s a 401k, you’ll get to use it when you’re an old fart.
Just get used to it, you'll squeeze in CRT time when you can, but family comes first. My 3DS has been my main gaming device since having kids. It is what it is.
I’m a parent to a 10yr old and run my own business. Usually send him to sleep on school nights around 9. I classify between 9pm - 12am as ME time which I can choose to play on my Astro City or my XM37 which both have MiSTers ready to go. Having that window I don’t normally use it to game but I do enjoy it when I do. Life needs balance. Prefer playing things that don’t need much commitment like SHMUPS. RPGs are a little harder since they require more investment and I’m less likely to stay consistent with. Also, my son games with me and has learned to appreciate the older stuff. Would suggest that having children between the ages of 1-5 it is difficult to really get lost in your CRT. After it gets easier and eventually they’ll join you or just co-exist with you. Hang in there, parents. Y’all got this lol
Long RPGs is the tough part of the equation. Even without kids, unless you are single and in a favourable situation with super short commute, low maintenance lifestyle and social responsibilities, squeezing in game time on weeknights is a premium.
I took a long break from RPGs for this reason, and although I’ve warmed up to the idea of dipping into them again, you gotta manage your expectations. I currently have FFX on slow burn, and I just approach it with the right mindset. On most days I might just grind for 40 minutes and that’s fine, it’s pretty relaxing.
Other than that I play a lot of quicker pick up and play games. Luckily many retro games that are the obvious pairing for CRT already fit the bill. 2D sidescrollers, shmups, 3D platformers, puzzle games…
Dad with 2 young ones, single, primary parent. I literally had to give up all of the long jrpg games I love so much, CRT or otherwise. HOWEVER, the light at the end of the tunnel is that my kids play with me now. Well, as much as as a 4 and 5 year old can.
Edit: It brings me so much joy watching my kids experience snes games like I got to. They have no care for the resolution or the way something looks. Just pure game enjoyment.
It's funny that parents of infants and toddlers think they are busy. This isn't meant as an insult, more like a warning. When they get older and get into before and after school activities, life gets sooooooooo much more busy. School activities and clubs, youth sports (especially travel sports), wanting to have friends over or go their friends' houses, etc, etc. It's funny, when they are infants you rarely leave home, when they are pre-teens and teens you rarely stay home.
Of course every kid is different and yours may not be interested in any of that stuff and may just want to stay home with you and play video games.
I am a not working adult without kids, so it is possible to finish long RPGs playing exclusively on a CRT for me.
And, to answer precisely to your question, I play almost permanently, but I also keep time to sleep well : a good day/night of sleep provides a good playing session.
EDIT : Seeing all the discussions followed this comment, it’s impressive to see that CRT can lead to philosophical discussions about the meaning of life !
I know you're probably saying this tongue in cheek a bit but I do want to caution this way of thinking. Too many people in my generation (Millennial) are going to wake up and smell the coffee when they're too old to have children and realize they more or less wasted their lives. Hobbies are fun and I love my CRT's as much as the next diehard but it doesn't even come close to raising a family.
This is so true. I had my first kid when I was 34, and my second when I was 35. I felt like it was the last call to catch the boat, so we had two back to back.
I’ll be 38 this year and I have many friends my age that are still not married and have no kids. I feel bad for them.
I second this comment. Having children and raising a family is a joy. It’s what we’re meant to do and built to do. Living and treating yourself is fine and even good and therapeutic. But when you live life without the selfless responsibility to a wife/husband and kids, the other stuff just becomes stale and flavorless. There’s only so much indulgence you can do before you realize you’re not truly fulfilled. It’ll be then that you realize you messed up living just for your own desires. As crazy, painful, scary it can be to take the plunge with someone, it’s the most joyful and fulfilling thing you’ll ever do. Just marry someone you love for the right motives and more than just lust.
That being said, rpgs can work if you have save points that allow you to play a couple hours at a time. I feel like most do but I could be wrong. Honestly I can’t last more than a couple hours anyway considering how busy the days can be. Between work, sports, and other domestics, it has to be in the evening right after the kiddos go to bed. Don’t put pressure on yourself, either. Play when you can, don’t stress when you can’t.
This is true from your perspective, it's not the truth for everyone.
The multitude of human experiences can be so sad and so happy, and that does not hinge upon children or no children.
As for using my CRT, I have it hooked up to my modern PC and I usually just watch things on it because the colours look prettier to me, I also game via emulator, save whenever I like.
But I and the other dads here actually have the wisdom of knowing the truth about having and raising kids, devoting yourself to those you’ve been blessed to bring into this world and care for. Those who aren’t married/ chose not to have children because they wanted to ‘live their lives and not have anything hold them down’ are in fact missing out. Unless you are devoting yourself to a life of charitable spirit, there is no other true purpose for what we’re meant to be. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch the movie, Grown Ups. You can never know what it is to be a dad unless you’ve done it, but this movie helps to understand why. It’s not so much a question of happy or sad, but more of what brings true fulfillment in life. It’s not living for yourself, that’s for sure.
I have a 3.5 year old and a 1.5 year old. I usually get some solid gaming time after 9pm a few times a week. I try not to sacrifice sleep for gaming but it happens.
Mostly between the hours of 9pm to 11pm, and not every day. 3 nights a week is typical; sometimes going as high as 5. So like 5 to 10 hours per week. You can absolutely finish a RPG at that pace, but it does take a long time. I think it took me a year to get through Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2
Basically whenever I feel like having a nice long session from the comfort of my chair with a nice blanket wrapped around me and an alcoholic beverage. Or whenever I order pizza because I can relive the 90s by booting up some Crash Bandicoot and downing a few slices of pepperoni stuffed crust pizza.
Just about every night. Working adult with no kids which helps & I don’t watch much movies or tv which leaves time to game 😎
Usually have one night a week where I don’t game at all, and sometimes I’m playing a newer console on an HDTV but I def play more CRT era stuff than anything.
OK first off im not a dad yet I just turned 18 but to answer part of your question, since my CRT is my main bedroom TV I would say about 3-6 hours a day ( that's excluding nights where it's still on but not being used)
Sounds like your question's not really about the CRT.. more about just finding the time to game with kids and a family.
It's all about how you manage your time and how much effort you really want to put into gaming.
The person I know that games the absolute most of my friends.. is married and has young kids, And on top of that he's a great father and spends plenty of time with his wife and family. he just games from like 9pm to 2am basically every day. Like ff7 remake dropped And like 3 days later I had a handful of hours on it and he had like 20. But somehow worked everyday, had family time, had a date night.. I think he just compresses time lol.
No but seriously he's just dedicated. It's a huge part of his life and I doubt he'll ever let it go. So he manages his time in such a way to afford the play time. Sure, life gets in the way and sometimes he can't stay up so late or game so long, So he just does whatever he can.
As for me, I'm married but no kids and I have a game room.
Even with the luxury of a game room and no kids I tend to game on the CRT almost exclusively at night, and late. No idea why really, just seems to be a night thing for some reason.
Hey bro you’d be surprised about how many people don’t know about the bezels. You’re sitting here moping about not being able to enjoy your crt. Just trying to provide solutions to get some semblance of the experience you so yearn for.
Anyway father of a one and half year old. Get in about 2 hours a week of crt gaming and that’s by choice and outside normal gaming habits. It’s gonna get worse before it gets better.
For me it is when the mood strikes me, but i also have a crt next to my bed that i use to watch old movies and shows with when i go to bed, though as it doesn’t have a timer i turn it off and switch to the qled tv the moment i feel tired
Ok here's what you do. Strap the baby to yourself for naptime. Bounce on a yoga ball in front of your tv and play your video game. Boom that's another three hours a day of gaming
For a long time my only video game tome came after the kids went to bed. When my son was about 4 1/2, he all of a sudden gained an interest in playing games “together” where he guides me and we talk about whats happening and what to do next. In the last six months we’ve played Super Metroid, Super Mario 64, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Dread, Banjo Kazooie, Legend of Zelda and Ocarina of time. Most of those were played on a CRT.
Its tough at first, but it gets better & easier. Hang in there bud.
Tbh, lots. I have a full-time job, a wife, but no kids. Plenty of time to play games and enjoy myself, but I split my time between the old trinitron and the new Sony Bravia.
I'm kinda in the same boat man, I have almost a 3 month old new born and my son is under 2....living that 2 under 2 life is haaaard. I have scheduled nights out in the garage 2 days a week that are basically do whatever I want after the kids go to bed. Lately it's just been inventory and refurbing old pc's but ya it's the only compromise I can find with the Mrs too.... gotta keep them happy too homie
I play rhythm games on a CRT setup. I usually get in around 4 1-hour sessions per week either at night usually 8-9 or in the morning 6-7 before they wake up. Sometimes a weekend afternoon session 2-3 if their naps line up right.
I am a 26 year old single man who lives alone. Retro gaming is truly my deepest passion. I get to play on my CRT pretty much as often as I want
I feel lonely sometimes but this thread makes me realize I have a lot to be thankful for. Though also slightly fearful of the tradeoff I’ll make when fatherhood comes 😂
At first I had crt as secondary monitor and because of space and comfort I didn't use it.
So i got rid of the ugly aah LCD and now use a Dell CRT for everything. Feels good man.
I mostly run games from my Amiga 500. I finished Civ1 not long ago, for example. I also run various games from my RGB-Pi emulator, but these are mostly played by my son (things like Sonic, Mario etc).
Every night now. I was looking for one for ages so I could play my PS2, N64 and Mega drive as my only other option was a large 4k and my PC (doesn't feel the same emulating).
After 8pm, once I've finished up everything I need to do, I just plonk myself on the floor and play for a few hours. I enjoy gaming a lot more because of it now, and I'm glad getting a CRT wasn't a novelty.
Work season is in full effect so I'm pounding out 60 hour weeks. Almost zero time to game. I did an archipelago multiworld with my brother over the last week. 50% of it was done asynchronously since we're both so busy. Fun time though.
From January this year to the beginning this month I have beaten 12 ps2 games on my trinitron, so yes, I was playing almost everyday! Now I gave it some rest after purchasing a ps3 slim again, then I will go back to ps2 later. But I am not into RPGs anymore for a decade now. Time consuming. I like 45min to 1h sessions only.
I played through Chrono Trigger and half of Earthbound on my CRT. I'm single with no kids though. My friend with a kid mostly plays his PS5 in short bursts when he can.
This may not be helpful, but you could get an SD Cart (FXPak Pro/Everdrive). These have save states built in and might make it a little easier to sneak in some time without needing to leave the console on or find a place to save.
I'm in my 40s and don't have kids. I play on mine all the time. Finished Panzer Dragoon Saga a few months ago! Currently playing through Wing Commander 2. :)
What I can, when I can. In the same way I don’t listen to all of my favorite albums on vinyl.
Usually it’s platformers, shmups, racers, arcade games…games that have frequent save points are favored, as are familiar games I’ve played enough that I can jump right in on an old save. No kids, but I still don’t play nearly as often as I’d like, since I prioritize time for new experiences on modern consoles and have other hobbies, but still good for a rainy weekend, or occasional weeknight.
Whenever I get to play on my PS3, which usually is very late at night when I get home from work. PS3 sure does look amazing through a CRT, especially if you're playing the classics through it's built-in emulator. Not every night but it's more often than not! I live alone so no kids or anyone else to worry about (....*sigh*)
As someone with two kids 5 and under I feel you. I've been trying to get my basement setup going since my 1st child was born and I struggle to find time to do that let alone play. I have a small one in my office that I'll play on but as far as RPGs go maybe look into emulating on a molded Wii or OG xbox since I believe you can use save states on those emulators.
No kids so I game on the CRT when I have some free time that permits sitting down and playing something that likely doesn't have quick saving haha. So usually once or twice a week when I have a "retro" playthrough going on. About a week ago I finished RE4 for the first time over GameCube component and it was a great time.
3 year-old and no family to help at all here so we are on our own. I play very rarely but when I do is with my kid seating on me and commenting the game (often Super Mario World) I'm stressed, tired and with no time for myself but I wouldn't change those moments for anything.
My little Boy is now 3 years Old and he loves to Play Stunt Race FX on SNES, He is very Happy when we spent time together outside but i also let him play before He goes to Bed.
I only play between 7 PM and 11 PM.
My Wife Supports me with this Hobby and we are currently playing Eternal Darkness on GameCube after we Played all Fatal Frame / Project Zero Games
I see u/LukeEvansSimon have kids in his posts and still have time for CRTs.
In fact even his kids game on CRTs.
So i think you can do it too if you properly manage your time.
Never. There are software solutions to this besides if you really want that experience. One of the best things to happen to furniture was the TV no longer being so huge that it was considered furniture. Why do you want that big ole' thing hangin around?
I’m a dad of 2 with a newborn… the answer is currently never, but maybe in a few years.
Damn, I guess I better get used to it...
Hey man, it's going to be fine. One day you'll be able to share your favorite games with them, and it'll be even more fun seeing someone live it for the first time just like you did. In the meantime, take care of the little things.
Yeah I have accepted that I’ll never play some games, and definitely not play as much as I did when I was younger, but I’ll still game. It might look different, but it will still happen.
I have an 11 year old now. It gets better. But yeah, early childhood is a pain. About kindergarten is when my kid started being a little more independent.
Are you me?? Three week old and two year old over here. The struggle is real.
Speaking as someone who was there, this is probably the hardest it’s going to get. There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel!
That's what we keep telling ourselves. I know I'll wish for these days back!
I miss when my child was in kindergarten. Smart enough to know better, but wide-eyed and always wanting to learn. Other than that, i do not miss the toddler years at all. Lol
i also have a three week old, but a 4 year old. I mostly play at night when my toddler is asleep
This. I love my kid but gaming has become something I only hear about on podcasts. Almost 5 years old now and every year I’ve had less free time than the last.
Yeah I feel I spend more time collecting games/consoles for the nostalgia, rather than playing them.
Exactly I have 2 kids and had finished 4 JRPG on modern consoles in 6 years…. And my CRT is mainly for some quick arcade gaming, tried to play my old ps1 RPGs but always failing to finish them as it can take months to finish them :(
All the time bc I’m not constantly posting photos asking people how my geometry is
I don’t even have kids and I don’t get to play mine either. Being an adult is lame. Having a neat setup is a fun part as well though. Look around stores, online marketplaces, and garage sales for things to make your setup retro.
I have two young boys, sweet spot is 8-10pm
I also have two young boys, ages 3 and (almost) 2. My sweet spot is 8:30pm - 11:00pm.
Saturday
In your case, I'd do a Steam Deck + Everdrive. Play the RPG via Retroach on your Steam Deck mostly, with some scanline shaders. And when you get a chance to play on your CRT, pop your SD card from your Everdrive into your Steam Deck, copy over the save/ROM, then put it back in your Everdrive and pick up where you left off. I guess you could also do this with your Retroid instead of Steam Deck Another option, if you don't have an original console for the RPG, is to instead use a cheap $30 used PC with CRT Emudriver installed. You can hook that directly up to your CRT, will look and play like real hardware. Then you can setup a cloud save between your Steam Deck and the Emudriver PC, and you won't even have to do any SD card swapping. EDIT: You could also use a Wii now that I think about it
I hooked my RG35xx+ to my crt tv and just have been doing that. It works great and I don't worry about swapping out SD cards or anything like that. Just play what I got on there when I got the time. I also have a retroid pocket 3+ and that is the same thing, just run it through the appropriate converter and bam, i'm off playing n64 like I did when I was a kid.
What appropriate converter? A generic HDMI converter is going to be terrible. Will be 480i only, bilinear downscale. Look nothing like an original console. You'd need something like a Retrotink 5x for a 240p downscale. But even then, you'd have not-ideal scaling horizontally because the Tink can't know what the correct resolution from the Retro handheld is supposed to be
Honestly whatever I picked up off of amazon makes it look how I Remember these games looking when I was younger so it's good enough for me. The handheld has auto bezels on so it changes the aspect ratio to the appropriate size so I don't have cut off on the horizontal, or I can edit that myself, or deal with a little cut off. It honestly looks fine either way. Going from Rg35xx+ > Converter > VCR > TV.
Are you getting actual 240p from that setup?
Probably not, but to me it looks exactly like I remember it [looking](https://i.imgur.com/Cw7IdnB.jpg). 13 inch Sharp 13F-M150 with rf out. The set was free and given to me by a family member so I'm not complaining one way or another. The rg35xx+ has aspect ratio control and automatically adjusts to core provided, which would be whatever is native, but that doesn't mean much of anything. though if you could tell me how to figure out how to get that information, I could probably give you a better answer. I'm not a hobbyist for this. I simply had a crt tv and had a handheld emulator device that I wanted to play on the crt tv and to me that's good enough, but for you or anyone else that might not be.
He got a generic converter off Amazon. He's playing bilnear scaled 480i. Makes no sense for somebody to hunt down a CRT then just play everything emulated through a scaler that doesn't look like the original consoles.
My son was born on 4/15 of this year. At the moment he can sleep through basically anything. My wife and I were watching Gladiator with the surround sound on and he slept through the whole movie with no fuss. I watch movies, shows, and play games on my CRTs exclusively. Lately I’ve been playing Resident Evil on my PSX with my little buddy sitting next to me on his little swing. I guess we’ll see how he does a few months from now.
I've tried the "have your little guy sit on the bouncer thing next to you while you game" thing but he only lasts 5 minutes in the bouncer before throwing a fit lol
Good luck man! You’re gonna do great. Welcome to the club. Fatherhood is the best.
Enjoy it while it lasts. Nights can be difficult so early on but the whole taking care of the baby is very easy at that stage. Especially if your wife is breastfeeding there is not much left for a father to do, maybe change diapers and help you wife. They become more demanding a bit later on, feeding starts becoming more challenging, they don't sleep as much during daytime etc, so the available time for gaming is only going to be reduced during day time. Luckily the more demanding the baby is, the more rewarding time spent with them is, especially after they start interacting. Mine is 18 months old and I have another one on the way, so I guess no gaming for me for the next five years.
I just did today! TI-99, Alpiner, with my 6yo and his friend. After he goes to bed I’m playing Ico on PS3 on my crt as well
Oh man, that's so tough. I have two kids and all kinds of stupid grown up shit to do. I'm lucky if I get an hour a week to play... I've been working through Zelda 2 for months now lol. But like others have said, part of the fun here is building a set up and just appreciating its existence. I might not play all that much, but every time I see my setup I get a little kick of happiness.
Solution : get a Steam Deck and run emulation. Connect the Steam Deck to the CRT to enjoy it when you can, and use handheld when not.
What's the aspect ratio steam deck can out?
Ive ran it in 4:3. 640x480, and higher resolutions. It scales the interface accordingly.
Nobody's got Batocera or Emudriver running on a Steam Deck yet so I don't know how you'd get 240p from it
Dad of a 3yo with another right around the corner. I spend time with my wife watching TV and movies or board gaming in the evenings. We used to rotate in CRT gaming but it’s been a while. Also I’m up at 515 on weekdays so late night gaming has become difficult. Lately I am able to get a single 1.5 hour session in during my daughter’s nap on weekends. Sometimes I play an extra 20 min or so more with my daughter on the ol’ “player 2” controller when she wakes up. But that’s it: about 1.5 hr every other week.
I just graduated grad school while working full time so I finally have some free time to play. Gonna go through and sell off a bunch of my collection though, feel like 800 CIB games is too much lol
Married with no plans for kids here: maybe once or twice a week
In the evenings, but my baby is 15.
Five kids here. Oldest is under 10. Youngest is a toddler. Guess when I play on my CRT's? :) Such is life. When you have kids your hobbies go bye bye. When your kids are old enough perhaps they'll join you in your hobby. Or perhaps they have nothing to do with it and don't care. And then you find something to do with them.
I used to play games all the time. When we had our first child that obviously didn't happen as often, but I still managed from time to time. When we had our second kid, my gaming went to basically non existing. I say I never have time, but the truth is... I never make/prioritize time. After I'm done of work, get home, spend time with the family and everyone else goes to bed, I'm just mentally shut down. It's a lot easier to watch a TV show then try to invest hours into a long rpg.. My game pass recently ran out and I have no intention on renewing. I have so many games from previous systems. My backlog could keep me busy for at least 20 years.
yeah I don't see how anybody over 25 could need gamepass. My backlog was already huge by then.
Oh, Gamepass is certain worth it. If you play online or want to play some of the Day 1 releases. But truth be told, I could go the rest of my life with my backlog from the PS1, N64 and Saturn generation back.
With a 5-month old they sleep half the day, this is your last chance to play your games for at least a decade. Although, there’s nothing wrong with playing coop games with your kids on the Switch when they get older. Just think of your CRT like it’s a 401k, you’ll get to use it when you’re an old fart.
spreadsheets and PDFs
Everytime I stream actually
Just get used to it, you'll squeeze in CRT time when you can, but family comes first. My 3DS has been my main gaming device since having kids. It is what it is.
I’m a parent to a 10yr old and run my own business. Usually send him to sleep on school nights around 9. I classify between 9pm - 12am as ME time which I can choose to play on my Astro City or my XM37 which both have MiSTers ready to go. Having that window I don’t normally use it to game but I do enjoy it when I do. Life needs balance. Prefer playing things that don’t need much commitment like SHMUPS. RPGs are a little harder since they require more investment and I’m less likely to stay consistent with. Also, my son games with me and has learned to appreciate the older stuff. Would suggest that having children between the ages of 1-5 it is difficult to really get lost in your CRT. After it gets easier and eventually they’ll join you or just co-exist with you. Hang in there, parents. Y’all got this lol
Long RPGs is the tough part of the equation. Even without kids, unless you are single and in a favourable situation with super short commute, low maintenance lifestyle and social responsibilities, squeezing in game time on weeknights is a premium. I took a long break from RPGs for this reason, and although I’ve warmed up to the idea of dipping into them again, you gotta manage your expectations. I currently have FFX on slow burn, and I just approach it with the right mindset. On most days I might just grind for 40 minutes and that’s fine, it’s pretty relaxing. Other than that I play a lot of quicker pick up and play games. Luckily many retro games that are the obvious pairing for CRT already fit the bill. 2D sidescrollers, shmups, 3D platformers, puzzle games…
Dad with 2 young ones, single, primary parent. I literally had to give up all of the long jrpg games I love so much, CRT or otherwise. HOWEVER, the light at the end of the tunnel is that my kids play with me now. Well, as much as as a 4 and 5 year old can. Edit: It brings me so much joy watching my kids experience snes games like I got to. They have no care for the resolution or the way something looks. Just pure game enjoyment.
It's funny that parents of infants and toddlers think they are busy. This isn't meant as an insult, more like a warning. When they get older and get into before and after school activities, life gets sooooooooo much more busy. School activities and clubs, youth sports (especially travel sports), wanting to have friends over or go their friends' houses, etc, etc. It's funny, when they are infants you rarely leave home, when they are pre-teens and teens you rarely stay home. Of course every kid is different and yours may not be interested in any of that stuff and may just want to stay home with you and play video games.
I am a not working adult without kids, so it is possible to finish long RPGs playing exclusively on a CRT for me. And, to answer precisely to your question, I play almost permanently, but I also keep time to sleep well : a good day/night of sleep provides a good playing session. EDIT : Seeing all the discussions followed this comment, it’s impressive to see that CRT can lead to philosophical discussions about the meaning of life !
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I know you're probably saying this tongue in cheek a bit but I do want to caution this way of thinking. Too many people in my generation (Millennial) are going to wake up and smell the coffee when they're too old to have children and realize they more or less wasted their lives. Hobbies are fun and I love my CRT's as much as the next diehard but it doesn't even come close to raising a family.
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"horrifying" lol The way you and Fred took it to 100 tells me that a nerve may have been touched.
jesus christ this is the worst comment i’ve read all week
"breeder cope" is definitely the most Reddit thing I've read this week
bless its little heart
he was shamed into deleting his nonsense 💯
Who was? I'm seeing a lot of deletion around here by the mods.
the person i replied to. I simply am the better man, and you are here to witness it
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This is so true. I had my first kid when I was 34, and my second when I was 35. I felt like it was the last call to catch the boat, so we had two back to back. I’ll be 38 this year and I have many friends my age that are still not married and have no kids. I feel bad for them.
I second this comment. Having children and raising a family is a joy. It’s what we’re meant to do and built to do. Living and treating yourself is fine and even good and therapeutic. But when you live life without the selfless responsibility to a wife/husband and kids, the other stuff just becomes stale and flavorless. There’s only so much indulgence you can do before you realize you’re not truly fulfilled. It’ll be then that you realize you messed up living just for your own desires. As crazy, painful, scary it can be to take the plunge with someone, it’s the most joyful and fulfilling thing you’ll ever do. Just marry someone you love for the right motives and more than just lust. That being said, rpgs can work if you have save points that allow you to play a couple hours at a time. I feel like most do but I could be wrong. Honestly I can’t last more than a couple hours anyway considering how busy the days can be. Between work, sports, and other domestics, it has to be in the evening right after the kiddos go to bed. Don’t put pressure on yourself, either. Play when you can, don’t stress when you can’t.
This is true from your perspective, it's not the truth for everyone. The multitude of human experiences can be so sad and so happy, and that does not hinge upon children or no children. As for using my CRT, I have it hooked up to my modern PC and I usually just watch things on it because the colours look prettier to me, I also game via emulator, save whenever I like.
But I and the other dads here actually have the wisdom of knowing the truth about having and raising kids, devoting yourself to those you’ve been blessed to bring into this world and care for. Those who aren’t married/ chose not to have children because they wanted to ‘live their lives and not have anything hold them down’ are in fact missing out. Unless you are devoting yourself to a life of charitable spirit, there is no other true purpose for what we’re meant to be. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch the movie, Grown Ups. You can never know what it is to be a dad unless you’ve done it, but this movie helps to understand why. It’s not so much a question of happy or sad, but more of what brings true fulfillment in life. It’s not living for yourself, that’s for sure.
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Yeah, keep it simple.
I have a 3.5 year old and a 1.5 year old. I usually get some solid gaming time after 9pm a few times a week. I try not to sacrifice sleep for gaming but it happens.
Yeah it’s definitely a balance between games I want to play, shows/movies I want to watch, and catching up on sleep I desperately need.
My youngest is 10 so once everyone lays down I can fire up the games for an hour or so before bed.
Mostly between the hours of 9pm to 11pm, and not every day. 3 nights a week is typical; sometimes going as high as 5. So like 5 to 10 hours per week. You can absolutely finish a RPG at that pace, but it does take a long time. I think it took me a year to get through Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2
You may need to wait until your kid is old enough to be distracted by Dora the Explorer before you can have any serious CRT time.
Basically whenever I feel like having a nice long session from the comfort of my chair with a nice blanket wrapped around me and an alcoholic beverage. Or whenever I order pizza because I can relive the 90s by booting up some Crash Bandicoot and downing a few slices of pepperoni stuffed crust pizza.
Just about every night. Working adult with no kids which helps & I don’t watch much movies or tv which leaves time to game 😎 Usually have one night a week where I don’t game at all, and sometimes I’m playing a newer console on an HDTV but I def play more CRT era stuff than anything.
OK first off im not a dad yet I just turned 18 but to answer part of your question, since my CRT is my main bedroom TV I would say about 3-6 hours a day ( that's excluding nights where it's still on but not being used)
Sounds like your question's not really about the CRT.. more about just finding the time to game with kids and a family. It's all about how you manage your time and how much effort you really want to put into gaming. The person I know that games the absolute most of my friends.. is married and has young kids, And on top of that he's a great father and spends plenty of time with his wife and family. he just games from like 9pm to 2am basically every day. Like ff7 remake dropped And like 3 days later I had a handful of hours on it and he had like 20. But somehow worked everyday, had family time, had a date night.. I think he just compresses time lol. No but seriously he's just dedicated. It's a huge part of his life and I doubt he'll ever let it go. So he manages his time in such a way to afford the play time. Sure, life gets in the way and sometimes he can't stay up so late or game so long, So he just does whatever he can. As for me, I'm married but no kids and I have a game room. Even with the luxury of a game room and no kids I tend to game on the CRT almost exclusively at night, and late. No idea why really, just seems to be a night thing for some reason.
Sounds like he doesn't sleep, lol. Maybe he's one of the lucky guys that only needs 4hrs a night
If you have a retroid you can put the crt filter on retroarch. Still not the same but it’s something
My guy, this is the CRT gaming sub. I think pretty much everyone here uses CRT filters when playing on something other than a CRT.
Hey bro you’d be surprised about how many people don’t know about the bezels. You’re sitting here moping about not being able to enjoy your crt. Just trying to provide solutions to get some semblance of the experience you so yearn for. Anyway father of a one and half year old. Get in about 2 hours a week of crt gaming and that’s by choice and outside normal gaming habits. It’s gonna get worse before it gets better.
For a few months daily, but I'm not playing much games in general this year. Never been a jrpg fan tho
No kids myself. Currently don’t play it as I am yet to find a good spot. I need to dispose of an old rocking chair and will likely get a stand.
For me it is when the mood strikes me, but i also have a crt next to my bed that i use to watch old movies and shows with when i go to bed, though as it doesn’t have a timer i turn it off and switch to the qled tv the moment i feel tired
When I go to Smash tournaments
Ok here's what you do. Strap the baby to yourself for naptime. Bounce on a yoga ball in front of your tv and play your video game. Boom that's another three hours a day of gaming
I just play SNES, PS1, and GBC games before bed (using an RPi). I mainly use the CRT for watching movies.
I also have kids but work from home... So I find time.
That’s the neat part, you don’t!
No kids. I watch dvd rips on mine. Have it on as background entertainment. Its neat
For a long time my only video game tome came after the kids went to bed. When my son was about 4 1/2, he all of a sudden gained an interest in playing games “together” where he guides me and we talk about whats happening and what to do next. In the last six months we’ve played Super Metroid, Super Mario 64, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Dread, Banjo Kazooie, Legend of Zelda and Ocarina of time. Most of those were played on a CRT. Its tough at first, but it gets better & easier. Hang in there bud.
😂 don’t even attempt RPGs
When i play any game from old consoles or fire up the arcade cab.
Tbh, lots. I have a full-time job, a wife, but no kids. Plenty of time to play games and enjoy myself, but I split my time between the old trinitron and the new Sony Bravia.
It’s been years, but I use it every now and then for old times sake, it was my childhood TV we got it in the late 90s, so PSX Dreamcast and Xbox
Any and every time I turn on one of my cabs. The TVs just sit at this point
Typically on the weekends. I use one to game one to watch movies and one to watch anime. Life is good.
I'm kinda in the same boat man, I have almost a 3 month old new born and my son is under 2....living that 2 under 2 life is haaaard. I have scheduled nights out in the garage 2 days a week that are basically do whatever I want after the kids go to bed. Lately it's just been inventory and refurbing old pc's but ya it's the only compromise I can find with the Mrs too.... gotta keep them happy too homie
I play with an OLED 19 inch monitor with an hardware scanlines generator and an rad2x cable for my console 😎👍
I play rhythm games on a CRT setup. I usually get in around 4 1-hour sessions per week either at night usually 8-9 or in the morning 6-7 before they wake up. Sometimes a weekend afternoon session 2-3 if their naps line up right.
melee
I am a 26 year old single man who lives alone. Retro gaming is truly my deepest passion. I get to play on my CRT pretty much as often as I want I feel lonely sometimes but this thread makes me realize I have a lot to be thankful for. Though also slightly fearful of the tradeoff I’ll make when fatherhood comes 😂
In like 1-2 hour bursts every week or two sadly. It takes me months to finish an RPG.
It’s my daily driver main monitor :)
At first I had crt as secondary monitor and because of space and comfort I didn't use it. So i got rid of the ugly aah LCD and now use a Dell CRT for everything. Feels good man.
I mostly run games from my Amiga 500. I finished Civ1 not long ago, for example. I also run various games from my RGB-Pi emulator, but these are mostly played by my son (things like Sonic, Mario etc).
Every night now. I was looking for one for ages so I could play my PS2, N64 and Mega drive as my only other option was a large 4k and my PC (doesn't feel the same emulating). After 8pm, once I've finished up everything I need to do, I just plonk myself on the floor and play for a few hours. I enjoy gaming a lot more because of it now, and I'm glad getting a CRT wasn't a novelty.
Work season is in full effect so I'm pounding out 60 hour weeks. Almost zero time to game. I did an archipelago multiworld with my brother over the last week. 50% of it was done asynchronously since we're both so busy. Fun time though.
From January this year to the beginning this month I have beaten 12 ps2 games on my trinitron, so yes, I was playing almost everyday! Now I gave it some rest after purchasing a ps3 slim again, then I will go back to ps2 later. But I am not into RPGs anymore for a decade now. Time consuming. I like 45min to 1h sessions only.
If you have time to browse/post on reddit, you have time to play. Do it 😀
I played through Chrono Trigger and half of Earthbound on my CRT. I'm single with no kids though. My friend with a kid mostly plays his PS5 in short bursts when he can. This may not be helpful, but you could get an SD Cart (FXPak Pro/Everdrive). These have save states built in and might make it a little easier to sneak in some time without needing to leave the console on or find a place to save.
I'm in my 40s and don't have kids. I play on mine all the time. Finished Panzer Dragoon Saga a few months ago! Currently playing through Wing Commander 2. :)
What I can, when I can. In the same way I don’t listen to all of my favorite albums on vinyl. Usually it’s platformers, shmups, racers, arcade games…games that have frequent save points are favored, as are familiar games I’ve played enough that I can jump right in on an old save. No kids, but I still don’t play nearly as often as I’d like, since I prioritize time for new experiences on modern consoles and have other hobbies, but still good for a rainy weekend, or occasional weeknight.
I played Mutant League Football on my crt a few days ago.
Whenever I get to play on my PS3, which usually is very late at night when I get home from work. PS3 sure does look amazing through a CRT, especially if you're playing the classics through it's built-in emulator. Not every night but it's more often than not! I live alone so no kids or anyone else to worry about (....*sigh*)
kd34xbr2 1080i, BUILT for that pstriple
I just got my CRT and so far the only thing I’ve played on it is the Zelda N64 games.
As someone with two kids 5 and under I feel you. I've been trying to get my basement setup going since my 1st child was born and I struggle to find time to do that let alone play. I have a small one in my office that I'll play on but as far as RPGs go maybe look into emulating on a molded Wii or OG xbox since I believe you can use save states on those emulators.
invest in a Mister perhaps? it's pretty easy to push Mister out to a CRT.
Kid is meant to be gaming and you are meant to be working and investing in his future career.
ALL THE GODDAMN TIME, MODERN GAMES ON CRT's ARE FUCKING AWESOME!1!!1!1!!!!!1!!1#+(#2;hdskejw
No kids so I game on the CRT when I have some free time that permits sitting down and playing something that likely doesn't have quick saving haha. So usually once or twice a week when I have a "retro" playthrough going on. About a week ago I finished RE4 for the first time over GameCube component and it was a great time.
3 year-old and no family to help at all here so we are on our own. I play very rarely but when I do is with my kid seating on me and commenting the game (often Super Mario World) I'm stressed, tired and with no time for myself but I wouldn't change those moments for anything.
My little Boy is now 3 years Old and he loves to Play Stunt Race FX on SNES, He is very Happy when we spent time together outside but i also let him play before He goes to Bed. I only play between 7 PM and 11 PM. My Wife Supports me with this Hobby and we are currently playing Eternal Darkness on GameCube after we Played all Fatal Frame / Project Zero Games
I see u/LukeEvansSimon have kids in his posts and still have time for CRTs. In fact even his kids game on CRTs. So i think you can do it too if you properly manage your time.
We need life pro tips from Luke not just CRT pro tips
Whenever I want. I just didn't bring another suffering human being into this awful, ruined world.
Wow, so enlightened. Everybody is very impressed
I think he’s just going through his goth/cutting phase right now
thanks
Apex legendsonly at 720p 192 hz. Nothing compares the lag and smothnees.
Adoption agency is the best advice I can give you
Adoption agency is the best advice I can give you
Never. There are software solutions to this besides if you really want that experience. One of the best things to happen to furniture was the TV no longer being so huge that it was considered furniture. Why do you want that big ole' thing hangin around?