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Depends on some things.
Do you want virtual 7.1 simulation/EAX support? If yes, a standard Xonar DS soundcard for around 30-40USD will suffice. That will help with some of the more expensive headphones too, which will need a bit of extra power to drive.

Pretty much every gaming headset uses rather cheap mics and so can we. All voip comm will get heavily compressed, be it with TS, skype or ingame voice, so you really don't need a high quality mic for gaming. Many gamers are using a Zalman mic for around 10USD, but any cheap, sturdy clip on mic will do.

This left us with around ~150USD for a good headphone. There are plenty of alternatives in the <150USD range, I can give you a couple of often recommended options.

The favorite right now in hi-fi circles is the ATH-m50 at around 130USD.

A very comfortable pair are the AKG K271MKII at the same price level.

To complete the our maxing out the budget trio we have the Ultrasone HFI-780.

All three have superior drivers with very good sound characteristics, very decent isolation and are fun enough to listen to for gaming, music and movies.

But we don't really have to max out the budget to get superior sound quality. There are some very decent headphones under 100USD too, which can more than compete with any high budget gaming headset.

Some examples: Sony MDRZX700
Creative Aurvana Live, especially for Europeans where the price is better
similar famous like the ATH-M50 are the ATH-AD700. It's a open headphone though, so gone is any decent isolation in exchange for a better soundstage.

I could go on for a bit, but those mentioned above are pretty well known and tested with the hi-fi community. You should find plenty of reviews and user experience for them. While some of them are a bit more analytical than most users are used to, they are all pretty fun and warm and not so boring like traditional studio monitors.

Even if we look at the lower budget gaming headsets <100USD, many without any 7.1 simulation, we can find plenty of better sound headphones, especially if we don't need a soundcard.

This is absolutely the best way I've found to play most Indie Games like Shovel Knight, Super Meat Boy, VVVVV, etc. I also use this method when emulating NES/Gameboy/SNES/GBA/etc.

I love it. I have 8 SNES controllers stored in zip-lock bags so I'll always have a good gamepad.

This is the best SNES->USB Adapter I've ever used. I tried a couple, and have used one for Wii as well. Every other one I tried but this one had problems. Most only recognized 2 or 3 button presses at a time, and one in particular (the one for wii) seemed to not only have terrible lag, but seemed to miss button presses all the time. It felt like it was maybe only checking for inputs maybe 30 times a second, and if you pushed the button in between when it was "checking" for button presses, it missed it.

This adapter is the Mayflash brand SNES -> USB adapter, and has 2 inputs in one device, so it is perfect even for local multiplayer gaming. I bought mine on Amazon.com for @ $8.00 US, and they seem to sell for @ $12.00 US now. It would honestly be worth $30 or $40 US.

It can be purchased from here.

I use a mac. I dual boot into windows for a few games, but due to the wonderful market GOG and the Humble Bundle have cultivated, most indie games come out for mac. So, I spend 90% of my time in OSX, and do almost 100% of my gaming in OSX as well. (Until the Oculus Rift comes out, anyway ;-p )

If you, too, use a Mac for most of your gaming, then let me introduce you to the greatest thing for setting up awesome, fluid, game controls OSX has to offer. Controller Mate.

Controller Mate allows you to map any USB Device/Keyboard/Midi Device, etc. to any function, in any program, based on any condition. If the function isn't built in, then you can build it using timers, input counters, axis measurements, etc.

For this application I simply remap each input to the corresponding keyboard key, such as up, down, left, and right arrows as well as the A,B,X,Y,L, and R buttons. I map Start to Enter, and Select to Tab.This makes most games show me the correct buttons instead of generic USB terms such as "button 1" or "button 2."

These mappings are also set to only apply when a particular list of programs is running. This allows me to have multiple keyboard mappings for multiple games, and never have to manually switch between them.

I cannot recommend this program enough. It is a must for any mac gamer, and blows any other keyboard remapping programs out of the water.

It is available fromOrdered Bytes' Website for @ $25.00 US. I got my copy on sale a few years ago for $15.00 US, but it is honestly worth double what they charge for it. I have it controlling not only my games but a bunch of software on my system. It is indispensable.

Alright, for BG1 and 2 there are more or less 4 essential mods (along with the need for patches).

• Baldur's Gate Unfinished Business (for 1 and 2, they are separate)
  It adds content that was restored and ended up not making it in the game and some interesting little things created by the community.
  
• Baldur's Gate Tutu.
  Now this one is essential, it makes BG1 look like BG2
  
• Widescreen Patch... Too good.
  
  http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=161&Itemid=114 UB BG1
  
  http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=101&Itemid=80 UB BG2
  
  http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=143&Itemid=98 BG1 Tutu
  
  http://www.gibberlings3.net/widescreen/ Widescreen mod
  
  http://www.gamefront.com/files/1324931/BGTalesUS5512_exe Tales of Sword Coast Patch
  
  http://www.moddb.com/games/baldurs-gate-ii/downloads/bgii-tob-english-patch-version-26498 BG 2 Throne of Bhaal Patch
  
  BG is my favorite RPG series and these mods really made me love the game even more (Widescreen is seriously awesome, I find the sweet spot to be 1280x720)
  
  If you are looking to buy BG I recommend getting the D&D Anthology (Comes with BG1-2, PST, IWD1-2 and The Temple of Elemental Evil) or you can get the 4 in 1 box set.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Classic-Anthology-Pc/dp/B005JQ064A
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Baldurs-Gate-4-1-Boxset-Pc/dp/B000FGA1US/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1342110170&sr=1-1&keywords=baldur%27s+gate
  
  I have them both and they are super easy to mod :)
  Hope that helps!

that sounds amazing. if only I had such a section at one of my local stores. I'm still missing a few Gamecube games I want very much. part of why I haven't simply found and bought those is because I'd rather not spend more than $30 on a used copy of a 10 year old game. is there anything good in those cabinets?

another note for you, you need a pretty great computer to run Dolphin properly. if I had a dedicated GPU I could do that no problem, but an Intel 2450M with integrated graphics runs Dolphin very slowly. Dolphin is still very bloated, and there's a lot they can probably flatten out as time goes on, but right now, I don't have the power for it. considering that this is a 2 year old computer trying to run something designed for 13 year old hardware, it isn't just my lack of a phenomenal GPU, since Intel Integrated 3000 is comparable to a top of the line Geforce card from about 5 years ago, but as it is right now, you need a beastly computer to run a Gamecube emulator. it isn't that simple for everybody.

the nostalgia factor isn't a problem for me, because with an adapter and one of my many Gamecube controllers, I can map out my stuff the right way and play with the real controller, much like I already do with the N64. with the original controller, the nostalgia is basically the same, without as much hassle in as many ways, and with the ability to play rom hacks. for me, that's a win. that said, I like having the actual hardware as well.

Okay, I'll keep this brief.

You started out good. MGS 3 is the earliest game in the series story wise. On console Ground Zeroes is it's sequel, there is a few handheld titles in between MGS 3 and Ground Zeroes.

In short the story is and SPOILERS-SOMEWHAT in short, about two key groups who endevour to fulfil The Boss' final wish, to have a untied world. The Patriots seek to create this world through control, their enemies seek to create it through freedom.

The Patriots are an example of a shadow government, as they run the USA and control pretty much everything, add WMDs, nanomachines, AI and supersolders as plot points to the entire story, and it makes for one very enjoyable ride.

In their attempts to create the perfect world they embark on a complex cloning program to create the perfect soldier to fullfiil this goal. This is where Solid Snake comes from. Very few characters work directly for The Patriots, many are unknowing agents and the rest are usually unwilling, and are held hostage by some means.

The Metal Gear are a series of bipedial tanks, caipable of launching WMDs from any terrain or fullfilling some over goal such as recon or targeted strikes. In most games the Metal Gear serves as the final boss or close to being the final boss.

In buying Ground Zeroes now you wont miss a hell of a lot, Ocelot appears in it along with Snake. Most of the other characters are from the two handheld games in between MGS3 and MGS5:GZ, those two games are Peace Walker and Portable Ops. You can get every MGS game to date (aside from Portable Ops) in the Legacy Collection: http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-Collection-Playstation-3/dp/B00CTKHXFO

Masters of Doom. Fantastic book. I grew up around the time it was all happening, but never knew what was going on, just that these amazing games were being released by this tiny company. The two Johns and Chris Roberts (who created Wing Commander) made me want to be a game designer. Or rather, I had wanted to be one from the age of 4, but they showed me that it was possible for one person to come up with something amazing. I've read this book about once a year for the nostalgia.

I also recommend reading Jordan Mechner's journals on the making of Prince of Persia. The guy kept tons of records of everything about making the game. It's pretty amazing to read. His journals are available on Amazon as well.

I recommend getting a good pair of closed stereo Sennhiesers or something similar. Those 5.1 and 7.1 headsets are a gimmick (you hear perfectly fine 3d with only two ear holes don't you?). Couple with them one of those Zalman clip on mics on amazon and you have a sweet gaming setup that's good for music too.

I recommend closed because it gives better isolation (which works both ways, sometimes people don't want to hear what your listening to as well. I remember these and these getting excellent review, although they are both open headphones, so you may want to consider their use environment first. This clip on mic seems to be pretty highly recommended.

I've heard nothing but good reviews on the Zalman zm-mic1 even though it looks and costs nothing like quality. I've also heard several sound samples of it and it does backup the reviews. Then it's just up to finding a good pair of headphones. I'm currently in the market for headphones and a mic aswell but I have a bit of a bigger budget. A lot of people suggest the Audio Technica AD700's but I've seen mixed reviews especially when it comes to the headphones fitting properly. If you decide to go for a regular pc headset where the mic and headphones are attached I suggest you steer clear from the Razer Carcharias, it's what I currently have and the audio leaks into the microphone so people on the other end can hear what I'm listening to at low volume. A friend of mine recently go the Corsair HS1 and it sounds really good according to him, but he hasn't been able to use it's mic yet.(his soundcard is a bit fucky) I don't think you can get a really definite answer to what headphone/mic combo is the best because everyone has their own taste in sound. Just try to avoid any phones that have "gamer" plastered all over the box because they generally won't be good for anything OTHER than games.

As a side note, in the end of my hunt for a good pair I'll be going with the aforementioned Zalman zm-mic1 and a pair of AKG K240 MKII's...one major attracting point for these headphones for me is that the cable is modular so when I inevitably break it (I have bad luck with headphone cables) I can just swap to the 2nd that's in the box.

I don't think you can beat many of the RPG's for depth (in terms of content, immersion, etc) so I'll stick to those.

Baldur's Gate series, Fallout series (the older ones especially!), Icewind Dale series, Dragon Age, Mass Effect - in short, basically anything from Bioware. If I had to choose one among that list it would probably be Baldur's Gate 2 - it isn't easy to convey how deep the game is so just check it out and see for yourself.

A lot of these games I mentioned are older and are available cheaply in collections (talk about value for money!). You may need to do a little bit of tweaking to run them on Vista or Win 7 but it is easy to find directions online with a little bit of searching:
Baldur's Gate Box Set $19.99 on Amazon.com
Fallout Trilogy $16.61 on Amazon.com
Icewind Dale Collection $20.98 on Amazon.com

I'd probably also recommend Morrowind (from Bethesda) and Oblivion, though I'd recommend Morrowind over Oblivion if you had to pick one.

If RPGs aren't your cup of tea, I also have a short list of shooters that offer tactical depth in single-player and/or develop their game worlds well:
The Orange Box (HL2 + Expansions), Far Cry (trust me on this one it is actually a decently long FPS that can be quite engaging and tactical), Crysis (if you have a strong enough PC to run it, you'll find it offers some very intense and involved firefights).

Here's my setup:

• Raspberry Pi 3
  
• LibreELEC
  
• Kodi Gamestarter addon
  
• 8bitdo SFC30 SNES controller(s)
  
  This allows you to use your Pi not only as a RetroArch machine, but also a general-purpose media center machine running Kodi. Seeing as I have multiple machines like this around the house, I serve up my ROMs and Save Game data off a server via NFS, so that I can play a game on one box, then move to another one and pick up my saved game from there. This is a far better setup than the shit Nintendo is releasing.

I've used Astros a lot and they are really nice but they arnt sturdy at all. I ended up having to buy a new one every year. The headset i would recommend would be a standard wireless PS3 headset. I got mine about 2-3 years ago and its still strong today. Its about average on price and sound but the microphone might be subpar. But holy crap these things were built to last. I've dropped it numerous times and it still works great. It's going two years strong and i dont think I'll need a new one any time soon. Looks like its on sale on amazon too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0053OLY9O/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
EDIT: forgot to mention it works for PS3 PS4 and PC. I'm not 100% sure if it works for Xbox but i wouldn't bet on it. And being a long time multiplayer gamer. All i look for now is a sturdy headset and so far this is the strongest one I've come across yet.

Don't do it. Get these Sennheisers instead. Better build quality and sound and better mic. Probably not worth $300, but I'd get em for $140. Or look at the Hyper X Cloud for $80 or Hyper X Cloud II's for a little more.. Linus Tech Tips gave really good reviews on them.

Edit: If you ask anyone serious about audio they'll tell you to get nice headphones and a separate mic. I got some Sennheiser 558's for about $100 and a Zalman clip-on mic for ~$8. It's a little more of a hassle dealing with 2 cords, but the sound quality and comfort is awesome. Couldn't be happier.

Edit 2: or just get the A40's. I don't know a whole lot about them, but have read that Sennheisers are superior for sound quality.

These are the headphones I use. They look a little silly, but great sound and extremely comfortable.

I use this microphone for talking. It takes a bit to get it in the right place, but works fine, and is cheap.

So, not incredibly expensive, works well, and is comfortable. Others might have better options, though.

Yeah, I think I posted 16 links there. For the sake of making things easier for people, I'll reformat them (and include some more):

Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection (To be released July 9th) - Includes Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid 2: HD Edition, Metal Gear Solid 3: HD Edition (which includes most of the upgraded features from Subsistence), Metal Gear Solid 4 Trophy Edition Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition, voucher codes for Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, 2 Exclusive Ashley Wood Bande Desinee Graphic Novels, and a 100 PG Artbook. Currently listed at $49.96 on Amazon.

God of War Saga Collection - Includes God of War (HD Remaster), God of War II (HD Remaster), God of War III, and God of War: Chains of Olympus (HD Remaster) and God of War: Ghost of Sparta (HD Remaster). Currently listed at $27.99 on Amazon.

Killzone Trilogy Collection - Includes Killzone (HD Remaster), Killzone 2 +all multiplayer maps, and Killzone 3 + all multiplayer maps. Currently listed at $37.74 on Amazon.

Resistance Collection - Includes Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2 + Bonus Content, and Resistance 3 + Bonus Content. Currently listed at $34.61 on Amazon.

Assassin's Creed Ezio Trilogy - Includes Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and Assassin's Creed Revelations. Currently listed at $29.98 on Amazon.

Jak and Daxter Collection - Includes Jak & Daxter 1, 2, and 3, all remastered in HD. Currently listed at $18.27 on Amazon.

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection - Includes Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, both remastered in HD. Currently listed at $18.82 on Amazon.

The Sly Collection - Includes the first three Sly Cooper games remastered in HD, plus 3D support for Sly Cooper 3 and new Move-compatible minigames. Currently listed at $21.98 on Amazon.

InFamous Collection - Includes InFamous 1 and 2, inFamous: Festival of Blood, and additional downloadable content. Currently listed at $22.99 on Amazon.

Tomb Raider Trilogy - Includes Tomb Raider: Legend (HD Remaster), Tomb Raider: Anniversary (HD Remaster), and Tomb Raider: Underworld, as well as some avatar stuff and making-of content. Currently listed at $16.74 on Amazon.

Prince of Persia Trilogy - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (HD Remaster), Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (HD Remaster) and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (HD Remaster), with 3D support and better framerates. Currently listed at $16.94 on Amazon.

Splinter Cell Trilogy - Includes Splinter Cell (HD Remaster), Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (HD Remaster) and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (HD Remaster), with support for 3D, better framerates, and enhanced online gameplay. Currently listed at $17.49 on Amazon.

Uncharted Greatest Hits Dual Pack - Includes Uncharted and Uncharted 2: GotY Edition. Currently listed at $28.82 on Amazon.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix (To be released September 10) - Includes Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (HD Remaster), Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories (HD Remaster), and HD cinematics from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, as well as an artbook for those who pre-order. Currently listed at $39.99 on Amazon.

Ratchet and Clank Collection - Includes Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, all remastered in HD and with 3D support. Currently listed at $25.96 on Amazon.

Journey Collector's Edition - Includes Journey, Flower, and flOw. Currently listed at $24.99 on Amazon.


(Also available on Xbox 360):

Devil May Cry HD Collection - Includes Devil May Cry (HD Remaster), Devil May Cry 2 (HD Remaster), and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Special Edition (HD Remaster). Currently listed at $14.96 (for the PS3 version) and $15.62 (for the Xbox 360 version) on Amazon.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection - Includes Zone of the Enders (HD Remaster) and Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner (HD Remaster), both with new opening animations. Currently listed at $29.40 (for the PS3 version) and $25.48 (for the Xbox 360 version) on Amazon.

Mass Effect Trilogy - Includes all three Mass Effect Games (but none of the DLC). Currently listed at $42.48 (For the PS3 version) and $44.97 (for the Xbox 360 version) on Amazon.

There's also the Silent Hill HD Collection, but from everything I hear it is a lazy and sloppy port of the games.

Whew! I swear I am not a shill for Amazon. I just appreciate a good deal when I see it.

Here are a few great older games that have had a lot of influence on some newer titles.




Star Control 2 -
Open world space explorer RPG with fantastic writing and gameplay.
Definite all time favorite and widely considered one of the best games of all time.
If you've played a Mass Effect game, you'll notice some striking similarities. ;)

*It's been ported to both Mac and PC under the name "The Ur-Quan Masters" and is free to download here.




Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn - Party based, single-player fantasy RPG with a combat system and universe loosely based around the D&D ruleset. The world within the game is surprisingly vast with loads of cool quests and items. The 2D graphic set makes for a smoother gameplay experience than, say, Neverwinter Nights, it's spiritual successor, so it should run like a dream on your netbook. Dragon Age: Origins borrowed a great deal from the Baldur's Gate series.

Available on Amazon along with Baldur's Gate 1 and expansions for both here.



X-Com: UFO Defense - Sci-Fi RTS with RPG and city-builder elements mixed in.

You manage a shadow organization tasked with defending the earth from alien invaders and funded by nations based on your performance in their territories. The goal is to build bases, intercept UFOs, clean up crash sites, defend cities under siege, and eventually go on the offensive. X-Com is often within the top 10 of many "top 100" game lists. There have been many attempts at reviving the success of the franchise with different iterations of the basic gameplay elements, but none have come close to the quality of the original.

X-Com: UFO Defense is available through Steam along with sequels here

There are plenty of game pads available. I use a 360 controller to play side-scrollers, as well as a PS3 controller (this or this), sometimes. Even with the games that "don't support controllers," you can use something like Joy-to-Key. I'll give you a pro tip though, most games that say they don't support controllers do; they just show the chunky name for the input, rather than the nice one. For example, I played Halo: CE with a PS3 controller and Motionjoy. When I assigned the stick controls, Halo accepted them just fine, but instead of saying something like "analog-left," it would say something like "Joy5."

E: One day, when I'm a millionaire, I'll try all the Razer toys and see if there's a happy medium between the control of a mouse and the comfort of a controller. Speaking of mice, if anyone reading this ever switches to PC, I recommend Logitech peripherals.

Well my primary multiplayer game is Warhawk and that game pretty much requires teamwork to win. I'm sure if you play Call of Duty or Battlefield those games are pretty much designed around solo play. WH actually came with a mic which was pretty decent quality. I have the official Sony headset as well and that one is really good quality, though it hurts my ears a bit after a few hours. This official PS3 headset I heard is pretty damn comfortable though. Just expensive compared to my other ones.

http://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Siberia-Full-Size-Gaming-Headset/dp/B002Q8IHDQ

These are my recommendation. Mic quality is fantastic and the mic itself is well made and it can recess back into the headset when not in use. I tried a few Razer headsets and always experienced poor mic quality so I turned to Steel Series and haven't looked back.

Audio quality is decent as well for general gaming and not too bad for music either.

Build quality is excellent, I've had the black/gold ones for 2 years now and have had no issues at all. I also find them to be extremely comfortable as they're lightweight, don't squeeze your head to hard, and the (p)leather ear pads are very soft and comfortable. Also cord length is excellent, has a short standard length but comes with a nice extension if needed.

For a general PC gaming headset I think they do a pretty good job. Sort of "Jack of all trades, master of none" type of headset.

I purchased two adapters on amazon and here's what I got.

Both are the same, inputs are only for OTHER Wii remote accessories. I'm so frustrated because I was excited to finally use my GC controllers. But anyway, I'm trying to ask for a replacement but Amazon doesn't let me and says it's only for standard refund. DAMMIT.

Has this happened to anyone? How did you handle it? I don't want to pay for returned shipping and I would REALLY like to receive replacements already instead of having to look online again and purchase two more. I didn't even know that they made these? The picture clearly shows a slot for GC controllers. But yeah, all help/advice appreciated.

Wrote a guide below that will work on PC/phone/tablets that support RetroArch, Windows/Android/etc.:

1. Create a "ROMs" folder and inside this folder, create a folder for each console (e.g. NES, SNES, Genesis, MAME, N64, Doom, etc.). Place your games in those folders to keep things organized. Note that RetroArch looks for 'No-Intro Collection' roms for auto-scanning and thumbnails.
   
2. Install RetroArch on PC via their website or Android via either the website or the Google Play app store.
   
3. Run RetroArch. The default interface is very similar to PS3/PS4's XMB ribbon. This can be changed in Settings if you don't like it, but it's quite good. By default RetroArch is controlled via keyboard arrows and z/x for back/enter. It's better to plug-in a USB controller. This is supported out of the box in PC/Android. Good examples are PS3/PS4 or USB SNES controller:
   https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Classic-USB-Gamepad-PC/dp/B002B9XB0E/
   
4. Go to Main > Online Updater: update Core Info, Assets, Autoconfig, Cheats, Databases, Overlays, Cg Shaders, and GLSL.
   
5. Main > Online Updater: Core updater. Here is where you add the emulators you'll be using. Use the following: NES "Nestopia", SNES "Snes9x", MD/Genesis "Genesis GX", Arcade "MAME", Doom "prboom", etc.
   
6. Settings > Video: HW Bilinear Filtering "off". This really should be off by default so games look authentic.
   
7. Settings > OnscreenOverlay: "off". Assuming you're using controller.
   
8. Settings > Directory > File Browser Dir: set the folder directory where your "ROMs" folder is located.
   
9. Settings > Input: MenuToggleGamepadCombo: Start+Select. This should have been set by default but oh well. This is how you get back to the RetoArch interface when you're playing a game.
   
10. Main Menu > Add Content to add your roms. Select the folder for each Core. (e.g. SNES folder.) It'll scan and find all SNES ROMs and add them per core on ribbon to the right. In the end you should have an icon for each console on the ribbon with all the ROMs under it.
    
11. Once you have all your console Cores added, you can go to Main > Online Updater: and update thumbnails, this will add all the thumbnails for games if you want them.
    
12. Now you should be fully setup and can play all your games to the right on the xmb ribbon. The first time you run a game/rom you'll have to select the Core you downloaded. It'll save that choice. Note that you may have to go into Settings > Input/Controllers and mess slightly with control bindings.

An emulator with one of these definitely makes it acceptable. Not quite the same... but pretty damn close!

It amazes me how strong those SNES controllers are. They still work like a charm for me.

I LOVE my hyper x clouds. They are amazing build quality the best I have ever seen in gaming headphones that usally feel like they are made out of super cheap plastic. The sound quality is decent to good 7.1 surround sound. I have heard that the microphone isn't great but I've never heard complaints about mine. Plus they have the greatest review ever!
https://imgur.com/gallery/9tC5x

HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset for PC & PS4 - Red
(KHX-HSCP-RD) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SAYCXWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_IuB7xbQFH3WYS

It's the best compromise. Like I said, the Retron 5 technically uses emulation rather than original hardware to power the games, so it's not going to be a totally 1:1 experience when compared to the original hardware. The only difference between this and a Raspberry Pi solution is that you're using your own carts, because you can even get a USB 2-port N64 controller adaptor for like, $20.

To be honest, the only advantage the Retron has is that you get to use your old saves on the carts, but to be honest I'd be leery of doing that these days: We're already well-beyond the average lifespan of the save batteries inside N64 carts, and even the ones which use flash memory instead aren't 100% reliable anymore.

Parts List:

Power Adapter

Raspberry Pi

USB Super Nintendo Controller (This is the best one I have found so far)

HDMI Cable

WiFi Dongle

Other Items you will need:

USB Keyboard

Monitor or TV with HDMI Support




Now you dont have to use these parts exactly, there are plenty of other parts you can use. I am pretty sure that you can play Roms up to Playstation 1.



There is also a new Raspberry Pi 3 that is compatible with the RetroPie software which has WiFi and Bluetooth integrated into the board.

Helpful Video's to tackle technical issues with your RetroPie:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtht1mv6ty8xMBwgHX9RCkplqeSRxyHiC


Edit:

Almost forgot!


Here is the Case I found on Etsy. There are plenty of other sellers but this guy was great!

Here is a build you can start working with to fit your needs. It is £40 over budget but some bargain shopping and/or used parts can close that gap. I put in a cheap keyboard and mouse as a place holder, those are some items that can be replaced with expensive counterparts later as you see fit, but they will do the job now. I put windows 8.1 because it can still upgraded to 10 for now, but there are always cheaper ways to get windows, but be careful and do your research. You can replace the case with whatever as long as it is compatible which pcpartpicker will tell you. You can probably find different speakers for cheaper but I would recommend buying headphones if most of your audio will be for gaming. For headphones I would recommend the hyperx Cloud II, but that is something that can wait. Once again the graphics card is more or less a place holder. That is something that you will have to shop around for as your currency changes, but I would look towards amd's new rx470 or rx480 that come out tomorrow. With their arrival used graphics cards will also go down in price so keep an eye on ebay or /r/hardwareswap, they have a UK section. Learning to build a computer is pretty simple, just watch some youtube videos and you will have it down.

Beyerdynamic DT880's are great for gaming if you want to go all out, very detailed with extremely accurate imaging, certainly better than any gaming oriented rubbish. Then you could get something like this which clips onto the headphone cable. If the DT880's are out of your league, I heartily recommend the AD700 which have a hugely expansive soundstage which really immerses you in the game. Both of these headphones have the added benefit of being incredible for music too.

Yeah, I've messed around a lot with trying to come up with the ideal solutions to emulating various systems with optimal input, and blown through a lot of adapters and such. My recommendation is bad boy along with any used Super Famicom controller or SNES controller which at fair market value is less than $10, so you end up paying around $10 less for a better end result.

go for this

> Steel Series SIberia v2

its a bit over 50 but its awesome, you will be glad to have it! - trust me

The Hyper X Cloud is a great headset, had mine for about a year. It's super comfortable, great sound quality, the mic is removable, and it works on all systems.

They're pretty easily obtainable and there are several kinds of them.

Back when I was stationed on a ship these were SUPER common, as we only had a couple of public TVs we could use, and hooking up your console to play a single player game was a huge break of our unwritten law, so people would take these with them so they could still play games on days off.

Can I brighten your day here by saying.. There is an attachment you can buy for your wii-mote that will make it gamecube controller adaptable.. If your anything like me it takes a gc controller to play wii games like mario kart.. and classic games like majoras mask and oot. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BS520SG 16 dollars is a cheap price to pay for a more comfortable controller :3.

He's right, that one is the knockoff. If it doesn't say Microsoft on it, it's a fake. This is the real one.

Here's a helpful comment on amazon in the reviews of the fake one by Mark Twain.

Copied if the link dies.

Buyer Beware!! This product is NOT by Microsoft as Advertised!!!

If you have already bought this item skip to `The work around' to get the device to work

My Story:

I purchased this item because my original Microsoft receiver stopped working after the manufacturer's warranty time of 90 days. The device simply was not working one morning. So I searched online for a replacement and thought I was getting the original Microsoft Xbox 360 receiver because it was advertised that way. Unfortunately the product did not work right off so I had to contact Microsoft gaming for support. Then after trial and error we discovered that Microsoft did not produce this rip off of their product.

So how can I prove this? Well first off the pic #2 and #3 are legit. but the 1st pic if the rip off. Microsoft NEVER prints the Words "Xbox 360" without first printing "Microsoft" to read "Microsoft Xbox 360." Behind the word Microsoft there will be an 'R' in a circle and behind the words Xbox 360 will be a small 'TM.' This product came with a receiver and packaging that looks VERY similar to the real one but it is not.

So that's the bad news, but there is good news too........

The good news is, that this product does still work. I have now had mine for way longer than the original Microsoft version, and it still works with everyday usage. (Originally ordered in Feb. 2010 and it is now July 2010)
However the installation was not as simple as the real one. They send the receiver with a driver disk that doesn't work at all with common Operating Systems or OS.

The work around:

Is to use your common driver by Microsoft already installed on your Windows or Vista Disk Drivers area and install the driver manually. Unfortunately this also means you have to reinstall the driver each time you unplug it.

Go to:
Start Menu and open Control panel

Then open
'Hardware and Sound' from control panel for Windows users
for vista users
select 'Additional options'
then from the left hand side open 'Hardware and Sound'.


Then open Device Manager for windows or Vista

Then click on the "Unknown Driver"

Then click on search for additional options and manually install the driver yourself

Then select the 'Microsoft Common Controller for Windows class'

Then it will give a list of drivers for you...... pick the one from Feb of 2007 and install that one.

Then you are good to go and able to play the games you want using your Xbox360 controller.

Well, for a good cheap headset, the logitech g330 is great. However, going above that, headphones+mic is better combo. An ad700 and this mic should be under 100.

Headsets break easier than headphones and mic, because if one breaks, the whole thing is done. Also, often times headsets have worse wiring, and are lower quality soundwise for the price. Also, beware headphones that shove 6 phones into one earpiece for surround sound, as that means they only had 1/6 to spend on the driver. Aside from lower quality speakers, you can't even tell the surround effect because of the closeness of the speakers. Good simulation, which most games now have, and can be done with a cheap soundcard like the xonar dg, will give a better effect.

If you want a nice USB surround sound one, get this one Logitech G35. I personally vouch for it, others do as well.

If you want one with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, these are nice Steel Series Siberia.

A lot of people will tell you to go with a non-gamer headphone and a clip mic. As you get a bit more bang for your buck.

This is all according to preference though. My preference is in the order I listed, the surround sound is quite impressive. Hope this helps.

If you are looking for a challenging RPG with a great story, Baldur's Gate is just what you need. It's old school hardcore DnD. Also you can take your character through the first game and import them into Baldur's Gate 2 and take them all the way to level 40 if you get the expansions.

You can easily get 200+ hours out of the games (BG1 + Exp + BG2 +Exp). The graphics are old, but the gameplay still stands up.

http://www.amazon.com/Baldurs-Gate-4-1-Boxset-PC/dp/B000FGA1US/ref=pd_bxgy_vg_text_c

20 bucks, enjoy one of the best RPGs ever made.


edit

In regards to Icewind Dale Series. It's basically the same as Baldur's Gate but the story is much weaker. nonetheless this series is also HIGHLY recommended.

A RetroPie is a better value. It can play thousands of Atari, NES, SNES, N64, PS1, Amiga, and Dreamcast games. Many games are Netplay capable; you can play Mario Kart 64 with someone on the opposite end of the country!
After you get it configured it is just plug and play. Even includes box art, descriptions, and ratings.

RetroPie : $0

Raspberry Pi 3: $36

Power supply : $10 (or use a spare cell phone charger)

SD Card: $10

Wired SNES controller: $12

Bluetooth SNES/NES/Analog contoller: $37 (optional)

Raspberry Pi case: $7

3D printable NES Raspberry Pi case: $0

3D printable SNES Raspberry Pi case: $0

Total: $75 ($48 if you can print your own case and use your own charger and SD card.)

I've been using this headset (Logitech G35) for a while now.

Sturdy, clear sounding as far as I know, and surround sounds great in-game. The mute button, the volume control and the media controls are all nice and on your head, so you don't have to fumble around with your wire any time you want to mute yourself or change a song.

The only issue with the media control buttons is that they can't be rebound to more useful things.

If you're looking for something a bit cheaper, and don't mind going analog, as opposed to USB, I use these headphones (Razer Orca) for listening to music, and I've seen this clip-on mic recommended in other threads.

Used in conjunction, those two are supposedly crazy good for the money.

It's actually one of those cheap N64 replacement sticks you can find all over Ebay and Amazon.

Emphasis on "cheap". They look and feel nice, but the pots conversion is total trash and you get some hefty input lag.

But programming your own chip is a great alternative that will work perfectly. Gonna cost you quite a bit more than 10 cents though, that's for sure.

I used it at a small nvidia event thing before it was released, but using the final retail model. I didn't really like it too much, I found the screen was a bit too small for some decent gaming, it was heavier than I expected it to be, the controller doesn't feel like it'd be comfortable for long term use and I overall didn't really get the point of it, as without the use of a VPN and always having a strong 4G LTE connection, you can only use it in your house, you know, the place where your PC is, and it's not like you can stream it from your PC, play on shield, do other stuff on pc (such as another user), overall, there's much cheaper solutions to this, if you have a gameklip and a wireless xbox controller with the dongle and some software called splashtop.

Also, shield requires a minimum of a GTX 660, the DIY version works with anything, except it does only stream at 800x600 (stable) and it only works on games that have borderless windowed (or just windowed, if you can deal with start menus etc), but it's a solution if you only play a few games and have a smartphone.

TL;DR: Screen too small, bit too heavy, uncomfortable to use for long periods of time, cheaper alternative if you don't mind some setbacks

EDIT: Word fail

Theirs was an amazing story, like the dream of every teenager's wish of being a game developer. Then the subsequent nightmare and reality of that success.

I can highly recommend these. They are wireless and work great with PS3 and PC. They are super comfortable and I can wear them all night long even with my eyeglasses on.

http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Stereo-Headset-Playstation-3/dp/B0053OLY9O/ref=cm_rdp_product_img

I am not sure what you mean by:
>PC Audio + Ps3 Audio at the same time

I don't think any headphones can receive two different inputs at the same time?

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wired-Controller-Black/dp/B003ZSN600/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1301923985&sr=1-1

Buy one of these. Super Meat Boy plays a lot better on it and it's compatible with lots of other games like the Assassin's Creed series and Arkham Asylum. Easily worth the purchase.

http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-Collection-Playstation-3/dp/B00CTKHXFO

It's MGS2, 3, 4, and Peace Walker bundled on the disc. It is the same HD remakes as the ones on the MGS HD Collection that they released a while back, but this includes MGS4 (which is the same as the normal version of MGS4). They also give you a PSN download code for MGS1 (and the MGS VR Missions), which is not an HD remake or anything. It also has Metal Gear 1 and Metal Gear 2 that you may access from MGS3's menu. I think it comes with some bonus material like an art book and stuff like that.

Note: this is available for PS3-only though, since MGS4 has not been re-made for any other platforms.

PC controller: $10-$20

PS3
360

Or you can splurge and get an official 360 controller

Steam: Great games for under $20

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/bigpicture/discussions/1/864961175391400727/

http://store.steampowered.com/app/204300/?snr=1_7_15__13

http://store.steampowered.com/app/65800/?snr=1_7_15__13

There are also many awesome free games on Steam (TF2, Blacklight, Race Room, Tribes)

I personally prefer the Xbox 360 wireless receiver + 360 controller. The "main" analog stick is in the spot were your thumbs naturally rest and I also like the fact that when I have my friends over I don't need 3 other USB controllers, they can bring their own 360 ones. I use this layout most of the time I play. I find it to the be the best compromise seeing as you can access to the all the c-buttons from the "c-stick" and you can quick access to the two more important c-buttons from Y and B. In Zelda, did you ever set an often used item to the right c-button? I never did, because it took longer press it.

Last time I played through BG it was on XP and it worked fine for the most part. BG1 was very rough, but you can use the tutu mods to play it with BG2's engine, which was much improved. There's also a widescreen mod that worked well for me.

Also: http://www.amazon.com/Baldurs-Gate-4-1-Boxset-Pc/dp/B000FGA1US/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1269630374&sr=8-1

Personally I thought they were great. Even though I have a 360 controller, I prefer keyboard + mouse for first-person games. Normally I wouldn't think of playing a platformer without a controller, but I found the default controls on PC to work perfectly and I never had a problem with them. That being said, according to this article you can use a 360 controller with the game. Since you have a PS3 I'm not sure you have a 360 controller lying around but if not I heartily recommend picking one up. If you play a lot of PC games, it's the best $30 you'll ever spend.

> but it's more satisfying to have the original controller in your hand

This is close.

This is for the purest that uses emulators.

I'd probably play old games on emulators or something these days. I still have my old SNES, but the place where the adapter plugs in is broken, so the power cuts out randomly.

I keep it for nostalgia. I think it's fun to keep some of my old toys.

small disclaimer here, i am a bit of an audio snob so mostly have more expensive gear because i like overpaying for things apparently lol

So, at that price point im really not that sure what is "best" as i dont have a ton of personal experience there other than some audio technica m40x, which are on sale for $80 with no mic on amazon right now. at $80 they are great, but with no mic you would need to spend a bit more.

http://smile.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR54/ref=sr_1_cc_1

if you could up your budget just a bit you could add a v moda boom mic that would work with the m40x. it is $30.

http://smile.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-Communication/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=sr_1_4

any non-usb mic would work too, but the v moda attaches to the headset to keep things nice and tidy. so something like either of these 2 should do the trick and both are under $10. you just have to figure out how to get the mic in place since it isnt designed to attach to a headset straight out the box. the one is a lapel mic so just attach it to your shirt, and the second could possibly be broken down and you could try attaching it to the headset on your own somehow.

http://smile.amazon.com/Microphone-Smartphone-Blusmart-Omnidirectional-Condenser/dp/B01H19E0JE/ref=sr_1_39
http://smile.amazon.com/Connectland-Tabletop-Microphone-Recording-CL-ME-606/dp/B0028Y4DCC/ref=sr_1_7



Or you could try these Hyperx Cloud II's out. i have never tried these, but they are in your price range and they are sort of a chinese knockoff version of the more expensive mmx300s i have. they have a lot of really good reviews though so might be worth a try. even though they arent from an actual headphone manufacturer they apparently are very good for the price point, so could be just right for you.

http://smile.amazon.com/HyperX-Gaming-Headset-Nintendo-Switch/dp/B00SAYCXWG/ref=sr_1_1



you could also pop over to /r/headphones to look for some advice. there are people there with a lot more experience with products across a wider price range so could be somebody who already owns a headphone/mic combo that fits that budget.

What I use to really relive my childhood is an N64 to USB adapter. You can get them for $12 on Amazon. The one I linked is the one I use and it works perfectly. It supports two controllers, so you can play with a friend or buy a second one to get a 4 player game going. If you still have your old N64 controllers, that's all you need.

Wireless 360 controllers work too, but you need a special dongle to pull it off.

They also don't work as wired devices if the cord is plugged in, they only receive a charge from it.

But the wired ones work perfectly fine out of the box, and 360 controllers are more or less the de facto PC standard for game controllers.

Don't buy a headset, you can buy a very nice pair of headphones and a microphone for about the same price. I'm impartial to Audio-Technia's ATH-M50s closed dynamic phones, but if you prefer open, ATH-AD700s are also excellent, then just buy a cheap mic like this one.

It's an all in one, miniature computer, can do a lot of things, but it's most popular application is a piece of software called "RetroPie" that's basically an emulator for any game system you want up to about the gamecube era.

This kit would give you everything you need, it does take probably an evening of installing and setting up ROMs in retropie, but the value FAR exceeds your NES Classic, I have 8000 NES Games on mine, lol

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1486935191&sr=1-2&keywords=raspberry+pi

http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Doom-Created-Transformed-Culture/dp/0812972155/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1374812801&sr=8-1

Very interesting book detailing this and their early days. Its a bit dated (was released in 2003), but a great read for those interested in gaming, none the less.

Sounds like his mic is the main problem. I too was looking for a new headset recently. A friend asked if I had any decent headphones, which I did (sennheiser hd 25's) so he suggested just getting this mic:
http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Microphone-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone/dp/B00029MTMQ
and tbh it's the best mic i have ever used, i was even sitting on it the other day after it came unclipped and everyone could still hear me.
So for about ten bucks you can get him that mic, and then he can go get a decent set of headphones, maybe: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD201-Lightweight-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0007XJSQC/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312200004&sr=1-6
This will be the cheapest way to get a REALLY good headset setup. Gaming specific headsets cost a lot for a decent one.

Well the control panel he used is this but you could build your own control panel for cheaper by using one of these. If you wanted to only run MAME games then you could easily get by with a Raspberry Pi. Next you want the actual cabinet... There are a few routes you can go. You could buy a kit, you could buy some sheets of plywood and build one yourself using these plans, OR if you're lucky you could find an old broken arcade cabinet on craigslist for super cheap. Once you do all of that you'll have to get the software running on the raspberry pi. So going back on the cost... You could spend anywhere from $500 to $3000 all depending on the specifications you want.

Source: Built one myself

steelseries siberia v2 it is really great and it have a really good microphone

edit if you don't care about the microphone, the v1 is great too

You can make the USB clones great by getting a real SNES controller and swapping the shells and button pads over to the USB one. I like wireless so I always recommend the 8Bitdo controllers. SNES30 and SFC30.

Edit: If you do not want to go that route I recommend the iBuffalo USB one as that feels as good as the real controller.

You can order just the joysticks here. It's super easy to install. Just take apart the controller, unplug bad joystick, plug in good joystick, and put it back together. I've done this a couple times for myself or friends.

The Razer Onza and the official first party Microsoft Xbox360 wired controllers are the best ones you can go with. Nearly every game that supports a gamepad supports a 360 controller and its keys.

Do not buy "gaming" headsets. They generally have low quality sound for their price. Instead, buy a real headphone (like the ATH-700s), and buy a clip on mic. This way you'll have an entry-level audiophile headphone that you'll enjoy much more. The only downside to this is that the clip on mic has to wrap around the headphone's wires, which makes it bit clunky. However, it's well worth it.

Edit: I actually use Sennheiser HD 555s but those are more pricy than what you were looking at. However, if you can afford them, the 555s are well worth it. They are the most comfortable headphones I've ever used.

I've done the same thing with my PC. The cable in the picture is ONLY for charging. You need the wireless adapter shown here:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2

You will more than likely need to manually install the driver for the controller. You can do that with the following guide:

http://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-other-devices/windows/xbox-controller-for-windows-setup#353b610dc727430da459028e8d31acda


What I had to do on Windows 7 was "Install New Hardware", Find the device manually (Was under "Game Controllers?" > Microsoft > XBOX 360 Controller, etc.

Afterwards everything worked fine and I can happily play Super Meat Boy on my big screen.

To be honest my bro gave me his wireless sony head set and i think it personally sounds amazing and is actually quite comfortable. and it works on the PC too.

http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Stereo-Headset-Playstation-3/dp/B0053OLY9O/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1408737684&sr=8-9&keywords=ps3+bluetooth+headset

Some context - I was at Starbucks to meet up with a few old friends last night, and noticed this guy gaming in the corner when I came in. We were there for about two hours and he was still going strong when we left. He was running a PS4 in what looked like a GAEMS case, and although I couldn't make out what game he was playing, I did notice him put on Straight Outta Compton from the media player.

Just get a USB 360 controller? My boyfriend and I used a MadCatz until he finally broke it from spin-sticking way too hard. We have the official Microsoft one now, and it's super high quality feeling and stuff.

As for customization, I'm pretty sure you can map the keys however you want so long as the game you're playing allows it. If it doesn't allow it, look into software like Xpadder, which allows you to set any button as any key/key combination on your keyboard.

EDIT: Also, a LOT of controller compatible games (4/5, maybe?) have a default Xbox layout, making Xbox 360 controllers instantly compatible with the game.

Hyper X Cloud Alphas are really the way to go - good sound, decent mic, very good comfort, good build quality. As importantly as anything else, they have a standard 3.5mm detachable/replaceable cord. Worn or broken cords are by far the most common fault for any corded headphone, and having a standard detachable cord makes for an easy and inexpensive repair, eliminating the need to replace the entire headset. The mic is also detachable, and replacements are sold at a very reasonable price by HyperX.

If you would like something even more versatile, and if open-backed headphones are suitable for your listening environment, then, at a cost of around $85US, SHP9500s paired with a VModa Boompro are the no-brainer recommendation as they surpass everything in the same price range, by far.

I've reconditioned half a dozen n64 controllers with these. They're amazing, way better than original, and aren't using fucking optical sensors and wheels like the original. What a batshit crazy design.

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-Controller-Windows/dp/B004QRKWLA

They also sell a little wireless adapter so you can use the controllers you already have. This is what I use to play many games on my PC.

There are also playstation controllers that will work the same - and several third party companies make functional gamepads.

All the glory of PC Skyrim + mods from the comfort of your couch/armchair/bed!

Nope, I'm talking about the original controllers for the NES and Super Nintendo.
SNES Controller:
http://www.lukiegames.com/snes-original-super-nintendo-controller-used
You'd probably find one cheaper on ebay or craigslist. $16 is totally worth it to me though.
USB Adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/SNES-Controller-Adapter-USB-Super-NES/dp/B002IXZ5DE
I've had a couple different brands of these adapters and this one has held up much better than the others. Also $16 ish.

I think i looked into tutu once. I do happen to have this so that might be a good idea. Definitely many hours of play there.

Have all my upvotes my friend.

I use one of these with my Xbox 360 controller.

Most games (pretty much any game you could get for a 360, and more) support the 360 controller, they change the onscreen buttons and everything, so it's like paying $20 to play Xbox 360 games on your computer. Pretty good deal imo.

If it's about the controller, I'm sure there are adapters to USB for pretty much anything. SNES, NES, Playstation. Of course these are of varying quality since I just pulled the first thing I found, but it's not too hard to adapt the most nostalgic part of the hardware to work with modern equipment.

And with something like the NES/SNES classic, the rest of it is exactly like an emulator. No cartridges or anything, just a ROM library that you choose from. The UI for game selection is going to be marginally better than an emulator would be, but that's about it.

The Kingston HyperX Cloud is a great headset and works on pretty much every platform. Here's a link to them if you're interested. Note that if you ever get an Xbox One you will need an adapter in order to use this headset with it.

>There are plenty of great laptops with dedicated graphics cards for the same price or less than the cost of this contraption

Really?

The "contraption" is $350 and the PS4 is also $350.

Find me a new laptop for $700 or less that has a dedicated GPU meeting or exceeding the PS4's.

The revamped graphics make things sharper and cutscenes just look great, one could say "movie-esque". Here's an old comparison video. I didn't notice that much difference in MGS, like I did in MGS2.

Gameplay was still the same from before.

Just to be clear, the collection I'm referring to is the Legacy not the HD Collection.

If anything, I'd recommend the Legacy pack. Sure, it's the HD Collection (for the most part). But, it adds in MGS4, MGS, MGS VR Missions. At $50, it's a steal.

Meh. Thanks for lecturing me on id software history. You are right. Congratulations.

Here is your prize: Masters of Doom

I have this and I really like it, surround sound, wireless, great microphone, and good battery life.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-98085-Wireless-Stereo-Headset/dp/B0053OLY9O/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1320815187&sr=1-1

Buy something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HZFCT2/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

There are cheaper receivers available but those are almost always cheap knock-off versions of the official receivers.

Microsoft stopped selling individual receivers and now force you to buy a receiver+controller bundle if you want to get an official receiver. Otherwise you can buy from a reseller like the one I linked who seem to buy the bundle, split it up, and sell the two pieces individually.

All of that annoying shit aside I'm really happy with my receiver. I had a bunch of friends over and I was able to connect four controllers at once which lets you do some fun stuff on various emulators.

since I got these almost a month ago, I highly recommend the Kingston HyperX Cloud gaming headset. While they are prciey, they are amazing in quality. They also come with velour ear pads and actual leather ones as well. Worth every penny.

http://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-KHX-H3CL/dp/B00JJNQG98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418834163&sr=8-1&keywords=hyperx

Hey, they are on sale this week.

So unfortunately I have only Apple standard built headphones in my house and have been on travel so I haven’t had time to do more troubleshooting but my next step was to try something else. I have sent an email to Bose asking if their “android” built aux cords with inline mics use android style which is a 30 dollar solution. Secondly I was looking at aux cords with single button inline mics but haven’t seen much on amazon but I have been looking at the V-MODA BoomPro Microphone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FXlHAbB3FRBR0 which I just am not sure how well would fit into the bose headphones and is also 30 bucks but I’m 90% sure there are no volume controls and is definitely not built with Apple standards in mind.

100 USD budget for a headset with build in mic, then definitely Kingston HyperX Cloud II.

Absolutely no challenge, there are hardly any other (if any) headset out there that can beat it in its quality (and comfort) for that price.

Alternatively, it's also possible to buy a good headphones without mic and just buy Zalman ZM-MIC 1 to clip the mic on the headphone wire. The mic quality of a separate mic is better than the HyperX Cloud II build in one, but you'd be sacrificing comfort for quality.


If you opt for the HyperX Cloud II, make sure you get the right version. There is a 'Core', 'I' and 'II' version. II being the more expensive one (and 'better' one).

http://xpadder.com/ will let you map the controller's buttons to whatever you want.

If you want to invest in a better controller then the Xbox 360 wired controller is the way to go. Most Games for Windows titles have built in support and it's also reasonably durable and comfortable.

One of these guys:
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Controller-Transforming-Charge/dp/B00936K09S/

With one of these guys:
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2/

Microsoft-branded wireless adapters require almost zero setup on Win 7+. Plug it in, give it a few seconds to find/install the hardware, sync controller, done. (and then you're ready to add up to 3 more controllers, easy peasy)

EDIT: If you're going with wired, get the Xbox One controller. Plugs in with the included microUSB charging cable, detects instantly, bam.

If your willing to dish out 35 bucks then this and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IXZ5DE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) will work much better than any usb snes knockoff. I got my controller from Hobby King Japan and it is barely even used. Authentic vintage controllers are the best there is for emulators.The one linked has a somewhat short cord because it's japanese, maybe 3.5 ft long with the adapter. So if you have desk it's perfect but may need a usb extension if your wanting to play from a couch.

First, let me say this: all headphones are surround sound. You only have two places that you can hear from and headphones literally surround them. Surround sound (5.1, 7.1, etc.) in speakers is nice since in order to hear from all directions without getting too technical you need speakers around you. If you see 5.1 or 7.1 headphones, that means they just stuffed a ton of low quality drivers into their phones and is a good sign they are nothing but marketing and that you should avoid them.

Also, if you see a headset that is usb that means it uses it's own sound card essentially, which may be good or bad for you depending on your setup.

For gaming specifically you want headphones with a good sound-stage. There is no gaming headset on the market that compares to getting some good phones plus mic. Sony MDR-V6 and Creative Aurvana Live (rebadged Denon AH-D1001) are a decent choices for your price range. You can always get a desktop mic, a clip-on mic, or better yet find a Labtec LVA-7330 on ebay and do some simple modding and you have yourself a headset with removable mic.

2.50 euro's or with the -20% coupon 2 euro's which is finally for once cheaper than the dollar version.

And please vote for f3ar. Bioshock 2 is/was on amazon sale for a very good price. If you missed that I think you shouldn't mess up other people chance to get f3ar for a good price.

Ah it's still here: (Bioshock 1 + 2 for 7.50, steam redeemable)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083W649I/ref=s9_al_ft_g367_ir010?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=0Y63GNZ231HS14NQCH4W&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1381536642&pf_rd_i=1000812791

If you're interested, you can get the first two BioShock games for $5 atm through amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Bioshock-Dual-Pack-Online-Game/dp/B0083W649I/ref=br_lf_m_1000716161_1_1_img?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&pf_rd_p=1588686302&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000716161&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0NSZ7HMFVA278404YVCN

(This for PC players)

The first two are pretty much FPS Horror games, the 3rd (Infinite) is a lot lighter in regards to setting... definitely not so cheap though. But such an excellent story (and very pretty).

Personally, I would recommend avoiding gaming headsets as they tend to have worse sound than normal headphones.

My setup combines a decent studio headphone (has flatter EQ tuning so you can hear everything super clearly, THIS ONE is a really good option) with a Zalman mic that clips to the headphone cord.

This would leave you room to upgrade the mic later if you needed better sound.

If you're talking about using this for console gaming disregard this as I doubt you have a separate headphone and mic port.

Probably should have been clearer.
http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-Collection-Playstation-3/dp/B00CTKHXFO

"The Legacy Collection includes Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid 2: HD Edition, Metal Gear Solid 3: HD Edition, Metal Gear Solid 4 Trophy Edition and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition
Also includes Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions via included voucher codes"

I purchase this one for my friend

Worked great. Problem is it didn't have an on/off button. Also remember Youtube is your friend when you want to set it up.

HD edition for PS3/360 as well. 2, 3 and peace walker. Vita edition doesn't have peace walker.


Also next month on PS3.... A 50$ pack with 1, 2HD, 3HD, VR missions, 4 and peace walker. with the MSX games on the 2HD menu.

Amazon info here

Some people balk at the fact that I purchased Astro A40s... I love 'em and don't regret the purchase one bit but in your price range I'd say go with the new Sony Wireless [here]. I've heard great things about those.

[EDIT] That is IF you are on PS3... I didn't even think about that... Sorry, though I was in r/ps3.

was meryl in MGSIV? I know of MGS but i never gotten around to playing it since i never played the originals. Looking at the legacy addition though seems it's priced pretty well on amazon at the moment

Turtle beaches are generally considered junk headsets. They may not sound bleh to most users, but compare them to real headphones, and they really DO sound like low-end crap.
Durability is also a factor. Lots of people ask advice in this format: "So my turtle beaches broke and I'm looking for a new headset, any recommendations?" In fact, too many.

My recommendation is Panasonic HTF600 (Good god those are expensive in Germany, it's only $30 in US)
and a Zalman Microphone

As for the monoprice selection, that might not be a bad idea.

Also, here's a guide for other audio needs or for curiosity.

EDIT: Forgot about the JVC RX700. That'll be a good one as well.

I'm pretty sure its any. There is also a dongle for wireless ones to connect but I've never used those so I don't know how well they work. Since they are official Microsoft products I assume they are fine. One of those dongles will also save you about $20 if you already have wireless controllers. Did I mention the word dongle?

Built my wife a RetroPie setup for Christmas. The kids have been enjoying the old NES games, and Sonic on the SEGA. The wife plays Calstevania every chance she gets. Still working out a bit of input lag, but it's a fantastic setup.

https://retropie.org.uk/

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/First-Installation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvYX_7iRRI0

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

HyperX Cloud. Great headphones and the most comfortable ones you'll ever wear.

Amazon link.

They're $20 cheaper at Gamestop.

The hyper x cloud 2 has good reviews

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SAYCXWG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482186159&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=cloud+x&dpPl=1&dpID=41Z3t92Hu6L&ref=plSrch

What's your price range?

There is the older model too for like 50

It's good for all systems and pc

yes, but it is not the same. I still love my gamecube controllers, and I was able to find an adapter that connects to the Wii U remote, and makes the gamecube
controller technically wireless.

Awesome! Got this one right here. Thanks to everyone!

I do like the design of the G433 especially the red
For around the same price as the G433 what do you think would be better?
G433
Cloud II

(Probably should’ve mentioned in post but I’ll be playing mainly FPS /Rainbow 6/Battlefield etc. so I’m more so looking for a headset that can pickup in footsteps easily while still being reliable in the long run)

This is the only legit way to do it

http://www.amazon.com/May-Flash-Controller-Adapter-Nintendo-64/dp/B002B9FIUU

Of course you have to have an N64 controller as well, but I use one of these and it works great!

By far the most comfortable headset I have owned.. You can look up videos on reviews on it, and they will all say it's amazing

Dude, just hop on that Steam. It's easy. I use my Steam account for Civ V and various indie games. It's good stuff. Plus, if you really just use Xbox because you like the controller, you could pick one of these up.

I have a PC with 2, Ceton InfiniTV 4 cards. This gives me digital cable on my PC (with HBO but now on demand) and it runs like a DVR. I use it with Win7 and Windows Media Center. This setup looks better than any cablebox/DVR I ever owned. The PC is also a TV server because other TVs have xBox360s hooked up to them and you get TV through Media Center Player (They call that Windows Media Extender)... no need to pay for extra cable boxes... you can record and watch recorded shows from any xBox as well.


I attacked a wireless xBox 360 controller thing this ... I use steam and play Windows games on my 120" projector using an xBox360 controller.

I do however use bluetooth mouse and keyboard to control Windows/Steam... it might be nice not to switch.


The point being, you can have all of this right now without special TVs. If you don't want a cable box and PC separately, you can make your on DVR using the card I mentioned.

You have to buy a wireless adapter like this. Works wonderfully and can connect 4 controllers. $16 isn't bad at all.

An awesome microphone for anyone with dedicated headphones.

Zalman Mic

While I agree with you, he does only have a $50 budget. So with that in mind your best bet would be a HARX700 with a zalman clip on.

There is actually an adapter to use wireless controllers on the PC, I only know this because I have a friend that has like 30 of them and he uses them to use his xbox headset and xbox controllers for his pc.

Edit: And here they are
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2
if anyone was curious.

Buy a Pi 3, they're cheap. You can get a kit easy on Amazon for about 50 bucks, should come with a case, a couple of small heat syncs, power cord, and a micro sd card. Pick up a cheap HDMI cord if you don't already have one. Then go to the retro pie website and just follow the instructions. As long as you're slightly computer literate, you should have no issues getting it going. Once retro pie is installed, ROMs are easily added by dragging and dropping into the appropriate folder.

You'll want a controller (obviously), I suggest either a wired one like this or you can even use a BlueTooth controller, this is the one I use. Setting up the bluetooth controllers just takes an extra step to connect within the menu, not hard to do, the wired one should be plug and play.

I highly recommend Masters of Doom to anyone interested in learning more about the history of Doom, id, Ion Storm, and everything that went on between Romero and Carmack. Great read.

Honestly buying the adapter and using legit controllers is better IMHO. This is what I use personally with two legit controllers. Doesn't require drivers or anything so it works right out the box. The iBuffalo button scheme is not concave like a normal NA controller so to me it feels unnatural to play my classic games on.

In my opinion, Amazon has a better sale on Bioshock. You can get a bundle of both the first and second game for 7.49. I'm going to hold out a little to see if Steam matches it, but I doubt they will. I'm also waiting for a pretty good deal on Mass Effect 1-2.

Nice. Perfect for emulators!

Been looking at getting this one for myself:
http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Classic-USB-Gamepad-PC/dp/B002B9XB0E

Yeah, but it's extra cost, engineering and weight.

Far easier to run it from the mains.

This looks like what he has.

Add $350 for the PS4, and that's $700. Not getting a good gaming laptop for that. 970M laptops are far from cheap.

If you're using it for 2D games, I highly recommend an SNES to USB adapter. Super Meat Boy with a SNES controller feels so right.

I bought this adapter that connects the game cube controller to wii stick for like 13 bucks. It's great, it makes it wireless too.

Mayflash Nintendo GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii/Wii U by Mayflash http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BS520SG/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_qcmCub0ETCETG

Yeah, I picked up this one. I hope it doesn't take weeks to arrive like some people are saying. If so I'll just use my ps3 controller in the mean time.

looks good.. I would say get at least a 16gb card because the OS itself takes something like 2gb. And the cards are so cheap.

Here's the kit I started with, then I got the card, case, and wifi dongle separately: http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Basic-Micro-Supply/dp/B00DG9D6IK

And this gamepad has been working great: http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Classic-USB-Gamepad-PC/dp/B002B9XB0E

Yes, safest bet on what to buy than workarounds.

Just make sure its wired Xbox 360 controller. There's also PC edition but its just same thing, but cheaper with driver disc included.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Wired Controller for Windows & Xbox 360 Console https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QRKWLA/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_awd_H9C8wb4T0K8F

Make sure its official controllers from Microsoft only. No 3rd party builds as there's many that don't work well.

well not exctly with original N64 but I play some years ago with project64 and hamachi, also i buy one of these for play

Even better is a NES or SNES controller to USB adapter, and a real controller. Mayflash makes a good adapter, their SNES on on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/SNES-Controller-Adapter-PC-USB/dp/B002IXZ5DE

Still have to buy / obtain an OEM controller though that way.

If you enjoyed this I highly recommend you read Masters of Doom, which goes into more detail of the rise and fall of ID software and is an extremely entertaining read for any gamer.

Try one of these three:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-981-000246-USB-Desktop-Microphone/dp/B002RL84OY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338146109&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1374052661&sr=8-13&keywords=microphone

http://www.modmic.com/

Edit: If you want a gaming headset, I would recommend Steelseries' Siberia V2. I'm currently using it and find it comfortable enough to wear it for a long period of time.

http://www.amazon.com/GameCube-Controller-Adapter-Wii-U-WiiU/dp/B00BS520SG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_vg_1

Here you go, works suprisingly well after some tinkering. You can thank me later in a match when it comes out lol

No clue, but this is the mic that I use and it works pretty well. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029MTMQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=A3G4Z7JJ34B7QN

I recently just purchased the v moda boom pro, I should get it within 2 weeks. Its a mic that attaches itself to any headset that takes a 3.5 mm cable. That way you can use some really good headphones built for audio experience while having a good mic, since most gaming headsets that try to include it all usually suck.

I'm new to the headphone game but I heard good things about the phillips shp9500. They aren't base heavy but people that got them for gaming stand by it.

Just replaced my first one this past weekend and ordered 3 more from here. Thanks for the help!

Yeah, anything like this will work, just has to be an actual wired controller. Wireless controllers with charge and play cables don't work without the wireless receiver.

I just bought one the other day. If it's not available in stores, online is a pretty good option.

Definitely go with a wired xbox 360 controller. If you already own a wireless one you can get a dongle for your PC that will connect any xbox 360 wireless device.

Here is the adapter

I prefer wireless myself. Wired controller can be had for around $30.

Cheers!

I would never suggest a wireless headset for one simple reason; audio quality. You will almost always have some degree of static or quality loss when it comes to wireless audio. what I would suggest is a high quality headphone such as the Sennheiser hd595 (what I've been using for almost 3 years) and a cheap Zalman mic. This will be in the same price range, but will give you plenty more bang for your buck. You'll get a pair of ehadphones that will be amazing for music and gaming, and if your mic decides to go out on you, it's a cheap replacement

Links to products I suggest:

Sennheiser HD595:
[(http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD595-Performance-Premiere-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVE0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1341872182&sr=1-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd595)]

Zalman Mic
[(http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1341872182&sr=1-6&keywords=sennheiser+hd595)]

I got one this morning here for $15.99. They're out of stock now, and the price has gone up, but you can get some good deals on official Microsoft controllers from Amazon if you're willing to go wired.

nice! I made that purchase as well and followed it up with Bioschock 1+2 dual pack on Amazon for $5 http://www.amazon.com/video-games/dp/B0083W649I

I'm gonna be that guy, and say something like Sennheiser HD558 or Audio Technica ATH-M50s with a Zalmann clip on mic or standard desktop mic.

Not as elegant but will sound MUCH better than most, if not all, of the mic + headphone combos.

Well this is my setup for under $50. Head phones and mic I've ever had for gaming.

Headphones. Big and ugly, but very comfy and sound wonderful.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013OWPV4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Clip on mic.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029MTMQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have been told this set from Amazon is good. It also sells other places but was easy to find on there. ( But I think that is more than what you want...

if you want good audio I've been using this for about two years or so with no complaints, if you're buying a headset for the microphone then I've heard good things about the MSI 502 headset and the HyperX Cloud 2 and if you want the headphones I use, the Antlion Modmic 5 should work fine

Investing in a good pair of cans and adding a clip-on mic is what I'm doing. Doesn't hurt to have quality headphones for other listening applications as well.

You can find them packaged at places like Amazon or BestBuy under Xbox Controller for Windows.

This is the controller + USB adapter
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-Wireless-Controller-Windows/dp/B000KA5T6A

Receiver
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows-Pc/dp/B000HZFCT2

Controller
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wired-Controller-Black/dp/B003ZSN600

There are wired variations but the USB adapter lets you use 4 standard 360 controllers at the same time.

If you have a PS3 there are some 3rd party applications you can install that allows you to use that controller.

The better framerate is amazing though. DSFix has a hotkey to flip between 30 and 60, and 30 feels like a slideshow compared to 60. I honestly can't imagine playing at 30, not to mention the even lower framerate experienced in Blighttown.

>$60 controller

Less than half of that, but yeah. Controllers are great for a wide variety of PC games, so they're a good investment anyway. I don't imagine many people are buying one just to play DaS.

>having to get mods to make it playable at all

Installing DSFix is literally extracting files to a folder, really not a big deal

>having malcolm reynolds fucking up your characters.

That's DaS3, though..? I'm just talking about DaS1 here.

Anyway, there are tools available to backup your savegames and autokick cheaters. I haven't encountered a single cheater ingame anyway, so it's not like this is a common problem, at least not in DaS1.

The only thing really worth complaining about on PC is the weird collision issues, like sliding down ladders will occasionally drop you through the map, irregular surfaces become harder to walk on, that kind of thing. When this type of stuff comes up I need to flip into 30fps mode to get past it.

Do yourself a favor and get this. It will make that gamepad even better than new, and it takes about 5 minutes to install.

1. Buy whatever headphones you want (I recommend a nice open-air pair from Sennheiser).
   
   
2. Buy yourself a Zalman clip-on mic.

I use my wireless.. but I had to buy a special usb compatible wireless controller receiver: here it is at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows-Pc/dp/B000HZFCT2

If you have a PS3, you can pretty much play the entire series with one purchase.

Legacy Collection

This has everything except Portable Ops and MGS5.

In case you guys were wondering, this is what he's using. Kind of pricey, but really cool.

How about the HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset?

It's rated pretty highly on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-KHX-H3CL/dp/B00JJNQG98

Video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaMi8dMWNbI

I have the Mayflash adapter and its good enough. What I want are a few more official Game Cube controllers in black.

Edit, here a link for the curious.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS520SG/

Actually mine is a controller with a USB where the battery pack should be and it plugs into the computer. http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-Controller-Windows/dp/B004QRKWLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373488242&sr=8-2&keywords=Xbox+360+controller+for+PC

Pretty sure I got mine from here.

I'm pretty sure you can just buy an adapter online.
Edit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HZFCT2

Kit was $70

Case was $25

Controller was $35

If you don't care about how nice your case looks, and you already have a Bluetooth or wired controller, all you would need to get is the kit. I liked the idea of an old snes controller instead of my Xbox one controller, so I spent a little extra on that

No one here knows how easy using a wireless xbox 360 controller for a pc is??? You don't need to go with a wired controller.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HZFCT2/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
Close to 100% of multi plat games support controllers for pc. Just look at your favorite games on steam's website and it will tell you.

There are a few exceptions...mass effect being one. No clue why they didn't allow a controller for Pc (though there are mods that let you use one)

Cost of PS4 with monster breifcase:

http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Personal-Environment-consoles-playstation-4/dp/B00H0R9DSG

$350

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-4/dp/B00BGA9WK2/ref=sr_1_4?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1451941148&sr=1-4&keywords=ps4

$350

4 year ps+

$200

$350 + $350 + $200 = $900


Cost of decent laptop:

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GE72-APACHE-264-17-3-Inch-Gaming/dp/B0141H0AI4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1451941479&sr=8-5&keywords=msi+laptop

$920 (Free online, not a briefcase, cheaper game with more variety)

Also, most people already own a laptop and people typically buy $200-700 laptops anyway, which you can also factor in.

EDIT:

4 years of PS+ because im assuming most people who play PS4 play online, and that is the cost of a $50 1 year subscription * 4 years, which is the lifespan of the console.

If you aren't able to find what you're looking for, this might be a good suggestion.

You can clip these onto any headset cords you like, and it records in high quality. http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Microphone-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone/dp/B00029MTMQ

http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Classic-USB-Gamepad-PC/dp/B002B9XB0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416527216&sr=8-1&keywords=buffalo+snes

This is way better than that eBay one. This one has some weight to it and feels like the real thing. The other ones end up being cheap knockoffs.

Also, if you happen to already have an N64 controller you can Buy an adapter to plug it into your PC via USB.

Edit: I do recommend this item. I use it myself. Also thanks for the gold :D

>If you don't already have a gamepad, I suggest getting a cheap wired Xbox360 controller, even if you don't play DS. For some games, it just makes sense to use a gamepad over KB+M.

Or if you already have a 360 with wireless controllers, this thing is pretty cool. Works flawlessly, you pair the controller to your computer exactly like you do to your console.

And I agree with you. I was a big keyboard+mouse purist until I tried the controller with Darksiders. Holy hell it was so much better to control and play.

If you haven't played the games already pick up the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection when it becomes available

Some of the best games ever made

Don't buy headphones.

Get the mic and cans seperately.

Mic: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL84OY/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d0_g147_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1DAEMATS37NA6WMKCDS5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

OR

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=pd_sim_e_1

Cans: Sennheiser 555's or Audio Technica ATH AD-700's . You can get 555's slightly used for $50, a steal at that price.

If do you get 555's, you can do an easy, risk-free upgrade to make them into $200 headphones! Yay capitalism!

Now go buy them because no one will offer better advice.

http://www.amazon.ca/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver/dp/B000HZFCT2 This is exactly what you need.

Also, you can buy Xpadder online, and completely map your controls including mouse, to your thumbsticks. It's fucking awesome BUY IT

If you try this it works pretty well, connects wireless 360 controllers to pc. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HZFCT2

Side note for those saying buy a wired 360 controller: If you already have 360 controllers laying around (or can borrow from friends etc..) Save some cash and get one of these bad boys: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HZFCT2?pc_redir=1412145840&robot_redir=1

Supports up to 4 controllers at once.

The SteelSeries Siberia V2's.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SteelSeries-Siberia-Full-Headset-Microphone/dp/B002Q8IHDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395083281&sr=8-1&keywords=steelseries+siberia+v2

This headset is seen all over in the CS:GO pro community, as well as LoL. I will be getting a set myself very soon.

Review: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XPDcivJGGN8

I got the Raspberry Pi 3, in a lazy man's kit on Amazon. I had pre-loaded some ROMs and the RetroPie OS to my computer beforehand, so when I got the Pi it only took about 30 minutes to get it working.

I also got these.

The entire shebang cost me $93. I am still pleased with the purchase. lol

http://www.amazon.com/GameCube-Controller-Adapter-Wii-U-WiiU/dp/B00BS520SG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370654037&sr=8-1&keywords=wii+u+gamecube+controller+adapter

I have one of these and it works perfectly.

Here's a good alternative: The original http://www.amazon.com/GameCube-Controller-Adapter-Wii-U-WiiU/dp/B00BS520SG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=18LLR3YI7K3D3&coliid=I1JHJRVDE7PN05

You should read "Masters of Doom" on how John Romero and John Carmack came up with that game. One of the best books I've read.

wired xbox 360 controller
plugs into usb works like a charm
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-Wired-Controller/dp/B003ZSN600/ref=pd_sim_vg_2

As a PC/Xbox 360 gamer, this is one of the best investments I've ever made. Now, any controller I buy works for both 360 and PC.

ibuffalo snes

they've gone up a little in price since I bought mine at $12 a piece. They work perfectly and are as sturdy as the originals.

Get a Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for 29 buck in amazon, in my experience the x360 wireless controller is by far the best gamepad I've ever had.

Also, if he prefers real N64 controllers, I've got 2 of these and they work perfectly for 4-player Mario Kart action.

This is the one i use - works perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/May-Flash-Controller-Adapter-Nintendo-64/dp/B002B9FIUU

This is all you need to have the best of both worlds.

I bought it back in 2006 and it played fairly well with just mouse+keyboard. Fast forward to last week, when I finally buy a wired xbox 360 controller, and it's so much better.

So, it does support controllers, and do yourself a favor (if you're on a pc) and pick up one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wired-Controller-Black/dp/B003ZSN600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324565176&sr=8-1

Best PC gamepad I've ever tried, unfortunately, if you're on an Apple with the most up-to-date OS (I have a 4-year old Macbook, it's my portable SMB/Braid/Machinarium machine) finding a driver that will make it work is a pain in the ass. Tattiebogie does not work.

Also, it's cheaper to buy it on Steam and get a wired controller than any of the copies I've seen for sale for Xbox. And you now have a controller for any other platformers you may have.