How to Connect Your 8-Bit & 16-Bit Consoles to an HDTV

Missing your favorite games from childhood? Struggling with game emulators on your PC? Can't get the controller to work? Don't fret---there is an alternative.

Don't let your old console languish in a forgotten box in your attic or basement. Instead, dust it down, and load up your favorite games.

"But wait," you say. "What about my new TV? I can't possibly connect my 8-bit or 16-bit console to a modern HDTV, can I?"

Well yes, you can… Read on to learn how to connect old consoles to a modern TV.

What Old Games Consoles and Computers Have in Common

You might have an old Nintendo Entertainment System or an Atari console. As different as these consoles are, they each share a similar quality---how you connect them to a TV.

Two options are available:

RF: the old-style aerial connection. While a workable option, the cables tend to deteriorate over time, so won't deliver a reliable picture in most cases.
Composite: the red, white, and yellow cable that is still in use. Red and white are the audio channels, yellow the video. These cables feature RCA connectors and are also known as AV cables.

While some consoles will only have one or the other, some have two. There's also the possibility of adapters and converters and even custom cables to view the output from your console on your high definition TV.

Let's look at how to connect popular retro consoles to your modern television.

How to Connect NES or Super NES to a Smart TV

Rather than rely on emulation software, devices like the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (aka Famicom) or the 16-bit Super Nintendo (aka Super NES/SNES/Super Famicom), can be connected directly to an HDTV.

The NES has two options: the RF port, and the AV/RCA port.

If your TV has an RF port (to connect to old-style aerials), then you can use this. The NES RF switch connects to the port next to the console's power socket. The RF switch box is designed so that the cable box and console can use the same channel on your TV.
Need a better picture? Consider swapping to the AV cable, which shipped with later NES consoles. Connect this to the AV output on your NES and to the same inputs on your HDTV. Be sure to connect the red port to the red port, and the yellow to the yellow. This video illustrates the point.

For the Super Nintendo, a Universal S-Video cable is the best option to hook it to your TV. This is also the solution for the N64 and GameCube. The unfortunate and irritating checkerboard effect of the older composite/RCA connectors makes S-Video a more popular option.

Super Nintendo users with good DIY skills might prefer to fit a component video output. This is the red/green/blue (RGB) connection, also known as YUV/YPbPr. Most HDTVs have this cable connection (often using the same RCA ports as composite).

RCA to HDMI Adaptors

NES and SNES owners can also benefit from adapters that convert the signal so it can be displayed on an HDTV. These HDMI Converter Adapters work with the NES, SNES, GameCube, and N64 consoles. They're also extremely affordable, available for less than $30.

How to Connect a Sega Console to Your Smart TV

If you want to hook your old Sega console to your modern TV, once again you'll need the right cable. Every Sega console has a different video out port, which can confuse matters. Fortunately, you can still pick up the right TV cable for your console online.

For instance, if you have a Sega Genesis (aka Sega Mega Drive), you'll need to find the right cable for your specific model. Confusingly, different Sega Genesis versions have different video connectors.

Once you've got the right cable, it's a simple case of connecting it to the composite/AV connectors on your TV.

Connect an Old Atari 2600 to Your TV

Even the popular Atari 2600---the console that arguably kickstarted the home gaming revolution---can be connected to an HDTV.

To do this, grab the packaged RCA cable and connect a female-to-male coax adaptor. Screw this into the RF connector on the back of your LCD or plasma HDTV.

The RCA cable is a single video and mono audio composite, ideal for the low-fidelity graphics and sound of the Atari 2600.

If you can't find a female-to-male coax adapter, plug the RCA cable into any device with an RF pass-through circuit. You're looking for a device like a VCR or DVD recorder. From here, the signal will be sent along the device's usual route to your HDTV.

With a bit of channel switching, you should find your Atari 2600 game is ready to play on your smart TV.

Other Console or an Old Home Computer?

Overall, the method for connecting your old games console or home computer to an HDTV remains the same. It doesn't matter if you have a Super Nintendo console or a Commodore 64 computer.

Confirm you can use an S-Video or AV connection rather than RF, and buy a suitable connector.

Note, however, that you may also need a converter; some older devices don't use standard signals (e.g., the Commodore 64). Buying a well-made HDTV-compatible AV cable will reduce the likelihood of issues and problems occurring.

Also, if you're using a TV with a SCART socket, a composite-to-SCART adapter can work. Simply connect the AV cable to the adapter, then connect this to the SCART socket on your TV. Finally, select the corresponding output on your TV and start playing.

Don't let the TV start auto-tuning or switching channels on you because it doesn't like, or can't automatically pick up the signal. You may have to spend some time jumping between, and tuning channels, so stay persistent!