I built the CHEAPEST emulation console in 2026

Coulter Peterson just covered how he built a custom emulation console using a Lenovo ThinkCentre, and the process is pretty wild to watch. He walks through upgrading the machine with a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD and extra DDR4 SODIMM RAM to get it running games from consoles like the PS3 and Wii U. The setup also uses specific hardware like an 8BitDo Pro 2 controller, a Mayflash DolphinBar, and a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to tie everything together. There is even an unexpected inclusion of the Ostation 2 Pro, which is a touchscreen battery charging station that manages a mix of lithium and NiMH cells.